I have a 15 yo golden retriever who just survived surgery to remove 2 big non Cancerous growths on her back that were getting infected. Because of her age the vet didn’t want to do surgery but did after I spent $$$$$ going to a cardiologist for an EKG which said she is fine! She has never been on any meds for anything and still loves her 2 mile walks. I feed her Farmers Dog, mixed with fresh veggies, a little canned pumpkin, and whatever else I have that’s nutritious in the fridge. My point is healthy food for dogs does work in so many ways. If you can, it’s really a no brainer for our best friends!
Yes, diet is so important. We feed fresh food to the rest of our family members, so why not them? I like the pumpkin when we have tummy upsets. Bruce is known to lack discretion in what he eats before you can get it out of his mouth. Sometimes he snacks on bunny poop and other delicacies.
Love this so much. Thanks for sharing and being an awesome DogMom.
I’ve done some of those types of ministrations in the past for my Elroy, a Norwegian Forest Cat. He lived until 18, when renal failure snatched him from me. He’d had the same problem when he was 6 and almost died. Being willing to think outside the PetCo box allowed me to enjoy that boy for a long time.
Now I have a feral rescue; she’s about 4-5, darling lil monster. Not all of her teeth developed, from what I can see. She is due for a Vet visit. Cringe. I think we will talk about that fresh/ homemade food. She came with kibble, so that’s been her food for a year now. Methinks I need to change that.
I believe that fresh food is especially important for cats. They don't generally like to drink water so they need to have moisture in their food. When I worked in rescue, the number of cats that experienced kidney issues was surprising. Good for you for keeping your little guy going for so long!
I adopted Ginger (beagle mix) in 2003. Her age was unknown but she was an adult. She ate kibble every day of her life. She lived to 2020, so the youngest she could possibly have been was 18. She was likely 19 or 20. I adopted Cashew in late 2020. She was estimated to be 10 then; no way of knowing. She had one leg amputated from a tumor just before I got her. She’s still going strong and is probably about 15.
I just don’t believe kibble is bad or better than low-quality TV dinners.
I think a lot of it depends on the dog, the quality of the kibble, and the other things the dog eats. Snoopy's longevity surprises me because her diet was as chaotic as mine. Mallory holds the record among my dogs, and she lived on Pedigree for most of her life, moving to more "people food" as a topper as she became older and a picky eater. But I do believe that optimizing her nutrition is part of why Gidget McFidget still gets the zoomies at 16.
I'm so glad your pups lived such excellent, long lives. They live for such a short time, those bonus years are extra special.
I'm the primary caregiver. My husband is the fun guy who entertains Bruce Wayne when he wants to go on a car ride while Gidget McFidget and I stay under a blanket.
I have a 15 yo golden retriever who just survived surgery to remove 2 big non Cancerous growths on her back that were getting infected. Because of her age the vet didn’t want to do surgery but did after I spent $$$$$ going to a cardiologist for an EKG which said she is fine! She has never been on any meds for anything and still loves her 2 mile walks. I feed her Farmers Dog, mixed with fresh veggies, a little canned pumpkin, and whatever else I have that’s nutritious in the fridge. My point is healthy food for dogs does work in so many ways. If you can, it’s really a no brainer for our best friends!
Yes, diet is so important. We feed fresh food to the rest of our family members, so why not them? I like the pumpkin when we have tummy upsets. Bruce is known to lack discretion in what he eats before you can get it out of his mouth. Sometimes he snacks on bunny poop and other delicacies.
Love this so much. Thanks for sharing and being an awesome DogMom.
I’ve done some of those types of ministrations in the past for my Elroy, a Norwegian Forest Cat. He lived until 18, when renal failure snatched him from me. He’d had the same problem when he was 6 and almost died. Being willing to think outside the PetCo box allowed me to enjoy that boy for a long time.
Thanks!
Now I have a feral rescue; she’s about 4-5, darling lil monster. Not all of her teeth developed, from what I can see. She is due for a Vet visit. Cringe. I think we will talk about that fresh/ homemade food. She came with kibble, so that’s been her food for a year now. Methinks I need to change that.
I believe that fresh food is especially important for cats. They don't generally like to drink water so they need to have moisture in their food. When I worked in rescue, the number of cats that experienced kidney issues was surprising. Good for you for keeping your little guy going for so long!
I adopted Ginger (beagle mix) in 2003. Her age was unknown but she was an adult. She ate kibble every day of her life. She lived to 2020, so the youngest she could possibly have been was 18. She was likely 19 or 20. I adopted Cashew in late 2020. She was estimated to be 10 then; no way of knowing. She had one leg amputated from a tumor just before I got her. She’s still going strong and is probably about 15.
I just don’t believe kibble is bad or better than low-quality TV dinners.
I think a lot of it depends on the dog, the quality of the kibble, and the other things the dog eats. Snoopy's longevity surprises me because her diet was as chaotic as mine. Mallory holds the record among my dogs, and she lived on Pedigree for most of her life, moving to more "people food" as a topper as she became older and a picky eater. But I do believe that optimizing her nutrition is part of why Gidget McFidget still gets the zoomies at 16.
I'm so glad your pups lived such excellent, long lives. They live for such a short time, those bonus years are extra special.
If I were a dog, I would want to be lucky enough to be one of yours!
Me too! I would love a personal chef who cleans up after me and tucks me into bed at night.
My dogs have two of us who do that!
I'm the primary caregiver. My husband is the fun guy who entertains Bruce Wayne when he wants to go on a car ride while Gidget McFidget and I stay under a blanket.
He must know he is a lucky man