Never Run Out Of Dog Food Again!

Great title, eh?

No tricks, nothing up my sleeve.

Got plain oatmeal and eggs? Then you've got dog food.

No need to rush to the store or feed Fido a haul of treats, just raid your kitchen.

Plain bread, eggs, plain meat, plain cereal, veggies, cottage cheese, yogurt - these all make great meal fixin's.

Now I wouldn't say that this alone would be the best longterm diet, but there's no reason a healthy dog can't eat an odd meal.

Of course you can always use it as a chance to fast your pup too! Skipping a meal a week is a good thing for dogs.

Examining Philosophies of Feeding - grains in summer

There are a lot of theories on feeding dogs out there, even among fresh food advocates. I think it's good for people to examine them on a regular basis, and not take them for granted.

One that I was thinking about this morning (as I fed my dog some flaked grains with veggies and oils) was the idea from Levi of grain meals. I especially remember the anecdote she writes about Salukis eating mainly grains in the summer. She says this is because of the heat, to rest their digestion from the protein. Is this an example of interpretation to fit an idea?

This morning I wondered if it wasn't simpler, and not based on nutritional ideas but simple circumstance. First, dogs eat less when it's hot. Certainly summer in North Africa qualifies. They also exercise less. If there is less hunting being done, then there is less meat - for human and dog alike. If there is less meat, it's certainly the human that will get it. Is feeding less meat in summer simply based on their being less meat to share?

This is just one example of the kind of thing one should examine. Or maybe I'm just a wannabe academic.

Miss Thing Doesn't Do Rabbit

I admit, I find it very strange. A dog that will eat almost anything won't eat rabbit. Here's what I offered this morning:

• 8 ounces Nature's Variety Rabbit
• Scoop of Honest Kitchen Preference
• 1.5 tsp Wholistic Pet Canine Complete
• A few drops of Kyolic Garlic
• A squirt of Aloe Juice
• A squirt of Animal Essentials Omega 3 oil (fish oil with Vit E, Borage)
• A spoon of Coconut Oil

Alright, first the backstory.

2 years ago I got some whole ground rabbit from the raw food co-op I was buying from at the time (short-lived arrangement due to crappy people). I thought, "hey, cool, they should totally go for this!" Hesher, my other dog (since deceased) ate his. Vida went eagerly to her bowl, picked up one mouthful, and immediately tried to get it back out of her mouth! She tipped her head down and held her mouth wide open, tossing her head downward trying to dislodge it from her body. The chunk dropped to the floor and she gave me a dirty look before walking away in disgust. I'd never seen a dog more grossed out.

So this morning I thought I'd try it again. What could be so bad? I purposely left the one ounce chunks intact, though they were coated in the supplement/veggie sluce. She ate a little, then she picked up a really naked chunk, and started to eat, then dropped it on the floor. She gave me a grossed out look. She tried to eat another bite, same thing. I picked up the bowl and mashed all the meat into the supplement, hoping to flavor it enough to get her to eat the rest. She proceed to go slowly through the bowl, eating a bit, dropping a lot on the floor. I left the room for a bit. When I came back she'd eaten about half, and the rest was divided between the bowl and the floor.

I promise I will not serve rabbit again.

I still don't understand the problem. She eats raw green tripe, for god's sake! She's not crazy about quail. Eats every other meat: fish (ok, not whole fish, only ground), beef, venison, turkey, buffalo, lamb, duck... What is it with the rabbit??