Little Rascal

                Last night I didn’t catch a wink of sleep.  I was stunned awake by the nagging feeling of anxiety and concern.  Around 9:30 PM I decided to take a shower.  While bathing, I assumed JM would keep an eye on the fur children, not that they need much watching.  Well, this night JD definitely needed some adult supervision.

 At some point JD must have gotten the idea in her head that she wanted to eat Mr. Bandit, her favorite toy raccoon, but not only eat, DESTROY!  I ventured outward from the bathroom after I had finished and found an oddly shaped plastic bit on the ground.  

Not knowing what it was I picked it up and discarded it.  Then I came across Mr. Bandit and the plastic bit made sense.  That object I found was what was left of the squeaker inside of Mr. Bandit’s nose.  As for Mr. Bandit…..welllllllll he no longer has a head, front paws, or a chest.  JD ATE the entire front half of Mr. Bandit.  

Mr. Bandit Before

Mr. Bandit after

At first I thought maybe she just tore him apart and left the pieces strewn about the house.  I rummaged through our house with the optimism that I would find shredded pieces somewhere, but unfortunately nothing materialized.  That’s when my fears set in.  Let me explain why I was frightened (and still am).  I like to watch Nat-Geo Wild, on this station is a show called, “My Dog Ate What?”  This show retells the stories of things dogs and other pets have swallowed, from fish hooks, to spoons, to muscle relaxers, and even stuffed toys, and the astonishing measures it took to save their lives. 

Once the realization set in, I hopped onto the internet and looked up any advice on what to do for such a matter.  Most of the sites I have found said no need to panic, just keep an eye on the pet and “wait it out.”  Some even suggested to induce vomiting by “pouring” salt down her throat (with further investigation never use more than 1 Tblsp).  I am not a veterinarian or a vet tech, but that just does not seem safe in my opinion.  I opted NOT to do it, in case if it got caught in her throat and blocked her airway.  With all the information I have gathered and not being able to call my veterinarian, we waited until morning.  

When morning approached I called the vet office, only to be reassured of everything I have read on the internet.  Even with the advice of my vet, it is still hard for me to sit easy knowing she has half of a stuff-less raccoon in her belly.  I hope the vet is right and she will poop it out, eventually.