Dinner Partners

Last Thursday night, Darby developed a gastrointestinal problem that sent us out to the backyard every two hours all night long.  Bless her, she managed to wake me up and hold it until she was outside, every time.

This is the FIRST time either of these dogs has had diarrhea but I remembered reading to switch an ailing dog to a bland diet so, first thing Friday morning I boiled some rice and some lean hamburger and fed her.  I called the vet who said to continue feeding her the bland diet, bring her in on Monday if she isn't any better and take her to the emergency clinic if she gets worse.  I took the day off so I could keep an eye on her (and catch up on the sleep I lost the night before!)

At first, Darby ate the beef and rice with gusto, but by Sunday morning she wasn't having anything to do with the rice.  She meticulously picked through the bowl, eating the beef and dropping the grains of rice over the side where Harry was waiting to scarf them up!

I couldn't believe my eyes so I grabbed my camera.  Darby letting a creature other than a human near her food bowl and a cat eating rice!

Darby acted fine all weekend, but the diarrhea didn't stop and on Sunday evening she threw up (on the carpeted landing, of course, not on the wood floor downstairs!)  So we made trip to the emergency clinic where she spent a very expensive night.  They took an X-ray that was "un-remarkable" but wouldn't 100% rule out a blockage caused by something she ate because some things like cloth don't show up on X-rays.  They hydrated her and gave her an anti-nausea med and an antibiotic and kept her for observation.

Yesterday morning, after she ate two small meals at the clinic, they released her with instructions to watch her, continue the bland diet for a couple of days and give her an antibiotic twice a day for the next several days.

I'm happy to report that her bowel function is nearly back to normal this morning.  I'm mashing the rice together with whatever protein I'm giving, but she still isn't eating the grains of rice if she can help it!  This is surely something for the record book -- finally! A food a Corgi won't eat!