A bowl full of love
by Janine Adams

I'm not much of a cook. I make approximately three dishes for my husband, Barry, and me, two of which rely heavily on beans. Luckily for me, Barry is a good cook, though neither of us eats as healthily as we should.

Kramer and Scout, our standard poodles, are more fortunate. For years, I bought into the conventional wisdom and fed the dogs only kibble. For the first seven years of his life, Kramer was never fed a morsel of people food, save for the occasional shred of cheese that I would "accidentall" let fall to the kitchen floor. I believed what I was told, that kibble provided "complete and balanced" nutrition and that to share any of my food with Kramer would turn him into a beggar and would (somehow) be unhealthy for him. I believed what the pet-food companies said, that dogs don't require any variety in their diet. Indeed, according to the kibble manufacturers, dietary variety would produce a (gasp) finicky eater.

I fed this way for seven years without a shred of guilt. I thought I was doing right by my dogs. Then Kramer got sick. I started to do some research. And I actually started to apply logic and reason to the subject of my dogs' health and nutrition. My critical faculties, which had lain dormant on the subject, were reactivated, and I started asking myself some questions. Why, for example, is it important for me to eat fresh, whole foods (rather than only processed foods), but unnecessary for my dogs? Why is variety important for humans but not dogs? It didn't make sense.

I am fortunate to have a wise and generous friend, Gina Barnett, who feeds her dog, Fred, a fresh, raw diet and who champions fresh - food feeding for all dogs, particularly unhealthy ones. As I slowly contemplated taking the plunge into preparing my dogs' food myself (don't ask me why I dragged my feet so), Gina patiently answered my questions and told me what books to read. She provided me with the recipes I felt I needed. And, best of all, she allowed me to watch her feed Fred. I saw that it wasn't labor intensive. And I saw how much Fred enjoys it. A follower of the Billinghurst BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diet, Gina feeds Fred raw, meaty bones - a scary proposition for many neophyte or wannabe home feeders. I watched Fred confidently chomp up his chicken wings. No sign of distress. No difficulties. Only a happy, healthy dog enjoying his meal to the fullest.

As I sought holistic care for Kramer, newly diagnosed with lupus, a fresh-foods diet started to make more sense. It helped that I had vets giving me their blessing and advice. And I went for it. For 18 months now, I've been preparing Kramer and Scout's food twice a day. Barry even does it when I'm out of town.

I've discovered that it's not difficult. In fact, it's kind of fun. It was incumbent upon me to learn the basics of canine nutrition. (I now know more about dogs' nutritional needs than people's.) I feed the dogs a variety of raw, ground meats and vegetables. Scout gets some grains. They don't get too much in the way of meaty bones because Kramer doesn't process them that well. But I'm hoping that will change as his health improves.

The dogs watch me intently the whole time I'm putting together the ingredients. When I start to stir it up, Scout always barks in anticipation. Kramer and Scout bound ahead of me as I carry their bowls into the living room where they eat. Scout pirouettes with excitement.

This enthusiasm for their food was not evident when I fed kibble (though Scout tends to enjoy food in any form). Despite being fed an unvaried diet of kibble, Kramer had been a finicky eater. He ate with little enthusiasm and slowly ate only enough kibble to curb his hunger. He had a delicate stomach and in the couple of years prior to our switch to a home-prepared diet, any variation whatsoever would bring on a bout of diarrhea.

Now he eats a variety of fresh meats and vegetables with only rare gastrointestinal upset. He has food preferences, which I respect. We've discovered through blood testing which foods he's allergic to (foods-like chicken and wheat-that were prominently featured in the ingredients list of his kibble). It's very easy to avoid these foods on a home diet. Kramer is flourishing.

Scout's a little overweight. Her vet - prescribed weight-loss diet doesn't come from a bag purchased at the vet's office. It involves adjusting the proportion of meat/veggies/grains she gets, depending on which part of the day she is eating. Couldn't be simpler.

As I fix their food - it sounds trite but I really do it lovingly - I think of some of my friends who, despite being devoted dog people, say they don't have time to prepare their dogs' food. Parents never consider feeding their kids a diet of nothing but breakfast cereal (the closest thing humans have to kibble). They find the time to feed their dependants properly. I feel that, ideally, dogs deserve the same consideration.

I know I'm fortunate to work from home and control my time. But even if I were away from home all day, coming home from work exhausted, I'm sure I'd still perform this important task for my dogs' health. I can't think of a more important way to spend my time.

Now I just need to do the necessary research on human nutrition and take the time to lovingly prepare nutritious meals for Barry and me. It sounds odd to say, but my primary goal for 2001 is to eat as healthily as my dogs.

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