After the holiday weekend the clinic has been filled with dogs and cats and their people.  Usually, mother stays busy seeing pets for their happy visits.  Something must have happened to the dogs over the weekend because most of the pets she saw today were sick.:  some had their brown nuggets turned to liquid, some were carrying a leg from frolicking too much, and some, like Ralph, were bringing up the kibbles.  Ralph was a  four-year-old boy dachshund, that came in with his head down and strands of drool hanging from his lips.  "He vomited all night long", Ralph's mom told Patient Pam "I don't know what could be wrong with him!".  After asking Ralph's mother all the usual questions, Patient Pam reported back to my mom, "He didn't get into anything, or eat anything different.  No toys are missing, the garbages haven't been disturbed, and nothing toxic around.  I can't figure out why this dog is so sick."  Always loving a challenge, mother went right to work.  After checking Ralph over she said, "He's dehydrated and his belly is painful.  We really worry about pancreatitis in Dachshunds, but that usually involves them eating something high in fat.  You're sure he did eat anything different?" mother questioned.  "No, absolutely not" Ralph's mother attested, "in fact he didn't even have a second helping of turkey and mashed potatoes like he normally does!".  At that, mother nodded and took some red syrup from Ralph's neck to run some tests.  Mother was not suprised when the pancreatitis test came back positive. 
"Foods high in fat can make a dogs' pancreas work overtime, and leak out enzymes that cause pain and indigestion.  We have to rest Ralph's stomach and give him fluids in his veins to keep him hydrated.  This condition can lead to problems down the road as well, so we'll have to watch him really closely for the next few days." mother advised Ralphs' parents.  "Once he's feeling better, he'll have to start on a low fat diet, too.  No more mashed potatoes for Ralph I'm afraid".  After all that, and seeing Ralph get the tubes in his legs, I'm glad I never did find that turkey.