Rough Day – ND #36

Cheese Hound – Photo: L. Weikel

Rough Day

Some little boy had a rough day today. But there was still enough fire left in his belly to be bad!

The afternoon started out innocently enough, with Pacha and Brutus scheduled for their second Lyme vaccination just after lunch. So we headed up to the vet’s office and managed to get there uneventfully. In fact, they seem to relish car rides.

They both clocked in with weight gains that have been impressive with every single visit to the vet. This time Brutus was just shy of 16 lbs. (15. 9 to be exact), with Pacha weighing in at 14.8. That’s pretty significant, if you ask me.

Anyway, the shots were administered seamlessly.

Special Delivery

After our visit to the good doctor, we needed to make a special delivery. I only mention this because part of the route we took to make that delivery was on a road that bears significant twists and turns. We weren’t gone for long, but on the way home, Brutus reminded me of one of the more consistent yet unpleasant differences between cats and dogs, which is that dogs do not give ‘fair warning’ of impending nausea.

Well! Following our special delivery, Brutus decided to make one of his own. Without my knowledge (keeping my eyes on the road and such), I did not realize that he had barfed up the contents of his stomach. Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I would say he’d stuffed his morning feast in a ziplok bag and unloaded it on us. That’s how intact it all was when it appeared before me a second time.

I know this may be ‘tmi’ for some of you, but it was rather impressive that he managed to fill the cup holder in my vehicle with the breakfast he’d eaten three hours earlier. Given the quantity this growing puppy had ingested, he also managed to barf up another massive amount which he artfully aimed between the console and my seat.

The whole thing was executed masterfully (if unintentionally).

The few that escaped being pilfered – Photo: L. Weikel

The Aftermath

I brought both of the pups inside when we got home and retrieved a roll of paper towels. We interrupted Karl making himself a mid-afternoon snack of cheese on wasabi rice crackers with a dollop of mustard for garnish. Nevertheless, he set them aside and came out to the car to witness the carnage, returning to the house immediately, while I tended to the remediation.

When I completed my task as clean-up crew, I walked into the living room to find the very same puppy with the very same expression on his face as in the photograph at the top of this post. Talk about a puppy who knows he broke the rules! Guilt and regret seem to be written all over his face.

I looked at the plate on the tray table in front of said beleaguered puppy. A handful of crackers with cheese remained on the plate. Karl, growling more for Brutus’s sake than mine, simply said, “I guess he had a void to fill.”

“How many cheese crackers had you made for yourself?” I asked.

“A plate full.”

“Oooh. Wow.” And looking Brutus in the eye, I asked, “Did you do this?”

Yes. Yes he had. And he hasn’t been fully on his game ever since. (And I’m trying not to relive the trauma of Spartacus suddenly not feeling well.)

Ah, adolescence. But still…I do have to admire his aim. Filling the cup holder was gross but masterful.

(T+36)

Off His Game – Day 1043

Spartacus: “I don’t feel well, Mommy” – Photo: L. Weikel

Off His Game

I’m distracted this evening. I’m worried about my Spart-man. As soon as I woke up this morning, I noticed he was ‘off his game.’ For one thing, he hadn’t come back upstairs to cuddle with me after his morning rendezvous with the elements. (Karl lets him out early, but Spartacus always – always – come back upstairs to cuddle with me. Every morning. Without fail.)

Anyway…when I came downstairs looking for my cuddle-bug, I found him outside, just standing underneath the bird feeders looking…lost. And forlorn. And frazzled, to be honest. The hair along his backbone was standing on edge – the way it looks when we walk past his buddies the wolfhounds and they talk smack to him.

It’s fine when his hair bristles at the abuse by his wolfhound buddies. It’s quite another when there’s no discernible…anything…going on.

His position the entire day – Photo: L.Weikel

Off His Game

I knew immediately that something was ‘off.’ He looked at me and the usual joy that beams out of his eyes wasn’t there. It was as if he was distracted, which perhaps he was. I think he was feeling ill and didin’t know what to do with those feelings.

I called him and chirruped in my most enthusiastic voice, but to no avail. He acted like he didn’t even want to climb the three steps to our porch. He did so, eventually, but not without exuding a sense of extreme malaise. There wasn’t even a hint of tail-wagging to be observed.

He drank a bit of water, but had no interest in food. I think I can count on one hand the times this boy has ever been disintererested in food. But…ok. Things happen. I was not going to get worried by a little stomach growler.

Things Only Got Worse

As the day wore on, Spartacus became more and more lethargic. Basically, he slept the entire day. But beyond that, he barely moved. That wouldn’t bother me all that much if the sleeping yielded even an ounce more pep. But it did not. We couldn’t even coax him to stand up.

Several more hours went by. The sun was setting and the moon was rising and it was time to take our walk. Spartacus, my baby. Can’t you shake this bug off yet, bunny?

I put his harness on in the hopes that it would inspire him to at least give a walk a try. Our walks are legend. And besides, I figured if he ate something that disagreed with him he might have to ‘get things moving’ in his innards and a walk might be just the ticket to his recovery.

Alas, no dice. He barely stood up long enough for me to secure his harness before immediately resuming his prone position on his massive pillow. Undaunted (and a bit shameless, I’ll admit), I offered him a treat. Nope.

Even the Wolfhounds Sensed Something

Even the wolfhounds recognized his absence. Entirely uncharacteristically, they turned their backs on me as I walked past them. Their buddy Start was nowhere to be seen. They couldn’t be bothered with his human.

“Bah. Where’s the little guy? We’re out of here.” Photo: L. Weikel

While I was walking, Karl brought him inside and tucked him into his softest dog bed. Once I came back, I had a feeling he might need to go to the bathroom. We took him out and he wandered a bit in the dark, but overall, it seemed to be a fruitless endeavor. Fruitless, except perhaps for a bit of some almost-dry heaves. (I’ve wracked my brain to think if he snuffled up anything on our walk last night, but I cannot remember anything unusual. And yes – he walked four miles with me yesterday…)

This is NOT the way Spartacus ever behaves.

Tigger: “What’s wrong with Spart, Mommy?” – Photo: L.Weikel

Present Status

Right now, Cletus is watching over his big brother. They’re both curled up, asleep on the mega pillow we have on our porch. Honestly, it’s the cutest indication of brotherly love. It’s fascinating – the cats all seem a bit perturbed. There’s definitely a disturbance in the force.

I’m not sure if Spart has a bit of a fever and feels better sleeping outside in the coolness of the night air, or what his motivation is for remaining outside. Is it just too much trouble to get up and come inside? It’s unsettling.

Believe me; once I write this and get it posted, I’m going outside and carrying him up to bed. There’s no way I’m going to let him sleep outside when he doesn’t feel well.

He’s my baby. And if he’s not acting more like himself by the time I wake up tomorrow morning, he’s going to visit his doctor. We can only hope it’s just something that needed time to work itself out.

Thanks for listening and maybe even sending some love to our pup.

Cletus having Spartacus’s back – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-68)