Pet Fooled

[Stacy]

Has anyone seen this documentary on Netflix? I feel like Karen is talking to me! I'm not quite halfway through it, but right now they are talking about BHA being a toxic preservative in dog food. And they are also talking about biologically apropriate foods for animals (which don't include corn.) They haven't said anything about sourcing yet. But so far it's fascinating (and kind of old news if you read the food group)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Marion Nestle PhD is one of the foremost authorities on human foods and nutrition in this country, as well as supply chain issues, and after the 2007 recalls, she also became involved in researching pet foods and pet nutrition. She has no connection whatsoever to the Nestle Corporation, lol. (it's not even pronounced the same way.) She is one of my go-to people for research. I've recommended her books here many times. 

I also would like to be able to cook for Jack, and discussed it with one of his specialists. After learning that he would need about 8 cups of homemade food per day to meet his calorie requirements, as someone who hates cooking and is really bad at it, I settled for providing about 40% of his daily caloric needs by way of homecooked food, lol. 

[Stacy]

Wrong Nestle! I read the right thing and I didn't even know it! How funny. 

I was aware that you do some home cooking for Jack. I can imagine cooking 100% of his food would be cost prohibitive and just a lot of work! I love the dogs enough to cook for them, but I have this raw meat phobia... and I am a disaster in the kitchen. I just don't see it happening. 

Maybe what we need is a healthy pre-prepared home cooked dog food shop. There's your million dollar idea right there! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are some companies that do that. But talk about cost prohibitive! I did the calculations for one company, and it was $36 per day, or over $1000 per month! 

[Stacy]

Holy Moly! I would have to get a big raise before I could afford to feed them that.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Even some of the commercial raw products I looked at were out of reach. I forget if it was Primal or Bravo, but the rabbit formula would have run me $600 per month (for an 80 lb dog). 

[Stacy]

Wow. I can't remember what brand I fed during that time I briefly did raw. I know it was expensive, but I could afford to feed it to 5 pound dogs. I just can't imagine spending $600 a month. My own personal food budget isn't even that much.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Little dogs are so much easier to provide for, in every way. Exercise, quality food, grooming costs, even health expenses. Everything is more $ with big dogs, even the flea & tick preventatives.

[Stacy]

You're right of course. The one down side to the little dogs was that they were absolutely impossible to potty train. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get them to stop peeing on the floor. I felt like I spent my whole life cleaning up behind them. And it wasn't just me. I potty trained Katie with no problems.

It makes me laugh when apartments have size limits. I think they missed the point. My big girls are far less destrictive than the little ones were. Katie is really the perfect size. She is small enough to carry, but big enough not to have potty issues. But I love how big Ava is. She's so solid and huggable. But sometimes I look at her and worry about the future. If she ever has mobility problems we are going to struggle. I can't carry her around. If she hadn't been able to get in the car when we had to go to the emergency vet I don't know how I would have done it. I believe I would have made it happen, but it definitely wouldn't have been pretty. 

And yes, dog food is definitely more expensive now! The 30 pound bag that lasts us exactly 4 weeks would have gotten Olivia through at least a year! Maybe a year and a half. She was such a dainty little thing.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Toy dogs are notoriously hard to housebreak. 

JD has been having mobility issues due to his herniated disc combined with age and arthritis, and he now has to be "boosted" into the car. Even though his weight has dropped to less than 70 lbs, it's hard. I think maybe everyone who has a large dog should start training them to use a ramp, just in case it's needed down the road. JD is afraid of ramps and those stairs you can buy to help them get onto the bed, etc. I wish I had worked on that years ago. 

[Carol and Banjo]

Karen, I'm so sorry to hear of his mobility issues.   Poor guy!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Carol. He really has had to bear more than his share of health issues. And he is such a good sport about it, it makes me feel even worse, lol. 

[Carol and Banjo]

I just love him!