What NOT to feed your dog

My experience with animals has not always been positive. I have never really had my own pet.  I always wanted a dog when I was growing up, but was never allowed to have one of my very own, which I was solely responsible for.  My mother allowed us to have a kitten once, for a short time.  It was a newborn kitten that we rescued from the neighborhood.  We were allowed to feed it and nurse it to health for a couple of weeks.  Then we had to give it away to a good home.

There were also stray cats that I was allowed to feed, but from which I eventually acquired scabies from doing so. 

On one occasion (I must’ve been between 5 or 6 years old), I was given a puppy.  I do not remember what kind of dog it was, and honestly, I didn’t even care.  I was so happy that I could not wait to get home to see it every day.  But the happiness didn’t last long.  It whimpered a lot.  Plus, it was not house-trained.  So, my “dream” lasted less than a week before it was given away as well.

When I was in middle school, a cousin gave our family a full-bred chow.  He was a beautiful dog.  My brother and I were really happy to have him.  But it wasn’t long before he had to be tied to a tree to spend the rest of his days because he was too hyper and mischievous to be let loose in the yard.  We never really got to play with him.

And I guess that type of thing was okay back then.  Not that I’m really, really old, but that was about 20 years ago! 

We were never taught that dogs needed exercise or socialization.  And not much concern was given to the type of food we gave them. 

I was raised to believe that dogs were just dogs.  They were not deserving of special care or too much time or expense.  I don’t know if it was a cultural belief or just a commonly held notion by too many people.  But it is what I was taught, and it was what I bought into… until Kitty came along, and I developed a whole new perspective.

Within the short time that Kitty has graced my life, I have learned so much.  But as the saying goes, “With great knowledge comes great responsibility…”

The last few days I have delved into more and more research regarding healthy eating for dogs, and I cannot help but want to kick myself for not having done this sooner.  How could I have overlooked so much?

Kitty has had stomach problems from the time she was a puppy.  She has had manyl episodes of severe vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy, and I have had many nights of sleeplessness and worry trying to figure out how to care for her and just help her feel better.  I continually thought that her illness must be due to something she probably should not have consumed.  But never in a million years would I have guessed that it would be the dog food I was giving her for her sensitive stomach!

True, it took me a while to discover that dog food should not be purchased at the supermarket.  But I didn’t fully understand the concept of what really goes into dog foods.  Nor did I bother to check online to see if there was any information regarding any foods I had tried. I was more concerned with figuring out how much and how many times I should feed Kitty, more so that WHAT I should be feeding her.

As it turns out, the food that she ate for most of last year (NATURAL CHOICE/NUTRO brand dog food) is under investigation by the FDA for causing pet illnesses and deaths.

It all makes sense now.  Kitty was sick all of last year.  She ate Natural Choice all last year.  The doctor finally told me to switch her to Prescription Diet dog food, and wouldn’t you know that she has only been sick twice since the switch.  And both little episodes were nowhere near the extremity of what she used to go through. 

I cannot believe that I never knew any of this, or that I never looked it up before.  I took for granted that the title—NATURAL CHOICE—meant that it contained natural ingredients.  I believed the writing on the bag that said “For sensitive skin and stomachs”. 

I will not do that any more.  After all the information I have read in the past few days, I am seriously contemplating no longer buying any type of dog food at all!

If you have pets please do not give them NATURAL CHOICE/NUTRO dog food.  Give them table scraps instead.  At least you know what’s in those!  (Seriously, though, just be more aware than I was about what it is you are feeding your dog…)

Treats, Treats, and More Treats

Kitty continues to avoid the clicker.  We had two training sessions today, and she did the same thing.  She walked to the middle of the room, and I had to toss her treats after the click.  Plus, I have to admit that I still have not found a place to hide her toys.  I just decided to go pick one out for her and initiate the play session rather than letting her tell me when she wanted to play.  But let’s not dwell on my amateur training skills…

I would like to take this opportunity to mention that one thing I am finding I do not like about this whole training class is its emphasis on treats.  As I mentioned in the very first post, Kitty does not get to indulge in treats the way many other dogs do.  Due to her sensitive stomach, her only treats are chopped apple bits. 

