Last week Momma’s friend Joy came to stay with us for a few days of fun and for a member-guest golf tourney. Joy is a doggie momma (Chio and Koji) and a prosthodontist (dentist). Joy was a joy to have around, and she played with me and brought me some of her special chicken treats. The only bone I have to pick with Joy was her probing my mouth to work on my teeth.

We did have an excellent time together though, and Joy did a great job capturing my world-class Frisbee catches on her iPhone. Take a look!

The great grape scare

After the golf tournament, Momma and Joy drove to Palm Beach for more golf with a friend and to spend the night. On the way home, Momma dropped Joy off at a friend’s house and headed to the grocery store for a few items, including grapes.

Momma was a bit frazzled by the time she got home that day, what with all the golf and socializing, the driving and the overnight stay and all, and made several trips to the car bringing up her stuff. Her first order of business was to put the groceries away, which she went at in something of a frenzy (so much to do!). She hurriedly washed the grapes, including the ones that were separated from the vine, and threw them into a bowl. In her mad dash to do so, she saw one roll across the counter and onto the floor. Knowing that grapes could be lethal for dogs, she tore around the counter and scooped it up.

Then she went into another room to put some items away, and when she came back she spotted me licking my chops near where the grape dropped. Seized by panic that another grape had rolled on the floor unnoticed, Momma yelled “what do you have, Lina?” and pried my mouth open (making it very difficult to answer her). It was empty, but she realized I might have already swallowed a grape by this time. Well, thought Momma, I doubt there was another grape on the floor anyway, and went about making herself a sandwich.

Then she started to worry. She Googled “can one grape kill a dog?” and found a few sites that emphatically said yes! Now really second-guessing herself (could she have actually missed another grape that might have fallen to the floor?), she decided that she must get some hydrogen peroxide and induce vomiting at once. Momma had once heard — she thought — that food only stays in a doggie’s stomach for about an hour, so time was of the essence.

So she sped to the drugstore, ran inside and proclaimed to the pharmacist that she had an emergency and asked for 3% hydrogen peroxide. He unhelpfully told her where it might be “if we have any.” Momma did not appreciate his attitude, but looked the other way when another pharmacist gave her a free syringe with which to dispense the peroxide. Then Momma ran back to the car and raced for home.

On the way, she decided that, before she went ahead and forced the hydrogen peroxide down my little gullet, she would call Blue Pearl Vet Clinic for advice. (Maybe she could have called them first — just a thought.) They told her that they did not recommend using hydrogen peroxide because it could damage a dog’s kidneys and stomach, (thank you, Blue Pearl!), and told Momma to call the animal poison hotline.

Momma was now in full-blown panic mode — how would she get the (potential) grape out of my stomach if she didn’t make me vomit? But, maybe she didn’t have to? She was almost 100% certain that only one grape fell on the floor. But what if there were more and I died — could she even go on without me (okay — that was my thought)?

Anyway, long story short, Momma called the hotline, and told the vet tech her tail. Before they would give her any advice, however, Momma would be required to pay for it. By then, she was so rattled she could hardly key in her credit card number (and by the way she was not happy that the price had gone up to $85.00 from the $50.00 she had to pay the time she called about an M&M that I may or may not have eaten). You get the drift here, right? And after finally managing to get the credit card number entered, the vet tech immediately came back on the line and told her not to worry — based on my weight and condition, I should be just fine. Couldn’t they at least pretend they had to think about it for awhile instead of spitting out the answer as soon as she paid, Momma seethed? Nevertheless, she was so happy she almost cried.

And do you have any idea how happy I was not to have to swallow practically poisonous peroxide and then vomit it up? Just for licking my chops? And, by the way, dear readers, not to worry I’m just fine!

Lina, Dodged another bullet!

WOOFDA!