How I Exercise My Food-Motivated Senior Dog Indoors

Frantic licking of hands totally counts as exercise. 

When I saw the writing prompt for this blog post--fun indoor activities to keep one's dog's body and mind active during the warm summer months (or something similarly related to summertime activities with dogs)--my immediate thought was: I'm screwed.

Screwed because this post is about the benefits of feeding one's dog a high protein, plus freeze dried raw meat pieces, diet for whole-body health. To be whole-body healthy, a dog should get plenty of exercise. The problem is, the dog who's currently eating the food--Wellness® CORE® RawRev™--and who would benefit from "fun indoor activities," is Lele, my 11+-year-old, formerly crusty, wobbly kneed, mostly-toothless, half-blind and totally deaf chihuahua mix.

Like we regularly break out an indoor chi-chi obstacle course and/or tug toys! 😉

The truth is, Lele is old. And she sleeps a lot, like old dogs do. But darn it, she's not bedridden, and she can move with the speed of an angry mule when she wants to! So, what does she do when she's indoors, but not resting or eating (two meals and a regular snack each day)?

Guess.

OK, time's up! She's either barking at people who've knocked on the door (because she sees the corgis doing it, not because she can hear the knocking) or jumping and running in circles all around me begging for food!

I think fierce barking, jumping, and running all around count for indoor exercise, don't you?

It's just that if one is going to rely on these activities (except, let's forget about the barking; there are too many uncontrollable factors) to keep one's old dog active indoors, one needs to have a reliable, daily plan. Here's mine!

Creative* Ways I Keep Lele, My Senior Dog, Exercised Indoors During Summer

* Creative, meaning how to get her to jump around like she's begging without actually giving her food and making her look like a giant baked potato with legs.

Exhibit A.

Note: All three dogs' regular snack time is at approximately 10 a.m. Also, Lele is on a low dose of Prednisone (steroid) to manage an autoimmune disease of her skin (which is what caused all her health woes when I agreed to foster her for the local animal shelter 18 months ago). A side effect of steroid usage is excess hunger (which is what low-cal green beans are for).

• Feed Lele her breakfast at all hours of the morning, because it's summer, the kids are out of school, and I can sleep in.
  Result: Lele's biological snack-time clock goes off (which translates to jumping and running around and making piggy noises, wherever she is inside the house) every half hour because it (the clock) is confused. 
• Stand in kitchen too long after feeding dogs in the morning, and make the mistake of opening the pantry door, and/or the refrigerator (can be 15 minutes after Lele just ate, but she'll still think it's snack time).
• Cook bacon.
  Note: This only happens on certain weekends, but it ALWAYS results in strenuous begging activity. 
• Go to the gym during regular snack-time hour.
  Result: Snack must be given late, which causes a snack clock malfunction (see first bullet point) through late afternoon. 
• Run anywhere (in the house, and by run, I mean move QUICKLY).
  Result: Lele chases, which always ends in a race past the pantry door, at which point she stops to jump around and make piggy noises. 
• Drag out the bag of CORE RawRev in front of her.
  Result: Yeah, I shouldn't be dragging out the dog food except at mealtimes, but if I did, Lele would jump all around and beg. 
• Pour a second (and third, fourth, etc...) cup of coffee. Lele believes coffee time = snack time.
• Unload the dishwasher when it contains a dog/cat food bowl (because when Lele sees the bowl in your hand, she will think it's mealtime).
• Reach for anything on the shelf in the pantry. Dog snacks are in the pantry.

Note: When it's not too hot, short walks outside substitute for most of this list. 

And, now you know how Lele stays active in the summer! Incidentally, so do I (stay active, keeping up with Lele)! Yay!

There Would Be No Old-Dog Begging Activity if Not for High-Quality, Balanced Nutrition

 

Lele has been eating Wellness CORE dog food (soaked in water) for over a year, but just last month, started eating new CORE RawRev (Wild Game recipe) with added freeze dried pieces of 100% raw meat. I am happy to report that all is well! In fact, I can't tell anything is different--she's still looking great! (Except, I know and feel good about her getting a little extra protein, added [unprocessed] raw nutrition, and a little variety in her meals).

