my love is toxic

Big B is not a fetcher.

He subscribes to the philosophy that if you threw it you must not have wanted it, and if you do want it you need to get off your behind and get it yourself. But he does enjoy catching, so I usually keep a dozen balls handy to toss at him when he’s in a playful mood.

There is nothing he loves more that catching tossed food, he will snatch a treat out of the air, and if his hips feel okay him might even jump for it.

Now, what food would be perfect for tossing? What round crunchy fruit would be perfect for grabbing a handful of and tossing to your dog? Grapes.

For years .. I fed Big B grapes. Those tart green ones that he would catch, crunch on and then beg me to throw another one.
Then I saw ‘The List’ you know, that list of things you’re not supposed to feed your dogs, like grapes.

I made an appointment with his Veterinarian the very next day and I slept on the floor with him that night, afraid he would drop dead any second.

Frantic and in tears I explained to the Veterinarian that I was a horrible pet parent and I was sure that I had killed my dog.
I begging him to save him while Big B sat there and happily enjoyed the attention of his staff.
He assured me that if there was going to be an issue he would have had a reaction after he ate them (he did check his kidneys and gave him the all clear).
He told me to stop feeding them to him, of course, but assured me that I had not signed his death warrant.

I hadn’t realised how much this dog meant to me until that moment, that night on the floor with him (just like the first night we adopted him), I knew that this dog was more important to me and my kiddo then I had ever imagined.

I promised him I’d never hurt him again .. and he still gets so upset when I eat grapes and refuse to share.