On Sickness and Slippers

Yesterday I woke up with a low-grade fever, a throbbing headache, and a hoarse voice.  I guess you could say I was just not feeling well.  I stayed in bed most of the day until I had to go in to work for part of an overnight shift.  And for the duration of the time when I felt the yuckiest, Kitty was lying lifeless beside me. 

I know I’ve heard of dogs being sensitive to their owner’s illnesses or being able to detect if there is something medically wrong.  I’m just not so sure Kitty is one of those dogs.  But I guess you never know…

She normally stays next to me until I get out of bed anyway, but this time was different.  She was very still.  She did not even look up in the same alert way when my mother was leaving to the store.  Plus, it almost seemed like she was trying to snuggle up closer to my face, and a few times throughout the day she tried to lick my face and sniff around my ears.  (And that’s what actually hurt instead of my throat.  I didn’t have severe earaches, but I did feel sinus pressure in that area.)

In any case, it was comforting having her near me.  It was almost like she was trying not to bother me so I could rest.  I took a couple of Tylenol to break the fever, and late in the afternoon when I started feeling better, Kitty became more active and didn’t mind letting me know she wanted me to get up and play with her.  Sometimes I feel like I can’t get her to understand certain things, and then others it feels like she knows and understands so much!

I have a pair of black slippers that I’ve had for years.  I refuse to give them up.  They’re nothing fancy, just a velvety pair of slippers.  When Kitty was a baby, she used to crawl on top of them and fall asleep.  Whether I had slipped them off while on my computer or watching TV, or if I was away at work, Kitty would wait for me on top of those slippers. 

She hasn’t really done that in a really long time.  These days she waits for me on top of my bed or right next to me wherever I am sitting.  So, I had not given the slippers a second thought in a long time.

Then last night, as I was leaving for work, my mother happened to miss her step while walking outside.  She stepped in a little groove in the ground and hurt her ankle.  The shoes she was wearing happened to have a very small wedge-type heel to them.  Later on, when she was going to take out the trash, she didn’t want to put the same shoes back on.  So, she happened to find my slippers and slipped those on instead.  And that’s when it happened…

According to my mom, Kitty went crazy!  

She began pawing and nipping at my mom’s feet, running all around her.  It was like she was trying to get my mom to take my slippers off.  My mom tried talking to her (yes, we’re crazy that way) and telling her that she was only going to use the slippers to take out the trash.  But Kitty did not seem to understand THAT.  All she knew was that those slippers did not belong on my mom’s feet.  When my mom came back inside and took off the slippers, Kitty would not stop sniffing them, as if she was trying to figure out what my mother had done to them.  After that, Kitty retreated to my bed and would not come out of my room to play with my mom for the rest of the evening. 

When I got home from work, I could almost feel her desperation to tell me something had happened...  But I might be reading too much into things.  She might've just been trying to tell me that she was hungry...

So Close... And Yet So Far...

Preparing Kitty for therapy dog status is going to be much more difficult than I thought.  And all the ups and downs with her diet and sensitive stomach do not make it any easier since treats are necessary for the training.

Today I got my hopes up though.  Did I ever mention that Kitty is an indoor dog?  You might’ve guessed… 

Well, being that she is always indoors, every now and then I will take her collar off if she starts trying to chew on it.  A couple of nights ago was one of these times.  She kept licking and yanking and tugging at it, all while I was trying to sleep! 

I finally just unclasped it and had to place it under my pillow so that she would not go after it.  She seems to have the idea that whenever I remover her collar, I am giving her a new toy to play with.   So, I hid it quickly… and must’ve fallen asleep not too long after that.  Hence, I forgot all about her collar under my pillow.  Then this morning as I was curling into a more comfortable position, I stretched my arm underneath the pillow, felt Kitty’s collar get pushed to the top edge of the bed and fall to the floor.  I was too busy sleeping to worry about it at that time.  However, later in the evening I invited Kitty to go with me for a ride to the video store.  She happily said yes.  And I went in search of her collar, harness, and leash.