Is your pet eating* Wellness CORE RawRev dog food? Buy one 2-5-lb bag and get one 50% off at PetSmart and unleash the power of raw!

* Remember to switch your dog's food gradually to avoid stomach upset. Refer to package directions.

Do you have a senior dog? How do you keep him/her active in summer (or anytime)? Do you feed a high protein dog food? Have you tried adding raw? 

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How a High Protein Diet Has Helped Heal and Transform My Seriously Ill, Senior Chihuahua

My husband burst out laughing the moment he laid eyes on Leona Lilly--my (then) foster dog from Richmond Animal Care and Control. Considering I had not expressly* told him I was getting another** foster dog before he left for work that morning, it was NOT the reaction I had envisioned.

* He had not asked whether I was getting another dog; therefore, I did not tell. Mornings are stressful, so I pick my battles. Don't judge.

** I had told him that I was returning Abdul, our current foster dog (a chihuahua mix with pharma-managed epilepsy, but otherwise, exceptionally easy), that day (he was due to return for a medical test so he could be released for adoption). If I'm being honest, I was counting on my husband to forget what I'd told him while he was rushing out the door, and not notice right away that Abdul had been replaced. I mean, how different could two, 10-ish-pound, fawn-colored chihuahuas be on the surface? I'd planned on springing the news that Abdul had been long-gone only upon confrontation.

OMG, what a relief!

Let me explain: so, Abdul (who we called affectionately, Bean, because he was shaped like a pinto with legs) was compact, calm, agreeable, clean, shiny, behaved, and thoroughly enjoyed a good nap). In other words, he did no wrong. He was actually a bit of a space cadet (why, no one was sure, but it was suggested that previous un-managed seizures had caused permanent cognitive damage), preferring to stare into space vs. have any reaction whatsoever to activity in and around his bed. He basically only got excited for food.

Here he is:

Leona Lilly, on the other hand, looked like this the day I brought her home:

OK, it's Ren from Ren & Stimpy, but they could've passed for twins, I'm telling you. 

Despite having barnacle-like growths on her balding coat, only three and a half teeth, infected ears, shifty eyes, and wobbly knees, however, she was taking no crap from my husband. As soon as she had him in view, Leona launched into the worst-sounding, throaty, wheezy, screaming fit you have ever heard come out of a decrepit chihuahua.

My husband must've really needed that belly laugh, because--despite her myriad medical issues, months of extensive (and expensive) veterinary care, and attitude--he never questioned nor protested her being here. It was the best foster chihuahua bait-and-switch ever executed!

You know what else?

Leona (now Lele, and officially ours) is fully* recovered!

* As fully as can be; we're managing the autoimmune disease of her skin with medication, and she's on a joint supplement for the wobbly knees.

And her, formerly nasty, coat looks GREAT!

Healthy Lele lives and loves hard. 

Y'all, she was balding, and greasy, and scaly, and stinky, and oozing when I got her. It was so sad that I only took pictures of her in sweaters, or of her face only, so no one could see how bad she looked. You have no idea how far she's come health-wise over the last year.

And it's not just because of the low-dose steroid she's on, or the joint supplement, or the fact that she's pampered and cared for, it's BECAUSE OF HER DIET!

Wellness® CORE® Dog Food Has Made a Huge Difference In Lele's Health.

Last spring, I wrote a three-part series of posts about Lele's journey to wellness, incorporating her veterinary care and treatments with a switch to an almost exclusive diet of grain-free Wellness CORE Wild Game recipe kibble. (Almost, meaning the kibble was exclusive, but I topped it with a scoop of rotating varieties of wet food.)

Wellness CORE, now in two kibble varieties. What corgi? I don't see a corgi. 

There were a number of reasons why I loved (and still love) Wellness CORE for Lele, but noteworthy are the benefits of high and rich protein for aging dogs' body mass and muscle tone, the addition of glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health, and mega fatty acids for Lele's skin and coat. All these things, plus (and this is MAJOR) the kibble readily soaks up (softens) in water, so I can mash it up for no-teeth Lele to eat! (No dog wants to swallow her food whole because she can't chew it!)

Oh, and Lele LOVES the stuff!

