The Daily (Doggy) Grind: A Food Matter

Who knew the subject of food would bring me, a canine Mommy, so much heartbreak and frustration? Much as any mother in any species would, I want the best nutrition for my children. I want to make sure their chow is made from wholesome ingredients that give them the nutrition they need while making sure it's free of stuff that canines can very much do without. Allergens, sub-standard materials, inferior protein sources (euthanized dogs, dead/diseased/dying/disabled animals, infected sheep placenta and stillborn calves - any takers?), unnecessary carbohydrates - these are things I do not want in my dogs' food.

So imagine my chagrin when switching my Bea-gurl Nikka (there were only two canines in our home, then) to a grain-free formula with 40% mcp (min crude protein) brought about a spike in her BUN and liver enzymes and seizures that shook the hell out of me and was misdiagnosed as distemper by another vet (NOT Doc Rommel of Pet Cradle Veterinary Clinic - the main man in our canine girls' lives hehehehe)!

What does a concerned mother do? Why, find another food source! As puppies in their respective breeders' houses, Nikka and Deedee were fed a brand we shall call OP. It is a relatively inexpensive brand (about 60 Php or USD1.50 per kilogram) that was commonly sold in every pet food store in the city. On the package, the declared mcp is anywhere from 25% to 27% - well within the 27% mcp ceiling for maintenance for dogs with liver issues.

The girls seemed to be OK on the food, until I noticed that Nikka's coat was dull and Deedee was actually losing hair. With that, I started replacing 1/10 of their daily food with a brand we will call ALSO, which has 40% mcp. Their coat condition improved, and Deedee stopped waking up with her blinkers filled with eye boogers.

As I researched deeper into the ingredients of these dog foods, I realized that most inexpensive brands used cheap grains that no dog in its right mind would consume, let alone need: corn, brewers' rice, wheat feed and all sorts of gluten. More startling, even the more expensive dog food brands contain this stuff too. Wait a minute, aren't dogs carnivores? What are all these carbohydrate sources doing in my dogs' chow? Won't my pups just be pooping this out after the stuff travels their GI tract and probably irritating it too? Carnivores, such as dogs, need glucose as all mammals do but not necessarily from dietary carb sources, yes? They don't really need it in their diet since they can make glucose from fat and protein, right?

It disturbs me, too, that the veterinary world finds no concensus on whether or not dogs need grain (or carbohydrates from non-grain sources, for that matter) in their diet or not. We have seen generations upon generations of dogs fed grain-based dry kibble and they seem alright. But that doesn't mean these canines really NEED the grain, right?

I studied human anatomy back in college for two years. I studied vertebrate anatomy for only one year, so I never got into the nitty-gritty of animal digestion and metabolism beyond the different metabolic cycles (gluconeogenesis is a new word!) and the different types of carnivores. But this is something I have been changing and will continue to change. But I know this for a fact: dogs are carnivores and should be fed carnivore-appropriate food.

Research, especially in this day and age, can be jump-started by a few mouse clicks. This has led me to many published journal articles on this matter. Let's just say I am 100% more informed now that I was last year, when Nikka started having her seizures.

In a couple of years, I will further my knowledge in animal (and not just canine) health and nutrition by going back to school. Yes, I will be entering veterinary school in a couple of years at the ripe old age of... =) Hopefully!

But for now, with the research I have seen and absorbed, I am settling for the middle ground: feeding my dogs food that stays within the recommended 27% mcp and with a low glycemic index grain.

This will change (very soon), when I feel I have seen all the information there is out there. Only then will I be able to choose what I think is the best for my canine kids. But I will say it again: my furkids are carnivores, plain and simple. Carbs - grain or not - have no place in their diets.

** Edit: I bit the bullet and put Nikka, Deedee, and Hunter on RMB's full throttle. Just didn't feed them their usual kibble for two meals (24 hours) then scored three leg-and-thigh chicken quarters and called it breakfast. Proud momma moment once more! Hyuk hyuk hyuk...

The Daily (Doggy) Grind: The Early-Morning Hours

The cellphone alarm goes off at 5:40AM. I snuggle deeper into my pillow, it's too damn early and the bed is so inviting! Alas, if I don't get up now another louder alarm will wake me up a few minutes later anyway - the sound of five canines who need to go out to pee!

So it goes every morning. Mommy K needs to get up and put on requisite outside clothing (boxer shorts and sando does not an outdoor outfit make). She then needs to struggle with getting only the chosen dogs - if the girls go first, then the boys need to be made to stay inside. Vise versa if the boys go first, which is usually the (harder) case.

After a walk around the block, a few deposits of P&P have been made - scooped up, bagged, and disposed off - and Mommy K is ready to head back to get the next batch of canines.

She then needs to measure out five portions of dog food - each of a different weight and food combination (in case of the youngest, who still eats puppy chow) - into five different food bowls, top with a dollop of warmed canned dog food and mixed like Beef Pepper Rice.

Each bowl on the floor, the struggle is an old one - how to ensure no dog eats off his brothers' or sisters' share. It's madness; it's chaos - exacerbated by times when the youngest boy or the middle girl refuse to eat - the need to hand-feed is imminent!

