I am having a not-so-great day. Oh, sure it started great. The sun is out, it’s fifty degrees, and I’ve packed everything for Charleston. I caught up on Parenthood, checked all my emails, and even made a great breakfast. Why wasn’t Grumples in the kitchen begging for bacon? Why is he still asleep on my floor. That isn’t like him.
Around eleven, I hear him in the other room whining by the door. I figured he needed to go out. He doesn’t whine ever unless he is going to vomit. And what do you know, as soon as I let him out, he vomits. Dogs get sick and I get that their stomachs are sensitive and maybe he ate something that didn’t sit well. Thirty minutes later, he’s at the door wanting to go out again. What happens? He pukes again. This time it was foamy and filled with film. I did what all pet owners shouldn’t do and googled it. Of course, that had me running to the phone to call the vet.
I take him over to West Ballantyne Animal hospital and I love them to death. He tells me to run over to the store to get him Pepcid. It’s a 20mg tablet that helps with his stomach and the acid. So, we headed to Walgreens and picked it up. As soon as we got back to my place, I decided I’d let him walk around at the park to get some fresh air. He runs to the corner and goes to the bathroom. (TMI ALERT) It was so runny that I was scared. He ran to the other side of the park and did it again and again. It was just flim coming out of him.
I got scared and called the vet back. He said Mr. Grumples must have eaten something that didn’t agree with him and his stomach was upset and now it’s going through his intestines. He said to keep close eye on him. But if we took away his food, we wouldn’t know if he was getting better. So he told me to come down and grab some of their food that is soft on the stomach and full of fiber for him. And so Grumples and I hopped back in the car and picked some food up. I’m supposed to give him 2 and a half cans tonight and 2 and a half cans in the morning.
As soon as we got into the apartment, I meant to drop the bag with the medicine in it with Grumples’s leash, but it was the bag with the cans. SMACK! Right on the big toe and now it’s purple and swollen. Grumples and I (me) took a bunch of blankets out on the balcony and we’re sitting out here getting some fresh air and relaxing. There is a lady sitting by the pool sunbathing, which she must be from the north.
I was supposed to go bowling tonight, but I can’t leave my dog. I am a worry wart and if he gets sick again, I need to be here to take care of him and comfort him. I’m going to order some salads from my favorite deli and watching The following for the rest of the day with my pup. I’d love to just order Papa Johns and eat the entire pizza while watching movies, but that won’t make me feel any better. It would for about twenty minutes and then I’d be mad at myself.
DEAR BRAIN, PIZZA WILL NOT MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!
I really hope he gets better soon because I want to take him to the beach in Charleston tomorrow and have a good weekend. I’ll keep you guys updated on him! I pray your Friday is 10x better than mine!
Krystin Dawn says
Poor Grumples! I hope he feels better soon 🙁
Taralynn McNitt says
thank you!:(
Katie says
Hi Tara!
I’ve been following your blog for a few years now and I love how you are with Grumples. I have a 2 year old little Westie named Guinness and he’s is my whole world. I wanted to leave you a little encouragement though. Guinness has stomach issues from time to time. It started when he was about a year old and it sounds similar to what Grumples is going through (Vomiting multiple times a day to the point of dry heaving, runny stool and just acting sort of funny). We tried switching his food and being careful of what treats we gave him and nothing much changed. Then we started using the Pepcid and it was a life saver! He got sick only a handful of times after we started giving to him but it eventually stopped! He was on a daily dose for a few months and gradually I weaned him off of it! I know that our boys may not have the exact same situation but I understand your concern and wanted you to know what helped us. I hope he feels better! He’s lucky to have you for a mom!
Taralynn McNitt says
Thank you so much Katie! That is great to hear. I get worried for him and I’ll do anything to make him feel better. He seemed to be feeling better an hour after the pepcid and he’s cuddled up by my feet right now. Hopefully it’s passing! Your dog also is lucky to have a mom like you!
Brooke says
Sometimes my dog vomits when his tummy is empty. It’s the weirdest thing and I always worry, but usually he eats and feels just fine. But, I’ve had other times when that wasn’t the case and it’s so scary!! Grumps is so lucky to have a momma who can stay home with him when he needs it!
Morgan says
Does he by any chance eat Costco brand dog food? I saw someone post on FB that their dog was sick from Costco food!
Pets are an important part of your family, I hope that he gets better soon. I’d do the same thing (as far as staying home with him).
Taralynn McNitt says
Nope! He eats grain free natures recipe brand dog food. I get it at petco or petsmart. I agree! They are important 🙂
Meredith D. says
I truly hope Mr. Grumples gets better quickly. I don’t have a dog but I have two cats and they are 2 more kids for us. We had a cat early in our marriage that developed diabetes and it was always a watching game with him. *Hugs* hope your toe is better!
Linda @ TheFitty says
I often turn to good to co.fort as most. People do in stressful situations. it’s a super duper bad habit, but good on you for fighting it! I’m thinking of doing a challenge on being more mindful and. finding alternatives to relieving stress.
Ina says
Maybe there’s something stuck in Mr. Grumples intestines?
Back in October, I had exactly the same problems with my dog Delphy, a Cocker Spaniel. Suddenly she started to vomit foam… and it didn’t stop. She was nervous and couldn’t stay at the same place for longer than a minute. The also stretched her body a lot what was really weird because I’d never seen her like that. I brought her to the vet who did an x-ray… There was something stuck in her intestines. He had to operate her and what did he find? A peach stone. Funny thing is that I’m allergic to peaches, that means she found it outside and ate it.
