Thursday, November 17, 2005
This diet has worked very well for our pugs over the years, however, I recommend you check with your vet before switching your dog’s food. We worked very closely with our vet to determine what to feed our pugs and since every situation is different I strong encourage you to work with your vet if you want to create a special diet for your pug.
Well, as you can see by the above photo there is a lot of work that goes into the preparation of the boys’ meals. Their special diet began when Benjamin developed Pancreatitis. He was a very sick little boy and had to be in the hospital for 4 days. Pancreatitis is difficult to diagnose and really to this day we aren’t completely convinced that the diagnosis was correct. It occurred at a time when we were unable to get in touch with our regular vet and had to rely on a family member’s referral. It was not a vet we were completely comfortable with but we really did not have a choice but to go on her advice. After the whole ordeal was over and Baby Benny was safe at home with brother Henry again we were able to see our regular veterinarian and she told us that it may have been Pancretitis but we could not be sure because it was so far after the onset and the first vet had not done a lot of truly necessary lab work to give an accurate diagnosis. However, our favorite vet did recommend that we switch to a special diet for both boys. Our favorite vet, (we’ll call her “Dr. H”) is more of a holistic type of vet and very into using foods and dietary supplements to solve many of today’s medical problems before trying medications that may be unnecessary and cause unwanted side effects. (I don’t know why but I am embarrassed to say that I do this for the dogs but not for myself.) Anyway, Dr. H gave us a list of homemade foods that we could try to keep the boys healthy. She recommended a low fat diet. This was especially important for Benjamin because if the diagnosis of Pancreatitis was correct, then a diet high in fat would cause serious relapses which may include death. We knew there was really no other choice. Of course, Henry would also benefit from the high quality meals. However, it is a lot of work and somewhat expensive. Personally, I justify the cost in what it saves in vet bills and the sheer fact that you cannot put a price tag on good health. Anyway, here is the “secret recipe”:
1½ cups of browned ground turkey (97% fat free)
1 heaping tablespoon of canned pumpkin
1 heaping tablespoon of plain fat free yogurt
1 heaping tablespoon of cooked plain oatmeal
The boys eat 3 meals per day. They have been on this diet for about 2½-3 years (they will be 4 years old in late March and early April). Benjamin weighs in at 20 pounds and Henry is a hearty 23 pounds. They do get the occasional table scrape but it is most often a very healthy choice (i.e carrot stick, bite of banana, Cheerio) unless it is time to clip their nails in which case, all the stops come out and the baggie of Chinese noodles are used for wiggle control. We have often been asked how we keep the boys in such great shape and that is when we discuss their special diet. They also go for at least 2 walks per day for at least ½ mile each walk. It is a big job keeping the gluttons in good condition but that is the job of a dedicated pug mommy. So, this job is done with a smile!
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Last Sunday, we went to our local dog bakery, Doggie Dayz Bakery. It was our first time there and the bakery was awesome. The bakery was fully stocked with all types of goodies and the thing the boys loved the most was the doggie bar. The doggie bar was normal counter height, but to make it dog accessible there was a set of stairs leading up to it. At the top of the counter were bowls filled with assorted treats. Once at the top of the stairs, the boys could pick any treat they wanted from the bowls. Needless to say, the boys loved being able to help themselves to their very own samples.
The treats are made with all natural ingredients, so they fit into the boys’ diet. We bought a bag full of assorted goodies so the boys could try all the different treats. We are trying to figure out their favorites so we know what to stock up on during our next visit.
Monday, November 14, 2005
One evening last week, when the boys and I returned home from our evening walk, we found this package by our door. The box was business cards that I had ordered earlier in the week, but the UPS man also left two treats for the pugs that always bark whenever he comes near.
Needless, to say the boys were quite surprised to find treats waiting for them at the door. After Ben ate his treat and we went inside the house, he even scratched at the door so that he could go back outside and check for more treats on the porch. Lucky for them, I like to do most of my holiday shopping online, so maybe they will get lucky and get more extra special packages delivered.
