OK so we left off with the chocolate incident but like I said that was just the beginning. Sookie suddenly developed a very sensitive stomach. I shouldn't say suddenly as I indicated before it's breed related; however I started noticing her having increasingly more problems. She has always been a fickle eater when it came to her food but generally she did ok with Iams. After a while though she was having difficulty going to the bathroom and she was having unproductive attempts at vomiting. I was scared as this could be a sign of bloat which is usually a fatal issue that involves the dogs stomach being twisted. I am not really sure of all the details and am really not ambitious enough to google them to give the readers more at the moment. If you're curious Google! So I got her straight in to see out vet and the vet examined the dog and indicated that she was fine from a bloat prospective. She took a stool sample (literally she took it right from the dog I was so shocked!) and got it tested for worms and recommended either prescription dog food, the natural brands or to cook for her. She didn't have worms, she just has the doggie version of IBS as I like to say!
So first I tried the super expensive prescription dog food. I got to spend $50.00 to attempt to feed the dog for about a week. She hated the food and I literally had to mix in a not so healthy flavoring from the pet store. It seemed to me that it defeated the purpose so prescription food abandoned for the Vet's next suggestion. I went to the local doggie speciality store. They sold a line of dehydrated raw food that I had read about being great for dogs. Also super expensive but still a step down from the prescription food. I invested in a small box for approximately 25 dollars and she loved it. The small box got us through about a week and a half. I went back and got the large box for $56 dollars (Oh and this is the cheapest of the flavors mind you) and it lasted a little bit longer but by the third week it was getting increasingly harder to get the dog to eat the food. Her digestive system had been somewhat regulated and I didn't want to give that up. I tried mixing in other proteins occasionally to entice her to eat it but again it was defeating the purpose of the ease of just buying food. The brand of the food was Honest Kitchen and if your dog has problems and cost isn't an issue I do recommend it. It helped her tremendously. She almost immediately was regulated and the vomiting stopped completely. The food itself claims to be tested on humans however being human I can't see anyone willingly eating it. You added warm water to rehydrate it and honestly it looked like baby food mixed with soap scum. It was disgusting looking, but like I said it did work until Sookie just refused to eat it. Sookie is spoiled so she got her way.
On to the 3rd suggestion. Cooking for the dog. Now this dog eats better than most people. I researched cooking for dogs and talked to the vet more about it since it appeared to be the last chance at regulating the dogs freaking digestive system. It worked and Sookie has been going on 5 months now and not getting tired of her food. It is a huge pain in the butt, but it saves me from cleaning up her mess. Oddly enough I have found cooking for her although hugely time consuming to be the most cost effective way to deal with her digestive issues. Generally she gets a lean protein and rice and then green beans or carrots. Although the vet recommended carrots I try to stay away from them. They tend to make her go, I mean go go and it's usually an emergency. They do seem to clean out the digestive tract but when crating a dog during the day you may not like what you come home to find. I come home at lunch now to spend time with the dog, let her out and give her a snack. I usually give her snacks of either and egg, a slice of cheese or a spoonful of plain yogurt. If I know that I am home all day for a couple days to ensure that she gets out in time I may mix it up with a carrot dipped in peanut butter.
It may seem slightly indulgent to feed an take care of the dog in this manner; however I am a firm believer in treating your dogs as well as you would treat your children. She is a huge pain in the butt. She now thinks she is entitled to all people food which is a large problem and I am still learning effective ways to discipline her. Yesterday she jumped up on the stove and took a bite of the red velvet cake I just made! Which could have easily spelled the type of disaster the cookie incident did if I hadn't gotten there in time to stop her. I have taken to taping the lid of the garbage can shut as well. This dog has an sense of entitlement that just drives everyone nuts myself included. I don't understand how a dog who was so finicky about what kind of dog food she ate will literally eat anything out of the garbage and I do mean anything!
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