I was soooo worried but now everything is fine. Delphy is as active and sweet as before. So, if Mr. Grumples is not getting better, that’s maybe why… Hope that it’s not like this and that he gets better soon. He is soooo lovely!!! I know what you are going through now and I truly hope that everything will be alright in the next few days. 🙂
Big hugs from Germany to Mr. Grumples and you!
Alissa says
Get well soon, Mr. Grumples!
And yeah, I feel you…cookies aren’t gonna make me feel better…but knowing and doing are two different things 🙂
Hope your weekend improves–enjoy your time in Charleston!
Kristin C says
You are a better woman than I! I would have eaten the entire pizza, and then probably would have decided I “needed” ice cream too!
I hope Grumples is feeling better. My wolfhound mix has a bad wound on her back that she got two days ago. I have no idea where it came from, but she is in pain. I wrapped and ace bandage around it and now its doing better.
Leilani says
Oh I’m so sorry Mr. Grumples is sick. My two dogs are my world, I understand how hard it is to see them sick and worry about them. I hope he makes a fast recovery! Sending positive vibes!
Rosie says
Poor Grunps :/ one if my horses (my thoroughbred Barry) got sick last week it breaks your heart seeing them in pain but animals are tough and they bounce back fast. I’m sure will all the love your giving him Grumples will feel better in no time. Have you ever heard of equissage therapy before? I’m a physiotherapy student and I couldn’t live without mine.The technology was developed for patients recovering from cardio vascular issues then modified for horses and dogs. It’s like a massage machine but it improves digestion, circulation, joint health and is great for relieving tension in muscles, ligaments and tendons. It’s like pack that you strap on to their back and a hand held unit that you move over them to target different areas. It’s made a huge difference to all my horses I’ve even used it on myself and it’s great post work out. You can buy them on installment plans or there should be doggy groomers that have them. Feel better Grunps xo
Sara says
Try The Honest Kitchen products. They’re human grade and are the best products you can feed your dog. Specifically get Perfect Form and Pro Bloom which are excellent for digestion issues. http://www.thehonestkitchen.com
Ariel says
Tara,
I hope Mr. Grumples feels better. I’m like you and whenever my pets were sick I couldn’t leave them and would worry. I hope you can enjoy your date with Mr. Grumples tonight, even if it wasn’t what you had planned for the night.
Emily says
I hope he feels better <3 (and props on the will power, no pizza! :P)
Christine says
Hey Tara,
Let Mr. Grumbles know me and Newton (my cat who thinks he is a dog) hope he feels better soon. 🙂
I am in my first year of vet school and we were learning about the GI tract just a few months ago- you’re completely right, dogs have such sensitive tummies, a lot of things can cause his symptoms. My fingers are crossed that it’s nothing serious. Also, I wanted to let you know I think Mr. Grumbles is one lucky dog to have a mom who loves and takes care of him like you do. You are as awesome as he is cute! Keep us posted about his progress.
Maria says
I’m going to pray for Mr. Grumples… That’s what I do when My babies get sick, I have a 1 year old Labrador retriever and a 7 month Doberman. Even if I get them to the vet always pray. God can do miracles even in dogs. He, Abba! knows I get crazy when they are sick, I love them so much. So, Taralynn keep calm, he’s going to get better, give him lots of love. Big hug for him!.
Erin says
Aww, I hope he feels better! I hope your toe gets better also! I know how that feels.. a couple weeks ago, the bagger at the grocery store put all of my cans in 1 plastic bag and it broke when I was getting it out of the car, it is still messed up. This post also helped me because I was about to order a pizza, and that will make me feel worse in the end!
Laurie says
i hope Mr. Grumbles feels better fast! My pup who is also treated as a spoiled child ended up with Pacreatitus last Nov. The story sounds very similar. She was also on Pepcid and anti-diarrhea meds and an antibiotic. She did end up with 2 days of IV’s because she wouldn’t eat or drink. After about 3 weeks, she was feeling better and having lost a few pounds is perkier and happier than before. It was the hardest thing to have to go through because they can’t say what’s wrong but just trust your vet and they’ll get you through this the best they can. I know my story isn’t great since there was a long recovery time, the thing is there has been a great recovery! Good Luck!
Laurie says
i hope Mr. Grumbles feels better fast! My pup who is also treated as a spoiled child ended up with Pacreatitus last Nov. The story sounds very similar. She was also on Pepcid and anti-diarrhea meds and an antibiotic. She did end up with 2 days of IV’s because she wouldn’t eat or drink. After about 3 weeks, she was feeling better and having lost a few pounds is perkier and happier than before. It was the hardest thing to have to go through because they can’t say what’s wrong but just trust your vet and they’ll get you through this the best they can. I know my story isn’t great since there was a long recovery time, the thing is there has been a great recovery! Good Luck!
Hnou says
Aww I’m sorry to hear about mr. Grumples. Ouch on the toe thing too. Hope he gets better. I worry about my kitties when they are sick too.
Shannon says
I hope Grumples is better. It could be the treats you’ve been giving him. Maybe one of them didn’t agree with him. That happened to me once with Greenies treats. Just a thought. Sorry about your foot also 🙁
Sydney says
My dog did the same thing last week. He was fine, then this week he felt yucky again. Our vet prescribed the exact same food. I am thinking at this point it’s a virus. Hope Grumples is much better very soon!
annabanna says
poor guy ;( get well soon Grumples
mulesque says
your are such a good mommy