Last week’s Binky checkup was so uneventful I didn’t even mention it. I was literally in and out in under 30 minutes, it might be a new record. Mike and I were expecting more of the same for yesterday’s appointment. Except, Binky was having an off-day. Binky, like her big sister Madeline before her, has days where she is really active, and days where she sleeps all day. I’ve mentioned this every time I’ve had an appointment, but I guess every other appointment was an active day. So when I mentioned that Binky hadn’t moved much, the nurses reacted.
I honestly hadn’t been worried until the nurses seemed concerned. The nurse practitioner found Binky’s heart rate with the doppler, which immediately set my mind at ease. But the NP said that wasn’t enough, and she went off to report to Dr. Risky. A few minutes later a different nurse came in to say Dr. Risky wanted to perform an ultrasound. So off we went to the ultrasound room, where Dr. Risky spent the next ten minutes watching Binky. We could see that she was moving, although not big vigorous movements I could feel. I never have a great angle from the exam table, but it was pretty cool to see her floating around, a hand drifting up every now and then. We even got a good shot of her face. She looked like a little Frankenstein!
Cheat Sheet:
The gentle movements weren’t enough for Dr. Risky, so off to Labor and Delivery I went for monitoring.
In the meantime, Rigby had her follow-up vet appointment, so Mike left me to take her to get checked out. A quick exam lead the vet to conclude Rigby needed an ultrasound. Rigby and I both got pictures of our insides! After the ultrasound, the vet decided that her bladder wasn’t full enough, and told Mike that it would take three hours for it to fill to their liking. He told Mike to come back, but not before mentioning Rigby definitely had SOMETHING in her bladder, and it looked like kidney stones.
So there I am attached to monitors on the Labor and Delivery floor of the hospital, and I get a text that my dog might have kidney stones. It was then I realized sometimes my life is like an episode of Friends.
I was hooked to the machines for about 45 minutes. I couldn’t really relax because the nurses had me shifting into different positions to make sure Binky stayed on the monitors. It was cool to hear her heart pumping away, although it reminded me of the nights I was on hospital bed rest with Madeline. At one point, one of the nurses came over and told me they had enough and I could go. I asked how the baby looked, and they said everything looked fine. It was such a relief.
Mike arrived back at the hospital when I was done, so we had a quick tour of the maternity floor from my old college friend Staci, who is an L&D nurse. I’d been to some parts of the unit but Mike hadn’t been there at all, so it was nice to get acquainted. Then it was back to the vet’s office to check on Rigby.
I haven’t been to the vet’s office in a while. That task always fell to Mike. So I’d forgotten how sad the vet’s office is. All the animals are whimpering and the whole place smells like fear. I had to do some mouth breathing. The assistant brought Rigby out to us and I’m pretty sure she’s NEVER been so happy to see us. My face is raw from all the licking. We spoke to the vet, who said that Rigby’s bladder is FULL of crystals and possibly stones. While she was at the vet, she passed three crystals. The vet showed them to us – they were the size of rice grains. I wanted to cry just looking at them! Poor Rigby. We have to continue to treat her for the next two weeks with antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory, and special food. If those three things don’t improve the situation, Santa will be bringing the Spohr family Doggie Bladder Surgery for Christmas! Just what I always wanted.
Rigby’s anti-inflammatory is a pill. I have a hard enough time getting Mike to swallow pills, so I knew Rigby would be a challenge. Sure enough, she spit the pill out about five times before we finally found the one thing that tricked Rigby into swallowing her pill – a dollop of jam.
My dog really IS Joey Tribbiani.
Anne Y says:
Glad to here all is well with Binky and I am hoping for a quick recovery for little Rigby! Hang in there!
.-= Anne Y´s last blog ..Amateur Night =-.
Kristina says:
Just got done giving my dog a weeks worth of pills, at first we mixed it with his food but he caught on after a day so now we coat it in a little bit of peanut butter and he eats right up
Heather says:
we are going to try peanut butter tonight!
Kate @ UpsideBackwards says:
I *love* the purple bow in Binky’s hair! It will be her favourite colour too, I’m sure. Poor little Rigby. I hope she feels better soon. Hugs to all.
.-= Kate @ UpsideBackwards´s last blog ..Afternoon pick-up =-.
pamela says:
glad to see Bink is well! Hope Rigby feels better soon. Pictures are adorable! Shes going to be gorgeous!
.-= pamela´s last blog ..Since Everyone Is Writing One.. =-.
catherine lucas says:
o my.. too much ultrasounds around. I will be happy and relieved when Binky is in your arms in February…
This truly is like comical if it would not be that for some days, I feel like crying for the worries you must feel and have. If it is like a jojo to us, strangers, how much jojo must it be for your family. Anyway, nice of you to keep us posted, and we are all with you at the distance to follow this worrysome pregnancy.
