Prepare for wall of text:
So last weekend I was hanging out with my family on the lake. Grilling, swimming, drinking, etc. Around 11AM I asked "Where's Charlie?" Charlie being our 84 year old neighbor, who also happens to be my Godfather. I get the usual responses, "Maybe he's out?" "Not sure, who cares?" and so on.
4PM comes "Has anyone seen Charlie at all today?"
"No, he must be out with his friends."
6PM comes "I'm going to invite Charlie over for dinner. If nothing else but to check on him."
I go to his house and knock on the storm-door. No answer. I try to open the storm-door to knock on the real door but the storm-door is locked.
"That's odd, those can only be locked from the inside.."
I go back and report to my family. I get a bunch of "Stop being paranoid, there's no need to worry. He probably locked that door then went out his basement door because he knew he'd be gone all day."
7PM, after dinner. "Ok, you know what, I'm going to check again." This time my sisters come with me. I try the front door, one sister tries the basement door, and my other sister calls out "CHARLIE?!"
From deep inside the house we here "HELP!"
Instant panic and adrenaline. I rip open the storm door, then kick in his two inner doors. "Charlie!?"
He was at the bottom of his basement steps. He had fallen off his exercise bike and broke his hip. Dragged himself to the stairs but was unable to pull himself up them. He had been there since 7AM. He has since had hip replacement surgery, is currently in a rehabilitation hospital and is feeling much better.
Now, the day after I got Charlie off his basement floor (well, I didn't, the paramedics did, but you know what I mean) I got a new puppy!
So I got my puppy from a rescue shelter down south, they then transported him up to New Hampshire where I picked him up exactly one week ago. He's about 13 weeks old, black lab and some kind of hound mix. He's been healthy and playing and everything, but he's had some diarrhea issues. I figured the stress between the move to a new home and the extreme heat/humidity we've been having was causing it. We were giving him Pedialyte to combat the possibility of dehydration.
Now things get worse. Last night he got up in the middle of the night about 5 times, each time having diarrhea. I was already concerned. But then this morning he TRIED to poop again, but instead of diarrhea it was some liquid with blood in it. This happened twice in a row. Now I'm EXTREMELY concerned.
He isn't vomiting at all, nor is he lethargic. He hasn't pooped since this morning so I'm not sure if he's still got blood in his stool. He's also developed a hacking cough that sounds like he's trying to clear something from his throat.
I called the local emergency vet but the amount of money we'd have to pay isn't possible. The only thing we can do is wait until tomorrow and see our regular vet (since today is Sunday) and hope he can help.
Meanwhile, my family keeps telling me that I'm being paranoid and worrying too much. The hell? Does no one learn?
So, what do you think? Do I worry too much?
So last weekend I was hanging out with my family on the lake. Grilling, swimming, drinking, etc. Around 11AM I asked "Where's Charlie?" Charlie being our 84 year old neighbor, who also happens to be my Godfather. I get the usual responses, "Maybe he's out?" "Not sure, who cares?" and so on.
4PM comes "Has anyone seen Charlie at all today?"
"No, he must be out with his friends."
6PM comes "I'm going to invite Charlie over for dinner. If nothing else but to check on him."
I go to his house and knock on the storm-door. No answer. I try to open the storm-door to knock on the real door but the storm-door is locked.
"That's odd, those can only be locked from the inside.."
I go back and report to my family. I get a bunch of "Stop being paranoid, there's no need to worry. He probably locked that door then went out his basement door because he knew he'd be gone all day."
7PM, after dinner. "Ok, you know what, I'm going to check again." This time my sisters come with me. I try the front door, one sister tries the basement door, and my other sister calls out "CHARLIE?!"
From deep inside the house we here "HELP!"
Instant panic and adrenaline. I rip open the storm door, then kick in his two inner doors. "Charlie!?"
He was at the bottom of his basement steps. He had fallen off his exercise bike and broke his hip. Dragged himself to the stairs but was unable to pull himself up them. He had been there since 7AM. He has since had hip replacement surgery, is currently in a rehabilitation hospital and is feeling much better.
Now, the day after I got Charlie off his basement floor (well, I didn't, the paramedics did, but you know what I mean) I got a new puppy!
So I got my puppy from a rescue shelter down south, they then transported him up to New Hampshire where I picked him up exactly one week ago. He's about 13 weeks old, black lab and some kind of hound mix. He's been healthy and playing and everything, but he's had some diarrhea issues. I figured the stress between the move to a new home and the extreme heat/humidity we've been having was causing it. We were giving him Pedialyte to combat the possibility of dehydration.
Now things get worse. Last night he got up in the middle of the night about 5 times, each time having diarrhea. I was already concerned. But then this morning he TRIED to poop again, but instead of diarrhea it was some liquid with blood in it. This happened twice in a row. Now I'm EXTREMELY concerned.
He isn't vomiting at all, nor is he lethargic. He hasn't pooped since this morning so I'm not sure if he's still got blood in his stool. He's also developed a hacking cough that sounds like he's trying to clear something from his throat.
I called the local emergency vet but the amount of money we'd have to pay isn't possible. The only thing we can do is wait until tomorrow and see our regular vet (since today is Sunday) and hope he can help.
Meanwhile, my family keeps telling me that I'm being paranoid and worrying too much. The hell? Does no one learn?
So, what do you think? Do I worry too much?
