Photo Credit: Emily Tarkowski
My dogs are my kids, yes I know they’re not four legged humans covered with hair, but I still call them my kids. I make sure they have the best of everything. I spend hours researching everything from the dog food I feed them, to the beds they sleep on at night. I learned the hard way. My dog Sadie used to get really sick, and it took me a while to discover that it was her food that was causing her illness. Now I understand that you should take the time to make sure what you’re buying for your dog is safe.
My dogs have nothing to worry about when it comes to summer heat. They are in an air conditioned house all day. I make sure they have fresh water everyday. I ensure they have plaque and tarter control, healthy dog food, and daily exercise. I walk my dogs at 7:00 am, so they do not overheat.
When it comes to their daily exercise, I try to do things like rollerblade, bike ride, swim and hiking with my dogs. They seem to enjoy the different activities. At the end of each activity I also make sure to walk them. One of the essential elements of keeping your dog mentally healthy is taking them out for walks. However, you have to maintain leadership during your walk for your dog to feel content. I have found this last week I have not felt like rollerblading, bike riding or anything else that requires any amount of energy. I have been totally wiped out, my joints hurt, and my stomach has been upset.
The reason for this is my diet. I hate cooking so I end up eating a lot of junk food. I actually crave junk food when I do not eat it. You would think, because I spend hours researching everything before I will let Sadie and Rusty have it, I would do the same for myself. Because I haven’t been taking care of myself, Sadie and Rusty have not been getting their full exercise. I feel tired and I’m not mentally alert, so I haven’t been acting as the leader during our walks. If I really care about my dogs, then I need to keep things under control.
I have decided it’s time for a change I’m going to start cooking at least twice a week. This is a big deal as I really hate to cook. I am also going to stop buying junk food for at least a month.
Do you have the same problem as me? Do you take much better care of your dogs than you do yourself? Have any advice?
Great post! We changed our ways a couple of years ago when Rod had the choice of changing his diet or going on medication to reduce cholesterol. It’s not as hard as you might expect. I recently read a book called Eating for your Genotype, which I highly recommend. We’ve adjusted our diets based on the suggestions in the book and are both feeling a lot better. Once you get started you’ll feel so much better you’ll never want to go back.
Thanks for the info Amy. I will have to get a copy of “Eating for your Genotype.” I am looking forward to having more energy and feeling better. The biggest hurdle I’m having is deciding on what to make for meals. Maybe the book will help. Nice to hear Rod has been able to control his cholesterol without having to take any medications. Diet and exercise are key.