a worrisome weekend.

It's been an interesting weekend at la casa de Claire. It's been somewhat sad and worrisome but also kind of hopeful at the same time. Off and on for the past week, Claire's stomach has been bothering her with the classic symptoms of GERD. It's the first significant bout since I switched her food to Pinnacle back in December, but this time it's pretty clear that her stomach is torn up from... well... something.

I went back to Dizzy's Dog Wash and Corner Store yesterday to talk to Mrs. Dizzy about the next step [and no, I still don't know her real name]. Mrs. Dizzy said that she doesn't think it's a food issue anymore, seeing that the Pinnacle obviously didn't help in the long run. She gave me the name of a new veterinarian who uses both western and eastern medicine and knows a lot about digestive issues such as this. And then Mrs. Dizzy handed me a piece of paper and said, "I think it's time that you start cooking for her."

Umm, keep in mind that I hardly cook for myself. Thankfully, the paper she handed me was a list of recipes for dogs who are Claire's size. And I mean, I can follow directions at least. So we're good there. To be honest, at first I had a minor freak-out moment where I was thinking, "WHENDOIHAVETIMETODOTHIS?!?!?!" But I quickly came to my senses. This is Claire, we're talking about here. She's my girl. So if I have to carve out some time in my day to prepare good quality food for her to feel better, I will absolutely do it.

So, I spent the afternoon yesterday cooking for Claire with what I had in my freezer and cupboards: tilapia filets, frozen peas, and oatmeal [1.5 cups of tilapia, 1.5 cups of oatmeal, and 1/4 cup of peas, if you want to make it for your dog too - it is Claire-approved]. Appetizing, right? Well... she liked it, and that's all that matters. So far, she's had four homemade meals and she hasn't thrown up yet! Her stomach still hurts, as evidenced by the fact that she ate some grass this morning on our walk, but the food stayed down. And I do realize that it will take some time for her stomach to heal. As much as I'd like it to be an overnight fix, it won't be. That's just reality.

I'm really really worried about Claire, and I'm looking forward to taking her to this new vet. As much as I love my girls at Banfield, I need a second opinion. This GERD-issue has been going on for a couple years now, and I don't want to keep treating Claire with the same medications, which are proving to be band-aids for what is a major problem. Say some prayers for us, and I'll keep you all posted...