I am asking Santa for a good and healthy baby for you!
Katy says:
Poor Rigby! We always gave our dogs the pills in ice cream (vanilla) or cheese. Then again, our dogs ate anything that smelled like food, so they might have eaten it if we wrapped it in a banana peel or coated it in day-old Chinese food.
But I’m glad your little Bride of Frankenstein is doing well and just chillin out.
Pgoodness says:
My dog used to spit pills out…no matter what we wrapped around them, he would somehow eat everything but the pill…frustratingly hilarious to see him spit it out like a watermelon seed.
hope Rigby gets better without surgery; so glad Binky is doing well. And the cheat sheet? AWESOME.
.-= Pgoodness´s last blog ..My son, the entertainer =-.
Cinthia says:
My friend Susan has been feeding her dog Snookie several daily pills In an empty peanut butter lid. She mixes the pills with chunky peanut butter and adds a little spoonfull of chicken fat/juice-broth/gelatin left over from baked chicken and Snookie gobbles it down happily, with the added bonus that the pills stick to the pb and so she can’t pick them put. Good luck!
pixielation says:
I hope that the poor dog can manage to do without the surgery!
I have a story about being monitored though – it really shows you how protective your womb is. I was looking at potential new houses with my hubby at about 8 months, and I slipped and fell – right on the bump. I didn’t even put my arms out, I just bounced like space hopper.
And the baby didn’t kick or move… so we raced to the hospital in panic. I finally felt a move just as we walked into the ward, but they hooked me up and monitored me for an hour.
And everything was fine. It’s always better err on the side of over protectiveness. It’s great that Binky is doing well.
.-= pixielation´s last blog ..Apparently I write about people =-.
amanda says:
Poor Rigby! My dog will swallow cheese whole, just in the hopes that there is more coming, so that has always been helpful when he needed to take medicine. He had big-time stomach surgery for bloat this past summer and was on a four-pill routine – that was a LOT of cheese. : ) Glad to see Binky is doing great too!
xo from CT,
Amanda
.-= amanda´s last blog ..weekend.update. =-.
cara says:
Better safe than sorry, of course, but going through all of that is so stressful.
I think I’ve read they make these little treats that you can put the pills inside and the pups just gobble them up. (Found one: http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/product_detail.asp?pf_id=20353110&dept_id=9&brand_id=856&Page=) We have cats, so all we can do is stick the pills down their throats and hold their mouths closed until they swallow them. Slightly barbaric, but there’s just no tricking them into eating a pill. Even with jam.
Hope Rigby feels better!
.-= cara´s last blog ..Cleaning House =-.
Debbie B. says:
They are called “pill pockets” and they work great. They are soft and smushy and you drop the pill in and pinch the top to close it. My dog looked forward to his pills every morning and night when he had an ear infection. I got mine from the vet.
Love the picture of Binky – thanks for the update.
Laura says:
The pill pockets are AWESOME!! Such a great idea! If only they made them for husbands…..
So glad you and Binky are doing well!! Hang in there, little Valentine baby!!!
Marti from Michigan says:
I have heard and read that anything made by Greenies is BAD for dogs. It bulks up and can block the intestines. Please do not feed Greenies to Rigby.
It’s best to put the pill in jam or some other treat than to risk having a bowel obstruction on top of everything else.
Debbie B. says:
They fixed the problem with the Greenies months ago, but pill pockets are not even made of the same thing as the Greenies. Greenies are hard and green – pill pockets are soft and brown – (& not as gross as that sounded) a completely different product – just made by the same company. But ask your vet to be sure.
Vicki says:
My handy hint for Rigby’s tablets is to use cat food – and hide the tablet in a spoon of it (my dogs line up to eat off “the spoon” each morning – and one isn’t even on tablets !!).
Good Luck – thinking of you – & using lots of prayers to make sure that good people have the good that they deserve happen !!
Jenn says:
Heather,
This has to be my favorite post yet. So glad to hear that Binky is doing well.
As an avid Friends fan; having seen every episode atleast a thousand times; this may make you my new best friend.
Hope Rigby gets to feeling better soon; I always hated when my papillon was ill.
Laura says:
Ditto!! As soon as I saw the title to your post, I knew it was going to be so cute!! Rigby is SO Joey- trying to steal Binky’s thunder by getting an ultrasound too!!
Jaime says:
Glad to hear that Binky is doing well and I hope Rigby is doing better very soon! (Our dogs love peanut butter – it’s the only thing we’ve found works for them to get pills down.)
.-= Jaime´s last blog ..if only the craft stores could help me =-.
Ann says:
I’m sorry about your Friends moment (much better at someone else’s expense than one’s own) but good to know Binky is doing well! We all have our off days, and it’s not like there is room for a treadmill in there. Keep up the good work, Mama!