That was when I remembered where the collar was--under the bed.  I don’t know about you, but it is not the easiest or most comfortable thing to try to fish something out from under the bed.  Needless to say, I knelt down by the bed, lifted the bed-skirt, and gazed at the little collar too far away from my immediate grasp.  I sat up, looked to my right, and there was Kitty sitting just a couple of feet away watching me rather intently.

“Can you get that for me, please?”  I asked.

She looked at me as if to say, “Are you serious?”

I crouched down a bit, and reached my arm under the bed, opening and closing my hand, and I pointed to the collar. “Please?”  I begged.

“No.  I think it’s more fun to sit here and watch YOU try and get it,” were the words I am sure she was thinking.

I stood and walked a couple of steps to pick her up.  I turned and knelt and placed her right under the bed facing in the direction of the collar.  “Can you get me that please?”  I pointed.

She turned and walked out from under the bed.  “No, thanks.  I don’t feel like playing with that right now.”

Once more, I went and picked her up.  Again, I reached a little further under the bed and placed her facing the direction of the collar. 

I pointed.  “Please?  Get that for me, please?”

She began walking towards the collar.  She sniffed at it, and guess what she did??!!

She began picking it up!  It slipped from her mouth a couple of times, and she tried to grab it again.  I was so excited!  I cheered!  I gave her praise!

“Good girl!”  “Thank you, my precious baby!”  She came towards me and saw that I was reaching for the collar…  and then… she turned and ran the other direction!  Just like a little quarterback trying to get past defense. 

“Come here…” I cooed, as I reached out toward her.

She dodged to her right, dodged to her left, scooted back, then curved back around and ran right past me!  She ran right out of the room, through the living room, and under the kitchen table.

“TOUCHDOWN!” (I’m sure she was thinking.)

Yup.  I guess we’ve got our work cut out for us.  But we will not be discouraged… Today a quarterback, tomorrow a therapy dog… or something like that...

Kitty Immortalized!!!

On a lighter note from the previous post, I just wanted to share some joyous news!  

Are you ready for this?

Maria Sanchez, an artist in San Francisco, whom I feel privileged to call my friend, has added Kitty to the many beautiful subjects she has painted.  I feel so honored that she took the time to do this.  Maria is an extremely talented artist, whose paintings are so colorful and uplifting.  I have admired her work for a few years already, and to see Kitty’s face among her art is unbelievably amazing for me. 

Thank you so much, Maria!

To see more of Maria's work, or to have a painting of your own pet done, please visit Maria's website:

http://mariasanchez.squarespace.com/

Our Adventures with the Great Dog Food Debate

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to try switching Kitty to a homemade diet.  I made the mistake of not weaning her onto the diet properly, and I’m sure you can guess the result—she got sick.  :o(

It was not the vomiting type of sickness though.  This time it was bloody poop.  I know that sounds gross, but unfortunately that’s what she went through.

My mother ended up taking her to the doctor for me since I had to work a ten-hour day that day and couldn’t call in.  The previous time Kitty got sick, I had switched to a different clinic within the Banfield network (the clinics located inside Petsmart).  When I called my mother later from work, she told me that the vet had done a fecal test on Kitty’s stool, and that no worms or parasites had been found.  So, she had been given some medicine that was like a pepto-bismol for dogs.  She had also been given some pills that were for the acid in her stomach.  The medicine was prepared into single dose syringes, and we were to administer one a day to alleviate the diarrhea.  My mother managed to get in half a dose that evening—Kitty squirms so much it is nearly impossible to put in (or take out) anything from her mouth.  The next morning I was able to administer a complete dose of the medication.  Then my mother and I noticed that Kitty no longer had bloody stool.  As a matter of fact, she had no stool at all.  For two days!  My mother and I both assumed that the medication had done too well of a job and had now caused constipation.  Her appetite was fine, and she had been eating the normal amount except nothing had come out in two days… so, we were a bit worried.

