Day 1520

It was a stressful day. Dot is not getting better. When I took her on her morning walk, she threw up some of the carpet she ate. About three hours later, she threw up even more carpet scraps. I took her back to the vet and she said that even though it was a good thing that she was able throw up most of the carpet she ate, she wasn't out of the woods yet. Carpet is apparently one of the worst things a dog can eat because long strings of the fabric tend to stay intact. It is these long strings that can cause serious problems if they get into the intestines.

The vet said I ought to try feeding her small amounts of a bland canned dog food like Hills ID four times a day, to encourage her to pass the rest of the debris through her system. Unfortunately, she couldn't hold the canned food down and threw up again. We'll be watching Dot carefully tonight and taking her back to the vet first thing in the morning for a series of Barium x-rays to determine if there is a blockage. Hopefully, she'll be able to pass everything, because if she can't, she'll have to have abdominal surgery. Our first Dalmatian had to have abdominal surgery and it was extremely difficult to get his digestive processes working again afterwards. He almost died.

Dash, of course, is still waking us up in a panic at three in the morning to go outside and poop. We're still not sure what is wrong with him either. My shoulder is taking its own sweet time to heal as well. Life goes on, but this is definitely not the best February I can remember.

I went to the networking breakfast this morning, mostly because Dot seemed perfectly fine when I woke up. She actually seemed perfectly fine when I returned. It wasn't until about 10:30 AM that she started throwing up carpet scraps. This morning's meeting was actually pretty interesting. There was no formal agenda and we just sat around and talked about how much our respective industries had changed in the last decade. It was oddly reassuring to realize that everybody else was facing the same jarring, tumultuous changes that I am.

Dot is resting calmly now. She threw up some more carpet right after I finished my dinner this evening, but she is breathing normally and her stomach is not distended. If she starts throwing up violently, we'll have to take her to the emergency vet tonight, but hopefully that won't happen. She actually appears more comfortable now after she threw up the most recent batch of carpet.  The odd thing is that she now appears to have thrown up more carpet than she actually ate. Poor girl. She's got to be really uncomfortable.

Hopefully, things will start looking up tomorrow. I saw the sun again this evening while I was walking Dash. That's always a good sign.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1331

Dot got quite a workout today. Now that she has become more comfortable with the underwater treadmill, we started her on a program of interval training. This is great exercise for an older dog. Just like interval training for humans, the treadmill speed can be controlled to provide bursts of intense activity, followed by slower cool down periods. Dot always loved to run when she was younger, and the underwater treadmill allows her to work the same muscles without the risk of injury. I am very pleased with this low impact exercise, especially since Dot seems to enjoy it. The Heal Veterinary Hospital where we go every Wednesday specializes in physical therapy and rehabilitation. When Dot gets stronger, we may try other forms of physical therapy as well. They even have balance and exercise balls designed specifically for dogs to strengthen core muscles and improve coordination.

When I go to the gym, I usually fumble around and learn what the various machines are all about by trial and error. Dot has a whole team working with her. Watching her in the tank reminds me of that Aflac Duck commercial on TV. The nurses encourage her, saying "Come on Dot, you can do it" while she high steps through the water. All we need now is the theme music from Rocky as the soundtrack for her athletic adventure.

The weather certainly didn't get any cooler today. Somebody at training class this evening said it was the hottest day of the year so far. No worries though. Janet let me use her car to take Dot to her therapy session. This made a big difference, since a new Land Rover is much more comfortable and reliable in hot weather than an eighteen year old Land Rover. Even though it was still 106 outside, we were cool and comfortable today.

Considering how much time I spent carting Dot around town, I still managed to get quite a bit done today. I finished two articles and got started on a third. I completed some minor website updates as well. I still don't know whether I will be going to Las Vegas for the WWD Magic show later this month. Hopefully, this decision won't take two years like the website project that came back to life yesterday.

Now that Dot's workout is complete for the week, I'm hoping to get back to the gym myself tomorrow. I need to burn off enough calories so I can try out a brand new breakfast restaurant I discovered recently. It's supposed to be one of the best in Texas, and it's nearby as well. I can hardly wait.

Lou is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day