Soooo...Mike and I learned a big expensive lesson this week. Rawhide from the dollar store = NO.
We noticed that Bear's appetite had decreased several weeks ago, but weren't too concerned because he seemed fine in all other aspects. After eating an alarming portion of a rawhide bone Sunday evening, we were greeted with urgent complaints from Bear's tummy the following morning. I had to leave town, but I kept in touch with Mike about Bear throughout the day. We eventually decided to have Mike take Bear to the pet ER down the street around midnight lest he become dehydrated. The ER clinic ran all sorts of tests and x-rays (all of which yielded normal findings), and Bear was given special food and some antibiotics to counteract his fluid loss.
So, lesson learned? No more dollar store/non-U.S. rawhide. It turns out that little dogs (especially purebreds) have difficulty digesting it. Not to worry, though: like I said, Bear is doing just fine and has regained his appetite!
A special thank-you goes out to my grandmother and my father for all their help throughout Bear's predicament.
