The Doggy's Still Sick, but on the Mend

After two more days of runny bowels, we just can't take it anymore. We tried pedialyte, pepto, everything we could think of to quite the poor doogy's tummy, but to no avail. Today, hubby took him to the vet and his suspicions were confirmed: once it started, it stressed him out so he couldn't stop. Now, he's on Imodium AD and an antibiotic to balance his gastrointestinal bacteria.

We weren't angry with him for the mess he made. It was just really frustrating to deal with. We finally started keeping him in the garage at night, simply because concrete is much easier to clean than carpet. Why not leave the pooch outside, you ask? Well, this kind of ties in to where his troubles started in the first place. Our dog is very sensitive...emotionally. We think he might have been abused early in his life. By the time he made it to his foster mom, the damage was done; however, she worked with him and he became the kind, fun loving dog we have now. He still has residual issues that surface every now and again. Basically, his diarrhea started as a result of his nerves. Something upset him enough to make it go into overdrive. After that, it was a flood of poo. Eww, and the smell! I'm surprised I even got it out of the carpet the first time.

Hubby and I will rent an industrial strength cleaner, just as soon as he clears up and has a bath. We want to make sure any stains or leftover smell are gone for good. We really felt bad for him because we took up his food and everything to try and wait it out. Last night, I was grilling chicken breasts on my George Foreman grill. I thought he was going to go into fits! He was so hungry. We finally had to let him out to save him the grief, poor doggy. I thought, perhaps, he had giaria (sp?) but it's just a case of the nerves.

I was proud of myself this weekend. I took two days off from my workouts, but I ate well. The only splurge was an apple crumble I made. The recipe called for "greasing" the pan along with "butter". I used no-stick spray and light margarine. I could definitely tell it wasn't as rich as the crumbles I've had in the past, but boy was it a nice alternative dessert. Yum! (I even topped it with Light, Dreyers Vanilla Bean ice cream.)

I'm feeling better about the way I'm handling things, now that I'm not feeling the pressure of the weigh ins (although, I'm still keeping up for myself). I don't know what it is. I guess in some way I feel (and know) this information is on display for lots of eyes and I must make sure I keep up with appearances. Pah-lease! I'll do that when I'm in my right mind, again (or did I ever have a right mind? Who, knows).

I saw a job opportunity in my field and it pays more by the hour; however, it's only a 30hour per week job and that would mean a pay cut of nearly 10K a year. I'm thinking of the bonuses - less gas, no car payment, no daycare. The cons - less money, basically a lateral move, no ability to save for more (after the huge paycut). Is it worth investigating? I may. I just hate to feel like I'm moving backwards, even if it's for the better of my child. There's got to be a better alternative.