The next day I got up early enough to take Kitty back in to the clinic before I had to go in to work.  I decided to take her to a closer Banfield than the time before—this now being the THIRD Banfield clinic we’ve tried.  Since I was a walk-in, I had to wait about an hour and a half to be seen.  When the Vet Nurse came in and I showed him the unused medication and explained that she had just been prescribed that two days before, he asked why I had discontinued the use of the medicine.  I responded that we were told that the medication was for her bloody diarrhea, but that since Kitty no longer had that symptom, I thought she no longer needed to take the medication.  He then told me that that particular medicine was not for diarrhea, and it could not have made her constipated.  He stated that the medication was for parasites.  I then said that Kitty did not have parasites, so why had she been given a medication for something that she did not have.  He told met that it was standard procedure to prescribe medication for worms or parasites as a service to the community, just as a precaution.  Hmmm… I’m not sure I agree with that.  I felt like I was just being charged for something my dog did not even need.

When the doctor came in, she was very abrupt in reiterating what the vet nurse had told me.  She told me that prescribing the medication for parasites was standard policy in cases such as this.  She also told me that Kitty could not be constipated because whenever a dog is constipated, they would have so much poop in them that you would be able to smell it as soon as you walk in the room. 

I explained to the doctor that, because of all the issues Kitty has had with her sensitive stomach, that I was in the process of trying to switch her to a homemade diet.  She immediately stated that the general objection to homemade diets is that they tend not to be “well-balanced” and they lack “micronutrients”. 

Now, of all the reading I’ve been doing, I am so confused on what type of diet should be best.  I guess I’ve always known that dog food is made from by-products, but until I started researching information online a few weeks ago, I never knew exactly what those by-products consisted of.  One main thing that I have learned is about the 4 D’s in dog food.  After all the parts which are suitable for human consumption have been salvaged, the remains are placed into dog food.  However, in addition to the byproducts that are left over from the animals that PEOPLE actually eat, there are also the animals that are NOT suitable for human consumption, such as the Dead, Decayed, Diseased, and Dying.  That is the main thing that stood out when doing all the reading that I did.  It really bothers me that our dogs could be eating an animal or parts of an animal that were diseased or decayed.  When I brought this up to one of the vets at Banfield, her rebuttal was that that’s what dogs would be eating anyway if they were out in the wild.  And of course, there are lots of people who have the same argument and/or who also believe that dogs should be fed a RAW diet. 

My naïve response is 1) Haven’t dogs been domesticated?  I mean, seriously… have you ever seen a WILD Yorkie???  2) Yes, maybe if Yorkies were animals living out in the wild, maybe they WOULD eat diseased and decayed animals, but that doesn’t mean it would be good for them.  Heck, if left to her own devices, my dog would eat tissue paper and hairballs!  Yes, she will sometimes try to jump in the bathtub to eat the hair off the shower drain.  But that doesn’t mean that it’s good for her.  I believe that it is MY responsibility to create a healthy diet for her.

Now I know that people have been feeding their dogs dog food for years, but what did they feed their dogs before that?  The answer is HOMEMADE FOOD.  Dog food did not come about until around the 1930s or 40s.  Before that dogs were fed a homemade diet of whatever people had leftover in their pantries.  And from what I’ve read, the dogs got along just fine.  But the argument goes back and forth.  I know that it’s easier just to pop open a can of dog food or open a bag of kibble.  And people will argue that “veterinary” diet dog foods have essential nutrients vital to the health of your dog.  But how can anybody argue that natural or organic vegetables, grains, and meats are less beneficial to your dog than whatever is in the dog food?  Even if dog food DOES contain “micronutrients”, I’ve read that with all the processing that it goes through, a lot of those are stripped away. 

I’m not trying to insult anybody’s beliefs or say that we are all horrible people for feeding dogs dog food.  I just can’t help but wonder why some veterinarians can’t be a little supportive of someone who is trying to do what’s best for their dog?  Why can’t they just admit that either diet might be beneficial, and either diet has its drawbacks? 

