Tigger and Roo self medicate

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Okay - I am finally calm enough that I can write about it. Last week I had my mentally handicapped nephew for a week while his parents were on vacation. He (nephew M) is on a lot of medication, including heavy duty seizure meds. He and his mom had it all sorted out in one of those multi compartment pill keepers.

All was going well from Monday until Thursday, Tigger and Roo were doing very well around M and M was doing well with them. No freak outs, melt downs, forgotten pills, etc. I was quietly patting myself on the back, when everything went south. M took his morning meds and set the pill box, the whole week's worth, on the counter instead of in the garden window at the back of the sink. I did not notice ( think overconfidence).

In the time it takes to tell this, Tigger and Roo swooped in and stole the pill box. We found it being investigated and chewed on with pills all over the place. Michael lost it and shouted and kicked out at Tigger, who peed on the floor and scooted outside through the dog door. I was pretending to be as calm as a day spa to get M back under wraps before a full out temper tantrum and simultaneously remove the pillbox from Roo.

Long story short, as I helped M reconstruct his pill box from the remains on the floor and his bottle of extras, it was pretty clear that at least a half a dozen pills had found their way down a dog throat. By now Michael was calming and I called the vet to alert them I was on my way.

Put Roo is car. Capture Tigger who is having no part of being near my nephew. Call daughter to talk to M on phone while I am at vet. M is having no part of going to vet. Go to vet. Wait 30 minutes for both dogs to vomit. Did you know that a vet can induce vomiting in a dog by putting a drop of morphine in their eye? Be even more embarassed than I already am as I explain the black rubber shreds, strings, and miscellaneous other things in the vomit that are neither food nor pillbox or its contents.

Take two dogs home to a calm nephew, thank my darling daughter, and help M win Tigger back. All is well that ends well. But it sure was a mess there for awhile.

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

Glad to hear all are ok....They say when the "Going get's tough, the tough get Going"....as for Tigger and Roo, they have to be the luckiest dogs.....I'm wondering if the Vet shouldn't have had you make them throw up sooner so the pills would not dissolve before you got there. I was given an eye med for Hannah with her Entropion, this would numb her eye. I found out that there is a duct or something similar to it, that connects the eyes with the nose and back of a dogs throat, giving her this med would make her throw up within 5 minutes of giving it to her. I thought she was allergic to this med, and the way she acted was so scary. All in all I think I would much rather stick to the Peanut Butter and Peroxide to make them vomit...lol.

[Dreamydoodles Northwest]

Wow what a scary ordeal but you handled it like a trooper. Pats on back and hugs!

[Joyce & Wilson]

What a blessing you are!! To give M's parents a break with a vacation that I am sure is soooo needed. I can't imagine what would come out of my doodles stomach!!

[Kyoko]

Oh, thank god things went well!!

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I guess that is true. Once a mom, always a mom.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Once a mom always a mom. Personal melt downs are allowed AFTER the crisis has passed. You were admirable. Think embarrassment: My daughter was 10 when my last baby was due. She decided to sleep under the crib for fun and in the morning couldn't move her neck. We rushed her to the doctor. Her regular doctor was on vacation and we got a substitute doctor who didn't know us and didn't speak English well. Upshot is that he never understood why my child was sleeping on a floor under a bed.He kept questioning us and I just knew that soon the child welfare investigators were going to show up! Luckily all she had was a stiff neck.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

My nephew is 25. He has had serious seizures since a very early age. Also waking or walking seizures which are short ( seconds) but numerous - 60 or more in an hour. He is fully physically functional, but mentally very handicapped - cannot read, write or do math beyond very basic levels ( cannot read a menu for example). In addition he is socially very immature, subject to rages, etc.

Thanks for all the kudos - not so sure they are deserved. I am usually very calm in a crisis and then 'melt down ' later. All is well though. I am very new to this bloggin stuff. It actually helps, like journaling, I guess. Again Thanks

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Oh no! Poor you!!! That sounds like a fiasco!

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Good job at staying calm. I am not sure I could have done that.

[Linda,Yankee & Finn]

Wow, scary situation. So glad it all worked out.