Sicko

So far in the last week the only dog not to disturb the bliss of a deep sleep with the sound of barfing is Esme.

Leeloo threw up some clear fluid twice at about 6 am one day last week because she insisted I feed her early the night before and I told her it was a bad idea. If she goes for more than about 12 hours without being fed she, and the other dogs, can make themselves vomit. The more they think about food the sicker they feel and the more sick they feel the more they feel sick - they can't stop the cycle.  Halo was my first introduction to this particular Rigeback trait so I have to watch the feeding times pretty carefully. 

Then Raimi, who I now believe worked himself up into such a state of distress over my leaving him for a day to drive to Maine, threw up some bile at about 4 am one night. The next day he went right off his food because his tummy hurt and he didn't understand that if he ate something it would feel better. So there was 72 hours of sad tummy noises, bad gas, easing him back onto food and runny poop. That seems to have resolved now.

Last night Archer, not to be left out of the trend, woke me up at 5:30am to vomit in his crate. I couldn't get up in time to get him out of there and avoid the need to wash his bedding, but such is life. I did get up, made sure he was okay and then since there was sick on his bedding I let him sleep on my bed for the next couple hours. About a half hour later he was gagging again and I immediately shoo-ed him off the bed whereupon he threw up on my bedroom floor. Turns out he was purging some peices of plastic he'd chewed off a scrub brush yesterday. Better out than in I guess.

Esme, darling Esme, isn't a barfer and I hope she never becomes one! She did poop by the back door this morning but that was my fault for not paying attention to her demands to go out. 

I don't want to give the impression that if you ever come to my house you will find poop and barf everywhere, just that in the course of my life, and theirs, I often end up with surprises I don't want but learn to deal with.

All offenders and angels are currently ensconced on the couch soaking up the sun.  Even Esme, who you can't really see on the dark brown throw, is up there, plus Ceilidh cat. It's a well used couch and worth every penny of the $200 I paid for it!