At the end of last year's three-month trial (and with the help of a wonderful veterinary dermatologist who prescribed all the right medications), Lele was definitely on her way back to health....though, we were still in the dark about the cause of her illness (more on that in the second post in this series).

Today, though? Lele is doing (and looking) GREAT! Once we got the cause of her illness diagnosed and managed, the balanced nutrition she was getting from Wellness CORE truly pulled her through.

Lele no longer has "barnacles," bald spots, greasy or stinky skin. She has the thickest, shiniest, regular (fairly clean) chihuahua-smelling coat that you will ever see!

And Now the Wellness CORE Kibble Line Has Been Expanded to Include Wellness® CORE® RawRev™, the Same CORE Kibble Infused With Chunks of Whole, Freeze Dried Raw Meat!

Raw meat protein, in addition to appealing to a dog's sense of smell and being highly palatable, is packed with the nutrition that dogs need for whole body health. Though feeding an all-raw diet might not be an option for some (me included), feeding a high quality kibble with added raw meat protein is. And Wellness CORE RawRev makes this option easy, safe and convenient!

Lele has just started her switch from original Wellness CORE kibble to RawRev. I'll return next month to tell you how it goes!

Is your pet eating* Wellness CORE RawRev dog food? Buy one and get one 50% off at PetSmart and unleash the power of raw!

* Remember to switch your dog's food gradually to avoid stomach upset. Refer to package directions.

What is your experience with feeding your dogs raw food? Would you? Do you have a senior dog? Are they on a high protein diet?

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PetSmart Poised to Donate Over 60 Million Meals to Needy Pets; Here's How You Can Help!

Do you ever buy dog and/or cat food? Or would you, if you could donate it to someone who could use it? YES! That is your answer, because you are a good person!

Well, LISTEN UP! I'm about to tell you how you can turn that purchase into an additional meal donation for a pet who might not know where his next meal is coming from! And you don't even have to cook or deliver it!

BREAKING NEWS! In a press release from PetSmart...

PETSMART® EXPRESSES ITS LOVE OF PETS WITH BOLD MOVE TO HELP PETS IN NEED, ESTIMATES DONATING MORE THAN 60 MILLION PET FOOD MEALS IN 2017 THROUGH ITS NEW BUY A BAG, GIVE A MEAL™ PROGRAM

Additionally:  

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart announced today the launch of its new Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program, where for every bag of dog or cat food purchased online and at all its stores across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, the leading pet specialty retailer will donate a meal to a pet in need served by pet shelters, animal welfare organizations and food banks.

Did you hear that, guys?!

Clockwise, starting at top right: Jon Farleigh, (former foster kitten) Effie Trinket, (foster fail) Lele, (foster fail) Maddox

Haha, I think they did! Check out this happy (short) video from the folks at PetSmart to learn more about this exciting (largest in company history) philanthropic effort!



Side note: Did you hear them say "Richmond" in there? Well, they did, and that's MY HOMETOWN RVA! Heck yeah, we're gonna be the reason PetSmart gives away a mountain of meals! Think your hometown can top us? 😉 Here's a head-start tweet I made for you! Just click the link and you'll go straight to a new window in Twitter!

"#ForTheLoveOfPets, buy ANY bag of dog/cat food @PetSmart (in store/online), & they'll donate a meal to a needy pet! https://goo.gl/KRh0nU" - Click to tweet.

Did you know...

Up to 7 million pets enter shelters each year, but not all pets in need live in shelter--some live with pet parents who rely on food banks.

Every single pet I've fostered for local shelters over the last few years (there've been over 30) has depended on donations or subsidization of food for nourishment. Sometimes part of my job as a foster provider is to provide that food myself (and I'm happy to do it). The truth is, pet food is a big expense (we can all agree on that), and any break in cost is a help. But imagine what might happen if the expense of providing regular, healthy meals for your pet became impossible to bear. Thankfully, there are food banks in local communities (like mine), that not only provide human food for those in need, but pet food, too, so beloved pets can stay in their homes, with their human companions, and out of shelters. Some communities even have food banks just for pets. All of these pantries depend on donations by the public (citizens and businesses).

