Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Abby Home - An Update and then on to How I spent my summer vacation.

Abby the Lab is home and none the worse for wear but for some shaved fur for the IV's. That was a close call. I am so thankful I was only gone a short time and she was able to vomit all the raisins shortly after ingestion. After a couple of hours without forced vomiting, it's often fatal. Please check your kitchen folks - these were in a deep cupboard where I keep my oat granola bars, a space she had never showed an interest in when the door was opened and also a very small space her head would barely fit into, yet she still got them out. Thank God for Countryside Veterinary Center who took awesome care of her.  Her dog walker helped me get her wrangled to go get her 24 hour follow up blood work (she lives right by the Vet and just met me there to help unload and unload in lieu of today's walk) and she's home from that and the results were great.

Her band-aid has TRACTORS on it!

I knew that macadamia nuts, chocolate, onions, and garlic were toxic to dogs but I had no idea raisins were so potentially deadly. I am going to make sure ANY product with raisins in it is high up in a closed container.

In the news this week, another dog died after eating just one cupcake made with artificial sweetener xylitol. Even one serving of xylitol can kill a dog. That can be found in peanut butter, so please check your label before feeding.

Other sources for xylitol include:

Sugar-free mixes such as pudding, cake, cookie mixes, even ice cream, and yogurt. (we always check Abby's yogurt purchase to make sure it's made with only sugar.)

Sugar-free condiments.

Sugar-free breath mints and gum.

Flavored waters and drink powders

Protein bars and powders.

Toothpaste, mouthwash, breath spray and some nasal sprays.

I'm going to be the most avid label reader from now on. No one should have to be terrified that they accidentally poisoned their beloved pet.

Now on to happier news!  It's Abby Lab in "What I did on Summer Vacation" Blog Hop presented by:

Dad spent his extra time working on the house here in the Windy City plus he was in Texas and England a whole bunch this summer for work.  So I kept Mom company and got lots of walks with my dog walkers. They didn't take a vacation so Mom can check up on her Dad in Washington regularly.

But I still had a great summer, even better now that Dad rebuilt the back steps so they go INTO the yard instead of onto the driveway, I have a fence so I can go out and roll in the grass and snoot things.

It used to look like this.
Yes, that's as steep as it looks. The new steps are only half as tall so easier on my joints and on Mom's bad knee.
Dad worked hard on it!

The wires you see up above is a zip line.  When it's super duper cold and dark, Mom hooks the blue line onto my collar and it slides down the red line.  That keeps me close to the fence and the garage which is lit so Mom can make sure I just do my business and come back. (It's high enough and angled so it doesn't catch on the fence). She hates when she has to put on boots and go fetch me because I'm snootering the front corner of the property where she can't see me and won't come in, even though it's 20 below with the wind chill.

Not that we ever get any snow in Chiberia.
I tried to talk her into a little short line with a basket so I could give squirrel rides into the garage door (one way!) but Mom said "no!" 

These pictures were taken before the paving was done from the steps to the gate but I was so happy to check it out after the steps were stained.
"Mr. Bun - are you under the bush today?"  The house was built on TWO lots (lots in the old villages are TINY) so there is another good bit of yard across the driveway and the rabbits have a regular highway going back and forth.
 Thanks Dad for making my backyard fun and safe for my summer vacation!
Squirrel patrol - my watch never ends.
Here it is with the paving!

26 comments:

  1. We're so glad Abby is okay! Hadn't been on computer for a couple days so this was our first time hearing about it. Lucky you had such quick and efficient vets close by!

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  2. hari OM
    That xylitol is evil on we humans too - it sets off my asthma. GO NATURAL PEEPS!!!

    Meanwhile, Abby, so very good to see you back and grinning. You got away with that one, but I don't recommend making a habit of this attention seeking!!! Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx

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  3. Abby, we are so happy your story has a happy ending. You are lucky to have a Mom who was able to get you good care so fast.

    BTW, were the biscuits good? BOL

    Woos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber

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  4. YAY! Welcome home Abby! Glad all is well. It is way too easy for a pup to get into toxic foodables!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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  5. So happy she is ok!

    Another thing to watch out for its Tylenol, aka acetaminophen or APAP, or Paracetamol. It is also highly toxic to dogs.

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  6. What great news!!! We are so glad Abby is home and healthy!

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  7. We're so glad she's home and well again. We'll be checking ingredient labels here...

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  8. We are so thankful she's home!!!
    Cammie!

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  9. OMD, we missed hearing about Abby's big adventure! We're glad to hear she's better now.

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  10. We're glad to hear you are doing well after your medical scare. It sure is nice to be able to go out in your yard and snooter around. We love doing that too.

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  11. We're glad to hear Abby is doing well.

    Your Dad built a very clever going-out place for you. I usually have the run of the back yard with the fence going all around it. But in the morning I sometimes use a tie-out so I don't run to the other end of the yard and bark at the neighbors across the street who seem to be in their front yard 24/7.

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  12. Glad you are back home and feeling well ABby! Dad's are great aren't they for building us stuff to make our lives better
    hugs
    Hazel & Mabel

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  13. your dad is a super diy-master, it looks pawfect!
    I'm glad you are back at home and everything is ok... we had an accident once with quaker oates what were inside of a cabinet too, I made a horrible mess with it...so the mama has all eatable stuff now high above one the wall and outside of the kitchen. that is no pawfect solution, because the mama has to run more, but as long as I have crazy ideas it is better ... that means it becomes routine forever LOL

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    1. It's more common in Europe than here but if you ever get a beer can that has the extra hole (the vented lid) to make it pour faster without foaming my Dad's name is on the patent for that. It keeps mom in good white wine and bath goodies.

      Abby Lab

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  14. ABBY thank goodness you are home and well. My oh my we learn something every day.
    What is good for the humans can be deadly for the pets. OMCs my dad will go bonkers over your tractor bandage. What a 200% improvement in your back steps. Your dad is a keeper!! I can honestly say you are the only 2 or 4 legger I know with their very own zip line. It is such a clever thing too.
    Hugs madi your bfff

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    1. Mom and Dad's first date was a tri state steam engine and tractor fest. They are both nerds who love that kind of thing. I did ask when the nurse pulled the gauze off the roll of that was "Tractor PULL tape". She just gave me "the look".

      Abby Lab

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  15. Wheelchair ramps make any house better ;-)

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    1. We won't have to put one of those in for a long time, we hope, but they are handy.

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  16. A LOOOONG list of products containing xylitol: https://www.preventivevet.com/xylitol-products-toxic-for-dogs

    Note that the list includes a not small number of medications and vitamins! There's a reason I'm always after my husband to pick up his dropped vitamin pills.....

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  17. I'm so glad Abby is OK and home. Raisins are very scary. We had an incident years ago with our first dog Pip. He would eat anything and one fell on the floor and he got it before I did. Fortunately, he was OK.

    Have fun with squirrel patrol!

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  18. Years ago, before most of us knew not to feed grapes or raisins, I always fed them to my dogs and ever had a problem. Guess we were both just very fortunate. I sure won't now! Your Mom's so smart, Abby, to have that zip line run like that!

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  19. So very thankful that Abby is home and doing well. I'm sure you also know that Grapes are equally dangerous/deadly to dogs. Thank you for the list though-it is very important that we all know these items.
    Hugs,
    Noreen

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Welcome to The Book of Barkley and the Blogville dog blogging community. This blog was created for more memories of Barkley as well as updates on our Lab Rescues that have joined our household since Barkley left us.

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