But because of the training, I decided to purchase some actual treats that I have tried before.  What I have realized, though, is that giving Kitty treats has ruined her appetite a little.  Rather than three or four tiny meals a day, she has only been asking for two.  (That’s right.  You heard me correctly.  She ASKS for her meals.)

Thankfully, the treats have not made her sick, but I still feel guilty for taking that risk with her health.  For that reason, I have begun some more extensive research on dog food and treats.  Of course, I have found LOTS of information—too much to get through in one evening.  So, I will be breaking it into several posts over the next few entries.  Two topics I have already decided to focus on are homemade dog treats as well as some shocking information I found regarding the dog food that I used to purchase for Kitty before she started eating PRESCRIPTION DIET.

With that said, I also want to look into how healthy PRESCRIPTION DIET actually is…

And before I close this brief blog session, I would like to end with a disclaimer:  

This blog is written for the sole purpose of my own personal interests.  I do not claim to be a professional of any sort.  I am merely doing research for the common man who wishes to do good for the common dog. Any information found here is based on informal internet research as well as personal opinion and experiences.

Hmmm… Maybe I should post that in a margin somewhere…

Toys and Training

Well, the chamomile worked!  Kitty woke up today (yesterday to you day people) acting like her peppy self again! 

I tried a little training session with her twice today.  Once before I left for work and again when I got home.  She won’t come near me when I have the clicker in my hand.  So, I have to toss the treat to her after I’ve clicked.  The trainer said that was okay.

One question I am embarrassed to ask, though, is:  what if you call your dog by more than one name?  Believe it or not, I actually have a “pet” name for her.  (No pun intended)

And I believe, I call her more by her pet name than I do by her real name.  Plus, my mother, who takes care of her while I am at work, has a different pet name for her.  Is it no wonder that my poor dog doesn’t respond to her name?

I am beginning to realize that you really do have to be a very disciplined person yourself in order to discipline your dog.  I am finding that procrastination is not key in successful training. 

During this last training session, the trainer informed us that 1) we should not purchase toys for our dogs if those toys resemble anything that we do not want our dogs to play with, and 2) we are only supposed to allow our dogs to play with one or two toys at a time.  When they get bored with those two, then we are supposed to take them away and give them another one (or two).  The rationale behind this is that if we allow our dogs to play with their toys whenever they want, or with as many as they want, then it is difficult for them to differentiate between their things and ours. 

At first, my argument to this was that Kitty is not destructive.  So, why should I worry what she plays with?  But then I realized that although she is not destructive, she DOES tend to play with things that she shouldn’t play with… if she happens to find them or get a hold of them.  One prime example would be socks.  She LOVES my socks.  Another example is the tissue paper in the bathroom trash can. 

Kitty has many toys.  Most of them are little stuffed animal squeaky toys.  It is just now occurring to me that socks are small, soft, and fuzzy, similar to her little stuffed animals.  It’s no wonder she loves my socks! 

I guess it is time for me to hide all her toys and begin that part of her training.  I just need to find a place to put them all…  I will definitely do that tomorrow...

More Training and Treats

On Thursday I discovered that Kitty might not be too fond of the “clicker”.  When I brought it out for our little training session on Thursday, she actually looked at the clicker, looked at the treats, and then walked away and sat in the middle of the room and just looked at me.  I clicked as soon as she sat down, but when I tried to offer her a treat, she would not approach me.  She just sat and stared at me.  So, I reached out and placed the treat on the floor, and she slowly began to walk towards it.  The session continued that way for about another two minutes.  I guess you could say that she’s not necessarily scared of the clicker, she just doesn’t feel the need to jump every time I click it.  I decided not to try using it on Friday.

When we got to class today, Kitty calmly approached her new friend Toby the Yorkie.  He is a beautiful Yorkie about two times her size; he almost looks like a silk terrier.  He has a very quiet demeanor and I think Kitty feels safe being near him.  He allows her to get near him and sniff around him without trying to jump at her or sniff back—which usually freaks her out.