All those babies were my foster pets, y'all! Three of them (Maddox, Frances and Lele) still are; I mean, I never took them back, and now they're mine! They all had one thing (besides being mammals) in common: they LOVED to eat! (Fit right in with my perpetually starving corgis!) 

Will You Help PetSmart Give Pets Like These Some Free Meals?

It's SIMPLE! Here are the steps, between now and Dec. 31, 2017:

1. Go to PetSmart (online or inside a store).
2. Pick out a bag (or bags) of cat or dog food--any brand, any size, zero exclusions.
3. Put it in your cart. 
4. Pay for it.

BOOM! PetSmart will donate a meal* (for EVERY bag you purchased)! So easy!

*Donated meals will be distributed by PetSmart Charities, not only to pet shelters and rescue groups, but also to food banks across the U.S. and Canada.

Perhaps Lele and I will see you at PetSmart?! #ForTheLoveOfPets

Follow PetSmart on social for the latest news and deals!

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Hmm, might be time for some more food....

How to Determine Whether Your Dog Really Wants What He's Begging For

When I'm in the kitchen, my dogs beg for everything I get out of the pantry, cabinets, refrigerator, off the counters, out of gift and grocery bags, from envelopes, out of coat and pants pockets, drawers...I think you get the picture. It dawned on me that they might not actually want to eat all of these things, but that they are simply taking their chances (aka betting, using their better-than-50%-odds gut instinct, which they learned from experience) that whatever the thing is that I'm retrieving is 1) edible, and 2) tastes good. Lest, they would be much more selective with their begging efforts.

To test this theory, I showed Dewi a selection of fresh, whole fruit, in rapid succession. This is what happened...

Mmmm, banana...

Mmmm, tomato (Yes, it's a fruit.)...

Mmmm, apple...

Mmmm, peach...

And then I showed him this...

Mmmm, jar of unopened pickled jalapeno slices...Ha! I knew it!

In conclusion: (My) Dogs know how to gamble (using time and energy as currency) and have no shame in doing so. I guess that makes me an enabler. 

Does your dog beg for everything gamble in the kitchen, or wherever yummy edible things get "dropped" in his direction? Has he ever gambled and "lost" (like Dewi and the pickled peppers)? Do you always cave in and let your dog win the jackpot? Or, do you look the other way and eat ALL the cheese, for example, hoping your dog will not notice you didn't share? 

Anyone want some fruit salad with a side of dog drool?

Broken Chihuahua on Way to Wellness: Perfect Nutrition Meets Mange #GrainFreeForMe & Lele

This is my foster dog, Lele. 

Besides the two and a half-square inch, balding, reddish blotch in the center of her back, you wouldn't know it...that four months ago, Lele had been returned by her adoptive family to the city animal shelter, broken down in body and spirit: completely covered in thick, oily scales that both smelled rancid, and had caused her fawn colored coat to fall out in patches.

Not having seen her at her absolute worst (she'd been receiving treatment for several days before I picked her up at the shelter), I even have a hard time picturing her in that condition. In the time she's been in my care--with vigilant use of medicated shampoos and creams, ear cleaners, myriad prescription medications, veterinary consultations, and the best flipping food ever (grain free Wellness® CORE® Wild Game recipe kibble), besides the persistent itching, icky ears and previously mentioned back blotch, she looks pretty darn good today!

But, y'all! Before I go any further, I need to tell you something: As disclosed, I was compensated to write this post, including with a three-month supply of Wellness CORE dry dog food for Lele to try. Turns out, one 26-lb bag (my initial supply) is more than plenty to feed a 10.5-lb chihuahua, who eats 1/4 cup of kibble twice a day, for three months (more like four). I was BLOWN AWAY, then, when at the beginning of June, the FedEx guy dropped another 52 lbs of Wellness CORE food for Lele on my front porch! And if that wasn't enough, a few days later, FedEx guy brought us a full-size bag of Wellness CORE Air Dried food (tender little protein bites) to use as a topper for her kibble. All math computed, that's a whole YEAR's worth of food supplied by Wellness for Lele! After spending a small fortune on her vet visits and private pharmacy this year, I would be remiss not to shout how grateful we are!

