Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Am I Doing Something Wrong?

As many of you know, I am most assuredly changing the girls over to an all RAW diet consisting of beef, chicken, turkey, mackeral, various organs, vegetables and fruit. I'll probably throw in some venison, duck, or whatever else happens to come up, sometime in the future. We've just begun this new adventure and are really still introducing chicken and vegetables. They've had some beef liver but no other chicken organs or beef organs at this point.

This all came about when Sugar first became ill as she would not eat anything but raw stew meat and raw hamburger. Obviously the other two were so jealous as they were still eating kibble so I played around giving them turkey necks one weekend hoping they would all feel engaged in eating this different type of food. Lo and behold I noticed an immediate change in their tooth color and breath. They were whiter and no doggie breath to speak of!! "Yeppie", I thought, "we're onto something here"!

Then I was at a lure coursing trial and saw the most beautiful, fit Greyhounds with gleaming coats. They also ran as well as they looked. This was the icing on the cake for me - I was a convert. I promised the girls and myself that we would try this new eating regime and see just what results we could obtain. Thus far, everyone is doing well, even me who has the weakest stomach known to mankind. Remi and Lucy are also slimming down a bit. You see, they've been the recipients of anything Sugar wouldn't eat in the past which was largely and unfortunately, not something I could control (long story). So, they are slimming and Sugar is gaining which is exactly how it should be, oh, and I'm managing to continue to prepare their meals and mine as well. I don't doubt though, that I may very well become a vegetarian before this is all said and done but I digress.

The other day they were all outside after downing their weekly turkey necks when I looked across the yard to see Remi had something in her mouth. From where I stood, it looked like a stick. Then she turned another direction at which time the thing looked like a cross. She came a little closer and it was then that I realized it was neither a stick nor a cross but was, hold your jaw . . . a starfish. A dried one, of course, but still a starfish. Obviously I have no idea where it came from. I went to her and immediately yanked it out of her mouth. The look on her face was priceless. It was if she were saying, "but hey Mom, I found that treat all by myself now give it back". I tossed it in the garbage and that was that, well, until this past Sunday night.

They had just finished their chicken backs and I hadn't yet called them to come back inside. I normally muzzle them when they are just outside pottying or doing whatever but if they are eating, that doesn't really work so well. So, they were unmuzzled, yet again which leaves the door wide open for them to get into trouble. I go to call them in when I see Lucy beginning to sit down with something in her mouth. She was obviously getting ready to hunker down and "go to town" on whatever it was she had. I got a little closer only to see she had a dried and dead bullfrog carcass in her mouth. Again, I have no idea where this one came from. I yanked it from her mouth and received the same look from her that Remi had given me over the starfish.

But this behavior begs the question, what am I doing wrong with their diets? Are they missing some vital minerals or vitamins that I'm not providing or is this just a case of "dogs gone wild" in their very own backyard?

What on earth will they come up with next, I ask? I can only speculate but hope that they've now cleaned out all the nuisances that are apparently at their very reach. Pin It

5 comments:

Addie said...

Patti, I'm so glad you blogged about that starfish - that's just the weirdest thing! Now a bullfrog, huh? It's amazing what they find!

I'll be interested in what other people say, because my guys try to eat stuff in the yard, too. Bruno loves monkey grass, and Hoover likes kudzu and I once saw him briefly licking a tree trunk. Maybe they're missing a nutrient, or maybe they're just weird.

Addie

Never Say Never Greyhounds said...

Very weird. You aren't doing anything wrong. Dogs are opportunists and a healthy, normal dog should be ready to eat anything at anytime. So for them to want to eat anything interesting they find in the yard is completely normal. I do not believe that dogs eat dirt, plants, grass, and poop because they are missing something in their diets. I think they do it because they are defining it as edible and they will do what dogs do and eat it.

Do you think someone tossed that stuff into your yard?

Jen

Patti said...

Naw, I know I'm not doing anything wrong but it was a good title for the post. Dogs will be dogs, that's for sure.

I often find Lucy munching on pears from the neighbor's tree that apparently are left in the yard by the squirrels. She'll eat the whole thing!

I just think it's odd that twice in a week's time they've come up with really weird things to chew on. Usually it's just poop, grass, or sticks. Jen, I don't think anyone is throwing stuff in my backyard, well, definitely the starfish came from somewhere but the frog probably met his demise back there and they just happened to find it. It's all gross, really but gives me a good reason to give the yard one last cutting for winter. I'll survey it then and see what else might be lingering out there!

Zan said...

A starfish!! Remi definitely wins the prize for weirdest thing scarfed in the yard. Just goes to show you that truth is stranger than fiction.

Heather said...

maybe your girls went on a cruise while you were at work and they bunched up their pillows under their blankets so you couldn't see that they were gone on the webcam. remi realized that lucy brought home a keepsake, and in an effort not to get caught she tried to eat the evidence. that's all.