Our lesson for the week is to teach our dogs to respond to their names when called.  The exercise is to place a treat in front of your dog’s nose, then say the dog’s name, then bring the treat to your own nose, and as soon as your dog makes eye contact with you, CLICK AND TREAT!  What this exercise does is it teaches your dog to give you his/her attention whenever you call their name.  Kitty seemed to respond well to the exercise, but only because (as usual) she wanted the treats.  Of course, she didn’t want the treats I had brought along for HER.  She wanted Toby’s treats.  So, at the beginning of the practice when I was trying to get her attention with HER treat, she was busy jumping on Toby’s owner trying to share Toby’s treats.  Yup.  That’s my dog.  Focused on the task at hand.

I ended up having to ask Toby’s owner if I could “borrow” some of her treats since my dog didn’t want her own.  Ugh.  Thankfully, Toby’s owner adores Kitty.  So, she graciously gave me a handful of Toby’s treats.  Kitty couldn’t get enough of them.  I worried, though, whether these treats would agree with Kitty’s stomach, but I went ahead and took a chance and gave them to her anyway.

Later in the evening, Kitty also indulged in some cat food.  We visited my dad and stepmom, and they usually leave cat food out for their pets.  And for some reason, Kitty loves cat food.  Unfortunately, cat food does not love Kitty.  It is one of the foods that makes her sick.  I’ve read online that cat food contains a high amount of fat and protein that is not good for dogs. Sure enough, within about half an hour after our being there, Kitty threw up.  Later on when we got home, I heard Kitty’s little belly making little sounds—another sign that a dog is not feeling well.

So, this time I chose to try something I have never tried before. Whenever I am suffering from an upset stomach or cramps, I drink a hot cup of chamomile tea, and it usually helps me feel better.  Well, the last time I took Kitty to the doctor, I tried asking if there were any type of herbal remedies for dogs.  But that was the day that she was seen by a vet who did not seem to have much bedside manor.  That particular vet blatantly told me no!  She did not even bother to suggest that she might not know, or that she was unfamiliar with the concept. She just flat out told me no. 

I found this difficult to believe, so I decided to look it up online myself, and sure enough there ARE herbal remedies for dogs with upset stomachs.  Guess what one of them is?!  Chamomile tea!  Go figure.

So tonight I brewed a cup of chamomile tea for Kitty.  I administered about a half a shot glass of it by using a straw to dribble it into her mouth.  Surprisingly, she drank and drank and drank.  Then she let out a little burp.  Hee hee…

About two hours later, I repeated the process, and once again another little burp…

My mother informed me that chamomile releases gases in the stomach.  So, that is what causes the burping.  It’s happened to me as well whenever I have taken chamomile for an upset stomach.  I usually feel better after that.

I don’t know if Kitty feels better or not.  This is one of those times I really wish she could talk to me.  But in situations like these, all I can do is hope that she feels okay.

She is sleeping now… another pleasant effect that chamomile has to offer.  I read that not only can it be used to calm a dog’s stomach, but it can also help anxious or restless dogs to calm down and help them sleep better—the same effect it has on humans.  Plus, you can also use it to calm a dog’s itchy skin.  I have a feeling that chamomile is going to become Kitty’s (and my) new best friend…

Click or Treat

A few months ago I decided that I should try to teach my dog some basic commands.  I did a bit of research and learned that the first command commonly taught is “SIT”.  The book I read said something about holding your closed fist over your dog’s head and instructing him/her to “sit”.  Then as soon as the dog follows the command, you’re supposed to say something like, “Good sit” and shower the dog with praise.

Since my dog didn’t respond too well to that, I started giving her treats as an incentive.  It worked.  Sort of.  After she finally caught on that “sitting” meant “treat/food,” she started using that as her signal that she wants to be fed.  On occasion, she might respond to the word “sit” if I am trying to use the command to get her to calm down and stop jumping up on me or other people.  But once she realizes that a treat is not going to follow, she looks at me like, “Ppfft… Whatever...”  And then she continues to jump and run and do whatever she feels like doing at that time.