Too tired from all the chowing down to lift her head.
Check out all the CORE food Lele got*! Thank you, Wellness!
* I purchased the rest, including the CORE protein bar treats.

Turns out WellPet Foundation--the charitable arm of Wellness Natural Pet Food--reaches out to help people and their animals in need a lot, including (in partnership with PetSmart Charities) a recent donation of 95,700 lbs of pet food to Alberta, Canada fire victims.

Wellness recently donated 95,700 pounds of pet food to the Alberta fire victims through partner @PetSmart #BlogPawsChat <- high paw!

— BlogPaws Team (@BlogPaws) May 25, 2016

High paw, indeed!

But back to Lele and the state of her outward appearance...

Deranged food-eyes are totally normal and could be construed as a sign of wellness (at least a healthy appetite). 

Since I wrote parts one and two of this series, her coat (where it's not thinning) has gained luster and softness, and the only "fragrance" wafting from her these days is, well, simply "eau de chihuahua." And for a 10-year-old, her spirit is more like a girl's half her age: from bossing the corgis around, to admonishing a golden retriever who was minding his own beeswax in the lobby of the vet's office last time, my old girl still has plenty of fire left in her crackers!

Don't count her out of recreational activities, either: leaping and zooming around the house after walks and baths, and at the moment she realizes her next meal is coming, is a daily occurrence. She's even into the occasional play bow, and just yesterday, she tried to shake Bertie's stuffed goldfish into oblivion (the fish survived).

Lele is resilient. And all things considered, enjoys life.

And I can't tell you how badly her vet and I are hoping she has Sarcoptic mange!

Broken Chihuahua on Way to Wellness: Love, Antibiotics and Healthy Food #GrainFreeForMe & Lele

This is my foster dog Lele.

I never, in a million years, would have imagined using that hooded (human) baby towel (that my own babies used, years ago) on a chihuahua. 

She has to get bathed twice a week with antiseptic shampoo. And eat food that's allergen-free. I'll elaborate in a bit, but first, a word about my sponsor, who has generously supplied all of foster dog Lele's dry dog food for three months (yay!)...

LELE'S BACK STORY: A RECAP

Lele, a chihuahua mix, wound up at the same municipal animal shelter twice. The first time, because she was picked up as a stray, and the second time, because her first adoptive family returned her (after four months), shut down and with a severe skin illness (thick, greasy, stinky, yeasty, scaly skin, with bald patches and infected ears). The family gave no explanation, but rather accused the shelter of adopting them a sick dog, after which, they relinquished ownership and went on their way.

A week later, after I responded to a shelter plea on Facebook, Lele was at my house, healing, and in much better spirits, but still unwell. Because Lele displayed signs of allergies, in addition to bathing her and treating her ears with myriad antiseptic cleansers, I switched her to a diet free of potential allergens: grains (such as wheat, corn, rice and barley) and common animal proteins (chicken and beef). After trying a few grain free foods, all with potato (a common plant protein alternative to grain), but still battling yeast and scales, I looked for a food that was both potato and grain free (potato and grain readily convert to sugar--yeast's favorite food--during digestion) and still contained novel animal proteins. I found Wellness® Core® Wild Game Formula dry dog food, and that's what I've been feeding Lele since.

TWO WEEKS AND A VETERINARY DERMATOLOGIST LATER

On April 18, the day part one in this three-part series published, Lele (whose shelter name, by the way, is Leona Lilly) and I visited a local veterinary dermatologist. We were referred by the shelter's staff veterinarian. The appointment lasted two hours. Here's what we learned:

• Lele had a severe bacterial infection of her skin and ears, and it had been cooking for weeks.
• Bacteria was the only organism present under the microscope (no fungus and no critters, e.g., demodex and/or mites).
• Some of Lele's lesions (rashes/bumps that hadn't healed) looked suspicious ("C" word alert), but after Lele's exam, the vet was less inclined to believe "C" was involved. 
• Lele's right ear canal was too inflamed for the vet to examine her eardrum. It might be ruptured. (The left eardrum is intact.)
• Lele's issues are likely due to allergies, however, to what, no one knows. The vet's hunch is that it's at least something environmental because of the flare-up at the onset of spring.  