I am still trying to figure all of this out.  And I would have liked to be more detailed in summarizing what I’ve read about dog food.  But there is soooo much to read.  Maybe in another post, I can write a more informative summary.

When the doctor visit was over, I was given two replacement dosages of medication so that Kitty could finish taking the medication.  Plus, the vet said she was going to prescribe another version of Royal Canin dog food.  The previous vet had prescribed Royal Canin for intestinal health.  This vet prescribed Royal Canin (Venison or Duck mixes).  The only thing I’ve noticed with this version of Royal Canin is that Kitty has not been going poo very well.  It almost seems strained.  Plus, she is a bit itchy.  Not as much as she was with the “intestinal health” mix of Royal Canin, but itchier than she was without it. 

This vet also told me that I was feeding Kitty too much.  Whereas, the vet at the other Banfield clinic had told me that the vet nurse (mentioned in a previous post) who told me that I was feeding Kitty too much was out of line for telling me that.  The vet at the last two visits agreed that because of Kitty’s size, I SHOULD be feeding her small meals throughout the day.  I explained to this new vet that I had been given conflicting information on that subject.  When I told her that feeding Kitty frequently worked for HER, the vet just repeated that I still should not be feeding her more than three times a day, and that if I was concerned with hypoglycemia then that would just be a whole other issue altogether, and we would have to run bloodwork for that.

Also, when I tried to pursue the topic of a homemade diet with this particular vet, she made it seem like it was just not something do-able. She kept insisting that we should try the duck and/or venison mixes of Royal Canin or another type of the Prescription Diet dog food.  When I told her that I was still interested in a homemade diet, and who would I need to contact, she said that the “person” who had determined all of this was some unreachable head of the American Veterinary Association.  It was almost like she was trying to discourage me or make me believe that a homemade diet is absolutely impossible.  I asked her if that was the only person qualified to assist me or from whom I could get information. I asked her HOW or WHERE I could find these people.  I guess she wasn’t expecting me to ask so many questions… because she finally just said that I could do an online search for a nutritionist, but that it would HAVE to be APPROVED by the American Veterinary Association, that it could not be a PET nutritionist; it would have to be a REAL nutritionist. 

Needless to say, this vet did not have much bedside manor, and I was told by the vet tech (after the vet left), that she gets cranky when she doesn’t eat.  That’s nice, huh?

Well, my search for the right kind of diet for Kitty continues… If anybody has an advice or input, I would be happy to hear it…

No Words. Just Smiles.

No words.  Just smiles...

Cooking with Kitty!

Welcome to Cooking with Kitty!!!  :o)

Today Kitty and I tried a new recipe, which can be used as a meal or as a treat.  If you would like to try it, all you need are the following three ingredients:

1 lb. of lean ground turkey

2 cups of brown rice

1 cup of fresh cilantro

Directions:

Boil brown rice.  The boil-in-bag kind works really well for this recipe.

Rinse and chop cilantro.

Once rice is done, mix with ground turkey and cilantro to form patties or meatballs.

Place patties on cookie sheet and place in oven at 350 degrees. 

(You may want to place foil on the cookie sheet since the patties will stick to the pan a bit.)

When the patties are done, you may crumble one into your dog’s food bowl as a special meal, or you may break the patty into pieces and use as training treats.  Either way your dog will love it! 

Since you have used no seasonings and the ingredients are all healthy, it should be safe for your dog to eat.  However, you should always use your best judgment when feeding your dog. 

One great thing about this recipe is that you can use the same ingredients to feed your family as well.  To “humanize” the recipe, add a bit of olive oil to a frying pan and let the patties cook until well done.  You may add salt, pepper and other seasonings to your liking.  I must admit, it is quite tasty… (At least I thought so...)