Despite that, I eventually tried to teach the command “down,” which means for her to lie on her belly.  That took more work.  I actually had to sit on the floor with one leg raised a bit so that she could crawl under my leg in order to get the treat.  Once her bottom hit the ground, I would let her have the treat.  When she finally realized that being in THAT position meant getting fed, she began lying on the ground spontaneously if she happened to see me eating something.

Needless to say, neither of these commands really works unless she is trying to get me to feed her.  All of this leads to the fact that she is now enrolled in a training class.  (That and the fact that she needs more socialization.)

Kitty is not a bad dog.  She doesn’t destroy things or act aggressively towards people.  She is actually very sweet, and very quiet.  She hardly ever barks.  So, she is not a problem animal in the least.  But she doesn’t really know what it means to be an “obedient” dog.  If you call her name, she might come; she might not.  If you throw her toy and ask her to go get it, she might do it; she might not.  If I tell her to go “meme” (as in go to sleep), she might do it; she might not.  But I’m pretty sure her reluctance to do any of things is not because she doesn’t understand.  I believe she has just figured out that she doesn’t really HAVE to.

The proof is in the fact that I can ask her if she wants “apple,” and her ears perk up.  Or if she hears me in the kitchen chopping ANYTHING, she will come running, thinking that I am chopping up some apple for her!  Other times, I can say, “Let’s go!” and she will jump off her bed and run to me, knowing I am going to take her somewhere.  Sometimes she will even go so far as to run and jump into her carrier all by herself.  So, I know she’s smart.  She’s just got a mind of her own.

When we attended her first training class last Saturday, we were given a clicker.  Our homework assignment was to use it as often as possible all week long.  If you see your dog doing something “right”, you are supposed to click and treat, click and treat.  All week long.  And by the end of the week your dog is supposed to love the clicker. 

The thing is… I work a lot of hours.  So, Kitty’s click and treat sessions are only about once a day.  It’s been four days, and I still don’t think she gets it.  She is so focused on the treat, and I swear every time I click the clicker, she gives me this look that says, “What the heck are you doing?  Just give me the darn treat!”  Then she looks at me confused, as if she doesn’t know if I am playing with her and asking her to “fetch” the clicker, or if I’m asking her to eat the treat. 

My poor dog.  Maybe my dreams of her being a well-trained guard dog are just too big for her…

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Ever had one of those mornings where you’re sleeping soundly, and then all of a sudden you wake up?  You’re not sure what woke you up, but you find yourself opening your eyes… and you don’t hear any unusual sounds, you don’t smell anything burning.  So, you lie there very still… your eyes trying to focus as they scan everything around the room…

I had a morning like this a couple of weeks ago.  I was lying on my back when I woke up.  I stared up at the ceiling, then slowly turned my head to the left, and here is what I saw…

 I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.  Kitty was lying in the crook of my arm tucked under the blankets with me… And it actually looked like she was smiling!  Sometimes I wonder if she knows she's not human...

Who's training who?

I love my dog.  That’s mainly why I write this blog.  I also write it for writing practice, but mostly because I just love my dog--she is just so funny and lovable.

It has taken me exactly half an hour to be able to start writing this blog.  And do you know why?  Because from the moment I first sat down, Kitty came over to me and started pawing at my hands as I tried to place them on the keyboard.  So, I had to take my hands OFF the keyboard in order to pet her for a moment.  She was okay with that for about a minute.  When I tried to stop and begin typing again, she literally placed her paws on my hands.  I guess that’s her way of indicating that my hands do not belong on the keyboard right now.  Once again, I tried to pet her for a moment to settle her down, but she would not have it. She jumped up and went behind my laptop and began pawing at the top and back of the screen as if she were trying to fold my laptop closed.  She did NOT want me on my computer!

She is unbelievable sometimes!  It never ceases to amaze me that she tries to communicate with me. 

I kept asking her what she wanted, and she would jump at my hand and extend her paw to touch it, almost like someone does when they say “Tag!  You’re it!”  She continued to do that till I finally put my computer aside and got up to say, “Okay, what?  What do you want?”

