My husband, like most people, has "his" chair in the den. A table butts up against it. He has absolutely no problem finding a decidely odd assortment of items to litter, and sometimes to nearly obliterate, the table's surface. Even though it's one of those grin-and-bear-it situations, there is one non-flexible rule that I refuse to overlook.
Do not, ever, leave unattended edibles on the table. As a matter of fact, paper towels and napkins come under the same heading. Why?
Because my beautiful silver-blonde Cocker Spaniel, Jeremiah, will sniff out whatever contraband is within reach of his mouth. And, as far as the paper products are concerned, he isn't satisfied with merely shredding them. Instead, he eats and then ingests them; leaving open the door for a possible intestinal blockage.
My husband is a far worse chocoholic than I am, which is why, on Valentine's day, I handed him a bag with more than one-pound of chocolate hearts, individually wrapped in red and silver foil. He was thrilled.
The next morning I walked into the bathroom and noticed a red and silver glint on the beige carpet. I never would have seen it an hour earlier, because the sun wouldn't have been streaming through the large window. It could have been tragic for Jeremiah if I hadn't discovered it when I did..
All it took was a walk into the den to confirm what I pretty well already knew.
The bag was empty. Everything, including the foil, was gone.
I had no idea how long it had been since Jeremiah's sweet feast. How many hours had all that chocolate, and foil, been carried around in his belly? He appeared to be suffering no ill effects but, sometimes, it takes a while before things begin happening, including death.
I immediately snapped a leash on to Jeremiah and led him to the tile floor in the kitchen, where I rummaged in a drawer for one of the syringes I always kept ready. Got it. Next step, get the hydrogen peroxide from underneath the sink.
I had no idea how much to give the 36-pound Cocker so I drew up 15-ccs and shot it down his throat. I waited 10-minutes. Nothing. I squirted another 15-ccs into his cooperative mouth. He began retching within five minutes after the second dose.
He vomited. He retched. He threw up. He puked. Whichever word you prefer, Jeremiah did it. He looked like an extra from the cast of an exorcist movie, opening his mouth to hurl out three huge piles of chocolate and foil. The kitchen and adjacent rooms filled with a dense chocolate smell, making me feel as if I'd never again want to taste it. I needed nearly an entire roll of paper towels for the clean-up.
I kept a careful eye on Jeremiah for 24-hours. He seemed no worse for the wear and tear.
Thank goodness it was a sunny day rather than a cloudy one. Without the sun, I may have never seen that tiny ball of foil.
The moral of the story: keep reachable table surfaces clear, always have a supply of easily accessible syringes and hydrogen peroxide available. Without them, I probably would be writing about Jeremiah, the beautiful Cocker Spaniel "I used to have."
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