Poor Rigby! My dog, who eats just about anything (a bag of coconut, for example, or a pound of butter, or my tax forms) spits pills out too. We just tip his head up, pry his jaw open, and throw them down the hatch. Then he gets a liver treat. He is the opposite of most dogs, he LOVES the vet’s office. As soon as we turn off the highway he starts crying with joy, and he rushes in and runs up behind the counter ecstatically and does that happy howling/yelping. He’s tried typing on the keyboard too. So we haven’t noticed the sadness at the office as we are so busy trying to keep out dog’s elation under control.
Have a good day Heather, I get up early just to read your blog.
ClassyFabSarah says:
I now have the strangest urge to watch all the seasons of Friends on DVD…
Poor lil “Joey:…
.-= ClassyFabSarah´s last blog ..I Shop, I Drop =-.
charlane says:
Poor little Rigby. I do hope that she feels better soon!
.-= charlane´s last blog ..Thanksgiving =-.
thebonmama says:
Glad all is well with Binky and you, but so sorry to hear little Rigby isn’t feeling the best. When you tweeted that you felt like your life was an episode of Friends, I was dying to know which one – I’m addicted to those shows!
Now that you’ve told us the back story, all I keep hearing in my head is that doctor saying, “Kid-ney Stoooones!”. What else could it be, doc? “Kid-ney Stooooones!”
Hope Rigby gets feeling better soon, and better keep that jam a’coming!
.-= thebonmama´s last blog ..Papa =-.
Kelly says:
Poor, Rigby! We have always had good luck with peanut butter in getting our pup Winston to take a pill, my mom, who works for a vet, swears by “pill pockets.” Her dogs are all older, and on a slew of different medications, and they use the pill pockets daily.
Good to see that Miss Binky was fine, she was just being a little tiny napper!
jen says:
I’m so glad that Binky is okay. Prayers for poor Rigby, hope she gets better real soon.
Btw, I *love* the episode with all the jam! “look! jam crackers!” hahaha
.-= jen´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday- Oh brother! =-.
cj says:
so happy to hear that all is well with Binky. i am so sorry that Rigb is suffering, hoping for the best for your baby dog! God Bless!
Mim says:
I am so glad to read that Binky is okay. My kiddoes were never totally active and I would always wonder why some moms said their babies were always moving around all the time. I can understand your extra concerns though. So happy to read that all is well. (PS- I always loved how ultrasound pictures looked like aliens! I enjoyed the cheat sheet)
Poor Rigby. Adding Rigby to my prayers.
.-= Mim´s last blog ..Wishing =-.
Lynn from For Love or Funny says:
Our doggy loves peanut butter. If I smear pb on a pill, she thinks she’s getting the best treat in the entire world.
Sending hugs!
.-= Lynn from For Love or Funny´s last blog ..Making exploding pies =-.
Ruth says:
Glad to hear that Binky is doing well.
Our Goof has to take six (bitter) pills a day, and the only thing he’s not able to winkle them out of is peanut butter, which — thankfully — he loves. It’s gotten so that he can HEAR the peanut butter jar open.
.-= Ruth´s last blog ..Never mind =-.
Michele says:
I agree! The word, smell, jar opening….peanut better works every time!
Jen @ lifelove'n'wine says:
Glad Binky is doing well, and LOVE the bow, haha.
Poor Rigby! My dog will only take pills hidden in a dollop of peanut butter. Plus there is the added bonus of watching his tongue go in and out for five minutes after he’s finished, ha. My boyfriend used to hide pills in his old dog’s food, but he would just eat around it. Those guys are smart!
.-= Jen @ lifelove’n’wine´s last blog ..More than You Ever Needed to Know About Me…but I’m Awesome and Superior so Deal with It (please?) =-.
Alexandra :) says:
You have the cutest dog in the world, Heather! I really hope she’s okay.
Elizabeth says:
I’m glad Binky is doing well. As for Rigby I would watch how much extra food you’re giving her in order to get to take her pills. The special diet she’s on works to neutralize her urine pH in order to break up the crystals. I’ve been through this with my own dog and I am also a vet tech so feel free to contact me if you have any questions. It made me sad to read that your vet office is a sad place; most of our patients love coming in. I hope the medications and food work!
Shannon Kieta says:
Hey Rigby…How YOU doin? And hope you feelin a lot better babe! God bless you! That’s the joy you get for being a girl!
As for Bink, she looks cute…even as Frankenstien! It’s awesome what they can do with those machines eh? Hell, it won’t be long now . Once Christmas is here…a few more weeks! Yaaaaaay!!!!! Hang in there both of you!
