It never fails. At 5 AM on the first really cold morning we've had, Bao wakes me up with an urgent little bark. His tummy is rumbling and he needs to go out and eat grass. And no, we can't wait until the sun comes up. He needs to go now.

Of course, there isn't any grass. This is Tucson, remember? Pebble mulch and cacti and mesquite. So Bao has to make do with boronia leaves, which he nibbles fussily. It's cold. It's dark. I'm in my nightgown, barefoot, and my feet are freezing. This is not fun. I hear a noise and when I turn around I see two, unblinking yellow eyes staring at me through the gloom. Oh, God. A coyote. Or a mountain lion. I scoop Bao up and race for the door.

I bought special pet grass that you grow in a tray last year, and I grew a whole tray of it but when I actually had grass for him to eat -- of course -- Bao stopped having upset stomachs and the grass died during the summer. I never replanted it. I shall do so, immediately. But it takes four days to sprout.

Meanwhile, what works for an upset, canine tummy? I was thinking of breaking a Tums in half and mashing it up and mixing it with powered suger, but they say you shouldn't give medications meant for people to dogs.

Any suggestions?