Luna Pier’s ‘First Dog’: Two Pizza Slices, $184

Posted on 20 January 2008 under Pets

This is Sam, a 9 lb Pomeranian, Luna Pier’s First Dog. (No, the Police officers don’t take him outside to go boom-boom. However, the one officer has been threatened with this as remedial action …) The Pom’s name is actually Samwise Gamgee. I gave him this name because, over at his breeder’s home on Telegraph Rd. his dad’s name was Frodo. (Yeah. Like the hobbits. Because they’re short. Got it? Ok.) We’ve always given Sam pizza and pizza crusts. He normally only gets small chunks of the pizza, especially if it has his favorite ingredient, green bell peppers. I swear, if this feisty little creature could be a vegetarian and only eat chilled veggies, he’d do it.

Sam’s not so feisty this morning though. I can hear him right now from upstairs where he is, giving multiple, short screechy bursts of pain as he tries to move his neck, or if he accidentally moves it the wrong way. Mayor Mary is in bed propped up on four solid foam pillows with Sam on her shoulder, trying to ease the pain, trying to get him comfortable so he can get some much-needed sleep. I got out of the way, but she has the other end of the two-way radio sitting in front of me. As she’ll likely be there with him all day she also has the TV remote next to the radio.

Her morning coffee’s brewing.

There was a simple misunderstanding yesterday. “Can Sam have a piece of pizza? “Sure!” The word “sure” came from the little pieces we’ve always given him, and had been giving him for a little while yesterday.

The questioner actually intended a full piece of pepperoni pizza, uncut, on a plate laid on the floor. Sam quite literally inhaled that piece of pizza, barely chewing whatsoever.

X-rays at the Animal Emergency Hospital north of Flint indicated Sam’s stomach was larger than it’s normal size. (It’s usually only filled to less-than half its size during normal eating.) His stomach contained a congealed mass, most of which was unchewed. The Vet told us the amount of what they were able to get Sam to vomit was probably 1.5 pizza pieces, so he probably ate two pieces altogether (the rest was likely already in the intestinal tract). Through the screeching pain and tight posturing he’d developed into the evening, Sam also developed a huge strain on his sensitive neck (the sensitive neck being inherent to toy breeds).

On the way to the emergency facility, we thought we were losing him.

It’s been a rough night.

Please, pay attention to what others might be feeding your pets, especially when you take them for a visit at someone else’s home. Even the best intentions, even from someone who loves your pet almost as much as you do, may create a situation causing your visit to take one Hell of a nasty turn for your pet.

Read Comments

  1. 20 January 2008 @ 8:51 am Posted by Sandy Squires

    Dave,
    Please make sure Mary has something good to go with the coffee. Not those spicy duck things……

    If you have it, a heating pad can also help for Sam. It will help when you have to move him by giving the whole body support. It will also help if he develops a fever to stop the chills. The chills will not help his poor little neck…..

    I hope all turns out well at the Mayor’s house.

    Hugs.

  2. 20 January 2008 @ 8:58 am Posted by Rebecca Regnier

    Poor PUPPY! He’s so cute. I hope he feels better soon. How scary.

  3. 20 January 2008 @ 10:15 am Posted by Dave

    I made Mary a breakfast of over-easy eggs and crispy Potatoes O’Brien. We’re not sure yet about the heatingn pad … we’ll keep you posted. In fact, we were just discussing yesterday how it’s about time we got together with you and Vic.

    Thanks Rebecca! One thing about Sam is how much Zack loves him to. The puppy’s a bonafide Zack Ottenstein Lap Whore. ;-)

  4. 20 January 2008 @ 12:51 pm Posted by Leslie

    Awww… poor little guy. I have a very small dog too, and can vouch for the fact that people really want to feed her things that are not good for her. Sending lots of puppy get wells to him.

  5. 20 January 2008 @ 1:15 pm Posted by Dave

    Thanks Leslie. He’s finally drinking a bit of water. We have a syringe used for cleansing pits where teeth come out. I sanitized it, and he’s been able to handle about 15 cc’s of water so far. He’s just miserable.

  6. 21 January 2008 @ 3:07 am Posted by Kirk

    Poor Sam - It probably tasted so good going down….
    We once “sitted”, and I use the term in the loosest of all definitions, since the people who found the dog, had never ever had a dog, nor any clue of how to take care of one…..well, they had to go on a trip, and we found that they had been feeding this poor dog pizza for a whole week since they didn’t know what to feed him. Luckily, when they returned from the trip they decided that they “didn’t want him anymore”, and we found a good home for him.

  7. 24 January 2008 @ 6:40 pm Posted by Adam K.

    Congrats on the dog, Dave! He looks cute!

  8. 24 January 2008 @ 6:44 pm Posted by Dave

    He’s doing a lot better now, but shedding like a rocket on re-entry! I’m headed to get the little guy some Benadryl.

  9. 24 April 2008 @ 4:27 pm Posted by White On Rice Couple

    You are so right about being careful what we feed them. Sometimes we forget that their digestive system very sensitive. Glad he is feeling better.
    He is so adorable! Look at that cute face!

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