Let me introduce you to Murphy.
I know what you are thinking. "Hey, that looks like Max!" It is Max, but today we are calling him Murphy.
Why?
Last night I read and finished Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. In it, Ramsey discusses 7 Baby Steps to becoming debt free.
Brian and I were so excited. We had just started a savings account with $25 to open and $25 a month instant transfer. We also were putting away 10% of his tips to put into savings. We were well on our way to Baby Step 1- Building an Emergency Fund. Looking over our budget, we were so proud. We will have $1000 in emergency cash in NO TIME, we thought.
Dave warns you though, that once you start putting money away, Murphy will show up. You all know who Murphy is? That guy with the law? "Anything that can go wrong, will." That guy is an asshole. After we had scraped together some starter funds last night, we were feeling so empowered.
We will beat this. We are going to live like no one else, so we can LIVE like no one else.
We were intense.
This morning? Max decided to have massive diarrhea in our bedroom. Thankfully on the floor. But it was the most rancid, god awful odor I have ever smelled in my entire life. He then proceeded to vomit- repeatedly.
Clearly he got into something he shouldn't have. Though what it was, we aren't sure.
Dave Ramsey said in his book- "The moment you decide that you are sick and tired of being sick and tired and declare that you are ready to do ANYTHING to get out of debt and live debt free, God will test your resolve."
Not only did God (or the universe or whatever you believe in) test our resolve today, we actually had to go and BUY some Resolve to clean the floor!
I Googled doggy diarrhea and found out that yeah, it's common. It's as common in dogs as it is in humans and just because a dog has diarrhea does not mean they are sick or have some disease. The best course of action is to give them broth for a few days, to help settle their stomach and keep them hydrated; then move on to what is known as a "bland diet" which is 2/3 cooked rice/cottage cheese and 1/3 boiled chicken or hamburger. If there are any other changes such bloody stool/vomit, then call the vet.
So we are on dog sitting duty for a while. Every hour, we take the dog out. He is on water and broth ONLY for 2 days. Once he proves that he can handle his liquids, I'll start on the bland diet.
Our will has been tested. Curse words have been said. Dry wretching has been done. Xanax has been taken.
But we are not broken. We are not letting this derail us any more. We will fight back.
And Murphy is no longer allowed in my house. Fuck you Murphy. Get out NOW.
And I intend to win against Murphy. I intend to shine through this test of wills and the divine/universe. I got an email today that a work at home company will be contacting me in a few days for an interview!
There is good in the bad. There is diamonds in the dog shit. I will get this under control.
Haha well I don't know what I did to Murphy lately but that dude freaking HATES me right now.
ReplyDeleteWe took our dog to the vet thinking he needed medication for kennel cough and the vet dropped the bomb on us that he has pneumonia (possibly deadly) and that he might have distemper (definitely deadly and incurable). Also that it was going to cost $1500 to just maybe TRY and save his life.
We just were all excited that after 2 years we paid off $1500 of my husband's old medical debt.
Now all that's gone and our little family member may not have even made it through the night because last time I heard his blood cell counts were ridiculously low. I am dreading getting the 'I'm sorry but' phone call this morning.
*Sigh*
So if you see Murphy? Kick him in the balls for me.
So sorry you guys are having dog troubles!
ReplyDeleteClydas ralphed (vomitted) last week for no good reason. I cleaned it up and he's been fine since. I usually only go the bland diet route if it happens for more than 1 day, but every dog is different!
As a pup, Clydas had Coccitia (sp?) - a voilent intestinal parasite from his birthing conditions. I mean projectile vomit and diarrehea all the time! It was aweful! He LIVED off the bland diet and I thought I was going to have to just stick him on a raw diet forever. (Which is a LOT of work!) He was a weekly visitor to his vet for months. Thankfully, he recovered, but his digestive system has always been a bit sensative since. He can't eat something too high in fat (like pig ears or most lamb treats) or he gets the runs. He can't have corn because he gets an itchy rash from even a little, so no corn syrup, corn meal, etc. He can't have any sweeteners (because his mom - me- likes to stay sane and an active dog on sugar is like a holy terror). He can't have grain (since dogs aren't designed to eat grain anyway, and it gives his poop mucous and makes him gain fat).
Once I learned that dog foods AREN'T MONITORED for posionious ingredients, I started reading the lists. Onion, for example, is a common ingredient in dog food. It isn't enough to kill them, but a dog's system doesn't have a healthy way of purging it, so it can become toxic. Clydas also doesn't eat anything with "meal" or "by product" in it, since you don't really know what's in it.
Once I changed his food to the Wellness Core one I found, his digestive problems nearly stopped! He can have the occasional lamb treat now, because he's not getting extra fat out of his food anymore. His weight has stayed stable (super important for Boxers as they have joint issues as they age, and the lighter they are, the better it is).
He eats less in general because he gets more from his food and he poops less because his body uses most of the food, rather than processing it as waste.
So it has it's ups for my pup, but it has it's downs too. Like being a bit pricey...
$33 for a 6 week supply.
Ty you are in my prayers I hope that everything is alright with your puppy dog and that you don't have to go through putting him down. xxoo
ReplyDeleteThank you. :) I visited him this morning and he's at least eating a bit on his own. I am hopeful!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you guys decided to take Max to the vet.
If there is ANYTHING I learned it's to take the dog in as soon as you are worried rather than to "wait" and see if he'll get over it himself.
I wish I followed my gut!
I hope Max feels better and that Murphy leaves you the hell alone. :D