My mom came up with a diet long before this dog food scare. It must be a sign of the times. People in our country are overweight and so are their dogs and cats. People who are thinner live longer. Dogs and cats that are thinner live longer. The reason for this epidemic is too much food and too little exercise.
We checked with the VET and you should also have your human check with the VET before changing your diet. Mom gives me a similar diet to hers except no spices, no sauces, no sugar, and no processed foods. Ok, there was one difference; she does not eat dry dog food.
My VET said I was too fat and had mom put me on a diet. The diet helped me lose weight. I am a big dog and I had to lose 8 lbs. I have kept the weight off too. The diet was harder for mom to follow than for me. I was fine and enjoyed the new foods.
I usually get 2 cups dry food every morning. I get 2 more cups dry food at night. That is my normal maintenance menu. I get cooked and raw vegetables and some fresh fruit. I like apples. We used to have an apple tree in our yard and I could reach the branches. I would pull down an apple whenever I felt like it. When I couldn’t reach the high ones I’d bark until someone came outside to get me an apple.
My mom limits treats. A dog biscuit is equivalent to a human eating a candy bar. Some biscuits have 100 calories. A big dog like me needs about 1500 calories a day. All those little tidbits of food mom and my family used to give me made me fat.
When I was on the diet my mom cut my dry food in half some days and substituted canned string beans in my food. So one cup dry food and one cup green beans in the morning and the same in the evening. She did this every other day. On alternate days she would give me 3 cups total dry food and one cup green beans for the days total. She would cut my treats in small pieces but I didn’t mind. One a week I’d get a treat like a big dog chewie.
Mom also grates carrots and adds cooked broccoli in my food. Sometimes I get a teaspoon of rice, just to add some interesting flavor. We stayed with this diet and it worked. I went to my VET and she was so proud of us. I look more handsome and feel healthy.
Did I mention the walks we took every day? No diet is complete without exercise. It is the same for dogs as it is for humans. We took more walks and I am happier. Mom feels good too.
I am one of the lucky dogs who did not eat the bad dog food that was recalled. I feel so sad for the thousands of dogs that died needlessly because of bad food. How can this happen to us pets?
We trust humans to feed us the right food and then there is a bad thing in wheat gluten. Our humans love us and must feel awful that so many pets died. I sniff my food before I eat it. I love my moms cooking.
My mom did not know what brand of dog food to feed me. She has checked those lists of recalled foods and our brand was not on there. Who would have thought wheat gluten could do so much damage. No wheat gluten in my dry dog food. Mom threw the cans of dog food in the trash. She said she was taking no chances with me.
These days my mom mixes dry dog food in a big bowl and adds rice and cooked vegetables. The best vegetables are carrots, broccoli, zucchini, canned green beans, cauliflower, and garlic. In our house garlic is a side dish. Mom makes a big container of this mix and puts it in the refrigerator. She scoops out 2 cups at each of my meals. She even heats it for 15 seconds in the microwave to warm it up.
She adds several of these foods to the big bowl; cottage cheese, some mild type cheese, chopped boiled eggs, chicken, beef, fish, liver, lamb, just about anything we have in the house. It is always different. Some mornings I get some scrambled egg in my food. The main thing mom tries to give me is variety so I can get different nutrients
Again check with the VET. Most foods are ok for pets. Never give your pet chocolate or alcohol. Mom never gives me bones as they can splinter. She lets me chew on a big bone once in a while but she watches me and takes it away before I am finished. No more rawhide, as I choked on it. Thank goodness mom was home at the time. She reached in my mouth and pulled the piece that was stuck.
Some people have food allergies and so do dogs. I think dogs are more resilient and able to eat foods. Dogs used to eat dead animals and whatever they could find in the wild.
What you decide to feed your dog depends on the size of the animal and health condition of the animal. Nothing in excess is a good rule of measure. Mom treats my food with the same food handling safety guidelines as she does for our family’s meals. I am a lucky dog.
Raw eggs are not good as the egg white hampers absorption of certain minerals and biotin in the body. Raw egg sometimes is used in cases of poisoning as it blocks absorption of mineral poisons. Raw eggs do not make the dogs coat shiny. A cooked egg is much more nutritional for your dog.
Dogs and cats cannot digest uncooked starch. No raw potatoes, cooked are fine.
Tomatoes are not a good choice for pets. No onions, asparagus, or raw mushrooms.
Raw fish is bad for your pet. It contains an enzyme that destroys thiamine, one of the B vitamins.
Supplements are good for your animal. A balanced diet can do the same. Check with the VET before changing your pet’s diet.
Did you know there is a doggie diet drug? It is called SLENTROL. It comes in liquid form. It was recently approved by the FDA. The drug is available only by prescription. It is for dogs only, not people. Slentrol suppresses the appetite and blocks the absorption of fat.
This drug has some side effects, like all drugs. The side effects are vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. It costs about $2 a day. It is not for cats or people.
The new drugs are only for dogs as it is a selective microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitor. It seems to block fat and control the dog’s appetite.
Overweight pets are prone to the same illnesses as humans such as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis.
My mom found this photo and it is a real dog but the photo was altered. This is just for fun. Woof, woof.
“Hercules was recently awarded the honorable distinction of Worlds
Biggest Dog by Guinness World Records. Hercules is an English
Mastiff and has a 38 inch neck and weighs 282 pounds.
With "paws the size of softballs" (reports the Boston Herald), the
three-year-old monster is far larger and heavier than his breed's
standard 200 lb. limit. Hercules owner, Mr. Flynn says that
Hercules weight is natural and not induced by a bizarre diet: "I
fed him normal food and he just grew".... and grew... and grew...
and grew.”
I hope all the dogs and cats in the world have enough good food to eat and a warm, safe place to sleep. Remember, if you see an animal being harmed or neglected tell someone who can help. It is not easy to call the humane society on a neighbor. It can be done anonymously. No dog or cat should have to live in an unsafe environment. If each one of us spoke out we can make a huge difference.
We are living creatures and are the same as children.
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