Not A Good Morning

Yesterday, I woke up when my alarm went off. That may not seem odd, but I haven't made it to my alarm going off since we got Sofie. It took me a minute to realize she hadn't cried to be let out, but I was only half awake, so I stumbled into the bathroom and got dressed for the gym. When I came out I opened her cage, expecting the usually energetic puppy to bound out. Didn't happen. Nothing happened, as a matter of fact. I actually had to reach in and get her. When she was out, she just stood there. She seemed to have a problem with her left rear leg. I asked her if she was ok, in the way you do when you're just commenting that things don't seem ok. The husband kind of woke up and asked what was wrong; I told him I wasn't sure.

I carried Sofie into the foyer and set her down. She just stood there, kind of wobbly. I asked her if she wanted to go for "walkies" which normally sets her off on a jumping spree. She just stood there. I finally called for the husband, saying there was something wrong. He came out and sat down on the floor with us. He noticed a problem, too and we decided to take her for a walk together so we could observe her. She wasn't standing very steadily and mostly wanted to sit down.

The husband went to get dressed and I sat on the floor with my puppy in my lap, crying my eyes out. I've had a really hard time with my mother-in-law's death and I kept wondering how I could have gotten a dog and invited the opportunity for such misery into my life. I just knew something was really wrong. And then it led to losing the cats. I just didn't know how to handle it.

We finally headed out, the husband holding the leash. Sofie was not walking all that well and didn't have much energy. We made it to the street when she stopped. I was ahead of them when I heard the husband say "Oh, that explains it." I turned around and Sofie was making poopies, but it was all macadamia nuts - unchewed. The husband said he'd found an open bag on the floor the night before and she must have gotten into them. She finished and we walked about 10 feet when she stopped again - more macadamia nuts. After that, she was livelier, with a spring in her step. Not totally back to normal, but better.

We made it halfway around the block before she shat out more nuts. I couldn't believe such a little dog could hold so many. No wonder she was moving so oddly - her bottom was full! When we took her out an hour later, before I went to work, more nuts. It was mid-afternoon before her poop was just poop. And when I got home from work she went crazy and jumped on me like nothing had ever been wrong.

I have to say that I did cry again, after we got back from the first walk and we knew what the problem was. I guess I was just so relieved.

Yesterday I thought my dog was seriously ill. Today it's a pretty funny story. That's why I'm writing it today.