What else could she possibly be thinking about?

WE LEFT THE VET'S OFFICE WITH A WELLNESS PLAN

Lele has a follow-up appointment with the dermatologist on June 18. In the meantime, here's what I'm doing to get/keep her well:

• Bathing 2-3 times a week with a prescribed antiseptic shampoo. After which, I coat her from nose to tail with a prescribed, leave-in, antiseptic conditioner. It smells like potpourri and makes Lele's fur soft. 
• Cleaning both ears twice a week (at least) with a prescribed, mineral oil based cleaner, after which I flush both ears--using a bulb syringe--with warm water, and dab dry with cotton. This is a messy process, during which, I have to wear an apron. Chihuahuas can spray an uncanny amount of icky ear water; I learned this the hard way.  
• Administering oral antibiotic and antihistamine tablets daily. Lele doesn't know she's taking pills, though, because I hide them inside little, wet food meatballs. She swallows the meatballs and the pills whole.  
• FEEDING LELE HER REGULAR, PRE-DERMATOLOGIST VISIT, DIET.
  Yep! The doctor's orders were to keep that unchanged: Wellness CORE Wild Game Formula dry food, soaked and topped with a high-quality wet food (currently, Wellness CORE 95% Turkey with Spinach). And y'all, I'm SO thankful, because this food (still) rocks!

The various stages and textures of Lele's dinner. 

LELE IS A SENIOR CHIHUAHUA WITH ONLY A HANDFUL OF TEETH

Finding the right food for a senior, dentally-challenged, allergic foster chihuahua is no easy task. Wellness CORE Wild Game fits every single criteria. It's packed with rich, animal-based protein that Lele's senior metabolism needs, all natural, wholesome, consciously-sourced fresh meats, fruits and vegetables, super nutrients and pre/probiotics. I feel GREAT about all the good stuff going in Lele's 10-lb body (and the not-so-good that isn't). The icing on this pupcake, though? Wellness kibble turns into meaty little, malleable morsels in water, no crunching (or teeth) required!

Check it out!

But mashed up, gourmet dog food doesn't mean a thing unless the dog eats it!

What does one feed a dentally-challenged, senior #chihuahua with allergies? Grain free, protein rich @wellnesspetfood Core Wild Game Formula, all mashed up with added water and a wet food topper! #FosterDog Lele loves this stuff and so do I! Check the blog tomorrow for part 2 of Lele's road from being broken down to wellness (physically and emotionally). #sponsored #seniorchihuahua #seniordog #rescue #dogfood #grainfreeforme

A video posted by Elizabeth Keene (@chroniclescardi) on May 2, 2016 at 9:19am PDT

But, y'all, REALLY! Look up close at this kibble after it's soaked in water. Can you see the green veggie bit? This stuff looks like chunks of steak! (Though, it contains no beef whatsoever. Wild Game formula doesn't contain beef. Duck, turkey, wild boar and rabbit, yes.)

It's been two weeks since Lele's vet appointment and there are noticeably fewer icky spots (medical term) on her skin, and her ears (especially the right) have calmed down. Some days she's still incredibly itchy, though. (Not today, thankfully. It's been raining for three days, so MAYBE the pollen washing down the storm drain is just what Lele needs.)

According to Wellness, there are five signs of wellness in pets: Skin & Coat; Energy; Digestive Health; Eyes, Teeth & Gums; and Immunity. Considering her poorly condition back in February, when she was returned to the shelter, I think Lele is well on her way!

See? Even her three teeth look good!

I wish I knew how the only teeth left in her mouth are canines. Or, then again, maybe I don't. It doesn't matter. Besides, her floppy tongue is adorable.

THE RICH PROTEIN IN WELLNESS CORE ISN'T FOR ALL DOGS

Wellness CORE isn't the only grain free Wellness pet food option. There's also the newly introduced Wellness® Complete Health™ Grain Free line, for pet parents who want grain free, but not necessarily the rich animal proteins found in the CORE line.

Does YOUR pet eat a Wellness grain free recipe? Post a photo of you and your pet on social media with the hashtag #GrainFreeForMe!

Wait!

