Sick day for Daisy

When I returned from a late night discussing the demise of newspapers with other journalists, Tom and Daisy greeted me enthusiastically. But Daisy seemed uncomfortable. Tense, I thought, and wondered if she'd seen a scary dog that afternoon. I rubbed her back, where Sheryl, the "animal educator," said she carried her anxiety.

We quickly learned the problem when Daisy started agitating to go outside. But she walked slowly, as if she were dizzy. Soon enough we realized that we had a sick dog. She wandered around the yard, eating grass and trying to throw up. It grew late and she still wouldn't come in. Finally we went to bed and left the door cracked so she could enter if she wanted.

I woke up at around 4:30 a.m. and Daisy was still missing. I went outside and there she was, looking uncomfortable and surrounded by a wide, flattened area of grass. Apparently she had been getting up and plopping down all night, unsuccessfully trying to find a comfortable position. By that time she did want to come inside.

The next morning Daisy slept in and we worried. Should we take her to the vet? Get a bunch of tests? Did she have some awful disease? Had she eaten a poison mushroom?

Tom argued for patience and for dogs' ability to take care of themselves.

Here's a great summary on when to worry about vomiting, written from a veterinarian's point of view. I like the distinction in cause between "indiscretion" issues, such as eating table scraps or garbage, and food allergies. Drug-related problems, parasites and more serious illness could also be the source. Dogs can get canine influenza, but it's a respiratory disease.

Daisy has a long history of indigestion. She is very sensitive to changes in her diet and any kind of stress. Fortunately we've learned that a tablet or two of Pepto-Bismol can really help. She also often self-medicates with grass. In this case, however, neither did the trick. I am ever so glad that whatever the cause, the condition resolved and we did not have to resort to a blood test, barium swallow or endoscopy.

By night time, Daisy was ready to eat dinner and visibly improved. This morning she was back to her usual self. Our lesson? Learn to read your dog's body language. Daisy couldn't have verbalized her discomfort any more plainly. Another lesson: Don't panic! Save hundreds of dollars!

Doggie dental care - not to be ignored

Daisy's a little woozy, so I won't check out her new Cover Girl smile. She spent the day at the dentist, a long-overdue item on our list of her health priorities. She came to us with black-and-yellow tinged teeth, the plaque built up like cement. Judging from that and her reaction at the sound of a cellophane bag opening, we figured she had survived on a diet of potato chips and candy. Certainly not dog biscuits -- we'd give her one and she'd take it gingerly, then set it down carefully and walk away. Don't even mention those Greenies -- she hates them.

We did take her to the dentist once already, but she came back with the same yellow-coated teeth. We thought perhaps the situation was permanent, but lately we've gotten to wondering what kind of dental work really went on during that visit. Today, armed with a "wellcare plan" from Veterinary Pet Insurance, we sent her back for another try. The plan covers dental cleaning up to $100. Daisy's bill? $487.15.

We missed her all day and worried about a possible extraction, or two or three. Those back teeth looked baaaaaaaad. But fortunately, she came back with only a few negatives on her dental report card: staining and root exposure/gum recession. Not ideal, but better than losing one or more of those big teeth! Daisy was not as happy as we were. She spent the evening letting out little cries, as if she were reliving the horrible dental visit or, maybe her mouth just ached. A couple of aspirin didn't help.

The dentist had sent Daisy home with an oral rinse and instructions to brush every day. "Most dogs and some cats will actually learn to enjoy this daily ritual," the Linda Mar Veterinary Hospital wrote in its handout. Right.

"The paste should be pressed down into the bristles so the pet doesn't lick it off the brush. Start by brushing just a few teeth at a time. Hold the toothbrush at a 45' angle so the bristles go under the gumline. Only the outside surfaces of the teeth need to be brushed at first. Try to use a circular motion with the toothbrush if at all possible."

The handout included a photo of what looked like a Sonicare electric toothbrush just like the one in our bathroom. Maybe we all three could use it! But no, it turns out there are special electric toothbrushes made just for dogs. There's the Complete Pet Dental Kit by a company called Keep it Clean and Hartz makes electric toothbrushes, too. But as another handout warns, this only works if you can "successfully condition your dog to tolerate a whirring, jiggly thing in his mouth." Not likely.

I was glad that I had become an expert at trimming Daisy's nails. "I'm the nail technician," I told Tom. "You'll have to handle the teeth."