She jumped down her little steps leading off my bed, and began running towards the kitchen.  She ran to her food bowl, touched it with her nose, and then ran and sat at her place on the carpet under the table.  There is a little area rug under the table, and during the winter months, she used to go and seek refuge from the cold floor on that rug.  Her food bowl was less than two feet away, but she would actually sit on the corner of the carpet and look up at me with sad eyes as if she were saying, “Please don’t make me sit on the cold floor.”  So, naturally, I would give in and move her food bowl up to her little corner of the carpet and let her eat in comfort.

The weather has warmed up since then, but the feeding ritual has continued.  Anytime she is hungry, she will actually go sit on that spot on the carpet very obediently and wait for me to bring her some food.  And that’s exactly what I do.

How can I not love her?

Well, the first time I tried to feed her, I gave her about a tablespoon of food, thinking that was enough.  But when she finished, she came back and began the ritual all over again.  She was letting me know that she was still hungry.  So, there I went again... back to the kitchen to give her another bit of food... while she sat on her little spot on the carpet.  I pushed the bowl up to her again, and she ate.

When she finished, she climbed back into the bed with me again.  Only this time, her little paw gently touched the blanket at the corner of my laptop. I lifted the blanket a bit, thinking she wanted to crawl under the blanket and snuggle up next to me while I sat and typed.
Nope.  Her little paw continued to pat my lap right at the base of my laptop.  I scooted the laptop further towards my knees, and she crawled onto my lap and is now snuggled up in a ball at the top of my lap, while I am left having to extend my arms to reach the keyboard of my laptop--which is now sitting on my knees....

Who knows best?

I feel really bad.  Why did I listen to that vet tech and to that trainer?  Kitty was doing really well.  But I had to go and try to change her eating plan.  Sad to say, I woke up to the sound of her vomiting this morning.  For such a small dog, her stomach can make big sounds when she is sick.  It pains me to have to watch her suffer.  I feel like her little body should not have to endure such huge discomfort.  It’s too much for her!  Ay yay yay…

Kitty has been eating PRESCIPTION DIET dog food for a few months now.  But she eats the canned food.  I had not introduced her to the kibble for a couple of reasons:  1) Because it only comes in a ten pound bag, and Kitty weighs less than four pounds, 2) the bag costs $30, and I could not see spending that amount of money on something that she might end up getting sick from or not being able to eat after all. 

The other day, however, I stopped by the clinic where I purchase Kitty’s heartworm medicine, and they happened to have an open bag of Kitty’s prescription food.  So I asked if I could have a little handful of kibble to see if my dog could eat it or if she even liked it.  They gave me about a half a cup in a small baggie.  I was surprised to discover that Kitty LOVED it.  I gave her just a couple, and she started to beg for more!  I guess she thought they were treats.  Like I said, she only gets canned dog food and bits of apple from time to time.  So, a crunchy kibble probably had her thinking it was party time.

I gave her a few more. She ate about 12 total, and seemed fine the next day.  So, after her training class I went ahead and bought her the large bag of dog food.  I brought it home and read on the bag that dogs that are five pounds should eat half a cup of food a day.  Does that seem right to you?  Only a half a cup of food for a five pound dog for an ENTIRE DAY???

Anyhoo, I measured out Kitty’s portion a little less than that since she only weighs 3.8 pounds.  I got three tiny containers and tried to divide the kibbles evenly.  I still was going to try to go with the idea of feeding Kitty small meals throughout the day because I just did not feel that she could (or should) eat a whole half a cup of food in one sitting.  But even in measuring the food out to three portions, it still looked like too much to be eating in one portion, especially since I figured I would be adding about a teaspoon of canned food to moisten it all. 

I served Kitty her first “measured and scheduled” meal last night at around 8 PM , and it just looked like too much.  I am not used to giving her that much food at one time. But I figured the professionals knew better.  Kitty ate all her food and went on her merry way.  Then at nine o’clock this morning, guess what happened? 

