The Coffee House

[smoke665]

Dreading my morning hike with Sadie. We might have to do a short one. Woke up this morning to a layer of sleet on the ground. Yesterday afternoon I overdid it outside in the the cold trying to get some things caught up. Paid for it later, as I narrowly avoided a trip to the ER with an an Asthma flair up. Breathing treatments and a rescue dose of prednisone saved me for the time being. Cold air and hot air are triggers, so I should have known better. Hate this crap!

 

[SquarePeg36 7]

Weather like this makes me glad my fur baby doesn’t really need a walk, just a quick let out in the backyard. He does not like the snow and ice on his paws.

 

[smoke665]

Weather like this makes me glad my fur baby doesn’t really need a walk, just a quick let out in the backyard. He does not like the snow and ice on his paws.

Our persnickty Peekapoo, was that way. She would absolutely not go unless it was grass. Guess who got to shovel walkways in the yard on snowdays?

 

[Gary A.]

Buenos Dias Coffee Hosers. Yesterday, Gary walked over 12 miles with Miss Maggie at his side. About four miles in the morning, another six in the evening and couple more inbetween. Maggie is like a battery operated device. She is either Off or On. When she's Off she recharging her batteries and when she's On she is on the move, curious and looking to get into something. She is a dumpster diver and will pull out tissues from the trash so she can snap the napkin's neck then shred it to pieces. (She is only allowed on the furniture when we pull her up.) When she's Off and on a sofa, sometimes she'll rest with her head hanging over the edge. (Go figure ...) Then slowly, when she's asleep, her body slips more and more over the edge until the weight tips her onto the floor. She still doesn't move, and she'll lie there in a heap just as she has landed for a good minute or two until she moves. Miss Maggie doesn't know what ice or snow is. But this week she may learn what the beach, waves and sand are.

 

[Gary A.]

She’s adorable @Gary A.

Thank you ... and she does not shed!

 

[Gary A.]

44F this morning, but things are warming up to 75F by the afternoon. Interesting ... in the Op-Ed section of the morning paper, there is an article that "Your dog should go vegan". Under the photo of Fido with it's mug in a dog dish is the caption of "CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, dogs have nutritional requirements, not ingredient requirements, some veterinarians say."

Into the article it states ... "The Animal Services Board may switch L.A.'s shelter dogs to plant-based food." LOL, only in California ... but there is a lot of truth in the article.

 

[smoke665]

but there is a lot of truth in the article.

I'm not sure a vegan diet is the most healthy thing for a dog, but supplementing their diet with fresh fruit and vegetables is not a bad way to go. Interestingly there was a Vet on the news this morning talking about the benefits of giving your dog things like apples, carrots, broccoli, etc. Sadie likes carrots, and sweet potatoes (fresh and dried), apples......well actually she'll eat anything you give her LOL

 

[Gary A.]

but there is a lot of truth in the article.

I'm not sure a vegan diet is the most healthy thing for a dog, but supplementing their diet with fresh fruit and vegetables is not a bad way to go. Interestingly there was a Vet on the news this morning talking about the benefits of giving your dog things like apples, carrots, broccoli, etc. Sadie likes carrots, and sweet potatoes (fresh and dried), apples......well actually she'll eat anything you give her LOL

The experts seem to think otherwise.

From Gary's biology classes, Gary is aware that carnivores typically will eat the pouch/stomach first of herbivores ... the partially digested plants, before working on the meat. Some carnivores, Obligate carnivores, need taurine, an amino acid unavailable in plants. Cats are Obligate carnivores, dogs are not. According to the article, " ... dogs have evolved over the millennia with humans and the gene crucial for starch digestion is 28 times more active in dogs than in their wolf ancestors. As much as your poodle might look like a wolf, he isn't one."

"Dr. George Fahey, head of the animal and nutritional sciences laboratories at the University of Illinois, told the New York Times years ago that a daily ration of corn and soybeans provides all the vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and carbohydrates a dog needs."

 

[smoke665]

Reminded me of someone!!! LOL

 

[Dean_Gretsch]

Good morning all! Hope everyone's holiday was memorable in a good way! @Gary A. She is a beautiful addition to your family. @SquarePeg Our Miss Daisy will not go #2 in our yard, so we have to load her up in a vehicle and take her for a walk at one of the local parks ( we do this 3 times per day too, btw ). It isn't fun when it's as cold as it is today, but when you see an eagle ( there were 2 actually! ) first thing, I suppose it makes it worth it. That is why I always take the camera.

Hope everyone's day is happy and warm.

 

[smoke665]

"Dr. George Fahey, head of the animal and nutritional sciences laboratories at the University of Illinois, told the New York Times years ago that a daily ration of corn and soybeans provides all the vitamins, minerals, protein, fat and carbohydrates a dog needs."

Not according to the Vets around here. Vegetables and fruits yes, grain big no,no. We've used the same Vet for over 20 years, never steered us wrong yet.

 

[Gary A.]

For some unknown reason, Gary has more faith in the head of a major university laboratory with the sole mission of investigating and understanding animal nutrition than your vet.

 

[smoke665]

For some unknown reason, Gary has more faith in the head of a major university laboratory with the sole mission of investigating and understanding animal nutrition than your vet.

You'd have to know our Vet to understand. He is a big believer in continuing education, attending seminars and teaching conferences (both as student and teacher) all over the country. Our first fur ball lived to be almost 19, all of our others have lived healthy and happy well past their normal life spans, with the exception of our little Yorkie who developed cancer at 10 years old.

 

[terri33 4]

For some unknown reason, Gary has more faith in the head of a major university laboratory with the sole mission of investigating and understanding animal nutrition than your vet.

Our last 2 vets concurred about simply making sure that corn, or any other grain, is not one of the top 5 ingredients listed on the package of dog food. Grains can certainly be in there, but the shift in thinking has been to lower the amount.

 

[Gary A.]

For some unknown reason, Gary has more faith in the head of a major university laboratory with the sole mission of investigating and understanding animal nutrition than your vet.

You'd have to know our Vet to understand. He is a big believer in continuing education, attending seminars and teaching conferences (both as student and teacher) all over the country. Our first fur ball lived to be almost 19, all of our others have lived healthy and happy well past their normal life spans, with the exception of our little Yorkie who developed cancer at 10 years old.

Sorry, Gary will take the findings of a major University's Laboratory dedicated to animal nutrition over your vet. All licensed/practicing human and animal doctors out here are required to take continuing education classes in their field and are required to test/renew their license every few years.