Keep medicine away from your pets

My sister, the crazy dog lady of Torrance, had quite a scare the other day.

Actually, I tease her, but she dotes on her dogs more than anybody I know. Her pets are always well fed, groomed, loved, vaccinated and tended to by vets when necessary.

So what happened to her could happen to anybody. It involved her 12-year-old Samoyed named Cosmo. After 12 years, you kinda let your guard down with a dog, but Cosmo got into my sister's purse last week and the results were terrifying.

Here's what happened in her own words:

Very early Monday morning, Cosmo opened my purse and got a small container of Advil. He ate the Advil (10 maybe more). He has been at the emergency hospital at night and at his regular vet during the day.

They were able to have him throw up some of the pills, fed him charcoal and have been keeping him hydrated.  We think we got him to the hospital early enough and so far he seems to be doing well.

This morning when I picked him up from the Emergency vet, he was woo wooing.   And at his regular vet, he was begging for cookies.  We will know later this week if his kidney's have been affected by the Advil.

Cosmo is doing better. He's acting fine and the vet is optimistic about his prognosis. Final blood test results are coming tomorrow. Cosmo is due to come home in the next day or two.

How scary is this? My sister will do anything for her pets, but I'm sure she would rather have spent the money on something else, not to mention the emotional turmoil she went through.

Anyway, this story stands as a great reminder that no matter how well you think you know your pets, they're animals and they can get into trouble. It's important to always try to pay attention.

Hope you're back to your old self soon, Cosmo!

And here's a picture of him in healthier days.