Hello, everyone. Stanley and I just finished our morning walk. I've had my toast and latte and Stanley is having his salmon and veggies breakfast presently as I write this.
Since adopting Stanley I've learned a lot about pet nutrition and general health. I subscribe to Dr. Becker's newsletters (http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/dr-karen-becker) and I do a lot of Google-ing on my own to find answers about Stanley's well being. I've discovered that I'm fine eating a chocolate donut myself but I am not OK feeding a chocolate donut to Stanley. Interesting, huh? It's not often that I have chocolate donuts and rarely do I eat fast food, but the food I eat in my normal routine has gotten better ever since Stanley entered my life. ...and that's a good thing!
At first I fed Stanley food that my vet recommended. "It is specially formulated for dogs his size...." I immediately thought, "formulated?" I don't know....that sort of sounds chemical and pharmaceutical-like (aka, bad!). I noticed that Stanley choked it down and that he really didn't want to eat it. I didn't finish the bag!....It really bothered me to see Stanley's reaction to it.
Next, I bought food from a well known pet store chain. Stanley reacted better to the food and it had a lot of vitamin E which was great for his coat. I learned of this product from someone who also had chihuahuas and after speaking to her twice I decided to try it. I noticed however that he began putting on weight. Hmmm. It was at this point that Stanley and I began taking long walks and I became more focused on Stanley's overall health and well being.
All this time I had made changes in my own diet and began eating more nutritiously. I was evolving in my tastes and priorities and it was happening naturally, without feeling forced. I conquered my ten year addiction to Starbucks hot chocolate (Hallelujah!) and I began cooking at home more. At least once a day I'd fit in an hour long walk and, even though I wasn't walking fast or jogging, the exercise and mental relaxation the walk provided was beneficial.
Now, Stanley and I take long walks in both the morning and evening 3 times a week (I carry him part of the way), and we walk our normal schedule 4 times a week. I buy more healthy pet food from a health food store and supplement with fresh veggies and a meat that I daily cook for him (it allows me to sneak in his joint supplement and probiotics). I am cooking more meals and almost all of my dinners at home and I feel much better for it. Truly, my own diet and health have gotten much better once I started focusing on Stanley's diet and health.
I'm continuing to learn that a pet brings love into your life but also brings added benefits. Adopt (http://www.dfwhumane.com) and love a pet today. Your life will get better the more love and care you give them.
See you on the walking trail,
Carleen
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