Eva Ruby, the tiniest member of the Batpack, did start coughing less over the weekend, so we thought things would be okay. Then yesterday, her appetite went away, and in the evening, we feared we saw a little blood in a liquid-y stool (sorry; dog people overshare). Off she went with the Supreme Ruler of Her World, Tom, to the emergency vet. After x-rays, bloodwork, and no coughing for the doctors, she was thought to be on the mend from whatever caused the cough. For a dog her size, eating even a blade of grass could have irritated her throat. She had no fever, nothing too alarming in the x-rays, but her bloodwork showed she was severely dehydrated. So she got sub-Q fluids, anti-nausea meds, and about four hours worth of monitoring before Tom brought her home. Now she’s on a bland, small-portion diet several times a day, and the credit card bill is not so tiny. Worth it for that smile and our peace of mind.
There is one topic about which Eva is serious and wants to have a word. (We think it’s from hanging out in a house with too many fashion dolls.) She says, “This is the day after Labor Day. Pack those white shoes away immediately. You’ll see them again at Easter and beyond. Yes, Florida, even you. If Texans can pack away their white boots and strappy heels, so can you other coastal fashionistas.”
She does, however, make allowances for sneakers, tennis shoes, running shoes, and gym shoes. This is not simply because they’re sporty. They’re also optimal dog-walking shoes. Priorities…
As for me, I tried to rewatch this 1998 movie while Tom and Eva were at the ER. There was a lot of stopping and restarting because of ongoing texts. It was still fun seeing Sigourney Weaver play Katharine, a treacherous boss, and Melanie Griffin play Tess, who’s smart, sweet, and sexy. As she tells Harrison Ford’s Jack (why are so many RomCom leading men named Jack?), “I have a head for business and a body for sin.” A stellar supporting cast portraying working women (Joan Cusack is gold, as always) and sleazy men (though there are good guys, too). Bonus: A brief but good appearance by Olympia Dukakis as a personnel director at an employment agency is one of several characters who show the value of women mentoring women in the workplace.
Glad little Eva is on the mend. Maybe she barked at someone too much and irritated her throat
Or sang a little too much of the Eva opera.
What is with little doggy boots?! Do they actually provide some purpose for the poor dog made to walk in them? I saw a dog on a leash in a parkinglot the weekend past, and I couldn’t tell if the shoes were making the dog prance like a pony or if the dog was deliberately keeping those knees up. It was so awkward for me to see a dog in dressy matchy pinky booties, yes, pink. Certain dogs who crossed the rainbow bridge would chew those things to bits!
Yep, lots of dogs wear little boots against rain and mud. I think Rex had to wear boots once because of a toe or foot injury. And in excessively hot climates, little booties and shoes protect their paws against hot pavement. The rule is, if you press your palm against cement and immediately pull up your hand, don’t walk your dogs on it without protective footwear.
Protection from That Heat, I understand. Dogs would have it rough bare-pawed out here in the hot season. And one human I read about this year lost their flip-flops walking in Death Valley in the hot season and received third degree burns by the time they were rescued. (Flip-flops?!)
I was in a cooler area at the time, escaping the heat myself, so it seemed like a fashion trend to me at the time. At least they didn’t lock the dog in their car while shopping inside a cool air-conditioned building. I saw that at Lowes a year or two ago, and I was livid. But, I never found the owner of the jeep and the howling dog trapped inside. They left before by the time I gave up the search.
WHY do people leave dogs in cars?