Trip to the Vet: Bad Food

Going to the vet really isn't on my top ten list of things to do.  Especially when there is something seriously wrong with me.  About a month ago Mommy came home from work to find that I was REFUSING FOOD!!  What?!?!?!?!?!  That's unheard of!  You know I LOVE FOOD!!!!!!

It all started when we moved here.  Mommy had researched the area in advance to see where our usual food could be purchased and realized it wasn't looking good.  Our regular food cannot be purchased any where in this very large city!  WEIRD!!!  She could have ordered it from Amazon, but it's more expensive online even with free shipping and if you know my Mommy really well, you know she's a cheapo when it comes to shopping!

We brought extra bags of food with us, but of course they weren't bottomless and eventually we ran out!  That meant Mommy had to choose a new food for us.  She went with a premium brand of food shown on television all the time that is reputed to be VERY GOOD . . . (and yes, it's made in the US).  The first bag she bought was for large breeds and the pieces were HUGE!

Mommy noticed a week or two later that Dixie seemed to be having trouble with the new food and she and Daddy thought perhaps the pieces were too big for Dixie.  So Mommy bought another (smaller) bag of food by the same brand.  That seemed to help Dixie.  A few days later and I started showing some of the same tummy problems.  Mommy switched me to the same new food as Dixie.  That seemed to help me too.

Then a few days into the newest food and Mommy noticed I was throwing up my food.  She started me on a regimen of pumpkin and rice trying to settle my stomach.  After all, I eat all kinds of things on our morning walks (think bird poop!)  That seemed to help me, and Mommy thought I was finally ready to go back to my new food . . .

I threw up breakfast that day and refused to eat my dinner!  Mommy was shocked!  I have never refused to eat anything!  When she took me outside and I had serious bodily functions flying all over the yard (literally, flying), she knew there was a serious problem.  I also kept drinking lots and lots of water.  Mommy's heart stopped beating for a second or five when she realized how much I was drinking because Hunter drank and drank and drank the afternoon he became so sick.  Mommy called the vet and was told to bring me right over.  Daddy arrived home just then and could see the panic on Mommy's face.  He made the decision to go with us and Mommy was so grateful!  [sigh]

I was a good girl (as usual) in the waiting room.

We didn't have to wait long before we were taken into the examining room.  For some reason which neither Mommy nor I understood, Daddy refused to sit down.  The vet technician said they were going to run a quick fecal test and so perhaps Daddy thought the whole visit was going to be quick.  Bless his heart.  He has so little experience with vets!  It's never a quick trip!

 We waited . . . 

and waited . . . 

and waited . . . 

Finally the vet returned to tell us that I had a gastro-intestinal infection caused by that premium reputable FOOD!!!!!  They have seen numerous similar infections in other dogs who eat that same food.  I took home LOTS of medicine and returned to my limited diet of pumpkin and rice along with chicken or ground beef.  Several new foods were suggested and Mommy went out the next morning to make her choice.  She realized at breakfast that day that there was no way she could feed that horrible food to Dixie either and so we both started that bland diet.

I am doing much better on the new food and so is Dixie.  I'm so thankful Daddy went along to help keep both me and Mommy calm and entertained while we were at the vet (for an hour and a half).

I hope you never have to experience the side effects of bad food.
Jenna