Add a salad or other vegetables as a side, and you’ve got yourself a quick meal … for you AND your dog!  (After I made Kitty’s treats today, I also cooked myself a couple of patties and took them to work for my lunch.  J)

By the way, the cookies I posted a picture of yesterday are also suitable for human consumption.  The only thing that makes them “dog” treats is that I made them with my dog’s health in mind.  They do not have the added ingredients that humans add to their own snacks (i.e. sugar, salt, white flour, etc.)   All ingredients were natural and organic.  For the peanut butter cookies, I used rice flour, organic peanut butter, and flax seed oil.  For the apple cookies, I used real apple as well as unsweetened organic applesauce, rice flour, flax seed and flax seed oil.  So, people can definitely eat them. They probably just wouldn’t really want to.  They don’t taste bad.  I think my cousin put it best when she said they taste like baby food—not gross, just bland.  

But Kitty didn't seem to mind one bit.  She acted like they were they best cookies she'd ever eaten.  

And today she almost knocked me down trying to get me to give her more of her turkey patties.  I am probably very lucky that she only weighs 4 pounds... If not I would have probably suffered some severe injuries from all the jumping around she was doing.  

And now after comparing these wholesome ingredients to all the "stuff" that goes into dog food, I am becoming more and more reluctant to try and feed her dog food any more...

Stepping it Up

Today (or “yesterday” to you day people) I made time for TWO training sessions.  Early this afternoon we practiced the “sit and stay” commands, and when I got home from work in the evening, we practiced “leave it/take it” and “sit and stay” once again.

It is becoming increasingly challenging to find treats that motivate Kitty to follow commands.  Due to my newfound knowledge on dog food, I am becoming more and more reluctant to give Kitty packaged dog treats of any kind.  Normally, the only treat I allow her is chopped bits of apple.  However, she doesn’t always want apple any more.

The week before last I decided to look up recipes for homemade dog treats, and I went out and purchased all organic ingredients and experimented with two different recipes.  I made peanut butter cookie dog treats and apple cookie dog treats.  Kitty loved them!  And so did my cousin’s dog Stony Rony. Both dogs ate them throughout the week, and neither of them got sick from them.  So, I am guessing it is safe to say they are okay. 

I used the peanut butter cookies for a few of last week’s training sessions.  But since I did not have any left for this past Saturday’s class, I had to revert to actual dog treats.  There are some itty bitty dog training treats that I have found are perfect for Kitty, and which she loves.  But I notice whenever I have allowed her to eat them, she drinks a lot of water afterward.  So, I am guessing they must contain a lot of salt.  I used the same treats for yesterday’s training session as well.  But today I decided to try and find more natural alternatives.

Today I used honey for the first training session, and a bit of scrambled egg for the second session.  I know that many vets warn against table food, but from all the reading I’ve been doing, I’ve come to realize that what that really means is table SCRAPS.  There is a big difference.  Believe it or not, there are many foods out there that humans eat that are healthy for dogs.  By the same token, there are many foods that can be toxic or dangerous to dogs.  For instance, I’m sure most people know that dogs should not eat chocolate.  But a lot of people do not know that grapes, raisins, and onions can be dangerous as well. 

Dogs CAN actually eat peanut butter, apples, honey, eggs, green beans, lean meat/chicken, tuna, salmon, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, peas, cantaloupe, strawberries… and the list goes on.  Of course, each dog is going to have his/her own preference as to what they like more, and it is our responsibility to determine whether particular foods seem to agree with the dog or not.  But I think what vets need to stress more is that “table food” does not mean HUMAN food.  I think what they are trying to make owners steer clear of is possibly giving our dogs something that might harm them.  Foods high in fat, or that contain too much salt or other spices are big no-no’s.  (They should be no-no’s to people as well, but that’s a different topic for a different blog.)

Think about it:  if dogs can consume the crap that goes into dog food, doesn’t it make sense that natural, organic, unprocessed treats might be more beneficial to them?

During today’s first training session I placed a drop of honey on my finger, and whenever Kitty would follow the “stay” command, I would allow her to lick a teeny bit.  I did not even have to use more than a quarter of a teaspoon.  For the evening training session, I scrambled an organic egg with about a quarter teaspoon of butter.  I did not use any salt, pepper or other spices--just an organic egg and a smidgin of butter to keep it from sticking to the pan.  I then scooped some of it into a ¼ measuring cup, filling it about halfway.  So, all I ended up feeding Kitty was about 1/8 cup of scrambled egg throughout the training session.  She enjoyed both treats, and for once I am not a bit worried about her getting sick.  