Mama Cas says:
I can sympathize with the doggie situation. We had a bulldog who needed to take medication (after knee surgery). When she refused to take the pill, we smeared it in peanut butter. That worked for about 3 days. After that, she became really good at licking all the peanut butter off and spitting the pill out on the floor. We finally had to resort to putting the pill waaay back into her mouth (nearly forcing it into her throat) and then hold her mouth shut until we felt her swallow.
Midwest Mommy says:
Wow, what an eventful day!
.-= Midwest Mommy´s last blog ..Keepin’ It Real! =-.
Michele says:
Michele from Omaha here! God bless you and yours!! Try PEANUT BUTTER for Rigby!! Shilo HATES pills. BUT if you coat the pill in peanut butter….gone..never existed!
Jenn says:
Hey Heather,
I was wondering what your Tweeter meant last night. OOHHHH poor baby doggie!!! I hope she’s feeling okay right now and A LOT better once she finishes her meds!
I was so relieved to hear Binky is okay. Is it me or does it she look like she has hair???? HHHmmm…I guess we’ll see in 10 or 11 weeks!!!
This week is a real milestone for you Sweetie! I hope all goes as planned. I’m sure it will. I hope you and Rigby have a VERY relaxing and uneventful day!
Have you ever heard of the website http://www.projecttv.com? It’s a great site!! It gives you all of the latest movies as well as new and old tv shows and it’s totally FREE to stream. I had a rough night last night so I watched the movie Precious which I was so happy to see since they aren’t releasing it in my city. It was a powerful movie…not for the faint hearted, that’s for sure!
Have a great day Heather. Thinking and praying for you and your family every day.
xo
Josee says:
A little tip when it comes to giving dogs pills. Use one hand to open her mouth, with the other hand, drop the pill as far back in her throat as possible. Close the mouth again and rub her throat until you see her swallow (she will lick her lips) while keeping her mouth closed with one hand. Works EVERY time. In my experience, treats only work for so long until the dog gets too smart for their own good and starts uping the anti.
Molly says:
The Greenies Pill Pockets work great for pilling my dogs. Even the cat-sized ones will do the trick!
So glad to hear everybody’s insides are OK. The prescription diet really does help.
Kt says:
Poor Rigby! We give our pup a pill everyday. She finds it in anything – except cream cheese. It’s what our vet recommends!
Glad all is okay with you and baby.
.-= Kt´s last blog ..Time is a-flying =-.
Overflowing Brain (Katie) says:
Your ability to properly reference Friends makes me love you even more.
Hope Rigby’s on the mend soon.
Kim says:
I hope the doctors in labor and delivery didn’t make you watch Happy Days…
My dad has had the exact situation as The One With Phoebe’s Cookies happen to him. When my parents got married, he wanted their friends mom’s chocolate chip cookie recipe. So she gave them the recipe, a cookie jar, and a bag of chocolate chips in the jar. The first time he went to make the cookies? It was the recipe on the Nestle Tollhouse bag.
Jennifer says:
Poor Rigby! I hope the antibiotics do the trick and she doesn’t need the surgery.
But I’m glad your u/s and minitoring were looking so good.
Wishing you a great Thanksgiving!!
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..House Pics–Part One =-.
Erin says:
Hey Heather, our dog Jack has the WORST time taking pills and always seems to be needing some…once he knew what was in his piece of cheese, he didn’t want it.
After many adventures of chasing him through the house, I got smart to these ‘pill pockets’ by Greenies (the green bone company)
They are small little hollow treats that you place the pill in, squish shut the top, and give it to them as a treat. It smells like chicken (’cause its made with chicken) and our puggle gobbles ’em up.
Here’s the link. Hope it works for you!
http://www.greenies.com/en_US/Products/Dogpillpockets.aspx
You can pick ’em up at Petsmart for about $8 for a 30 day pack…
maya says:
Binky looks like Maddie!
I can tell.
WHen I was on hospital bed rest and had an ultrasound, I SWEAR I saw my husband’s face on baby a! I looke dta my mom who wa sin the room with me and screamed that Baby A looked exactly like B! It was an angel that her face was i, but I saw it. I told B about it later and he didnt believe me. I told him, if Baby A came out looking just like him- it would prove that I was right. Needless to say, we know what happened.
Poor rigby boo…
.-= maya´s last blog ..The Hunchback of Notre Dame Aint Got Nothing on Me =-.
Sara-Sou says:
I’m glad everyone is doing well and I hope Rigby gets better soon and no surgery is required. I’m trying to think if I should include him in my research paper I’m writing about pick-up lines, because Joey is one of my examples.
Andrea says:
I am sooo glad that everything is ok with Binky. What a relief!! Poor little Rigby. I hope she doesn’t have to have surgery!! Love the reference to Friends…I had forgotten about that incredibly funny episode!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Andrea
.-= Andrea´s last blog ..Thank you! =-.
