So, I have to admit that some sketchy things have gone on in the Zottola household lately and they involved both Lola and Malcolm.
- Malcolm found floor vents that weren’t covered yet in our closet room and was casually wandering around the air ducts in our house. He emerged unscathed and was thankfully only covered in dust.
- Lola ate raisins (which can be fatally toxic to dogs) while Jimmy and I were at church two weekends ago. I had left my purse at home and it had a snack-sized box of raisins in it. She got into my purse and the pouch I keep granola bars and snacks in and at a small box of raisins along with two granola bars.
Thankfully, Malcolm’s little jaunt in the air ducts was nothing serious, but Lola really scared us. She was acting fine when we got home from church, but I called an emergency vet for advice and eventually Jimmy and I found ourselves in this situation:
- Me holding Lola on the couch so she wouldn’t run away.
- Jimmy putting a turkey baster filled with hydrogen peroxide in Lola’s mouth.
- Lola throwing up raisins and whatever else was in her stomach within minutes.
Needless to say, I wouldn’t be surprised if I found a few gray hairs on my head with the antics Lola and Malcolm have been pulling lately 😉
The craziness of our cat walking in our air ducts and our dog eating fatally toxic food got me thinking about how I always have to be aware of keeping them safe. Sure, they’re both microchipped, registered, spayed/neutered, not allowed to roam the neighborhood unattended, and see a vet at least once a year.
Little things happen, though. Dogs like to dig through garbage (at least Lola does…) and curiosity really can kill the cat. I have to constantly consider things like whether or not Lola will jump on the counter to reach food or what I’ll do if Malcolm slips outside while a door is open.
When SimpliSafe, a home security company, asked if I wanted to share a pet safety guide, I was all on board. Their wireless security system is pet-friendly, and I figured if it could save even one pet owner from having to force their dog puke or lure their cat out of air ducts, then it’s totally worth sharing!
Living My Full Life 
How scary that Lola ate raisins, and that Malcolm was exploring the air ducts! I’m glad they’re both safe, and I love the photo of them snuggling on the sofa together. 🙂
By the way, I just posted an update on Aimée on my blog, with some photos of her as a three-month-old pup, and how she looks now as a nine-month-old. 🐕
Lola and Malcolm both gave me some good scares, haha. Then I see them snuggling and think… how are those the same animals?!
I cannot wait to read your update on Aimée!! I can’t believe she will be a year old soon!
Haha, Malcom! That cat is a character. And I’m so glad that Lola was okay. Good call on the hydrogen peroxide. My inlaws had to do that with Teddy recently.
Malcolm is quite the character indeed! I hope Teddy is doing well since his run-in with hydrogen peroxide!! It was quite the fiasco to do it with Lola, but 100% worth is because she’s doing great and didn’t have any bad side effects from the raisins!
Oh my goodness!!! Cats find their way into everything, don’t they!? haha!
I’m so glad Lola is okay though. That can be such a scary feeling!! We had a scare with Popcorn a few years ago when he ate his way through a chocolate bar. NOT a good feeling!! We ended up having to get his stomach pumped… poor little guy!
They seriously do!! I can’t believe some of the stuff Malcolm finds his way into, haha.
I’m so sorry about your scare with Popcorn! Poor guy! It really is such a scary feeling knowing they ate something that can seriously harm them. I’m so glad he was okay!
Oh my goodness, Oreo has eaten so many things that are toxic to dogs, but thankfully he has somehow survived every time with only slight stomach upset. Granted, it’s been several years since the last incident so sometimes I wonder if it’d be a lot harder on him now that he’s older. I think the scariest one for me was when he ate an ENTIRE LOAF of unrisen bread dough that I had left out to rise. I started Googling and read about how it can rise in their stomach and kill them and it was just all terrible. Thankfully Google also told me to give him ice cubes to help kill the yeast. I don’t know if that’s what helped or not, but he had no problems thankfully!
So glad Malcolm and Lola are both okay!
I think Oreo and Lola are pretty much indestructible! Lola has ate dead animal carcasses, diapers, and more and has been just fine. It’s crazy. Maybe it’s the whole mixed breed thing?
How crazy that Oreo ate an entire loaf of unrisen bread dough! AHH! I am so glad he didn’t have any problems! Way to think fast with researching the ice cubes!