Jude’s Tail, Part 3: Tough Times
This instalment might be an emotional one.
It will cover 2 difficult situations that are all connected by Jude. Different kinds of tough, but hard for us as a unit nonetheless.
The Ham Bone
If you are a seasoned dog owner, you may well know what is coming here. If you have also had the misfortune of feeding your dog a ham bone you will also know what is coming.
As first-time dog owners, we thought we were pretty clued up on what you should and shouldn’t feed your dog. We knew that rawhide was 100% a no-go, due to the chemical preservatives and choking hazards. We also knew that bones were good for cleaning teeth, and removing plaque, and was good enrichment.
So when we found a ham bone in Morrisons, sold by a popular pet brand, in the pet section we were pleased.
We gave this to Jude, as we always do with enrichment activities when leaving the house for a few hours. We returned to a very excited and happy Jude but could find absolutely no evidence of the bone when we came to put it away.
The entire bone was completely gone.
So, naturally, we started a more in-depth search.
We found bone fragments in his bed, but no bone.
Naturally, we then started to panic.
After a quick look at Google, we realised our mistake. Jude is an incredibly strong chewer and can destroy most toys in a matter of minutes. We have only ever found one toy that truly stands up to him, to this day.
Unfortunately, the ham bone didn’t withstand his teeth either, which resulted in him crunching and chewing his way through the bone, later ingesting it in its entirety.
This was made easier as most ham bones sold for pets are boiled, which allows for the bone to soften further and makes it even easier to break up and eat.
According to the advice of other dog owners and vets on the internet, we compiled a list of symptoms to be on the lookout for, including
- vomiting
- loose stools
- gassy, bloated, and tender abdomens.
These would indicate that the bone was not working its way through Jude’s system correctly.
We sat with Jude for the next 4 to 5- hours and he appeared his usual self so we thanked our lucky stars, and made some tea for us all.
While we were eating, Jude ate his tea and the vomiting started. This, and loose stools continued for the next hour, so we rang his vet.
They gave us two options:
- take Jude in for treatment now, or
- wait until later as it was likely that due to his size he would pass the bone fragments, and aside from some gastric irritation, he would be fine.
We waited a few hours as Jude was still presenting as very bright, and was still interested in food. This interlude however was short-lived, and after a few hours, the vomiting started again.
It was also around this time that my Mum called me from Bristol to say that my Nan, who was in the hospital for a large variety of non-life threatening reasons, had deteriorated and was now being given a couple of hours to live.
My Nan with her husband Grandad Dave.
I can’t drive, live around a 4-hour commute on long-distance trains away and it was around 11:30 already. At this time, there was no way I could get to Bristol that night.
As you can probably guess, I didn’t really have the emotional bandwidth to deal with any bad news, and as such focussed on the only situation I could control: Jude.
We walked down to the vets and Jude skipped excitedly along next to us the whole way, thrilled, no doubt, to be receiving a third walk of the day!
The vet checked him over and explained that his abdomen felt fine, and as Jude was so well in himself, would likely be fine once the gastric irritation, evidenced by the vomiting and loose stools, had ceased. Following her advice, we opted for the following treatments:
- an anti-sickness injection to stop the vomiting.
- Stomach-soothing tablets on a short-course prescription to counteract the damage left by eating the bone.
- A few days plain diet of boiled rice and plain chicken and extra rest.
After his injection, Jude came home with us and slept quietly all night.
Much to our relief.
Grief
Shortly after that, in the night, my maternal grandmother Pat passed away.
Me and my Nanny Pat at a family meal.🍴
As there always is in that weird period between the death and the funeral, a kind of quiet calm overtook our house, interspersed with pockets of deep, reeling sadness.
There were glimmers of joy though.
We had been hiding Jude’s tablets in cheese bites, and one day after having real trouble getting the tablet in the cheese, it fell on the floor. Irritated, we searched for other foods we could hide the cheese in to trick Jude into eating it, and while our backs were turned, Jude had happily eaten the tablet from the floor!
Our friends and family were of course very supportive and reached out to provide help where they could. Overall, however, despite the continued plain diet and extra rest, Jude was his normal, nosy self and came with me on extra-long walks.
On these walks, I called and consoled family, broke the news to more distant relatives and worked through my own thoughts and feelings.
It was on one of these long walks that I composed a eulogy for my Nan, and Jude proved his good-listener credentials all over again. We sat on the top of the hill, I practised my final words, and we felt the sunshine, listened to the birds and watched the world below us.
At the top of the hill- Jude’s slobber string made me laugh!
I imagine it’s common for dog owners to find solace in walking their dogs. It can be very peaceful, providing a brain break from the day, and the little endorphin boost probably helps too. It also provides a sense of doing something, when often you feel you can’t do anything or have nothing to do.
As such, walking with Jude has quickly become a great stress-reliever for me, and my go-to solution for processing stressful situations. It was my first instinct upon hearing that my maternal grandfather had passed away a mere 6-months later too.
My maternal grandad John, trying pizza for the first time! 🍕
Despite the stress, which worsened when another death followed so quickly behind, my grief has never become overwhelming, because I had my little buddy.
Watching Jude skip along beside me, getting me out into nature makes it bearable, even when it might feel like it’ll never be normal again.
Mike, my husband, summed it up pretty well when discussing this latest instalment with me. Dogs, and for us specifically Jude, are the best company during tough times because although we might feel we want to be alone, we rarely want to be completely alone, and a loving, supportive, and often goofy companion is exactly what we need.
What has helped you during your tough times? 💙
I’d love to know what works best for you! 💟
>If you are new here, find Part 1: Homecoming, and Part 2: Getting out and about here!
See you soon for Part 4! 🐾