Trisha Vargas says:
Hope Rigby gets to feeling better soon and so glad Binky is doing just fine and you got to see her sweet little face again for piece of mind!
My labrador, Tank, gets bad hot spots from this Florida heat and we sometimes have to give him benadryl for the itching. We wrap the pill inside a piece of cheese and down the hatch it goes.
(((HUGS))) from Florida
Tamela says:
One of our dogs was very sick last year and on meds for over a year. No food worked for long. The vet recommended a pill popper. It looks like a syringe that you put in the back of their mouth, press and done!! It worked like a charm. YOu can probably find it at petsmart. Our girl just started thyroid meds, 2x a day for the rest of her life. She’s the boss, and won’t let us get the popper in her mouth, so it’s currently hidden in a small piece of string cheese. I think we need a better long term solution.
Glad to hear your u/s was okay!
Rebecca says:
Lots of people already said it, but peanut butter does work well! We always tear off a piece of bread, put a little peanut butter on it with the pill in the middle, fold it and they swallow it right up!
Loved that episode of friends!
Good to hear everything is okay!
Notesfromthegrove says:
LOL! Oh, Rigby Tribbiani. Maybe next time you should put the pill in a meatball sub?
Glad to hear everything with Binky is going well!
Jennifer says:
I’m glad to hear that Binky is doing well. As to Rigby, my cat had similar surgery last year, and let me tell you, for a 12-year-old cat, she sure has been acting like a kitten since then. I had NO IDEA how long she must’ve been in pain until I saw the huge difference in her personality after she healed from the surgery. It cost me a huge chunk of my savings, but it was well worth it.
Lisa says:
long time stalker…if you need anything re: Rigby let me know….I am a vet….anything to set your mind at ease.
Love the Frankie bow.
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..Stats =-.
Lindsey says:
Rigby is the cutest Joey EVER.
.-= Lindsey´s last blog ..It’s Tuesday? Shit. =-.
Colleen says:
Open her mouth and place the pill far back in her throat, to be followed by a delicious treat, hugs and kisses! That’s how I get mine to take her fish oil pil everyday.
Jessica says:
I just went through something similar with my dog, Kira. Unfortunately I don’t have the name of the medicine with me but here vet gave her some pills to acidify her urine and dissolve the crystals. It took about two and a half months but she got a clean bill of health last week and we avoided doggy surgery. Oh and unlike the antibiotics these pills crumble and you can mix them in with moist food, which is good because Kira couldn’t take them on an empty stomach. I know every dog is different but it is another option you could ask Rigby’s vet about. I hope she gets better soon.
Jenny says:
Between you and Rigby, Mike is a busy guy. I’m glad to hear that the baby is doing well (and still cooking along). I have high hopes for Rigby’s non-surgical treatment. Poor dog!
.-= Jenny´s last blog ..I’m a Giver =-.
Domestic Extraordinaire says:
Oscar just licks the whatever off the pill, so I have to drop it in his mouth, close it and massage his throat so he will swallow, but he always get a really nice treat after a pill-so he is happy again. I hope Rigby is feeling better soon.
Glad to hear all is well with Binky.
.-= Domestic Extraordinaire´s last blog ..Because a 50% off sale makes everyone smile….well mostly everyone =-.
Marti from Michigan says:
Relieved to hear everything is well with Binky.
Sorry about your puppy. When my female cat had that condition, the vet said to make sure she always had fresh water – so that is what I did and with antibiotics and lots of fresh water, it did clear.
Hope that somehow all of you have a good T-day.
Chrissie says:
Glad that everything is ok with Binky! Hope Rigby feels better soon! ((((HUGS))))
Tina says:
I love Friends
Rigby is so adorable and loyal. I am glad she is getting the help she needs.
Of course I am glad that Binky is doing well
Tara. says:
Phew! I’m so glad to hear that all is well with Binky. And I’m SO glad that your Docs are being so attentive to both of you.
I hope Rigby is feeling better very soon!
.-= Tara.´s last blog ..# 24. =-.
Rachel says:
Feel better soon, Rigby!
I don’t know if anyone previously mentioned it, but the way I get my ultra-picky dog to swallow pills is by mushing some cheese around them…the trick is to give them a tiny, pill-free taste of cheese first, then give them the one with the pill. As long as my dog never SEES the pill, she does fine with this.
Aunt Becky says:
Jam. Bwahahahahahaha! That’s the best thing ever.
Also, you need to teach me the ways, oh master, of getting things to write onto pictures. I am not smart.
.-= Aunt Becky´s last blog ..This Ain’t Your Momma’s Pioneer Woman (Redux) =-.
Chris says:
I always hid the pills in cheese….of course, I had one dog who then always found the pills, took them out, ate the cheese and hid the pills. Hmmm… most of the time cheese has worked though. Somehow, I’m picturing quite a mess if I tried jam, and yet I bet that would get them to eat it. I’m filing that one away for future reference! Hope Rigby feels better soon, poor baby.