After the Great Chow-scapade, Mommy K washes the gravity waterer and refills with another 1.5gallons of agua . That's just enough to last these five bundles of energy about ten hours - the time between Mommies leaving for work and returning home.

While Mommy K attends to the kids' (pups' ?) nutrition, Mommy J sets about making sure the floor is clean of any drool, spilled food or misplaced pee (yes, that does NOT belong on the floor, dear canine).

This is a snapshot of our Early Morning Hours... and while we do this 7 days a week, we Mommies would never trade it for anything in the world.

*** Edit: That's just two bowls of dog food now. Nikka, Deedee and Hunter are now on RMB's (raw meaty bones) starting with chicken quarters. Yum! You should see them crunching on them chickies like it was their job! Proud momma moment!

Meet our Fantastic Five: Lilly

Allyson Natasha was the last of five siblings who were born three days shy of Christmas in 2010. The smallest of the litter, she also has the most distinctive look - as if she'd been sparring with Manny Pacquiao and he got one on her. A true-blue aspin (short for asong Pinoy - literally Filipino Dog), she is most of the time mistaken to be a mix of bulldog, fox hound, Jack Russel Terrier and Beagle! Wha....?

Our bunso (youngest child) is her own dog, with a sweet shyness and a spark of mischief in her hazel eyes. She bullies her ates (older sisters) and kuyas (older brothers) when the fancy strikes her - and I'm not sure if it's her age or her cuteness that lets her get away with it.

She learned the command "sit" at warp speed at just three months of age. Though she lacks self-confidence and would rather not go out on walks with her mommies and siblings, she has the time of her life when loafing around the house with her canine siblings.

Meet our Fantastic Five: Deedee

Aiesha Nadyne, our 19kg Basset Hound who thinks she is a 9lb lapdog, forced her way out of Pin (her dam) on the same date my parents got married in church - May 24. Today, this huge clown of a dog is one year old and is as naughty as ever.

A true alpha female she, who dominates even her ate Nikka, has no qualms about stealing attention from the canine we are currently cuddling. Like a true hound, she chows on anything in sight - plastic bags are not an exception. Despite this, she is the healthiest of our five furbabies.

Her energentic tailwag and loud voice are the first to greet any new arrivals into our home - followed a split-second later by soft but huge paws on the upper thighs (or knees, depending on the newcomer's height) and frenzied face-licks as soon as one leans down to pet her.

Soft and cuddly, this living stuffed toy is a joy to snuggle up to if one doesn't mind the confetti of hair left on every available body surface.

Meet our Fantastic Five: Hunter

This buff hairball breathed his first on the first of August 2009. My memories of him as a puppy are his soft paws, riotous fur and his near-death experience due to Parvo.

Our little survivor is now a big bully at home, daring to hump his kuya Douglas who is 25% heavier than he is. He is our all-in-one alarm clock, cuddly toy, burglar alarm, and baying machine. One bark from a dog within earshot and he is off joining the chorus.

This small dog with great looks walks like a dog on a mission, which my brother calls a "mad dash". Solitary walking (just me and Hunt) has curbed his mad-dash tendecies and we can enjoy our twice-daily walks at a leisurely pace.

Meet our Fantastic Five: Nikka

Annikka Nicolette came into the human world on June 24, 2009. J and I decided to have her after a phone conversation. She was at home; I was in High Street with Douglas.

I came home to the cutest Bea-gurl I have ever laid my eyes on. This mischievous prima donna quickly won us over, depsite her sharp puppy teeth and noisy baying. Admittedly, J and I never got to enjoy her puppyhood, something we are still making up for.

Nikka is the ultimate VelcroDog. She goes where the humans are and would nudge us with her muzzle until we either scold her or give in to her demands for a head-scratching. While she does not enjoy the boar-bristle brush as much as her kuya, she will never say no to a belly rub or a scratch behind the ears.

She is the most aloof Beagle I have ever met. While she is a bundle of energy, there are times when I'm convinced she is almost feline. Also, she is not the typical chowhound that most dogs her breed are. She is extremely picky with her food... and she eats the strangest things. Sampaloc-eating dog, anyone?

This sweet little Bea-gurl is one of the reasons why J and I are celebrating our 5th year as a couple this year =)

Meet our Fantastic Five: Douglas

Douglas was whelped March 13, 2009 - which makes him our eldest child. Before he came into our household, he was pretty much my baby too, as I would tag along to take him walking at High Street whenever I can. It was also because of his adorable face that I decided I wanted a Bea-gurl as my eldest dog (hence, Nikka - but that's a separate story).

Doug, Douglas, Dugam, Dayam, Progs, Prugam - he is a typical member of the family in that he has as many nicknames as the people who call him. He enjoys leisurely walks in the daytime and the evening. He doesn't bark much, and his current hobby is trying to hump his brother Hunter, or his sister Nikka. He doesn't dare try it on Deedee and Lilly.

He likes belly rubs, being groomed with his boar-hair brush, and he eats like there's no tomorrow. Coming from a diet, he is now a solid 15kg, which we plan to bring up to 18kg before we maintain.

This (big) round bundle of sweet canine mushiness makes a good bedmate... if only he doesn't shed too much!