Again, I feel so bad.  I am not sure whether it was the amount of food I gave her at one time that made her sick, or the fact that I didn’t wean her onto the kibble properly.  Maybe it was both???  Either way, I should’ve followed my instincts, and I should’ve known better.  I should’ve left well enough alone.  There are two sayings that come to mind here:  1) Mother always knows best, and 2) If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

First Day of School

April 17, 2010

Being that Kitty is a year old and has demonstrated that she has a mind of her own, I thought it would be a good idea to enroll her in a beginner training class.  Today was her first day, and I am ashamed to say that we were late.  Yes, Kitty was late to her first day of school.  But it was not her fault.  I take the blame completely.  She tried waking me up early enough to get there on time, but I was such a sleepy-head.  I will say, however, that I sacrificed looking my best so that SHE could look polished and presentable. 

When we arrived, the instructor invited us to take a seat and continued with his lecture.  Surprisingly, Kitty made friends instantly with the Yorkie that was sitting a chair away. 

One of the reasons I chose to enroll Kitty in a class is because I am trying to socialize her.  She is a very timid little doggie and tends to shy away from other dogs.  So, I was very happy to see her trying to make friends because she does not always behave this way.

When I tried to introduce my cousin’s baby Labrador to her a couple of weeks ago, Kitty ran and hid under the end table.  That’s when I knew it was time for her to get out in the world.  Fortunately, Kitty is not aggressive and will allow people to pet her if they do not move toward her too quickly.  She has never bitten anyone, and she really does love attention.  But I would like her to be more playful with her peers and more confident in the real world.  Also, education has always been very important to me and my life.  So, it only makes sense that my dog should have an education as well.  Since I have no kids to send to college, I must send my dog to training classes.

I had no idea that I would learn so much just from the first class.  As it turns out, the huffy veterinary technician who told me that I was feeding Kitty too much may not have been too far from being right. 

It IS true that dogs should only eat so much a day, AND their food should be measured.  Because of Kitty’s size, I have been breaking her meals up into several small meals rather just one or two larger ones.  A while back I read that Yorkshire Terriers are susceptible to hypoglycemia because of their size.  So, that’s when I decided to start feeding Kitty small meals throughout the day.  From what I understand, it really isn’t overfeeding because it amounts to the same as a whole.

One thing I have neglected to do, though, is put her on a feeding schedule.  Dogs need routine.  I know that.  I have just failed to do it.  But no more.  Starting today, Kitty is getting measured portions of food at specific times each day.  And that’s that.

We were issued clickers to use as a training tool for the duration of the class.  You know, I’ve always wondered how the heck to use those things, and I am happy that it was explained to me today.  I always thought that the dogs were supposed to be attracted to the clicking sound in some way.  I had this crazy notion that dogs would somehow be mesmerized by the sound, like it would magically lock your dog into a trance and all of a sudden, he/she would want to follow you and obey your every command.  Nope.  No such luck.  You’re actually supposed to offer a treat after EVERY click, and it eventually CONDITIONS your dog to do what he/she is supposed to do.  Go figure.  So much for that dream of being like the Pied Piper.

Who would have thought his training thing would be so much work?

I also learned that dogs use nonverbal communication more so than verbal communication.  It makes sense though.  Whenever dogs want something, they use nonverbal cues:  they pull, they scratch, they jump, etc.  They only bark as a last resort.  Therefore, when training dogs, humans should use nonverbal cues first. 

And that’s the gist of what I learned today.  It’s strange though…  I thought that Kitty was supposed to be the one learning...

A Dog Named Kitty

I have a dog named Kitty. That’s right. A Dog. And her name is Kitty. Most people, upon first hearing her name, ask me to repeat. I guess they feel that I could not possibly have labeled my canine with a feline nickname. But I did.

Why? Well, let’s start by first introducing what kind of dog Kitty is. Kitty is a Yorkshire Terrier. She is a year and a half old and weighs between 3.5 and 4 pounds. (Her weight fluctuates.) As a puppy, Kitty was tiny enough to fit into the palm of your hand. Due to her small size, she used to get into unfortunate little predicaments. She got stepped on a few times, fell off the sofa, got lost behind the fridge, and worst of all… she got “pinched” by a swinging storm door. But despite all of that, she kept bobbing right along. So, I decided she must have nine lives—just like a cat. Hence, I named her Kitty.