Karla says:
Poor Rigby! Did they do a urine culture? Usually if it’s staph or proteus bacteria in the culture you know the crystals/stones are struvite and they will most likely dissolve with antibiotics because they are caused from an infection. Our bichon had bladder stone surgery 2.5 years ago and she had 16 struvite stones removed. The vet thought they were oxalate stones and had we known they were struvite I wish we would have waited before doing surgery to see if they would dissolve with the antibiotics. She recovered from the surgery very quickly though. We haven’t made a diet change since they were infection induced and just try to get her to drink more water and go outside more often. She gets a raw diet so it has lots of moisture in it too.
As far as pill popping, what’s worked for us is wrapping the pill in a very small piece of bread so it covers the pill. Anything else and she would just spit it out.
Good news with Binky!! I’m due 2/20/10 so I enjoy following your pregnancy since we’re so close in due dates.
Rita from the Chicago says:
HA!!! Heather, you’re hilarious! This post just cracked me up. I’m a huge Friends fan and the moment I read that Rigby had kidney stones I understood the title of the post! Too funny! And Jam…cause what’s not to like?? Meat, good. Potatoes, good. Jam…gooood!
Our cat, Maggie, had crystals too, but we treated her with medicine and she has special food now, but she’s fine, so I wouldn’t worry about Rigby…she’ll be just fine.
Thanks for the laughs and thanks, as always, for sharing.
Jen L. says:
Poor sweet Rigby! Her little face is so sad. I hope they get her fixed up and she doesn’t have to have surgery. Gotta admit–I’m a little disappointed we didn’t get to see HER ultrasound, but oh, well. The one of Binky more than makes up for it. She’s one gorgeous baby. I love her Frankenstein bow! Have a good Thanksgiving!
.-= Jen L.´s last blog ..Too Close To Home =-.
cindy w says:
What’s funny (sad?) is that I know the exact Friends episode without clicking the link.
“You have kidney stones.”
“What else could it be?”
“Kidney stones.”
“Or….?”
“Kidney stones!”
Poor Rigby. Doggie bladder surgery does NOT sound like an ideal Christmas present. So glad you & Binky are both ok, though!
.-= cindy w´s last blog ..Random Friday thoughts =-.
Susan says:
We’ve had to give pills to our dog in the past and it was always a struggle. More than once, one of our dogs would bit a anitbiotic capsule in half and spit the powder back in my face! A friend told me a little trick and it works like a charm. After you get the pill in the back of their mouth, hold their mouth shut and blow in the dog’s nostrils. The dog will swallow. It’s worked on every dog we’ve had. Hope it helps.
Summer says:
I’m a regular reader, but rare commenter! Just had to stop by and say that the Frankenstein pic totally made me laugh. So cute Hope the pup feels better soon!
.-= Summer´s last blog ..The things people say =-.
tracy says:
Sorry for Rigby! We always put our doggie’s meds inside a little ball of liverwurst. I am pregnant and due right around the time that you are due with Binky and I will say that the smell of liverwurst is a bit nasty (more mouth breathing) but if Rigby does not like peanut better or jam as people suggested above, liver might do the trick! Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Glenda says:
Happy to hear Binky is doing good…and hoping Rigby feels well soon! XXX
Meg says:
Poor pup! I hope she’s on the mend soon, and that you guys can do something more fun than bladder surgery for Christmas!
Andrea's Sweet Life says:
I love the bow on little Franken-Binky.
Dogger Rigby makes an excellent stand in for Joey, although, I’m pretty sure she DID know she cared that much. ; )
AMomTwoBoys says:
Awww, Binky looks just like Mike in that picture!
Where are the photos from Rigby’s ultrasound?
“You can’t have Thanksgiving without turkey. That’s like Fourth of July without apple pie, or Friday with no two pizzas.”
.-= AMomTwoBoys´s last blog ..OMG, I Could Totally Be A Professional Photographer =-.
Amanda/Baby A says:
O poor Rigby!
My dog loves bread with peanut butter to take her pills (we make it into a little pocket). If the jam stops working you can try that or try a piece of cheese with pill inside. Cheese is always popular with the dogs I know. People too for that matter… =)
Love to her for sure! Throw in some extra petting/belly rubs from me. And of course love to you, Mike, and Binky.
Sarah says:
As long as Dr Risky doesn’t think she’s Fonzie, you’re ok
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Lovestruck =-.
missy says:
Aww poor Rigby, I hope she feels better soon. My daughter has chronic kidney stones so I know kind of how Rigby feels. And that same daughter was very lazy in utero, I was always on monitors, and she was so lazy she ended up being breach and I had to have a c-section. So glad Binky is fine and happily enjoying her comfort zone. Much love to all of you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Jenny @ http://motherlawyercrazywoman.blogspot.com/ says:
Glad Binky is OK! Sorry for Rigby’s rice bladder bits *(ok, that was a weird thing to type …)
Happy thanksgiving to all of you!
