Charlie vomited a couple of weeks ago. Once. It was somewhat shocking in terms of volume, so I watched him and waited. He acted like he felt fine, and it didn’t happen again. So we went on about our merry way, skipping along together and singing tra-la-la-la-la in harmony.
Singing tra-la-la-la-la in harmony = Lying on the couch and snoring.
Then last week, he vomited again. And that was enough for me.
I took him to our vet, and she wound up keeping him for a few days. She did bloodwork, x-rays, and wanted to keep a close eye on him since he vomited again the day after he arrived in her office.
POOR LITTLE CHARLIE!
But he did have a roommate. A Basset Hound named Hickory.
Oh, dear.
If another Basset ever comes into my life, his name shall be Hickory Clydesdale Hugh Grant Drummond. Unless it’s a girl. Then I’ll go with Ursula.
The Verdict
Charlie is home with me now and he’s just fine. Dr. Jan thinks he must have gotten into something somewhere along the way that didn’t agree with him. Maybe he ate a bad clam—or a bad bass, given our geography. Or a bad turtle. Or a bad rabbit.
Never mind, he’d never be able to catch a rabbit.
In any event, he’s just fine and shiny and bouncing around. Minus the bouncing part. He’s actually catatonic on the couch right now.
But here’s the news.
It’s important news. Globally relevant news.
Charlie no longer has bad breath.
Dr. Jan gave Charlie a round of antibiotics to take care of any bug he might have in his gut, and now his breath is fresh and clean and positively smells like roses. Relatively speaking. It’s the darnedest thing I’ve ever seen. I mean smelled. Before Charlie went to Dr. Jan’s office, his breath was that of a demon mutt in Hades. And that was before he ever vomited. It was so bad, it was actually fascinating. It was so bad, I considered selling tickets. It was so bad, I contacted Guiness. But I’d written it off as the plight of a Basset Hound in the country.
What I’m trying to tell you is that Charlie’s breath was positively heinous.
Now that he’s taken his antibiotics and his breath smells like Glade air freshener (relatively speaking), I shudder to think what kind of imbalance was going on in his system. If your doggie has really disturbing Guiness-worthy breath, it might be worth a closer look.
I’m so glad my sweet, wonderful, bizarre little boy is back to normal.
Relatively speaking.
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
