Something is wrong with my dog, buddy.
For some context I got Buddy two years ago, from my sister Suzy. She bought Buddy from a breeder thinking he was a purebred, he turned out not to be. She was going to take him to a local pound, but I felt bad for him and ended up taking him off her hands. I don’t believe dogs should be treated like that, ever.
Buddy is a large Great Dane, he’s mixed with something else but we’re not sure what. He has the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen in a dog, he’s so lovable.
“Buddy?” I open the door, calling out for him. “Buddy!” I call louder after a minute of waiting for him.
I let him out to use the bathroom, which I’m always nervous about doing at night. I’m afraid a pack of coyotes will attack him, since they’re common around here; just a couple of weeks ago my neighbors cat disappeared. She never found her, but we’re pretty sure it was coyotes.
“Buddy! Where are you?” He usually always comes on the first call, so when I call for the third time I start getting worried.
“Buddy?” I’m outside looking for him now, it took a couple of minutes but I eventually found him.
“Buddy! Thank god.” I noticed that he didn’t pay me any attention, as if he couldn’t hear me. He was just sitting there staring at the river, not moving; I ended up having to pet him before he acknowledged me.
I took him back inside, and every since then he hasn’t been acting normal.
He refuses to eat dog food, he just steals my food. And only if it’s meat, if I’m eating strawberries or something he won’t even look at me.
“Buddy please, just eat!” He simply stares at me, I know I may as well just make him some chicken but I have to stop giving in. “If you don’t eat the dog food then your not eating.” I feel bad, but I have to break this habit.
He didn’t eat the dog food.
I woke up that night, he wasn’t in my room. I went to the kitchen to get something to drink. What the? Is the refrigerator open- I look down to see buddy. He’s eating meat form the refrigerator. Raw meat. It’s all over the floor, and all over him. I start screaming and scolding him but I freeze when he looks at me. His kind eyes are no longer recognizable.
I can’t recognize my dog, buddy, the one I’ve had for two years. I simply turn, walk back to my room and go to sleep. Something about his eyes scare me.
I woke up that morning to him sitting on the bed staring at me, I’ll admit I got goosebumps.
He’s been weird like that for awhile now but last night was really the worst of it, I woke up went to the kitchen for a drank, and found buddy on the counter. Standing. On his hind legs. I didn’t say anything I just walked away. I locked my door that night.
But now? This morning, it’s gotten worse. I went to the kitchen and found Buddy. Or, something like that. I found his skin, like a snake, It’s as if he shed his skin.
I ran to my neighbors house. I was too scared to stay at mine, she opened. She seemed worried.
I’m now sitting on her couch crying.
She’s so comforting, at least I thought.
But as I stare at her eyes, I notice just how different they look than usual.
“Honey? Would you like some tea?”