As requested, a little more on home-feeding our dog

"Ain't she sweet"

After my first cup of coffee I start the day with this. *NASTY* some may think but I don't mind. It's all part of living with these lovelies. Look how adorable our Rae-Rae is. She has been with us for 4 months now and she keeps me in stitches most of the time. Her favorite place to hang out is under the bathroom mat. That way she can *Attack* at will.


 As requested, I will give a little more info on home-feeding our dog.....

Our dog Kane is on a home-cooked diet. I talked to my vet before starting this and she said the same as most dog-related books wrote. "He needs a good protein, carbs & veggies and a multi-vitamin (called Missing Link along with a glucosamine tablet)  each day". I was to decide the amount by my dog's appetite and needs. So, from day 1 we have been feeding him from the kitchen. He is not a dog that will eat up all the cat food if left in his reach. He may have a bite once in awhile but most of the time he just ignores it because he knows that his favorite meal is when we have dinner. So what do we feed him? First off, a cooked meat which is either chicken, beef or fish. Along with that I steam veggies (he will eat everything but mushrooms, those are left in the bottom of his dish) and then a carb which is either rice, pasta or potato. I stay away from onions but a little garlic & olive oil for flavour is ok.  I always add Evening Primrose (1 capsule) for his ear problems and a multi-vitamin which includes daily minerals. His food is given when we sit down to eat our dinner. Lily & Mr. Ed always share a plate of whatever the meat is that evening just because. The others are not interested.

When Kane was in for his last appt. and we discussed his ear infections Dr. Ann said not to change his diet as that would not make a difference since he was already on a natural diet. The Evening Primrose should help that and I have just recently started adding that so we will see if it does. Keeping his ears clean and adding colloidal silver to his ears weekly should also help. That can be purchased in the health food store.

Kane has kept his weight the same for 6 years. When we first picked him up he weighed 33 lbs and had a miserable looking coat. He had been dumped by his previous owners at a year of age. He had been hit at some point because he was terrified of everyone and was hiding under a table in the staff room when I first walked in to see him. Staff told me that the owner brought him in with a rope around his neck and just plunked him down and said, We don't want him, he bites. The staff figured he was also tied to a dog house by their assessment of him. That is not a good life for a herding dog (or any dog in my opinion) Although it makes me furious I would like to say "Your loss, lousy first owners is our gain." So I brought home this dog with issues and life was different from then on. We have worked hard to make him comfortable with strangers and on the most part he is good but I will guide him through that process all his days. He loves his family.

Winter 2009

*An after-thought*

Kane also suffers from impacted anal glands once in awhile.

 We have been able so far to control that by adding YAMS to his dinner. This is the best fibre by far and most dog will love the taste. I add 1/4 yam to his meal at least 3 times a week. That will keep him from being known as the  STINKEROO - (phew) He's too pretty to stink :)