Spin Doctor

These past few days have been chilly, requiring a sweater or jacket. In fact, some days were downright cold. But it's been sunny. That makes the days bearable. They're no longer cold days, but crisp.

The weather didn't change, but my attitude did.

I'm sure there is some great spiritual wisdom in this, but I'm too busy enjoying the crisp days that I don't feel like thinking too hard.

The Case of the Missing Biscuit - Epilogue

Since her bout with gastritis, Dora has taken to eating healthier foods - especially whole grains, such as Frosted Mini Wheats.

The Case of the Missing Biscuit, Part II

Though I had my suspicions, I still did not know for certain that it had been Dora who'd stolen the biscuit. When I woke up Sunday morning, I found a large pile of evidence that the missing biscuit had been upchucked, but still no proof of who was the guilty party.

As the day progressed, though, Dora was still vomiting canine gastric juices. By late afternoon, the gastric juices became bloody so off we went to the Northwest Pet Emergency Center.

Bread dough can be lethal to dogs because it can cause intestinal blockage. But another serious effect is that the bread dough will begin to ferment and cause alcohol poisoning.

After a couple of X-Rays and an exam by the veterinarian, she was diagnosed with severe gastritis. She was given an IV for dehydration, and a couple of injections of: Antibiotic, Anti-nausea drug, and canine Prilosec. When I was given the bill I suffered a gastritis attack as well, but was unable to afford any drugs for myself, so I suffered in silence.

The Case of the Missing Biscuit

I was preparing some Pillsbury Refrigerator Biscuits when I left the kitchen for a minute. When I returned, one of the raw biscuits was missing from the baking sheet. There was only one explanation - a dog took it. But which one?

Because raw dough containing leavening agents can cause great gastric distress for dogs (many times requiring expensive surgery), I phoned the Pet Emergency Center for advice. They told me to induce vomiting in the guilty dog. Vomiting is induced in dogs by feeding them Hydrogen Peroxide - 1 Tablespoon per 10 pounds of dog. That meant 1/4 cup for Dora and ~1/3 cup for Grace.

While I was pretty sure Dora was the guilty party, I couldn't take the chance. So I had to force feed about 2/3 cup of peroxide down two very uncooperative dogs, walk them around a bit to speed up the nausea and wait for the biscuit dough (and the dog food they'd eaten about 15 minutes before eating the dough) to reappear. It did...all bubbly and foamy from the peroxide...in my backyard, in the front yard, and (because of unwarranted optimism on my part that all was well) in my living room. Well, at least I had the incentive to scrub my carpets this evening!