After her training session, I decided to make myself an egg sandwich.  When I was done eating, I purposely placed my plate next to me on the couch to see if Kitty would listen to me if I told her to leave it alone.  I am glad to say that she followed the “LEAVE IT” command very well… for about a minute...   Can we consider that progress???

Dreaming an Impossible Dream???

During this past Saturday’s class, we practiced two new commands:  “Come” and “Stay”.

Keep in mind that Kitty still has not yet mastered any of the other commands we’ve gone over so far.  So, how in the heck am I supposed to expect her to graduate from this class?  Is there even a graduation?  All I know is that there is another level of classes that come after this one.  The class she is enrolled in now is BEGINNER level.  Will Kitty make it to INTERMEDIATE level???

Oh, dear… I feel like her failures are MY fault.  I know I should spend more time going over the commands with her.  I need to get on the ball.  I really do…

Well, tonight I made a vow to get more serious about her training.   I need to implement more than one training session a day.  So, I tried reviewing the “Leave it” command, and then worked on the “Stay” command a bit.  I think it is safe to say that Kitty is as A.D.D. as I am.  And she gets confused easily…  Hmmm… Yup.  I would say she is definitely my dog.

I’ve noticed that none of the commands really work unless she sees me with a treat in my hand.  That’s when she will “perform” for a couple of minutes.  However, if I try to use the same command just minutes after I’ve gone over a lesson, it doesn’t work.  She will not come when called.  She will not sit when asked.  She will not “leave it” alone… whatever it is.  As for the clicker, she still looks at me like, “What the heck is that?” whenever I take it out.

I am hoping that with time, she will become an obedient dog.  My ultimate dream is to get her trained well enough so that she can become a therapy dog.  I would love to have her do volunteer work for children and elderly people who may need their spirits lifted.  But in order to ever get to that level, she must first learn to sit, stay, and leave things alone. 

I happened to see a movie called Julie & Julia, where a lady decided to blog about a year long project she had cooking her way through Julia Child’s cookbook.  I’ve thought of writing my own one-year project blog, but it seems that the few ideas I’ve had to write about have already been taken. 

But right now I am thinking I may have found a topic.  I just don’t know if it’s possible to achieve such a high aspiration.  Would I be setting myself (and Kitty) up for failure by even suggesting it?  (Especially, after I now know that I’ve got my work cut out for me?)  Would one year even be enough time?  

Well, let me first say what it is… Within a year from now, I would like for Kitty to be trained enough to do volunteer work for children’s literacy programs and/or to visit elderly people in nursing homes to lift their spirits. 

What worries me is that I read a quote on one of the “service dog” sites that said a service dog is not MADE; it is BORN. 

I can’t help but wonder if I am wasting my time even trying?  Is that a poor attitude to have?  I wouldn’t have that sentiment if it weren’t for the site having that statement on it.  Does anybody out there know anything about dog training or whether dogs can be changed to serve the public if they have trouble obeying simple commands in a beginner training class?

More than that, is it possible for a person who has never owned a pet before, and who has no discipline in her own life to succeed in training a dog with a mind of her own?

Anyone have any feedback on this?  Anyone???  Anyone???

New Vet, New Food, Same Results??

Kitty was late for school again last Saturday.  Again, I take complete responsibility.  I’m actually kind of glad we were late for that particular class though.  I kind of dreaded it all week.  Why? You might ask.  Well, because the week before the instructor told us that our dogs would have to come to class really, really, really, really, really hungry.  He said that we would be practicing several new commands, and that we would be giving our dogs LOTS of treats.  Sooooo, our dogs would have to be extremely hungry in order to be motivated by the treats we were going to be offering.

