A little update on our family dog

It has been so long since I posted on the blog about our beloved chihuahua, Rocco. Rocco is 10 year-old now and has been going through some health changes in his older age. A couple years ago he was diagnosed with some heart issues which are very common in his breed. His heart is too big for his little bitty body, so he has to take daily medications for life. It upsets us all knowing he doesn't have many years left, but we try to make him happy as best we can. 

Getting Rocco to take his medication was super easy in the beginning. Just put it in a pill pocket or pill wrap and he woud gobble it down like a treat. One day he got hip to what was going on and started eating the outer wrap around the pill, and would leave the pill behind. We moved on to using cheese, cream cheese and peanut butter. It went well initially, then he figured it out once again. We asked at his vet's office what we can do and they basically said do whatever it takes. 

Last year I was cooking Rocco's food every week for many months because it got to where he lost interest in eating his kibble. One of the vet techs told me to stop cooking and just add some carrots to his food. She looked at it as I was wasting my time. The thing is, I have a lot more time than most people, so it was not a problem for me to do each week. 

I took time on Pinterest and Google to search for dog-safe foods and spices. I do a few variations that include things like brown rice, quinoa, lean ground chicken or turkey, chicken breast, select vegetables, herbs and spices. Too bad salt, pepper, onion and garlic are all toxic, because Rocco would have been pretty excited to eat each day. 

 

This week I made him some quinoa with lean ground white meat chicken cooked in a tiny bit of coconut oil. It is seasoned with turmeric, and fresh herbs from my garden including sage, basil and dill. I also chopped and boiled a small sweet potato and added in a handful of frozen peas and carrots. I have a tiny mortar and pestle that I used just for his med to grind it down. I add it to his food and he eats it all with no problems. We do slip in some kibble here and there. He also gets his daily probitoc chew which helps with itching and excessive paw licking. 

It's funny when you think about what you feed your pets. It's frowned upon to give table food, but when you purchase clean and organic dog-safe foods, your pet should be just fine. Think about stray dogs and even country dogs. They eat literally anything and everything and some live for many years. We have a family-friend who fed her family's dogs hot dogs every single day. These dogs lived until they were 15! 

It all comes down to doing what is best for your pet's needs. We want to make sure Rocco eats and takes his medications on time each day. We are trying our best. Have you ever cooked homemade food for your dogs?