Grilling out. Warm weather, bright sun, freshly mown grass, family gathered around. The "man of the house" is proudly donning his favorite apron, sandal/sock combo, and the self-proclaimed title "grill master". I don’t know about you, but I can smell it now. We aren't the only ones. Our pets are just as vulnerable to those enticing aromas, as one family found out.

It was a warm summer afternoon. Katelyn, her family, and their beloved dog Thor were grilling out and enjoying the day. When his family stepped away just for a few moments, Thor seized his opportunity ate a cheeseburger, then washed it down with 5 hot dogs. Who hasn't?! Naughty Thor. At first, things seemed fine. Thor seemed just as happy as he always had. Maybe more so.

Unfortunately, the next day, things changed for him. Thor's owner Katelyn noticed he vomited a couple of times, and some of the vomit was even red in color. Katelyn thought the worst and was ready to take Thor to an emergency clinic. She knew he could be bleeding, there may be an intestinal blockage, or that maybe something in the food was toxic to him. Whatever it was, she knew something wasn't right.

With strong instincts, and maybe a touch of experience, Katelyn remained calm and started down a path to make Thor feel a bit better. She learned just the thing to help settle his stomach and give it a much needed rest after his large meal the day before. She offered him chicken and rice for 24 hours in place of his dog food. Katelyn also learned that dogs may drink a bit less when there is a higher moisture content in their food, as was the case with the chicken and rice, so she need'nt worry if Thor was drinking or urinating less, as long as the symptoms subsided over the next 48 hours.

The good news for Thor was that there were no signs of dehydration, there had been no diarrhea, and he was still just as mighty as ever. A trip to the emergency hospital wasn't in order yet! That said, when the whiskerDocs team learned that poor Thor was still vomiting despite 24 hours on his special diet, together with Katelyn, we agreed that it would be best if Thor was examined by his veterinarian the following day because his symptoms weren't improving quickly enough with home care alone.

While it would certainly never be the wrong decision to have your furry family member evaluated whenever there is a concern, Thor's case was a perfect example of how careful monitoring of symptoms allows both our team and the pet parent to manage the fine line between acting and over-reacting. When Thor saw his doctor, a little dose of anti-vomiting medication was all he needed to get back on the right track, because Katelyn had done all the right things in between to keep him hydrated and happy!

Now, if you ask Thor, it turns out dad is the Grill Master. But, let's keep that between us, shall we?