Tango is one sick dog this week. At this writing (Tuesday) Fran’s been up with him for pretty much 48 hours straight.
The first day your dog is spewing from both ends, the routine is simple. Withhold food (not water), stick to routine as much as possible. Be there to hustle outside and/or clean the floor and the dog. Try to figure out what he may have eaten, where he’s been, what’s different that could have caused it. Nap when you can, if you can.
By the second day, if there’s been no improvement (or worsening, in Tango’s case), it’s time for a visit to the veterinarian. Who asks where he’s been, what he’s eaten, has anything changed, etc. And the answers, every time Tango is ill, are the same: nowhere, nothing, nope. About once every year or so, he gets sick.
And a sick dog disrupts everything.
Primary caregiver
Some dogs are “family” dogs. They have a strong and special relationship with every member of the family. If one person isn’t home, they’re content with whoever is there. Tango, like most Brussels Griffons, isn’t one of those. If Fran’s not home, he waits. He doesn’t settle for second best. He’s usually not annoying, he’s just not around. He’s waiting for Fran.
When she is home, he’s close to her. For example – in the 12 years Fran’s had Tango, she’s never had to look for him. Ever. He’s right there. She’s never counted the times she’s almost/nearly/actually stepped on him, but it has to be in the hundreds. Because he’s always right there.
When he’s sick, it magnifies. And she’s the only one he allows to take care of him. Hope can supervise his outings (stand there and watch him decide on the perfect spot), but only Fran’s allowed to do the paperwork.
Broken schedule
That means that all the things that are supposed to get done, don’t. And there’s an added layer of stress because the things that should be getting done, aren’t. Errands and chores don’t jibe with caring for a sick dog.
There’s no question that Fran loves Tango deeply. And the fact that he’s sick is even more troubling since he’s an older dog. But when you’re sleepless and worried, adding a mounting pile of stuff not getting done is enough to cause anyone stress. Fran said it best herself: “I feel like a prisoner.”
And in a sense, she is. When a loved one is in the throes of a messy illness, you’re trapped. So you can start to resent the one who’s sick, even though you still love them. The other dogs aren’t helping. There’s nothing dogs adore more than routine, and that’s been thrown by the wayside, for now.
Everything’s going to be alright
When you know a situation is only temporary, you tell yourself you can deal with it for now. It’s almost more difficult than a permanent change. If your circumstances are changed for the long haul, you change along with it to make it work.
So the chaos and mayhem that’s a normal part of our life is a bit messier for the moment. We’re hoping by the time you read this that calm has been restored, as well as Tango’s health. We’ll keep you updated.
Update (Saturday): Tango is fully recovered and back to himself. The rest of us are still trying to catch up on our sleep. One reason Tango bounced back so quickly, according to our vet, is because he’s in great shape. See the training tip on our sister site: 2-Minute-Trainer.com.
I’m so glad Tango is OK! I follow his adventures on your blog. My beloved Cairn terrier Koby had an ultrasound last week because his liver enzymes are elevated — not a lot, but they were up in November and when we checked again in March they were up a bit more. Koby was a rescue — he must be somewhere between 7 and 9, but he was a stray before the rescue agency got him out of the pound. He’s extremely sensitive to sedation. The ultrasound, luckily, didn’t show much — one tiny spot on his liver that’s probably just a lipoma, though we’ll keep checking his enzymes and he may have to have another ultrasound in a year or so. Anyway he came home from his ordeal at the clinic miserable, crying, and with terrible diarrhea, all probably from stress. He’s had cases of the poops before — from stress, from eating something unknown on a walk, once from too many acorns — and I always have Pepto-Bismol tablets (NOT liquid) on hand, recommended by our great vet. If he gets the poops he gets HALF a Pepto (once — and once again in 12 hours if needed. Then, for several days, he gets two big tablespoons of organic, unsweetened pumpkin puree once a day (or twice if needed) along with very bland meals of homemade chicken breast and white rice. He’s fine now — though it did take 48 hours for him to be back to normal. I’m just writing to tell you about Pepto — and to commiserate, since I just went through two sleepless nights with my aging terrier too. Best of luck to all of us!
Thanks so much! We have used Pepto in the past and keep it on hand. This time, since Tango is a senior and we knew he hadn’t eaten anything or been under stress, we made the call to go to the vet. We’re glad to hear that Koby is back to normal – just like Tango. We hope that Koby’s liver enzyme issue is no big deal and that he’s able to deal with the stress. Is there anything you can give him beforehand to prevent the upset? Maybe ask your vet before Koby’s next adventure in veterinary medicine. And we hope you catch up on your sleep!