Dear Dr. Forsythe: My husband’s parents are planning to fly out from Boston for Christmas and stay through New Year’s. They called on Election night and said they plan to bring their pug and papillion with them for the holidays. Apparently, I made my mother-in-law very mad by telling her I thought it was a bad idea for them to bring the dogs with them. I suggested (politely) that maybe it would be better for them to board the dogs at a kennel, so we could have more fun together. This offended my mother-in-law, who told my husband, “If the pets aren’t welcome, we aren’t coming.” She has threatened to cancel the plans unless I call and invite them with the dogs. Do you think I should stand my ground? After all, her pets aren’t even house-trained very well.
MV, Sonoma
Dear MV: House-trained, shmouse-trained! I would pick up the phone and tell your mother-in-law you were temporarily insane during the election because of all the bickering over the GOP’s wardrobe mishandling of Sarah Palin. Then, I would ask her to please bring her puggy and her pommy with her because you know that it would not feel like Christmas for them unless their whole family was together. Hopefully, after realizing the error of your ways, you could then run down to Three Dog Bakery and purchase Christmas gifts for the dogs, like treats and yummies, followed by a trip to Sonoma Dog Camp for a mini wardrobe purchase from their couture trunk. Do you get the message? Time with family is precious, so don’t waste it, and don’t let pets get in the way of it or cause rifts. I would give my right arm to have my sister from Georgia come and visit me. I wish the only thing preventing a visit from her was my reluctance to let her bring one of her pugs (she is a well-known pug breeder). If she were to visit, I’d welcome her with open arms! (And her pug could poop in any room in my house!) So, I think you should count your blessings this holiday that you have a loving family that wants to come celebrate with you, and that wants to bring family pets. I urge you to reach out, and let the pets bring you and your husband’s family together, OK? And if you play your cards right, you may even get a Red Sox jersey out of it for Christmas – and that’s what I call a win-win situation!
Dr. F
Dear Dr. Forsythe: I recently boarded my dog for a week while I went on a trip with my family. Shortly after we got back, our boxer got horrible diarrhea with blood in it. The boarding facility let me know that every year this happens to “Sampson” when he is there, but this is the first time he has had diarrhea after he comes home. Is this normal for a dog to get diarrhea when his “parents” are on vacation?
Guilty mom
Dear Mom: In addition to being known as magnificent, sweet, loving family pets, boxers also have the special distinction of having their own intestinal disease named after them: “boxer colitis.” In the words of the Saturday Night Live “Church Lady,” “Isn’t that special!” Sampson probably had a predisposition for recurrent diarrhea, and can easily develop diarrhea by eating the wrong food or being in a stressful situation. The clostridial infection C. perfringens is a rather dreadful gram-negative infection that can break out in the intestinal track of a “healthy” pet during times of intense stress. The result can be vomiting and bloody diarrhea with little “flecks” in it – and a smell that will send all those in the vicinity running for cover. The projectile diarrhea is so wrong on so many levels, that I can only recommend aggressive treatment and an improved and perhaps more relaxing spa situation for your pet when you schedule the next vacation. Most veterinarians recommend Baytril as a good antibiotic for this infection, and perhaps your dog needs to be “pulsed” on and off this medicine to prevent the colitis from recurring.
Dr. F
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