As Ben wrote in a post the other week, Tofu vacationed with Calvin and Theo while my husband and I were on our own trip. Besides his embarrassment of not being able to distinguish Tofu and Calvin (who are littermates but I will not admit to finding myself in the same situation except maybe once when it was dark and I'm pretty sure they were trying to trick me), they seemed to have a grand old time.

A few nights after coming back from our trip, we returned the favour by providing our place as a dog hotel for Calvin and Theo. But before Ben had even left our place, there was something wrong with Theo. He was one sick little puppy, and the next few days would prove to be equal to suddenly being passed a newborn baby in many ways: waking up several times a night, cleaning up messes, and trying to figure out what was wrong with no verbal clues to help.

Theo's stomach was off. He'd wake up several times a night to race outside and do his business. While his spirits remained high, I kept a close watch to ensure he was hydrated, not lethargic, and not eating anything he shouldn't. I even went so far as to fast him for a half day and then feed him some bland food as I usually do when Tofu's stomach is upset.

And, after all that, the first thing I did when the boys went home (besides take a long nap) was visit Petfinder to see if there was a dog in need that might fit our household.

It got me thinking about how much we not only love our dogs, but also about how much that love can transfer to other people's dogs. Did you see the article about the woman who performed CPR on her friend's chihuahua recently? Sure there was some sleep lost, but I take comfort in knowing that while I'm away there are people out there caring for Tofu who would do the same.

This site has some great homemade cures for dogs with standard cases of diarrhea but please keep in mind that you're the best judge of what's normal for your dog. If you're dog is lethargic or dehydrated, or shows other symptoms, you should contact your vet for professional assessment.