I Cooked For My Dog

Yes, it's true. Many people may not think this is a big deal, but for me... trust me, it is. I rarely cook for myself. Why then would I do such a thing? Good question.

After Bailey's surgery this week, I knew she may not have much of an appetite. I also knew that the anesthesia and pain meds can affect the digestive system and make it difficult for things to pass through. Plus, Bailey has always had a sensitive digestive system... one thing ingested that's out of the ordinary could send her into a few days of diarrhea easily (ask me how I know). AND, last but not least, her pain meds needed to be taken with food. My goal was to get food in her stomach that would be easily digestible and entice her to eat even if she didn't really feel like it.

Here is the result:

Sure looks appetizing, doesn't it? Well luckily for me, to Bailey it did. It was very simple (even a non-cook like me was able to accomplish it). Ingredients: cooked ground chicken (beef or turkey would work just as well), plain white boiled rice, a few scoops of canned pumpkin (not the pie mix, just pumpkin), and some chicken broth for extra flavor. Mix it all together and that's it. I just stuck it in the frig and made enough to last until I got her converted back to her regular food.

You may be wondering about the pumpkin... well, I discovered through numerous online tips (many through the awesome Orthodogs Yahoo group I belong to) that pumpkin is great for digestive issues with dogs. If things aren't moving, it will help them move along. If they're moving too well, it can help with that also. I was a little worried that Bailey might turn her nose up at the pumpkin (she's not a normal "wolf down anything edible" labrador), but she didn't. And without getting into any of the unpleasant details, let's just say it worked great.