Dada’s Note: Chaplin seems to be doing a bit better after his ordeal. Although we still aren’t sure what it was on the original X-Ray that prompted his vet to send us to the specialist—the ultrasound that was done about 6-8 hours later didn’t show the foreign “mineral/non-food” material in his stomach and colon that the X-Ray did—he has definitely been off for a while. But he is beginning to get back to his old self, demanding treats and asking to play with his toys and annoying his sister. Based on his bloodwork, at the moment, we suspect that whatever he ate irritated his digestive system and maybe caused a mild case of pancreatitis from which he has started to recover. Short-term feeding changes (many small meals of easily digestible food) appear to be helping him get over this little episode, plus we have anti-nausea medication and a prescription for a special GI diet, which we may not end up using, but they’re there if we need them.

In the meantime, Charlee, who had been helping herself to Chaplin’s uneaten portions for an indeterminate period of time before we caught on, has become a little butterball who reports that it’s a nice break for her when her brother is feeling under the weather.