.-= Jenny @ http://motherlawyercrazywoman.blogspot.com/´s last blog ..Culinary Genius =-.
Krissa says:
Glad you and Binky are well and I am sending doggie (((hugs))) for little Rigby. Bless her heart. In my younger days I worked for a couple vets and I know what you mean about the whole place reeking of fear. I ended up in tears a lot and it was a hard job simply because of having to be around so much pain and fear. Even a good vet visit isn’t much fun for most dogs and it’s never any fun for cats. I really hope she’s better asap. … Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Hope says:
I love it! I, too, am a huge Friends fan! I hope poor Rigby gets better soon!
Maria says:
My Mom’s dog had this problem all the time. The special food did not help, so they put her on just plain chicken and rice that they cooked at home and she hasn’t had trouble since. Hope she feels better soon.
Wagon says:
CHUNKY peanut butter- so they can’t figure out what’s a peanut or a pill. We let our dog lick it off the spoon- she always seemed to enjoy it more that way!
edenland says:
THE PURPLE BOW. The mouth breathing.
How I love you, Heather Spohr.
XOXOX
Tami says:
The picture of Rigby is adorable. I didnt read all the comments so I didnt know if any one mentioned velvetta cheese. We give are pom her pills with a little bit of cheese. She loves it. Im glad everything checked out with Binky. Man what a scare. I hope the meds work for Rigby.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
hugs,
Tam says:
My Cat had the same thing – will be on a special diet for the rest of its life, but the good news is we managed to avoid the surgery!
Poor Rigby, cutest photo ever but wow, those sad eyes!
Also very happy to hear Binky is doing well!
Francesca says:
Rigby is gorgeous!!! Those eyes!!
Dana says:
I read your blog all the time.
I just love you! I know we would get along well because I can relate everything in life to Friends. And when I saw the title of this post in my reader, I thought FRIENDS!
How YOU doin’
(And I trick my dogs with cheese, sugar cookie dough, peanut butter, etc. They get wise to one disguise, so I have to keep switching!)
Always thinking of y’all. All 5 of you.
.-= Dana´s last blog ..Jeep. There’s only one. =-.
Meesh in the MO says:
My cat’s groomer said she had a German Shepard once whom she could stuff the pill all the way down to his exit and he’d cough it back up! My kitty blue had crystals in his urine this time last year. He can’t eat any food with fish in it at all. After two weeks of giving kung fu cat pills and the change in food, we’ve been fine ever since. I hope Rigby is good as new as soon as possible.
Amy S. says:
LOVE the cheat sheet picture of Binky!
Poor Rigby! My cousin’s dog was attacked by the neighbors pitbulls the day before yesterday. They finally got her stabilized and were able to perform surgery last night. Obviously I have prayed for people (including you and Mike) but never dogs….until this event. And, I will now say one for Rigby.
Amy S. says:
P.S. I’ve heard wrapping the pill in cheese works well?
Becky says:
Not two hours ago I was baking our Thanksgiving pies… pulled a dish towel off of the counter, accidentally knocking a steak knife off of the cutting board in the process. The knife then fell on my husband’s bare foot.
Fortunately no toes were severed and it landed so as not to leave a scratch… but you are not the only one feeling as though you are living out a Friends episode from time to time.
Glad you and Binky are doing well… Best Wishes.
Rebecca says:
I was just thinking of the Friends episode where Rachel and Monica or was it Chandler?, anyway they ate some pie that was accidentally delivered to their place. Another pie was discovered and the two dropped it on the floor, ran into the apartment to get forks and rushed out to eat the pie that had fallen in the hall floor.
Around the corner comes Joey on his way in and he’s does a double take and is like “Cool, what ‘ya eatin’?” and he pulls a fork out of his pocket and sits down to eat.
Funny!
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..Merry Christmas =-.
Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba) says:
We use Pill Pockets to give our dogs pills… but not a whole one. A little goes a long way for our dogs… and when we have given them a whole one the dogs have been fairly, well, pooperific.
I hope Rigby feels better soon.
.-= Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba)´s last blog ..On meeting MckMama… =-.
mrs. chicken says:
Cheese works, but it makes dogs stinky. Might work for Mike, too!
You sound good, Heather. I’ve been here, listening, the whole time. Love to you.
.-= mrs. chicken´s last blog ..Thankful … For This Virus =-.
Lisa says:
Glad to hear the monitor of Binky showed that everything was fine. As for Rigby, hope she is feeling better soon. I have 2 cats, one of which is diabetic and gets two insulin shots every day. She is constantly on pills of varying kinds and it is so hard to get her to take it. Hope the jam trick keeps working for you.
