The Big Ragu

I know this is crazy but I’ve always been intrigued by how dogs vomit.  I remember watching a neighbor’s dog eat grass when I was a kid and then my best friend and I watched in amazement as the dog instantly vomited; ate grass again; vomited; ate grass and the repetition continued.

As an adult and a dog owner, vomit is a much more accepted part of life.  But I am still intrigued by how a dog vomits. They definitely give you ample warning; usually enough time to move them or make them go to an area where the clean-up is easier!  

It seems to start at the tail, and then the ripple seems to work its way upward, sometimes slowly, until it gets to the neck and head.  At this point, you know the mouth will soon open and something will come out.  All the while, the noise is what always gets me.  Kinda like a washing machine in the wash cycle, it’s a combination of sloshing noise and rhythm.  And there is a unique rhythm to it.  I’m always fascinated to watch it.  Poor dog is about to vomit and I’m staring at the groove of nature working its magic.

Now that Carmine sleeps with me for the most part, I knew that the inevitable was bound to happen.  And it did.  Around 4am last night, I heard the rhythm. It woke me with a start. I put on the light, and sure enough I saw the familiar ripple traveling up my boy’s body.  And he knew it too because he sat up straight as it happened.  I screamed “Off Off” and he jumped off the bed and vomited on the floor.  Typical doggie liquid vomit.  Of course I always have to inspect it because I have to see what the dog ingested, hopefully nothing too scary.  As I’m squinting I see some fuzzy black thing in the middle of the liquid.  I think it was the nose from one of Carmine’s stuffed animals, not too sure.  All’s cleaned up, back to sleep….until 5:30am when I heard the rhythm again.   And again he produced liquid and a piece of a toy. I soothed him and waited a bit to see if he would settle down. He did so back to sleep we went.

By this morning, Carmine seemed fine. The groove of nature had worked its magic, keeping it all in rhythm.