This post wouldn't be complete without a corgi! (They, after all, are enjoying Wellness CORE Ocean formula kibble in their food rotations.) Dewi's mind was temporarily blown at the sight (and smell) of that Wellness CORE Protein Bar with salmon and whitefish! (hehe)

All of the Wellness products mentioned in this post are available at PetSmart stores, and online.  And if you click below, you'll find a coupon for $3 off your next purchase of any Wellness dry dog food or dry cat food!

$3-OFF COUPON HERE

Follow Wellness Natural Pet Food on social media for the latest news and deals:

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I'll be back next month with the final installment of Lele's way to wellness with Wellness CORE (among other things)! 

Does anyone else have a dog with challenges CHEWING food? 

Broken Down, Scaly, Toothless Chihuahua Gets Spoiling of Her Life #GrainFreeForMe (and Lele)

This is my foster dog Lele.

She has a story to tell. But she only speaks dog. Therefore, I will use my human brain to read her chihuahua-mix mind and tell it for her.

After this word about my sponsor, who has generously supplied all of foster dog Lele's dry dog food for the next three months...

Once upon a time, there was a chihuahua mix running at large in the beautiful city by the river--Richmond, Virginia. One day--thanks to a citizen's tip, or a coincidental drive-by, I can't be sure--Officer Muller, of the award-winning municipal shelter, Richmond Animal Care and Control, rolled up, carefully parked his truck (so not to spook, or drive over the 10-lb wisp), got out, and scooped her up to safety.

(Hint: Officer Muller, and Lele, are third from the left on the top row.)

Upon delivery to the shelter, the kind staff checked the spirited little dog over, and in the process, noticed a strange bulge on her belly. So they sent her to their trusted veterinary professional for a closer look. (Note: This story contains generalizations, assumptions and educated guesses. I was not an eye-witness.)

After a thorough exam (or two, three...), the little dog--who had by then been named Leona Lilly by the shelter staff--was diagnosed with a hernia, and was promptly scheduled for surgery to repair it.

Leona Lilly then spent a delightful six weeks in a loving foster home--recuperating and waiting for a new, forever family. When that family arrived, she went on her merry way, to live out a life befitting a (mostly) toothless (that part of the story remains a mystery), senior girl (she's 10-ish years old, based on educated guesswork), who was once lost and with hernia.

Fast forward three months.

It was a typical day at the shelter, when the door chimed open and in came Leona Lilly and her adoptive family. Except Lilly was nearly unrecognizable--her balding coat covered in greasy patches of crusty scales. Broken, in body and spirit. Lilly's way had not been so merry, after all.

"The dog you adopted to us is sick*," said Lilly's person, unwilling to provide any further explanation.

"We're here to return her; she's not the pet we were looking for." 

They'd not stick around to second-guess their decision.

So, little Lilly was once again scooped up to safety. Not with a hernia, but with a whole host of other mysterious issues that would prove less easy to fix.

* Lilly had never shown any sign of a skin disease (nor any physical ailment, besides the hernia) in her initial shelter stay and foster home.

Image credit: Richmond Animal Care and Control

Fast forward a week or so.

"I'd be happy to foster Lilly, as long as she's OK with my corgis and cats," I typed in the email to the shelter foster care coordinator, after seeing her plea and Lilly's soulful eyes on Facebook. I'd never dealt with a dog who had significant skin issues before, but after just fostering a little dog with epilepsy without issue, I was eager to try. I mean, the bathing was only once a week, and I had loads of experience squirting stuff in cat** ears, I reassured myself. How hard could this be?

** Cats have "switchblades" in their paws, and I have only once in my life needed stitches. In my chin, after I face-planted on a concrete floor when I was five. (A "floor goblin" tripped me.)

TUNE IN NEXT MONTH FOR PART TWO OF THE STORY.

BUT DON'T GO YET. I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU HOPE.

So, Lele (shortened version of Leona Lilly) is in foster care in my home, now. She's been here for over two months. And although she still has lingering physical issues: yeasty, crusty skin (between baths), an icky right ear, and itchiness, which we combat with medicated baths and other topicals, there's great news: her spirit is fixed!

