Crisco, Panko, and Raisins

We are officially moved out of Pullman, as of June 30th, and trying to get things all settled/unpacked in Spokane.

This week was an interesting one for Hitcher. We came home Monday evening to discover that Hitcher had gotten in the garbage. He had also found a dietary supplement, eating 30 to 40 capsules. Off to the emergency vet we went, where they had to induce vomiting. He was a bit groggy that evening, but seemed normal Tuesday morning.

We did ride and had dinner Tuesday evening, and came home to find that Hitcher had again gotten into things. A stick of Crisco and a box of Panko bread crumbs were demolished. Upon closer examination, I saw that there was also an empty bag of Sun Maid raisins. I'm glad I noticed the tiny closure sticker on the bag because the dog had left the raisin box where he found it - in a big bag of kitchen things.

Years ago, my friend Tammie told me that raisins, and sometimes grapes, are toxic to dogs. I called the vet ER and they said we should bring him in again. I asked the vet how concerned I should be. She said it would probably be okay if the raisins had not yet left Hitch's stomach, but it would likely not be good if the raisins had already been digested. Ugh. Not what I wanted to hear. They again induced vomiting (8 cups!) and found the Crisco, Panko, and lots of raisins. Yay! We took the groggy guy home again, and he could barely keep his eyes open in the car. Thankfully, the rest of the week was free of any more episodes.

Hitch is a smart cookie. He has figured out how to get into the new step garbage can without turning it over. He has also discovered that he can open the dishwasher if we do not latch it all the way, so we sometimes find dirty utensils (licked clean!) on the kitchen floor.

I go under the knife Wednesday, so there is a lot to get done before then. I really just want to get the surgery over with now. It's an outpatient procedure, so I'll be able to recover at home. Mom and Dad are coming to stay for a day or two, so Ted shouldn't have to take more than the actual surgery day off from work.