Sugar High

Having a resourceful scavenger dog necessitates putting tempting food outside her access ... Ru has inhaled: a bag of brown sugar; an entire angel food cake; rotten fish & cheese remnants (from the trash); part of the cordless phone (and battery pack); and the sleeve of a silk jacket.

She always leaves the remnants on the living room rug. Living room rugs seem to be canine dinner tables. Particularly in homes with wood floors and very few soft flooring areas.

Over the years Ru has trained me - it's taken awhile, but I'm learning. Nothing is left on countertops unless I want it demolished or licked clean.

Or I forget. Today I ran to Target, came home, dropped off my bags and ran back out. Leaving my pre-Easter candy (Cadbury mini eggs) on the countertop.

Three hours later, upon returning home, I spy a shadow on the rug ... ripped up, licked clean, Cadbury bag. It's inside out - the purple exterior splayed open to show the dog licked white insides. And no errant chocolate eggs to be found anywhere - except in Ru's belly. As she gallops to the back door, waiting to be let out as I take in the scene of the dine, I hear her gulping water. Sugar high, she needs some water (or milk) to wash down her unintended treat. Probably has to pee like a racehorse too since she ingested a lot of sweets.

In the past (the Lindor balls, for example), I've called the vet. Chocolate kills dogs, after all. Fortunately, this pooch is no lightweight. From her stray days (or simply because she is a dog), she has a strong constitution. For her body weight the Cadbury has only dehydrated and caffeinated her. If the punctured battery pack didn't hurt her, I seriously doubt the Cadbury binge will.

Still I'll keep an eye on her for the next hour or two ...