Death and the Birth of Understanding

Today is the Winter Solstice.  It’s been a dark season and I’m looking forward to the days getting longer. Looking forward to what the sunlight will bring. My dog taught me that.

It’s been nine weeks since my mother died. She died at home, acting of her own free will to stop eating and take to her bed a mere five days before. I’ve been her caretaker for quite some time and the past year had become an almost non-stop stream of meals and errands and medical visits. Through it all Vida was by my side and by my mom’s side, her concern for us demonstrated by both worried pacing and happy distraction. I am proud to have been able to assist my mother toward her end as she wanted it. The only wish of hers that we could not quite fulfill was that she just be able to go to bed and simply go to sleep. 

It’s been nine days since my dog died. Vida made it through my mother’s death and certainly wished she could have helped me further along before succumbing herself, but the cancer returned and there was nothing we could do. 

Make your own "Hunk of Beef"

There's no reason to buy canned pet food to top off your dog's meal. 

You'll save money using higher quality meat (human-grade, 'cause you bought it in the people store rather than trusting a pet food company to be honest), and you'll know exactly what's in it (no mysterious objects or additives). 

It's getting to the point that it's crazy not to do this. There really is no excuse (crock pots are cheap, or see if a neighbor has one gathering dust in the cupboard).

You can even create nutritionally complete diets at home with a little extra effort and supplementation (thus the tip about calcium, the main thing most people leave out when making their dog's complete at home). 

Do this process once or twice a month, and put the finished food in the freezer in mason jars for easy dispensing as needed. 

Get started with this simple "hunk of beef" that you can spoon over their current food. 

PS: don't be shocked to see this cooking post on my blog - being flexible with people and dogs is important. My 17 year old still eats raw, but her aging taste-buds appreciate this cooked addition mixed in.

Dog Care Is Self Care

Whew! It's been awhile. 

We're all busy aren't we? At least we feel busy. Distractions can seem to come from all sides, pulling  us away from thoughtful actions and peaceful feelings. 

These are the times that when asked to do something thoughtful for our dogs we may think to ourselves "oh yeah, I should do that tomorrow," or our good intentions and compelling ideas fade away as we rush to grocery shop and make dinner at the end of a work day.

When I get to feeling like that I try to think about how the situation may be effecting my well-being too. One of the blessings of having dogs as companions is that they remind us to get grounded and pay attention to what matters, and to let go of the other stuff for a little while. 

The wonderful thing is to rediscover how good it feels to do this.