We "super-glued" it back together with love, affection, several soft, chi chi-sized beds, furry companionship, outdoor supervision, playtime--not with toys, but Lele LOVES to play keep-away with me, zooming around in bursts of energy, especially after coming in from outside, car rides, and healthy, flavor-packed food.

I'll cut straight to the chase:

Lele loves to eat. I mean, she can hold her own against my perpetually starving corgis in that department. But it's not easy to find proper food for a scaly, yeasty, crusty, stinky, itchy little dog...with three and a half teeth!

We're still trying to get to the root of Lele's physical issues (she and I have an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist--for allergy tests, among other things--the very day this post is set to publish), but in the meantime...

THANK DOG for Wellness and their natural, grain-free (and in our case, also potato-free), high-quality-protein-rich Wellness® CORE® line of dry dog food! I love it so much, I could squeal! Check it out!

Why Foster Dog Lele and I could Squeal for Wellness CORE Grain Free Wild Game (recipe) Dry Dog Food:

1. The small, pie slice-shaped kibble is porous, softens quickly in water, and packs well in a measuring cup.
   
   I hated feeding Lele kibble that was not only too big for her little mouth, but even after being steeped in water for several minutes, was too hard for her few remaining teeth to chew. She ended up swallowing a lot of her previous brand kibble whole, which was no good for her digestion or quality of life. I like how it packs so tightly into her 1/4-cup sized meal servings, too!
   
   
   


2. It's rich in high-quality animal protein.
   
   Lele is a senior dog, and current research supports feeding senior dogs a high protein diet, to ensure their bodies process enough of it to support healthy bones, joints and immune systems. Speaking of healthy, the food is packed with nutrients, added antioxidants, omega fatty acids, glucosamine and probiotics. And of course, never any meat by-products, fillers, corn, soy, wheat-gluten, or artificial preservatives, colors or flavors.


3. It's grain and potato free.
   
   Lele has signs of ALLERGIES. The first thing I could think of to try--in case the allergen(s) are in her food--was to eliminate the most common sources of dog allergies from her diet: popular animal proteins (such as beef and/or chicken) and grains. Not as common a dietary issue, but could be problematic for dogs who suffer from frequent yeast infections, are potatoes, which readily convert to sugar (yeast food) in the body. So I got rid of those, too. (Potatoes are replaced with chickpeas and lentils.)
   
   
   


4. It's for sale locally in lots of places.
   
   Not in the grocery store, but at at places like PetSmart and the local, family-owned pet store. I need to be able to run down the road and get this, and not worry about the brand being exclusive to certain geographical regions or stores, as many premium pet foods are. I've also purchased the CORE brand online, at in-store prices.


5. Lele BEGS for the stuff.
   
   I mean, she sits under the counter at meal time and trembles (a chihuahua thing) with excitement, while I mash and blend it up (I add a high quality dollop of wet food, such as Wellness® Simple Limited Ingredient Diet, to her kibble). And she plunges her foot-long tongue into her bowl with gusto, licking up every morsel. (It makes my heart sing, y'all. I can't imagine how she relishes TASTING her food for a change. And she spends a good five minutes each meal, which is a loooong time for a hungry dog.) 

PROTEIN-RICH DIETS ARE NOT FOR EVERY DOG; there's also Wellness® Complete Health™ Grain Free.

In case you've gotten as excited about Wellness CORE as I am, know that the high protein levels might be too rich for some dogs. And as always, pet food switches should be done gradually, over time. If you're interested in switching your dog to grain free, but not sure about the rich protein in CORE, consider the Wellness Complete Health new, GRAIN FREE line. Each of the three recipes provides a balanced blend of quality proteins, grain free carbohydrates, select fats and nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. 

Bonus: the kibble in Complete Health Grain Free is the same packable, porous, little "pie slice" as with CORE!

I'll be back in a month with the outcome of Lele's visit with the veterinary dermatologist, more information and updates about her Wellness CORE diet, as well as other things we're doing to get Lele 100% healthy again!

Jon Farleigh barks at picks out dogs on TV, too.
And, in case you wondered, he and Dewi are getting some CORE (Ocean Formula) in their meal rotations. They're thrilled. 

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