Drugs and Dolls

Farm Town has gotten in the way of life.  I have discovered I have a raging case of OCD.  Who knew.  I find myself arranging my crops in patchwork quilt patterns, then challenge myself with finding the right combination so the entire field will be ready to harvest at once.  It is like a giant puzzle and I am finally SICK OF IT!

But isn't my farm pretty? 

My butt is growing wider in my computer chair, my arms hurt, my hand hurts from all the stinking clicking and I seem to have a perpetual head ache.

So, I am calling for a ban of all things Farm Town for now..at least this very moment in time.

Good thing too, because last night Bonnie and Brynn decided to poison themselves. Just like little kids, when mom is distracted they do everything they can possibly think of to maim themselves. 

I was playing Farm Town last night  (imagine that?) and heard a weird crunching sound.  I shouted for John to look and see what it was (since he was closer).  He darted into the living room quickly and then back to his computer where he messaged me on Face Book (40 feet away mind you) from his office (because he is now addicted to Farm Town too) that he took a chewed up pill bottle away from Brynn.

I freaked out...and started yelling "WHAT PILL BOTTLE"

His response was to dart into my office and toss the mangled bottle onto my desk only to fly back to his office to complete harvesting someone's field.

I looked at the pill bottle and freaked some more.

As a nurse I have been trained to handle emergent situations by remaining calm, in control and  gifted with an ability to remove my self personally from a crisis situation.  It is a skill that has come in handy over the years raising too many children.  Like when my son was standing on the roof of the garage with a bed sheet tied under his shoulders - ready to jump off and parachute to the ground like daddy.  Or the time when I pulled into the drive way to watch my son leap out of the second story window - fearing the imminent crash onto the hard ground beneath I was suprised to see him suddenly bounce 20 feet into the air.  The kids had moved the trampoline under the window.

I made it through years of trauma brought on by raising children.  Only unhinge over a chewed up pill bottle...pathetic.

"WHERE DID THIS BOTTLE COME FROM?" I shrieked.  Then sent John racing around the house searching for the site of the crime, hoping to find pills on the floor (meaning they had not eaten them).

He found nothing.  Where ever they took it from (we suspect my daughters room).  They ate every last pill (if there were any left).

The bottle holds 90 count 10 mg Loratadine/Antihistamine (generic for Claritin).  Who knows how many were in the bottle because everyone in the house suddenly were struck with a acute case of amnesia.  

I immediately called the vet.  They told me to call the poison control line - because that is what they would do if I brought her in.   

Did you know the WA State Poison Control has had budget cuts?  If you are calling for information pertaining to a pet, you have to pay $30.00.  The nurses on the phone only have information about people...not pets or how human drugs will metabolize in a canine.  I waited on hold forever and found out nothing more than I already found searching the  internet while on hold.

The internet can be a very dangerous thing, when you are on the verge of panic.  I read this and freaked even more.

Loratadine is a tricyclic long-acting antihistamine with selective peripheral histamine H₁-receptor antagonist activity. In humans, loratadine is well absorbed orally and extensively metabolized to an active metabolite. Most of the parent drug is excreted unchanged in the urine. The mean elimination half-life in humans is 8.4 hr. Loratadine appears to have a large margin of safety in laboratory animals. No deaths were reported at oral doses up to 5 g/kg in rats and mice. In rats, mice, and monkeys, no clinical signs were observed at 10 times the maximum recommended human daily oral dose.

Treatment 

Treatment of antihistamine toxicosis is primarily symptomatic and supportive. Emesis should only be considered in asymptomatic patients. Activated charcoal may be useful for recent ingestion. Cardiovascular function and body temperature should be closely monitored. Diazepam can be used to control seizures or seizure-type activity. Physostigmine is recommended to counteract the CNS anticholinergic effects of antihistamine overdoses in people, although the risk of seizures associated with this drug may limit its use. IV fluids should be given as needed.

Mind you, if the pill bottle had been even half or 3/4 full Brynn or Bonnie could have gotten up to 500-750 mg of Loratadine.

Our friend Cindy (who was a vet tech prior to becoming an RN) suggested we try and get the dogs to vomit.  Which we did.  I grabbed a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide and a syringe.  Then we tried to force the hydrogen peroxide down their throats.  After loading Brynn up with approx 20cc of Hydrogen Peroxide.  She never barfed.

Bonnie was another story.  She inhaled it, she spewed it, she began frothing at the mouth.  She looked like Cujo.  She also bit me.  Although gravely insulted at the man handling, she didn't vomit either. 

Needless to say, the vet said to watch them closely.  I didn't crate them and kept them both on the bed with me all night.  At about 4 this morning Bonnie went into her crate when I was asleep and I woke to hear her vomiting.  She hasn't been right most of the day.  She didn't want all of her breakfast - and if she doesn't perk up by tomorrow we are going into the vet.

Personally I think Bonnie is in a snit.  She is mad at me for force feeding her hydrogen peroxide (have you ever tasted hydrogen peroxide?  I would be mad too!).  She may not have wanted her breakfast but she had noooooo problem eating mine when I was distracted on the phone this morning. 

That brings me to another story I will share tomorrow.  At our lesson with Scott Glen last week he had some very interesting observations about Bonnie.  (More on that later with pictures and video).  See what Farm Town has done to me?  I have these fantastic pictures, video and great stuff to share about three dog's lessons with Scott - and here it is 11 days later and I still haven't written about it.

Farm Town sucks...errr, well, the combination of Farm Town with OCD sucks. 

Our final casualty of the week...

Sarah is a large goofy 'doll' that I have had standing in the corner of my living room for 15 years.  While she is a Christmas decoration, I found if I just turn the Christmas bag around she can be displayed all year.  I loved her long flowing hair, lovely little wreath that sat on her head.  She made me smile...

Sarah was scalped by Brynn.

Her long flowing hair was spread across the living room carpet. Dress ripped, buttons missing, delicate necklace mangled, wreath half eaten. 

 Sarah's next stop...the bin.  Nothing can help her now. 

A bored border collie will make their own entertainment.  Time to kick Farm Town to the curb - or at least exercise some restraint while imbibing.