Diets

When Mona was diagnosed, she had dropped nearly 5 pounds in a few months which equated to more than 10% of her bodyweight. I did some research and ascertained that a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates was a good idea. Apparently, as they say, carbs feed the cancer.

She and her brothers were already enjoying a higher end food because of Amadeus' ear gunk issues. They were eating an oatmeal infused kibble made by Bil-Jac with an occasional can of food. I was big on using Kongs with delicious stuffings, typically involving peanut butter and real dog treats.

So I switched her to Evo which is a completely grain free diet. I almost fainted when I realized it is the most expensive dog food on the market. Then I nearly fainted again when I realized I was going to have to switch all three dogs or lose what was left of my sanity at meal times. Deus and Xander have this whole bowl switching/growl like dinosaurs ritual that would scare anyone unfamiliar with our feeding patterns.

The transition was smooth -- what dog wouldn't love food chock full of the meatiest meat morsels available? And it worked ... Mona regained the five pounds and a few more. Her vet commented that she had never had a dog add weight during chemotherapy.

She has kept that weight on even with the relapse. She continues to eat her Evo, but talked me into heating the canned food in the microwave b/c she doesn't like the chill from the fridge (I use half a can at a meal divided between the three dogs). Yes, I am the dog owner who heats food up in the microwave. For her dog. I use Ledcat's cereal bowls, but let's keep that between us.

Mona also has had a switch in her Kong stuffings from peanut butter to lowfat cream cheese. I add a few Evo grain-free biscuits and one Plato organic chicken strip. Mona enjoys the cream cheese, the chicken, and the occasional carrot or apple chunk. She does not like the biscuits too much and has made several furtive raids on the tin holding the carb laden MilkBones leftover from her previous life. She occasionally makes a snack of the dry cat food when the cats aren't at the bowl to defend their morsels.

The final change has been the addition of green veggies to her meals. I primarily use green beans. Heated in the microwave of course. I also use green peas. Deus and Xander get a lot more carrots and apples than Mona. They are both under doctor's orders to drop some weight which is a special challenge for Deus who is recuperating from shoulder surgery and is very restricted activity wise. (Try telling him that!).

Today, she ate her breakfast with heated canned food dollops. She had two Kongs with an apple slice, two carrots, chicken strips and cream cheese. She licked the cream cheese off the carb-free biscuits and daintily set them on her dogbed for her brothers to consume later. She just now polished off another bowl of food mixed with green beans. Later this evening, I'm going to give her a chew treat (high-protein).

Oh, and apparently right now she's "cleaning up" the leftover canned cat food. Such a helpful little miss is she.

ps: while I typed that sentence, she came up on the couch to curl up next to me and tuck her head onto my knee. at this moment, it is worth every penny and every sacrifice and every challenge to keep her healthy and safe. totally worth it.