venting

[stacwase]

I'm so mad right now.

Of all the things in the world, there's nothing that makes me happier than my dog. He means everything to me! And twice in the last week, my husband has nearly caused me to lose him.

First, I have to explain that when Max is outside and sees a cat, if he's not wearing his Halti, I am 100% unable to hold on to him. In fact the last time I tried I ended having surgery and missed several days work. This is something we're going to work on but for now I just make sure he's always wearing his Halti.

So two days ago it was dark and rainy when we got back from a football game, and I thought my husband was helping me take the dogs out. But instead he handed me Max's leash just as Max was bounding out the door. He didn't bother telling me that he hadn't hooked the leash to the Halti, but to his regular collar. Of course, Max saw a cat and took off. I was unable to hold him and he ran off, and it was over an hour before the police found him for us. He could have been hit by a car or shot by some redneck.

I was beside myself. I was so upset - I thought my husband understood after that how important Max is to me.

But no. Early this morning, while we were still in bed, we got a phone call from a girl telling us Max was in her yard! We hadn't even been up to take the dogs out yet, so I was confused. But I went downstairs and saw that Max had jumped out the window. My husband had left a window open with a fan in it. He knows that Max will knock the fan out and run outside to play, because he's done it before! We had an agreement that he wouldn't leave any windows open more than a couple of inches while Max was out of his crate! So why did he do that??????

I think Max was out all night long. We could have lost him. Anything could have happened during that time! Plus it was a Saturday night - all sorts of teenagers are out all night long, and drunk drivers etc. etc. etc.

And now - Max isn't eating. I gave him his food and he has barely touched it. Max has never taken more than a minute to gulp down his breakfast. I hope he's not sick. He probably ate garbage all night.

[anna_66]

I hope that Max feels better soon.

Vent, that's what we're here for! Sometimes men are just men, they just don't think. Maybe now he will remember (just gotta guilt him a little ).

[Kater]

How scary! You are very lucky that Max came home safe both times. Does your husband not realize how easy it is for a dog to get hit by a car? It can take just a minute. I hope your husband starts to be more careful. You have a right to be angry--- these things you are asking him to do are not very hard at all. (but they are really important!!!!)

*HUGS* I can totally understand why you're upset.

I hope Max's tummy settles down so he can eat again soon.

[stacwase]

Thanks!

I guess it was stupid for me to get so upset - but I just don't want anything to happen to him. He still hasn't eaten. That is so unlike him. It was cold and rainy all night, too!

[ChrisH]

I don`t think you were stupid for being mad and upset, if it were me, I would have been too.
I hope Max is feeling better soon, please keep us posted.

Hugs
Chris

[isis]

Aw,poor Max. I hope that he feels better! If he isn't better by the next couple of days,You should take him to the vet.Hopefully its not anything bad.

[stacwase]

He finally ate, and now he's just laying around. I think he's exhausted.

I told my husband that if we don't keep him from getting out we won't have him very long, and that I would never forgive him if he let anything happen to Max. You know what he said? He said that Max is too smart to get hit by a car. Can you think of anything dummer somebody could say? Jeez.

But he did promise to be more careful.

We used to have a little poodle mix who was really sweet. She kept getting out of the fence when we took her out and, before we could figure out where she was getting out, somebody put a bug in animal control's ear and they started harassing us. The animal control guy started driving by our house many times a day, trying to catch Pepper out of the fence. We fixed the fence, but they still kept driving by. We only have one animal control guy, and he is very wierd and scary. I think he has psychological problems.

One morning my son was bringing her out and he got careless and she got away. I drove around looking for her and couldn't find her. About 1/2 hour later the animal control guy called and told me she had been "fatally injured". He said it was by a car, but I think he killed her.

I told my son we had found her a new home, because I didn't want him to know. I still tell some people that because I don't want my son to find out.

So I'm very concerned about what would happen to Max if he got out again. I haven't seen the animal control guy around yet, but if Max is seen anywhere near a certain lady's house we're going to be in trouble.

[Kater]

Originally posted by stacwase
I told my husband that if we don't keep him from getting out we won't have him very long, and that I would never forgive him if he let anything happen to Max. You know what he said? He said that Max is too smart to get hit by a car.

But he did promise to be more careful.

TOO SMART?

Anyway, I'm glad he will be more careful from now on.
I'm also glad Max is eating again and settling down.

[ChrisH]

So glad to hear Max is eating again.

[stacwase]

Thanks, Chris.

I'm still a little worried, though. Max is a very physically fit dog and his belly usually doesn't reach down nearly as far as his chest does. Now it's just straight across - but it's not so swollen that you can see it sticking out when you look down at him from the top.

I don't know what he might have eaten, and I know big dogs are prone to gastric torsion. He ate, and he hasn't vomited or tried to vomit, so I'm not freaking out. Maybe it's just full of a lot of gas. He's been passing unusual amounts of it today!

[ChrisH]

Poor Max, I hope he isn`t in too much discomfort. I think you are right to be a bit worried about his stomach being swollen, you never know what he has in there! Gastric torsion is the same as Bloat right? I don`t know much about it but I think that it is if he is not passing the gas he is in trouble. Please don`t take my word for it though, like I said, I know very little about it. Anyway, I found bloat at the Pet Symptom Solver site and that may help, here is the link if you want to check it out.
http://www.ivillage.com/pets/petsymp...437741,00.html

Sure hope there is nothing seriously wrong. Will be keeping him, and you, in my thoughts.

Chris

[Uabassoon]

Poor Max I hope his tummy gets better soon. I'm glad to hear that you got him back safely.

[dukedogsmom]

I would have been a nervous wreck! And, if I were you, wouldn't be speaking to my husband. I don't know what to tell you except it's much easier with just a dog

[Tonya]

I'm sorry, Stac! I feel your frustration. My husband isn't as much of an animal lover as I am. He is nice to MY dogs, but they are probably the biggest thing that we argue about. When they ruin something, I love them enough to not get mad. My husband, on the other hand, gets so mad that he threatens to get rid of them. He mainly says it out of anger, he would never do that to me. But, he doesn't care for them and love them the way that I do.

[stacwase]

Fortunately, Max is passing gas and looks like he's going to be OK. Who knows what he ate.

My husband just doesn't understand. He doesn't feel the same way as I do about dogs, at all. He acts like they're toys - to enjoy while they're around but not to get too upset about if anything happens to them. If a dog gets out his attitude is "Oh, well - he'll find his way home. If he doesn't we'll get a new one."

He really loves cats, especially kittens, but he doesn't care for dogs.

Thanks for the link, Chris - and sometimes I agree with you, Dukesdogsmom!