It’s not that I don’t like giving Kitty treats.  I just don’t like giving her too many treats, primarily because of her sensitive stomach.  Another reason is because her actual meals are only about a tablespoon and a half.  So, to give her a whole bunch of treats might mean having to overfeed her… and potentially make her sick. Anyhoo, after all the reading I’ve been doing on what goes in to dog food, I dread giving her treats even more. 

Last Thursday (two days before the “lotsa treats” class), Kitty got sick shortly after waking up.  Judging from past occasions when she threw up, I was pretty certain she was not sick because of something she had eaten, but probably more so because she had not eaten enough the day before.  I have read before that dogs sometimes vomit bile if they go too long without eating.  I think Kitty’s last meal Wednesday night was earlier than usual because I went to bed earlier than usual.  She is used to eating her last meal at around 2 a.m.

After she was sick on Thursday afternoon, I did a quick internet search about why dogs vomit bile, and I found some info about how their stomachs may produce too much acid or bile when they do not eat for a prolonged period of time.  Kitty is used to eating about every 4 to 5 hours and shortly before she goes to bed for the night.  Then she usually eats soon after she wakes up. 

In the past, whenever she has gotten sick, she has stayed sick for a period of about 24-48 hours, with bouts of vomiting, dry heaves, retching, and lethargy.  This time she just threw up once, was a bit out of sorts for about an hour or two, and then after I fed her a teeny bit of honey, she was up and around again.  (I read somewhere online that giving dogs a bit of honey after they’ve thrown up bile can sometimes help prevent them from developing hypoglycemia.)

Needless to say, she was fine after the honey and for the rest of the day.  But it was a busy day, and we were not home for a large portion of the evening.  So once again, Kitty did not eat at her usual time, or as much as she usually does.  The following morning (Friday) she threw up bile again.  I tried the honey again, but she was not responsive to it.  She was acting better after about an hour or so, but I still decided to have her checked.  That afternoon I took her to a new vet, who changed her dog food.  This time she was prescribed ROYAL CANIN for intestinal health.

I will admit that I did not research the new dog food before allowing Kitty to eat it, primarily because all I have been reading regarding dog food really just has me turned off to dog food in general.  Not to mention that, once again, I figured that since it was a prescription brand, it would be okay. 

Unfortunately, the new food (Royal Canin) did not sit well with her.  She did not throw up, but she was not completely herself for the four days she ate it.  She seemed a bit lethargic and would make little moaning noises from time to time, as if she was not feeling well.  Also, she began licking her paws a LOT, which is a sign that dogs are allergic to something in the food.  I guess the licking is their way of calming itchiness or soothing skin irritations. 

The food also had a very strong odor to it.  The night before her class last Saturday, I decided to try and make teeny tiny treat-sized meatballs of her dog food to use for her class, rather than giving her “junk food” treats.  I figured she could just get her meal during class, but in treat-form.  Well, in rolling little bits of dog food into little balls, my hands must have absorbed the smell of the food. What’s odd is that I washed my hands about five times, and the smell would still not go away!  Isn’t that weird?

I figured I would allow Kitty to finish a can of Royal Canin dog food before deciding if I would continue giving it to her.  It takes her about four days to finish a can of dog food, and she eats about three or four times a day.  On Tuesday, I decided she would go back to her usual prescription dog food.  At least that one did not make her itch so much. 

I have been considering switching her to a homemade dog food diet, but I still have not made up my mind.  I’ll write more about that later.

In the meantime, Kitty has not gotten much practice on the new commands she is supposed to be learning for this week’s class because I am afraid to give her too many treats.  Ugh.

Fortunately, two of the commands (sit and down) are commands that I had actually already tried teaching her in the past.  I was proud to discover that I did a decent job.  Not that Kitty has mastered either of those commands, but I did go about teaching her the correct way.  I still wonder if Kitty will ever master ANY command I try to teach her.  She seems to have a mind of her own.  Sometimes she responds; sometimes she finds other things more interesting… 

I guess we’ll see how class goes today…