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Well, Sunday was supposed to be a very special day for the boys. We heard on the radio that the local Petco was having a Halloween costume contest for pets at 2 PM. So, we were getting ready and planned the day around the event. We wanted to make sure the boys were appropriately tired for the event so that they wouldn’t be jumping around like the little Mexican jumping beans they are. So, we took them for a nice long walk and then we took them in the car for a quick drive to McDonald’s so that we would be fed ourselves and able to go the contest with a “Zen” attitude. So, we ordered at the drive through speaker and when it came time to pay, we met a very sweet girl (the cashier) named Breeann. (I remember her name because I noticed it on her name tag and thinking what a lovely name.) Well, she commented on how cute the boys were and she gave them some cookies. She also told us that she has family in Vermont that have pugs, too. It is always fun to meet other pug lovers in our daily lives. Well, the boys shared one of the two packets of cookies that Breeann gave them and saved the other bag for later. Then we went home, ate and packed up the goodies we would need for the costume contest. Well, as you can see from the last blog posting that the boys are Batman and Robin this year for Halloween. We were anxious to arrive at Petco with all the other pets and to see what they would be this year for Halloween. (Last year’s winner at Petsmart was a bunny dressed up as a wizard and 2nd place went to 2 dancing poodles in hula skirts.) So, we knew we weren’t the only nuts to get excited over Halloween. A few minutes later we pull in to the Petco shopping center, dressed the boys and walked into Petco. It was about 2 minutes after 2 o’clock. There was a customer leaving the Petco asking if we were there for the costume contest and proudly we said “Yes.” Well, the wind was taken out of our sails when she said it was already over. Quickly I thought to myself, “Already? I know I had to sit that last light through 2 cycles but I am barely past 2:00.” Seeing the disappointment on my face she said, “They announced the winner at 2:00 but you had to be here at 1:00 for viewing by the judges.” “Oh,” I said. We went into the store anyway and walked around as the boys excitedly sniffed the bags of dog food and treats. Then we got back into the car and pouted the whole way home. I felt like the mother of the child that brought her kid too late to the birthday party and the clown was gone and the cake had been eaten. But then I noticed the other packet of cookies from Breeann from McDonald’s and that helped me to feel better. I realized that is what saved our day. The boys had another little bag of cookies to look forward to even if they missed out on the Petco party. So, that is how McDonald’s saved the day.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
So, here is the follow up to the bananas for breakfast scenario from yesterday. As many of you know from following the blog, the boys eat a special home cooked diet which consists of ground turkey, oatmeal, yogurt and pumpkin. Well, one of my favorite places to eat dinner out is Bob Evans. Now that it is the fall season, Bob Evans offers pumpkin bread with the meals. While pumpkin bread is one of my favorite holiday treats, I had plenty of dinner to eat and decided to take home leftovers (or a “doggie bag”). So, I brought home a slice of pumpkin bread. The bread was stored in a Ziploc baggie but that did not stop Benjamin from picking up the scent. Of course, Henry, knowing Benny’s nose is never wrong, trotted off to follow him. I unzipped the baggie and tore off a little piece for them to try. After one small bite it was as though their little expressions said, “Mama, our pumpkin never tasted like this before!” And of course, there went baby Benny into his up, down, up down. (You’d think he was doing calisthenics.) I gave them one more small piece apiece. (They are on a special diet to help keep them fit and because they have digestive issues, so they really shouldn’t even have table scraps but what can I say? I AM the weakest link.) Fortunately, for all of us, the pumpkin bread from Bob Evans is seasonal.
Monday, October 24, 2005
This is a pretty typical view of the morning’s daily events. The last thing I do in the morning is eat breakfast which usually consists of a bowl of cheerios, a banana and a glass of orange juice. Well, bananas are one of the boys’ favorite “table scraps”. So, each day, there stand Benjamin & Henry putting on their cutest “I’m starving” faces. (Henry demonstrates his below)
They don’t begin to stir until they hear the snapping sound of the opening of the banana. Sometimes, if I am feeling very generous, I will dip the banana in the cheerios and a few will stick to the banana so that they have a nice crunchy/mushy combination. It is a true testament to their different personalities, though. Henry will wait patiently but wide eyed for the next sliver of banana to come his way. But bouncy baby Benny will go from the sit position to having both front paws on my thigh in a split second and then repeat this process. Up, down, up, down. He is chock full of excited “I love banana” energy. And there sits Henry, still waiting. His eyes seem to pop out of his head, but he is still patient. Henry just sits waiting, waiting, waiting as Benjamin bounces and circles. I guess they can’t wait for their daily potassium intake. They just use their time differently while waiting. Tomorrow I will tell you about another special treat that they got for breakfast.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Last night was a pretty nice night outside, so we decided to go out for ice cream. They boys came and patiently waited for their very own cup of Caramel custard. Needless to say, they loved it! Afterwards, Benny (who loves to lick) had the cutest “cake batter” smelling breath.
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