I am at rest

Reminder: Voting is now open for Niamh’s Train Your Dog Photo Contest and Tucker's Sit Stay Competition!!

Yesterday (Monday, the 1st) was Auckland Anniversary, a holiday in Auckland, so Aucklanders were enjoying the last day of the long holiday weekend. However, I had to stay in my crate all day yesterday, because I had been having diarrhea over the weekend.



On Sunday I went to Hound Racing and had three runs (The photo in my last post was taken then). I enjoyed it so much!! But, shortly after I had water before getting in the car to head home, I became sick and started vomiting. Of course, my Mum and Dad were so worried about me that they thought about taking me to the Animal Emergency Centre. But, unlike a year ago when I was hospitalised, I could still drink water and walk, so they decided to put me at rest in my crate and see how I would get along.

On Monday, my stool was still liquid-like and I vomited again in the morning. But, unfortunately it was a holiday, so I couldn't see my vet. Instead, my Mum and Dad did some research on the Internet and found that if a dog has diarrhea he shouldn't eat any food for a day or so, so I was not given any food last night and this morning.

Today, first thing in the morning Mum rang the vet to make an appointment. While I was waiting in the waiting area, I met so many dogs and cats! Perhaps, because yesterday was a holiday, many dogs and cats who couldn't see the vet yesterday rushed in the clinic this morning.

After taking my temperature and pulse and examining my tummy, my vet told me I was going to be all right. I was given an injection and prescribed some medicine. For three days from today I will be on a special low-fat prescription diet.

But, don't worry! I am already feeling much better.

Cinnamon's meal manners

As I wrote in the last post, Cinnamon and I went to Honey's birthday party and had a great time last weekend. One of the most memorable moments during the party was what Honey calls Cinnamon's "Jaws" moment. Although in my post I wrote something like only Cinnamon had got a second piece of the birthday cake, it seems all the doggies there got seconds, which I didn't realise because I had to keep an eye on Cinnamon around food and I couldn't see what other dogs were doing.

For those who haven't seen the shots of the scene on Honey's blog, here are some photos Honey's human has kindly sent to us (Thank you, Honey and Hsin-Yi!!).

But, I think, for the sake of Cinnamon, I should show you how she usually eats her meals. She sits nicely and patiently in front of her meal bowl, shakes hands/paws, and waits until I say "OK". Here is the proof.

The whole family having the same dietary supplements

Since Cinnamon's arthritis was found, Cookie & Cinnamon and their humans have all been having the same dietary supplements, Good Health Joint zone and Nutra-Life Omega 3 Fish Oil. At first I thought about giving Cookie and Cinnamon tablets specially made for the dog, but I decided to give them what we humans have after the vet told us that she gave her dogs Glucosamine suppliments that she bought from supermarkets for herself.

When I went to a health shop and told a shop assistant that I was after Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplements, she recommended a product that also contained other nutrients such as copper, manganese, and zinc. But, as I didn't know if those extra nutrients were good for the dog too, I chose Good Health Joint Zone, which doesn't contain those extra nutrients.

I myself have a potential problem in my knees as a result of an accident that I had riding a motorcycle more than twenty years ago. In the accident I got my cruciate ligaments and meniscus damaged. They haven't caused much trouble apart from occasional slight pain until now, but now I feel the necessity to look after my damaged knees as I am not so young any more. So, I started taking Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and Fish Oil together with my dogs.

I hope they work for all of us, if not dramatically.



Cookie and Cinnamon have got new collars made by MaCherry's! Aren't they nice?

Mr Darcy, I am sorry Cookie hasn't played a game you tagged him. We haven't forgot it!

No wonder!

After writing my last post, I visited K9 Natural website and found that they had changed their feeding recommendations. On the package of K9 Natural Frozen Free Flow, there is a table that shows recommended amounts for various weights of dogs. According to the table, their recommended ratio is 1%. But, on the website which has been updated recently, it is 2%. No wonder Cookie has lost weight!! (Cinnamon has both dry food and raw food, so she hasn't lost as much weight as Cookie has.)

Also, I would like to thank Honey the Great Dane for telling us about her raw food diet in her comment on my last post. Yes, it is true that dogs should have something to chew on in order to clean their teeth, if they eat only soft food like K9 Natural frozen food. Currently Cookie and Cinnamon have some beef brisket every week or two and natural dehydrated venison or sheep ears from Truman's Treats (email) every other day. But, they would be delighted if I gave them bones more frequently!

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I am pleased to announce that Cookie and Cinnamon's new Japanese blog is now open! Their dad has chosen the third photo shown in my last post.

Photoshoot at home

Cookie and Cinnamon's dad is preparing to set up their Japanese blog page. They have their Japanese homepage already, but their dad is thinking about switching it to a blog. Today he asked me to find fabric to use as the background for photoshoot, because he wanted to take photos of Cookie and Cinnamon for their new blog page.

These are some of the photos taken today.









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Cookie has lost some weight, since we changed his diet to raw food (K9 Natural Frozen Free Flow) two months ago. When we first noticed the loss of weight a month ago, we increased the amount of food from 120g a day to 130g a day. But, his weight still kept declining, so we again increased the amount. Now he has 75g twice a day.

Cookie and Cinnamon's weight

March the 8th:
Cookie - 11.5kg
Cinnamon - 10.8kg

March the 31st:
Cookie - 11.1kg
Cinnamon - 10.9kg

Today:
Cookie - 11.3kg
Cinnamon - 10.5kg

Active Cookie!

In contrast to Cinnamon, Cookie has been enjoying his new diet.



Although it is too early to determine the effect of diet change, I am seeing some difference in Cookie's behaviour.

Though he is still unwilling to walk most of the time, yet he walks with light and happy steps when he does. Usually it is me who has to pull the lead, but he walked eagerly pulling the lead forward this morning.

Don't say pulling the lead is a disobedient behaviour, as it is, for me, a preferable one, as long as he is pulling it forward, not backward.

Before I started using a harness for Cookie after he had an operation for a slipped disk, I used a collar called "Premier Collar", which works like choke chains but is made of nylon tape. I used the collar because an ordinary collar often slipped off Cookie's head when he suddenly stopped walking and pulled the lead backward.

He has always been an unwilling walker since he was a puppy. So, I am very happy to see Cookie walking happily like a puppy!

What is this food!?

Cinnamon showed an interesting response when she was offered her new breakfast.



She looked eager until having the first bite, but then she quickly spat the food out onto a rug, on which she always has a meal. Perhaps she was not sure what she was eating, as she had never had non-dry food before.

Come to think of it, she did the same thing, when she was given a piece of raw meat at my friend's house. Cinnamon repeatedly put the meat in and out of the mouth, and, in the end, her canine friend, a retradoodle called Kurosawa, came along, picked up the meat, and ate it. If it had been something she was used to eating, she would've been upset. But, she wasn't. She just looked confused.

This morning, Cinnamon ate all her food eventually. I am hoping that she will get used to it.

Raw food diet

I am trying getting Cookie and Cinnamon on a raw food diet from tomorrow morning. I decided to do so because I wanted Cookie to be a little more active and alert.

I found frozen products called K9 Natural on the Internet. They are produced in New Zealand and sold locally, as well as exported to several countries including Japan. As they are not available in our local pet shops, today my husband and I went over to a dog daycare centre in Kelston, about a half-hour drive away from our house, which sells the products.

A woman at the daycare centre explained what differences we might see by changing our dogs' diet, such as more active and alert dogs, which I am looking for, and reduced smell in the feces.

It's going to be interesting to see how they respond when they see their new breakfast tomorrow.