Not just for people food anymore.

“Would you feed your baby the same processed food day in and day out every day all day for the rest of his or her life? Probably not. So why are you feeding that to your dog?” That’s the question that my holistic vet asked me that opened my eyes to a whole new world of whole foods for my French bulldog Bleu.

You know you’ve surpassed your wild 20s and have reached your mature, sophisticated 30s when you have invested in a Cuisinart ceramic slow-cooker instead of Bloomingdale’s black leather pants. The ironic part is, I don’t really cook. As a vegetarian, I tend to snack a lot on whole grains, raw fruits, legumes, nuts, veggies, yogurt, and occasionally eat out. 

But this year I’ve made a resolution to cook healthy. But this grand resolution is NOT for me. It’s not for my friends, family, children, or boyfriend, either. So, who could be more important than any of the above? My French bulldog Bleu.  

Ever since I got him, I’ve been saddled with thousands of dollars’ worth of vet bills. Sinus infections. Viruses. Skin and food allergies. Head tremors. Papillomas. Ear infections. Conjunctivitis. You name it, he’s had it. And he’s only three. While my vet has tried her best to keep his bulldog baggage at bay, his problems keep coming back and new ones keep surfacing. I decided to try an alternative medicine route. I went to the Animal Healing Center and saw Dr. Diana Drum, a certified vet acupuncturist, chiropractor, and herbalist.

Be prepared to spend $175 just to get your foot in the door, and also to wait week up to a few months to see one of these specialists; it’s worth it. Dr. Drum listened patiently as I recounted Bleu’s saga. She prescribed thuja occidentalis for Bleu’s papillomas that were forming all over his body. Thuja tincture comes from a tree and is a natural treatment for HPV (human papilloma virus), or in this case, CPV (canine papilloma virus). Warts are small growths on the skin caused by a viral infection in the skin’s top layer. Bleu had a strong reaction to the meds and it scared me; he threw up the first time I administered it. But after a few weeks, only one small visible wart could be seen.

Before dog food, dogs ate wild meat. Since we’ve introduced kibble, dog cancer and inflammatory diseases like arthritis and allergies have skyrocketed. Why are we feeding are dogs stuff we would never touch? We all like convenience, and Americans are unfortunately culprits for easy fixes. If something is too much work, we look for an easy way out. Hence, prepackaged dog food. But I’m not taking the easy way out with my dog anymore. I can’t afford to. Neither can his health.

The best thing about crockpotting is you can make an entire batch of food for Fido that lasts all week long. You can refrigerate your food up to four days and freeze-dry any leftovers. The slow-cooker allows all the nutrients to stay in while thoroughly cooking your meat through. There’s even a rack on the top for your veggies if you want to keep them separate. I opted for the smaller size (3.5 quarts) because my kitchen is tiny and my dog is only 30 pounds.

The vet made sure to tell me that I have to slowly transition Bleu to a whole-foods diet. But in one month, he should be eating ground bison meat from Whole Foods, organic spinach, and sweet potato twice a day. What a lucky dog! Once I know Bleu can tolerate this diet, I can start adding in other veggies and starches and proteins, like sardines, radishes, parsnips, etc. It’s important to feed your dog veggies and fruits with low glycemic indexes. Surprisingly, carrots are high in sugar and not the best treat for your pup, although they like the crunch.

Who would have thought that a non-cooking vegetarian would be whipping up ground bison meat on a weekly basis in a crockpot for her doggy? I sure hope Bleu appreciates the effort.

Bon appétit, mon chien!

Post Title: Crock Potting for Your Dog & Other Alternative Treatments | Post Date: January 5, 2014

Blog Title: Fur Babies | Address: lovemyfurbaby.blogspot.com

Author: Mary Catania | From: Little Italy | Blogging since: 2009