I have been requested to give the history behind Dog and his Chicken Broth. I have learned that a one-time treat just isn’t reality with Dog. Period. No ifs, ands, butts, or peace! If I start something, I better be willing to do it for his lifetime. His prior humans did not inform me of this. That would have been a nice little tidbit and saved me loads of grief AND MONEY!!! Dog probably threatened them if they did. Go figure.
Dog had started coughing a lot and I was getting worried that he was going into congestive heart failure or, worse, heartworms, even though I make sure he has his annual checkups, vaccinations, and monthly heartworm preventive. Yeah, the Aunt Nervous Nellie kicked in here. I thought he was dying!!! {{{tears}}} One evening, about 11 p.m. and just as I had gotten into bed, snuggled in, and about to doze off (never fails, does it – see yesterday’s post), he starts this horrific coughing. I lay there, listening, and anxiety building with each deadly cough. I finally jumped up, grabbed clothes, purse, leash, etc., and said let’s go. Now, Dog does not do well when I throw him into a panic. Heck! I do not do well when I throw him (or myself) into a panic!
Off we go to the emergency vet at 11:15 p.m. If none of you have ever paid a visit to the emergency vet, then you have no clue the cha-ching they charge! And, let me tell you, it is CHA CHING!!! So, Dog, you better be dying!!! By the time we arrive 15 minutes later, Dog and I both are in full anxiety mode. Dog had worked himself up into a fever that the vet had to cool him off with fans and ice before she could examine him. I, in the meantime, am in waiting room trying to hold back sniffles and tears.
Finally, Vet calls me back to the exam room and gives me the diagnosis. Are you ready for this? I sure wasn’t. Kibble cough. Yeah, you heard me. KIBBLE COUGH!!!! Eating dry food and getting caught in throat – not choking mind you – just dry throat I guess is how I describe it. Really? Are you kidding me? Dog had kibble cough all this time when I was mourning his future passing? I just drove 90 mph looking worse than Maxine on a work night at 11 p.m. and paying cha-ching, returning home about 2 a.m. to save Dog from kibble cough!
Vet’s recommendation: Wet food. Well, Dog wasn’t having anything to do with soggy, watered down food, not to mention, he has phobias about dog dishes and I finally was able to get him to eat out of paper plates (another story – just keeps going doesn’t it?). And what do I do? I do the unspeakable. First, I try him on the canned tuna and its broth. Well, that got to be a pain to always have on hand, and expensive. I decided to make chicken broth so I can control the sodium and other additives. This is now a ritual. I make chicken broth in the crockpot and freeze in containers with Dog’s name on the freezer container.
Will Dog eat the food without the broth? Only in the first 3-4 days of bringing home the dog food – otherwise, he sniffs, turns his head up (Mr. Snooty) and walks away, lays down and gives me THE GLARE!
I have tried breaking him from this, but to no avail. He goes on a hunger strike. Guilt kicks in and I lose. And he heartily and happily eats probably as he does the “I Won” dance. Whatever!
And you wonder why they call it a Dog’s Life.
Remember, Ya Gotta Laugh!
Aunt Maxine
