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Friday, January 20, 2017

Here we are in a Kakoracy and Drama Queens

I am wearing black and avoiding all media like the plague today.  Even though there is nothing I can do to stop events, that doesn't mean I can't pretend they are not happening.  At least for a day.  I have made a vow to myself to spend the next four years doing all I can to make a difference in my little piece of the world.  It's all I can do.


(sound of favorite black boots stepping down from soapbox)


I spent yesterday morning at the vet's.  It seems to be the place I spend most of my time lately - besides the office.  The Pepperoni has been sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and hacking since Monday.  Since I am uber-sensitive to my dogs at the moment, I didn't want to wait until Saturday to have him seen.  As I sent an email to the powers-that-be in the office, I could almost see the eye-rolling and hear the tut-tut-ing.  Tough nuggets.


The only good part of the visit was that I got to see my next-favorite vet, Dr. Shelley.  She is the vet that volunteers at our town's rabies clinics and I get to work with her twice a year.  The good news was that there is nothing wrong with his heart.  The bad news is that he has a bad upper respiratory infection so we were sent home with giant antibiotic pills (really?) and instructions to give him a half-teaspoon of Robitussin twice a day.  Sigh.  You might as well tell me that I would have to load up a dart gun and shoot a charging rhino.  He (The Pepperoni) may only be 13 pounds but he is 13 pounds of Drama Queen.  The pills were easy enough to manage (so far).  I cut them in half and buried the halves in cheese.  The Hoover comes on and down they go.  Especially if Lovey gets her piece first.  Then there is the liquid dosage.  Seriously, I put it in a little hypo case that I had in my animal medicine kit and, when I went to squirt it down his tiny gullet, he screamed, tried to gum me and flipped over.  More screaming.  Most of it got on him, me and the rug.  Some of it got down his gullet.  It's crazy.  And I have to do this twice a day.  If I could find some way of hiding it in cheese, I would.  He did seem a little better this morning, although that meant twice the drama.


I can hardly wait for tonight...









16 comments:

Mama Pea said...

Would the Robitussin be as effective if you mixed it in a little dog food, laced with beef gravy . . . with maybe some whipped cream on top? Although, frankly I can't think of a thing that would mask the taste of Robitussin.

Joy said...

I have exactly the same plan as you for today. Well, minus the dog doctoring. When we used to have to give a former beloved pointer daily meds, we mixed it with braunschweiger. That went down very well, I can tell you. Good luck, and stay strong these next years.

Theresa Y said...

I am going to bury my head for the next for years. take care of the Pepperoni and good luck with the cough syrup!

Sandy Livesay said...

Susan,

Oh boy fun.....getting cough syrup every where. Been there done that more than once. We usually use little pieces of all beef hot dog cut up in the same hand as the syringe, our dog smells the beef gets one piece, and then we put the syringe down his throat, squirt the syrup, and end the experience with another piece of hot dog. It works for us. The first 2 times, our dog nearly bit my fingers off. Just don't give the dog to much hot dog, if you do you may have other issues.

I've also made white rice (not instant), let it cool down and just mix enough medicine in it, and create a little meat ball with the rice, then coat it lightly with meat and it goes down nicely.

Sue said...

I fully intend to stop reading the news for the next four years. Someone pointed out to me that burying one's head in the sand is not going to help, but we need to face facts---we are powerless to stop this train wreck and the less I know the better.

And have you heard of the software available that turns all pictures of Trump on your screen into pics of KITTENS/?? How freaking adorable. But I'm STILL going to ignore the world . It's just too damn depressing.
Times like this I wish I drank.

Florida Farm Girl said...

I'm sitting here with a knot in my stomach and near tears. No choice but to endure but it won't be easy. Ah, yes, to be able to not hear the news every day.

Susan said...

Taking the vow with you. Every media outlet here is convinced we want to watch the inauguration of a foreign president. Oh, maybe because he has the power to dramatically change the face of the free world-gulp. Our newly elected leader and cabinet just pop over to the governor general's house for tea and swearing in. I admit it lacks pizzazz.
Regarding the coughing dog-the rice ball idea sounds good and the Robitussin will still work.

jaz@octoberfarm said...

i can't and won't watch him...ever. unless he is taken away in cuff, then i'll gladly watch. i feel your pain. teddy is the worst. she won't let me do anything!

DFW said...

I'd scream if you tried to squirt that nasty stuff down my throat too. Hate the taste of it myself. I sure hope Pepperoni feels better soon. Maybe he won't eat so much if he feels bad?

Michelle said...

I'm going to go ride my mental health mustang, even though it's raining. I need therapy....

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Could you mix the cough syrup with something malleable, like hamburger or something, to get it into Pepperoni that way?

Anonymous said...

LOL on your wearing black today - my sister did the same thing the day after the election. Me? I'm busy emailing my Senators, which I'm ashamed to say I've never done before.

About the cough syrup situation: many of the OTC cough and cold pills contain dextromethorphan, the primary cough suppressant ingredient. Unfortunately, they also contain other ingredients, and you'd have to read a lot of labels and also check with your vet about whether they're safe for dogs, and also the dosage. But you might luck out and find a Robitussin substitute in pill form.

Nancy In Boise said...

I have been avoiding politics at all costs lately. Same here, do what I can where I am. Been there done that with a big sheperd mix dog. Someone should invent a cough syrup/pellet that tastes like beef or something :(

Anonymous said...

That just reminded me: there are "compounding pharmacies" that will specially make up drugs in oddball sizes, or flavors (e.g., tuna flavor for cats). Maybe there's one your vet knows of.

Unknown said...

Oh massive sympathy. Last summer saw us having to syringe goop in BOTH ears, TWICE a day for SEVEN days into similar sized gnashing Jack Russel. Yep 28 chances of losing a finger. And no, he doesn't take kindly to muzzling. Leather gardening gloves and nerves of steel were the only way. Gah.

Erin said...

oh my, I can't imagine any animal willingly ingesting Robitussin, good luck!!!