Monthly Archives: February 2013

Alex will be 11 years old in May 5 of this year.  I’ve had her since she was 2 1/2 months and even though she is a senior, my girl still has a lot of energy.

Alex

When she has a lot of energy she runs around me over and over again until I am almost dizzy.  She runs so fast that I still cannot believe my girl is a senior.

Now, if we are at home, she likes to run the entire third level, back and forth until she is completely exhausted and her tongue is hanging out.  With that being said, as a pet parent you should look for cues your dog is giving you regarding her energy level.  Some pet parents, me included, sometimes miss the following signs:

• Running back and forth inside the house.  This screams, “please walk me more.”
• Chewing things such as: socks, shoes, linoleum.  My first dog, Casey, chewed off the linoleum in the first apartment I rented when I moved to Maryland.  He took it upon himself to redecorate without consulting me or asking permission from the landlord.
• Pacing around the house.  Actually, this is more of a nervous sign but it can be caused by lack of exercise.
• Chewing on her paws.  Check with your vet first because it could also be allergies.

After she ran for a couple of minutes, she decided to sniff around trying to find who knows what.  I let her do this for a while and then we started to walk again.

Ok. I said walk, not continue sniffing.  Regardless of your dog’s age, do your best to pay attention to the signs she is giving you regarding her energy level so you can avoid getting your place redecorated or having to run to the vet.

Well, that depends on a couple of factors such as: frequency, quality, and dog’s sensitivity to wet food to name a few.

3 different brands

Alex will be 11 years old in May of this year and I’ve noticed that the older she got the more flavor she seemed to want in her food so I ended up buying wet food and mixing it with her dry food.  How often?  Everyday, but, and this part is important, the amount I use is 1 tablespoon that is why once I open the can I freeze it.  Why only 1 tablespoon?  Because if I give her more than that, she farts so bad that I have to walk out of the room.

There is a great variety of wet food out there, so you need to be careful and not buy wet food just because that particular brand is cheap.  Alex loves the above brand, Evanger‘s, and she inhales her food, dry kibble and wet food, and eats fast.  Alex usually eats slowly.  Sometimes it makes me think that she is asking for permission to eat from some unknown being.  Therefore, when she eats fast is because she is really enjoying the food.

Ingredients

You need to pay close attention to the ingredients in wet food.  Duck is the first ingredient in this particular brand and no by-products.

Alex’s second choice.

The above brand, Nature‘s Recipe, is Alex’s second choice.  Again, I only mix 1 tablespoon with her dry food once a day.

Lamb is the second ingredient and I don’t see any by-products.  Before you start feeding your dog wet food, make sure that you only add a small portion of it to her dry food.  Consult your vet if she has any allergies or sensitive stomach before feeding her wet food.

Not my choice at all.

My girlfriend, Cynthia, went to the supermarket and bought me this brand since she knows that I add wet food to Alex’s food.  Yes, I know, she had the best of intentions, and I am glad and grateful that she remembered Alex, but I cannot feed her this.  You are probably thinking, “ungrateful person.”  Forgive me but Alex’s food needs to be one of good quality if not best quality.  I know, I am picky.  She told me that.  That was a while ago and I don’t plan to use it but rather dispose of it.

Check the ingredients.

The first time I see the word meat is where it says, “meat by-products.”  Alex is a pretty healthy dog even now that she is almost 11 years old and I believe that a lot of it has to do with her diet and excercise.

Alex seems to enjoy the mix of dry food, wet food, and my cooking.  My girl loves and enjoys variety.  Whatever you decide to feed your dog is really up to you.  I am not trying to change anybody’s mind, but rather share my experiences, concerns, and perhaps get other pet parents to give me some feedback.