Monday, Monday...

I'm optimistic that this Monday will be better than last Monday. It has started out pretty great. Although, last Monday started out pretty great as well. Last Monday was my mom's birthday. Before calling Grandma for her birthday, we headed off to sell some stuff to the second-hand children's store in town. I was pleased to walk out with a little cash in hand. Then we called mom for her birthday, got some stuff done around the house and had lunch. Then things went south.

The dog started vomiting around 2 o'clock and it continued until I finally decided I better call the vet around 4 o'clock. The vet wanted me to bring her in...obviously. So, before waking crabby Grace up from her nap, I layered blankets and puppy pads all over the back of the car and put the middle seat up so Molly would be barricaded in for the 5-minute drive to the vet. (And she did end up making use of that on the way.)

We arrived at the office and I struggled to form the parade in...two bickering preschoolers, one of which was plucked from her cozy bed just minutes before, and one very sick puppy dog who didn't even want to walk through the parking lot. Molly didn't throw up the entire time we were waiting for the doctor to come in.

The decision was made to do x-rays to determine if there was something in her belly. When they took the dog out of the room, I grilled the kids on whether they had seen Molly eat anything out of the ordinary that day. Sam was quick to let me know that Grace had fed her something at lunchtime: 2 bites of yogurt straight off of her spoon (yuck!). I let them know that the yogurt was most likely not the reason for the throwing up, but also that it was pretty disgusting to feed the dog off of your own spoon!

The review of the x-ray minutes later determined that Molly did have some foreign object in her belly, but we couldn't tell what it might be. Grace frantically rushed across the exam room, though, pointing and proclaiming, "Oh no! That's my yogurt in there!" In between getting a referral to another vet clinic to possibly have a scope done and figuring out whether I would have to take the kids with me or if Kris was home from work, yet, I calmed Grace and let her know that this was not her fault and that was not her yogurt in the picture. :) At this point, Molly had still not thrown up again.

Off the four of us went to another clinic who was staying open late for us to tend to our sick little girl. The whole way, I was adding up in my head what we might be spending and what items I could make for my Etsy shop to make up for the growing vet charges. I knew Kris was going to be beyond irritated.

We arrived at the next vet and Molly did not throw up the entire 20 minute drive over there. This doctor was a little more conservative than the last. She was still planning on the medications, but I think she could see the anguish on my face as I was torn between making sure the dog was okay and avoiding telling my husband that our vet charges would be inching towards a grand. So, she suggested, since the vomiting had subsided, that we give her the meds and she spend the night and the following day with them so they could monitor her. The plan was to do the scope if the vomiting started back up at any point and to feed her and see if she could keep it down if she seemed to be doing okay in the morning.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep much Monday night. I was so worried they would be calling to tell me I had a dead dog in the morning, which actually would have been easier for me to tell Kris than if they were to call and tell me they had to do the scope and they had to proceed to surgery. I held off calling right at 7:30 when they opened. As soon as I dropped the kids off to school and was on the road to work, though, I placed the call. Thankfully, so far, so good. The day proceeded well.

I picked Molly up at 6 on my way home and, for the first time, she was so excited to see me that she peed all over the vet lobby (usually, Kris is the only one lucky enough to get that reaction out of her!). They loaded me up with meds, prescription food for the week and instructions on what symptoms to watch for that might indicate an intestinal blockage, took my money (which was still slightly closer to $0 than $1,000) and sent us on our way.

And I got her home and...she immediately ate the arm off of a Little People construction worker. Ugh. I know this was a learning experience, just not necessarily for the dog. :) Thankfully, she seems to be doing well a week later. Now, we have to work on getting her weight back up, since she's all ribs, again, after this whole ordeal.

Stay tuned...tomorrow, I'll be posting on the cat and Grace's cat whisperer abilities.