We have been trying to get used to having five dogs here at the Hermits’ Rest. It’s quite a circus when they are all awake and wanting to play or tussle. Luckily, it’s quite calm when they are all zonked out from playing.
Our newest buddy, Vlassic, has really been fitting in well with the pack. He is playful, especially with Carlton and Harvey, but also cuddly in the extreme. Quite the lapdog he is.
He is also very much a dachshund. We’re guessing he may be more than half. And it’s his doxie heritage that got him in trouble this week!
It’s so cute, but…
Lee was out walking the dogs in the late afternoon, as is his practice. It’s beautiful and not so oppressively hot once the sun is behind the trees. The puppies found one of the toads that lives around here. I do wish I had a photo to ID it, but it’s the usual toad.
Carlton and Vlassic were fascinated, especially Vlassic. He was jumping straight in the air and then poking it, like a doxie going after the vermin it’s bred to go after. Lee was really enjoying the antics of the dogs as they played. Vlassic even play-bowed to the toad, to try to get it to play back.
Then, Lee realized that the black bouncer wasn’t just poking. He was nipping at the toad. Whoops. Toads have secretions to keep animals from doing just that. They are NOT good for puppies.
As Vlassic began to foam at the mouth, Lee rushed the dogs back into the house and proceded to do his version of first aid, which, according to him, consisted of basically water-boarding the pup. The idea was to rinse all the toad secretions off his face and, is possibly, from inside his mouth.
Vlassic was not thrilled. But he did stop foaming. He ate all his dinner and fell asleep.
About 5:30 am, all that food came back up. But, once that was taken care of, he seemed okay.
Poor Lee was so relieved that he hadn’t let our little friend get poisoned to death.
Moral: keep dogs away from toads, even if they look friendly and playful.
Keep Vlassic in your thoughts. Tomorrow he loses his favorite body parts. Doing our part to be good citizens and not create more unwanted pets.
The Hermits' Rest 
Yeah, it’s hard not to worry, since we care so much about them.
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Maggie loses her parts that she hasn’t discovered yet tomorrow too. You already know that. I am getting more nervous. I am confident in the clinic, but it is still surgery with anesthesia. Also, I worry about the healing. I think she will do just fine, but still have that worry.
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