Adventures in Pet Sitting - Ask Aunt Deb (and Steem Reward Winners)
CongratulatIons to @merej99 and @jacobtothe, this week's winners of 2 STEEM each!
@mere99's question/request was deceptively simple:
I've been searching for healthy hard kibble recipes that I can make for my dogs. If you've got recipes for dog food I would love them!
I've tried my hand at this over the years, with mixed results. It's a realistic option, if you're dealing with allergy or digestive issues, because it allows you more control over the quality of the ingredients. The trick is getting the right proportions - especially if this is their only food. Also, keep in mind when changing your critters' diet, to go slow. Gradually increase the new food and decrease the old over a couple weeks. It will save you dealing with vomiting and/or diarrhea as their systems adjust. Believe me, it's worth the little extra hassle!
This site had a good overview of what you're aiming for:
A balanced dog diet includes proteins, fats and essential fatty acids, and carbohydrates. For protein, choose from a variety of fresh meats such as beef, turkey, chicken, lamb, pork and fish. This meat should be cooked and ground for use in dry kibble recipes. For fats, vegetable oil or meat fat are your choices. Bacon fat adds flavor. Carbohydrates come from grains, fruits and vegetables. Most dry kibble recipes require some sort of grain. Use cooked and pureed vegetables. Unsweetened applesauce makes a good fruit ingredient as well as a binder and source of fiber.
One thing I did notice in my research was a recommendation to avoid using peas. It might be the source of some allergies, plus they're hard to digest and tend to make dogs gassy. We don't need that and it's uncomfortable for your critter.
The method of prep is easy! Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another. Slowly mix the dry with the wet. If it's too soupy/loose, add oatmeal (this is my go-to for a lot of tummy issues and you can't overdo) to stiffen the dough. If it's too dry, add a splash of water or a egg. Err on the dry side because your end goal is to dehydrate the mix. The wet is to make it all stick together when baked.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Spread the dough about a 1/2 inch thick on a non-stick or greased cookie sheet. Score the dough almost through in squares to ensure even baking. Bake til golden. Turn off heat, but leave the dough in the oven another 4 or so hours to finish drying. When done, break along score lines and store in an airtight container.
The beauty of this 'recipe' is you can tailor it to your pets' tastes and you can try out small batches to get it right. As a matter of fact, I might have to have another go at this, because my girl, Tinker has been licking her paws too much lately. Thanks for the inspiration!
@jacobtothe asked a startling question and then provided us with an update:
Our old housecat went blind a bit over a week ago. It was sudden and unexpected.
UPDATE: She has been to the vet. She went the day after we noticed something was very wrong, and she was bumping into things and walking off-course when headed for the door. The vet said it was probably neurological, and there wasn't really anything she could do.
First, I'm glad the vet didn't discover anything worse, but sad there's no treatment. Neurological causes would certainly explain the suddenness of the issue. The comforting news is that cats (and dogs) don't rely on their vision as much as we do. Their other senses are much more attuned with their environment than we can imagine. They depend more on their whiskers than their vision!
One thing I did discover is that they're so good at compensating, it's not usually a sudden onset of the blindness, but that what little vision they did have has gone away. It's when they start having trouble navigating, that we 'suddenly notice' there's a problem. This will definitely make me more attentive!
Most causes of feline (and canine) blindness is a gradual process associated with diabetes, high blood pressure in relation to underlying issue such as heart disease or thyroid issues. The vet who wrote this article provided a handy list on what to watch for:
Bumping into objects
Inability to find food and water dishes
Inattentive behavior, excessive sleeping
Easily startled, fearful behavior
Loss of normal play or hunting behaviors
The lesson here is seeking prompt attention by a qualified vet! (Good job @jacobtothe!) I feel more confident about recognizing the signs now that I've had a chance to dig a little deeper. Thanks for bringing your situation to light and allowing us to learn from it!
AND
GET FOLKS TO VOTE FOR YOUR ENTRY.
I have NO IDEA how I missed this post! I'll definitely be looking at the link you included and thank you for your research!
Here's a question: Why do dogs eat grass sometimes? My pups were outside and I thought they mutated into sheep! LOL It's not every day but my older pup tends to eat more grass and weeds. I think the younger one is just trying to copycat. :D
You've had a lot going on. Just glad you found it eventually!
Another good question to add to the mix - cool beans!
Will Trump recognize the Republic of China (Taiwan) as an independent state ?
Okay, this made me laugh! I was going for pet-related questions. As for politics, I'm in the Twilight Zone right now and would probably better off make that a stand-along post. Thanks for the question and, for the record, it's still the running.
Still chuckling...
The barn cat next door keeps having kittens and dropping them off at my feet like my ex girlfriends, what should I do?
They are always wild, confused and don't really seem to like me (like my ex girlfriends).
I keep re-homing them and finding someone else to take care of them (like my ex girlfriends), but this is getting out of control (you guessed it, like my ex girlfriends).
If you can come up with a solution for my kitten problem, maybe I can apply it to my ex girlfriend problem and get two birds stoned at once.
Thanks for the entry, @d3nv3r! Now I have a picture of a revolving door with a parade of girls & cats. Then, because I'm old and odd, I envisioned the series of actresses that played Catwoman on Batman when I was a kid. You didn't happen to date Julie Newmar or Eartha Kitt at some point, did you?
This is a nice series. Both good topics and answers.
Thanks @haphazard-hstead. Thanks for contributing to the effort, also. It's much appreciated!
You're welcome. Here's to more participation in your series into 2017!
I am sorry to hear about your cat!!
I love peas, they are full of protein lol.
I wonder if you could feed any Quinoa to animals..... It is an ancient grain, it is a super food and full of nutrients of all sorts.
Good post! I never see stuff from you in my feed, figured it was time to come check on ya lol
TY for your support on here !!!
Love quinoa! Amaranth is another one that's good, too. Still figuring how to use that one. Mostly use the flour as thickener. Edited to add: I think the critters would be fine w/ quinoa. I imagine they ate it when it was a staple of our ancestors.
Oh, and posting has been sporadic. Work schedule is erratic. Am trying to pace myself so I don't run out of stories, too. Figured the Ask Aunt Deb would help with that & be fun the process. So far so good.
Heading out to a late appointment & trying to beat a winter storm. Be back asap...