Growing up, I was not really allowed to have pets. So, when I acquired Kitty I had absolutely no idea what having a dog entailed. I also had no idea how much I would learn and grow just from owning a small dog.

One evening, when Kitty was at the age of approximately three months, she began throwing up. Like I mentioned before, I know nothing about having pets or raising a dog, but I was pretty sure that wasn’t something that was supposed to be happening. The following evening I noticed that, in addition to throwing up, there were also worms in her stool. Again, I was pretty sure that wasn’t supposed to be happening, but at the time I had no idea what was causing this or how to stop it. All I knew was that she was sick, and she needed medical attention.

(There is a bit of the story that I am leaving out here for personal reasons, but later on, I may choose to become a bit more open about little details. For now, I am choosing to protect other people’s privacy.)

I consulted with a friend of mine who thought Kitty might have parvo. I had no idea what that is. All she could tell me was that dogs can die from parvo. Naturally, I panicked and took her to the vet. To this day, I do not know why the vet did not give me a rundown of symptoms and diseases or tell me that the worms were not causing the vomiting. All I know is that, for the longest time, I thought worms were, in some way, related to the vomiting. It took me a long time to realize that Kitty just has a really sensitive stomach. So, it was just a coincidence that she happened to be sick to her stomach each time she had worms. Whereas, the worms only reoccurred for a couple of months, the vomiting was reoccurring for a little more than the first year of her life. During that year, Kitty visited the vet at least once or twice a week.

After a year of watching her suffer needlessly, we’ve chosen a change of environment where she no longer has access to random tidbits that she might have been treated to otherwise. She is now on a strict diet. She eats PRESCRIPTION DIET dog food. And she is treated to occasional bits of chopped apple. Now that she no longer gets sick, her appetite has improved immensely, and so has her vocabulary!

Kitty is a very calm, quiet dog, but she does not hesitate to let you know when she is hungry. Yes, she is one of those dogs that knows the secret language of Scooby-doo.

There will be no resting or relaxing for ME unless SHE has a full belly. She will not hesitate to look me in the eye and use her words. If I do not pay immediate attention to her, she will stomp her little paw and sneeze, and then she will raise her voice to make sure I hear her. If I am asleep and eye contact is not possible, she will simply jump on my head or my chest and lick my face and hands until I get my sleepy butt up and fill her bowl with food.

I don’t know about you, but I am a person who needs her sleep. So, as a helpful hint to those of you who might feel the same way, I’ve found that giving Kitty one last meal before she goes to bed helps prevent those early morning wake-up calls she was becoming accustomed to giving me. Not to mention, I learned that it also is a remedy for bilious vomiting syndrome.

Moving on…

Kitty recently had another vomiting episode, and when I took her to the vet, the tech who took Kitty’s vitals asked me how often she eats. I informed her that Kitty eats three or four times a day.

“Why so much?” she asked in a rather accusatory manner.

“Uh, because she’s hungry??” I responded a bit sarcastically.

“Well, she’s eating too much,” was the curt reply. “She should only be eating twice a day. No more. Even the doctor will tell you that.”

I did not like her tone. After a year and a half of struggling with Kitty’s sensitive stomach and finicky appetite, I think I’ve done enough research to, at least, know when and how much to feed my dog. Not to mention the fact that the tech failed to observe that Kitty is NOT obese. That’s right. Kitty is not fat; she is fluffy! She weighed in at 3.8 pounds that day. Does it sound to YOU like she eats too much? I think not!

But I refrained from going off on her. And I merely observed the lack of concern the vet for the day showed for Kitty’s condition.

Needless to say, Kitty is now in need of a new vet. We’ll let you know how the search goes.

And from here on out, we (Kitty and I) might even feel compelled to share whatever research we come across that might benefit other dog owners.

We look forward to sharing our adventures with you (whoever you are), and hope that you enjoy reading. :o)