Love and hugs.
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..Teaching Through Play =-.
Sara Joy says:
Awww, poor Rigby, ouch!
But so glad to hear that Binky is doing well and you got lots of good pictures!
mom, again says:
I bet Mike is so jealous he couldn’t have an ultrasound too.
Nicole says:
Awww poor Rigby! I hope she gets better soon.
Lindsay from Florida says:
Seriously, you have the BEST taste in television shows. I knew that there were going to be FRIENDS references in here as soon as I saw the title. Hilarious.
I hope Rigby heals up very, very quickly!
Jess says:
Our dog enjoys her pills wrapped up in a small piece of American cheese… if Rigby doesn’t go for the peanut butter, try cheese!
Tina says:
So glad you and Binky are doing well! Poor Rigby dog! I buy American cheese slices to hide pills for my dogs. I don’t know what it is about Pasteurized Processed Cheese Food that makes my dogs so damn happy but it works. Love you Heather…
chandan says:
I wish that she will recover very soon.
.-= chandan´s last blog ..New from google work at home affiliate network-November 25, 2009 =-.
Sarah says:
Really glad that Binky and you are doing well.
Rigby is so adorable, I hope that she feels better soon.
Happy Thanksgiving!
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..We our Wubbanub! =-.
Page says:
Joey: “You remember when you were a kid, and your Mom would give you a jar of jam, and a spoon?”
Rachel: (pauses) “You’re so pretty.”
I’m so glad all’s well with Binky and you. Poor Rigby! I hoe the diet is enough to take care of the stones.
Your post above with Maddie’s photos… it made me cry. She’s just so beautiful, and you are such great parents. Your girls are very lucky to have you guys. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
Vicky says:
My secret get-the-damndog-to-take-a-pill weapon is wieners. Pinch off about a one inch chunk and stick the pill inside. My dog would eat it in one gulp. The peanut butter sounds like a good idea too.
sheri says:
Oh no! If all else fails, there is a contraption that you put the pill in and stick it back in the throat and then you push the pill out of the thing. The vet should have one for you. It is called a pill popper. Hope your doggie feels better!
cheryl says:
Hello, maybe you could try softening a doggie brownie in the microwave then “stuffing” the medication inside.
Jill says:
Get Greenies Pill Pockets. They’re sold in bags of 30 at pet stores. You can tuck a tablet or a capsule (they come in two sizes) inside the meaty-looking little pocket and the dog will snap it up and ask for more!
Ray says:
That ultrasound photo of Binky is awesome! I know it’s just an ultrasound photo, but I think she’s going to look like Maddie. =o) And she even has a mohawk, like Maddie does in one of her photos to the side, where it says, “Mamarazzi .” =D So cute!
I hope Rigby gets better soon and that no doggy bladder surgery is needed. I’m glad Binky is doing fine and your friend Anissa will be in my prayers (I’m so sorry about that), as will Binky.
Take, care.
janina says:
1) i love you! your blog makes me laugh and cry, and smile like i never have before. my husband thinks i’m nuts when he walks in the room and sees me laughing at my laptop.
2) binky looks like she’s wearing a pirate hat.
3) friends is my favorite show, so right when you said “kidney stones” i thought about the episode where joey gets them and then you totally mentioned it. LOL!!
4) i hope rugby gets better. santa bringing doggy bladder surgery for christmas would really blow!
C says:
I remember when I was pregnant with Little One. I’d always be so nervous until the nurse located her heartbeat with the Doppler!! What a sigh of relief. Then when we discovered that she would be born prematurely, all the ultrasounds, exams, follow-ups, check ups, etc used to really get me worried. I don’t know why. I never thought my first pregnancy would be like that…so full of worry!
Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that every time I read your blog, I laugh, cry, smile, bawl my eyes out. You just touch such an emotional core. Your writing is both beautiful and funny at the same time.
.-= C´s last blog ..Something I Want to Try =-.
Krista says:
We’ve had good luck with dog pills in peanut butter (or gravy… or ice cream, now that I think about it…) Hope Rigby feels better soon, and I’m glad Binky is doing well!
Issa says:
I’m sure it’s been said 200 times…but we use peanut butter. Ha. Or a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. Yes my dog is spoiled. Why do you ask? Ha.
.-= Issa´s last blog ..I went to Texas and all I brought you was some random stories =-.
Al_Pal says:
Awww, poor Rigby!
Glad Binky is doing well!
Krissa says:
Hope Rigby is feeling better!
Melanie B says:
poor Rigby, those are some huge stones! And, that “cheat sheet” is HILARIOUS
.-= Melanie B´s last blog ..Nico And Zoe-Review =-.