Welcome Home, Buffy!

She's home! She seems like her usual self with all her boundless energy and prankster attitude. What a difference from when I visited her in the hospital last night.

What I've learned from this experience:

* restlessess, excessive drinking, gulping air, and a bloated appearance around the waistline are the first signs of "food engorgement" that can lead to bloat, which is oftentimes deadly
* bloat cannot be treated with home remedies - get your dog to an animal hospital immediately
* do not feed your dogs rawhide, pigs' ears, or those Gr*eenies - they can all cause an obstruction in the bowel
* give your dog M*lkbone type treats, and brush its teeth yourself or have its teeth brushed by a professional (sans anethesia)

Lastly, I have to give some credit to the book Marley & Me which I'd read about a year ago. In the book, Marley had had an episode with bloat, and it was this background knowledge that helped me realize that I was dealing with a serious issue yesterday morning.

Take good care of your pets. Be their advocate!