Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

Waiting for my lunch.

Eating out with your Chihuahua can be a great experience. Yesterday my daddies took me out to Chicken Maison in Redondo Beach. We all enjoyed a delicious Chinese Chicken Salad. I love the crunchy part of the lettuce as well as the carrot slivers. I didn’t get to taste any of the chicken since I have to eat my well-balanced Turducken dog food from Merrick instead. (FYI the Chinese Chicken Salads are huge. For a dollar extra you can split the order and get extra pita bread. My daddies think it’s the best they’ve had. Be aware that you order inside and they bring the food to you. You cannot bring your dog inside and they do not take your order outside.)

It’s always fun to take your dog out to lunch or dinner. Living in Southern California makes that adventure possible with lots of restaurants that have outdoor eating areas. Even if you’re sitting next to a parking lot there’s still lots of people watching to do.  Pack a nice blankie and water dish and you’re all set.

Where is my dinner?!

Chihuahuas love to eat human food. It’s so much more desirable than dog food. But if you really want to cook your own dog food you must find a nutritionally sound recipe.

Don’t make the mistake my daddy did with his previous Chihuahua. He let her decide what to eat and she ended up eating nothing but VitaSnax and whatever meat daddy had for dinner. She got quite a variety but not the right nutrition. The result was the inability to digest protein leading to a protein deficiency as well as Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It wasn’t pretty.

Search online and you will find plenty of ways to prepare a proper meal for your dog (from wikiHow.com).

For another option to cook your own pet food check out balanceit.com. It’s run by a board certified veterinary nutritionist and was recommended by Dr. Michele Hoag DVM, Plaza Del Amo Animal Hospital, as seen in The Daily Breeze.

Just make sure you have the right amount of meats, grains, vegetables and healthy supplements.

But if all this is too much, you can always play it safe with a good, high quality, human grade dog food. I eat Merrick Turducken. It’s tasty and good for me. Plus daddy usually adds a few extra ingredients for flavor and variety, such as other dog food, treats, rice, vegetables and such.

Everybody likes to dine out once in a while. And so does your Chihuahua (other dogs too!).

It’s fun to go to new places and see new people. The smell of food cooking is wonderful. And Chihuahuas especially enjoy sitting on their daddy’s lap while dinner is being served. Unfortunately eating off the table is seen as rude and not socially acceptable. Pity.

It is against the law to bring your little furry friend into a restaurant. The health department thinks it’s unsanitary. Can you believe that?! But don’t worry. Many restaurants have outdoor seating and some of those welcome pets. They’re my favorites.

If you happen to live in an area with a nice year round climate like Los Angeles there are many restaurants to choose from and enjoy. If not, then I can tell you sitting out in the snow is not my idea of a good time. I know this because I don’t like the cold, not because I’ve ever seen snow. Don’t forget to bring a nice blankie. If you’re near the beach it might get a little chilly at night.

Here’s a list of Pet Friendly Outdoor Restaurants in the Southbay, taken from The Daily Breeze. Check online for restaurants in your neighborhood. Of course you can always eat outside at almost any fast food eatery, even Starbucks.

Hermosa Beach

Martha’s 22nd Street Grill – 25-22nd St.
Good Stuff – 1286 The Strand
Hennessey’s – 8 Pier Avenue
Le Petite Cafe – 190 Hermosa Ave.

Manhattan Beach

Hennessey’s – 313 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
Johnny Rockets – 1550 Rosecrans Ave.
The Local Yolk – 3414 Highland Ave.
Uncle Bill’s Pancake House – 1305 Highland Ave.

Marina Del Rey

Baja Fresh Mexican Grill – 13424 Maxella Ave.
The Cow’s End – 34 Washington Blvd.
Mercedes’ Cuban Grill – 14 Washington Blvd.

Redondo Beach

Kool Dog Diner – 1666 South PCH
Petit Casino – 1767 South Elena Ave.
Whole Foods Market – 405 N. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Zazou – 4810 South Catalina Ave.

Torrance

Lazy Dog Cafe – 3525 W. Carson St.
Whole Foods Market – 2655 Pacific Coast Highway

Palos Verdes

Rive Gauche – 320 Tejon Place

San Pedro

Lighthouse Deli/Cafe – 508 W. 39th Street

I exercise and eat right daily.

Do you wonder how much you should feed your little Chihuahua? If he/she is overweight, then you should be very concerned. Overweight dogs do not live as long as normal weight dogs. They need lots of exercise and the right kind of quality food.

The folks at TrainPetDog.com have developed a unique calorie calculator for dogs. Give it a try. (Caution, you will be given the opportunity to buy a Canine Cuisine ebook. If you do, I get a little commission.)

That depends on who you ask. I personally enjoy eating vegetables. I even like lettuce. In fact, I pretty much like anything that falls to the floor, including scraps of paper and stuff in the street.

Be that as it may, according Kristie Leong MD in an article in therealowner.com, the following vegetables are good for dogs: “…green beans, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, squash, and most other green, leafy vegetables. Not only do these vegetables add healthy antioxidants to your dog’s diet, they also are a significant source of soluble fiber and roughage which can promote intestinal health in your dog.”

As in everything you feed your dogs, don’t overdo it. It’s always best to feed a quality dog food. And of course lots of treats, in my opinion.

Here’s a list of food harmful to dogs, from peteducation.com

I suffer from this problem too. I find myself constantly licking and chewing on my tiny little Chihuahua feet. I can’t help myself. They itch. And now they are pink and missing hair. What’s a little girl to do? It makes it embarrasssing to be seen in public. Perhaps a few pair of nice shoes should help.

Did you know that most dogs who lick and bit their feet have an allergy. Yes, dogs get allergies too. This can be caused by pollen, grass, weeds, dust mites, dander, prescription drugs, cleaning products, certain food ingredients, even flea remedies.

I know my foot biting drives my daddies crazy. After seeing two vets the conclusion is that I may have an allergy to wheat gluten. My diet was changed but I still itch. The next step was a prescription of “Dermacool”. It helps relieve the itching temporarily.

Unfortunately to find out root cause of the itchiness would mean a full blood work and skin tests. That may help find the dratted substance. Then allergy shots or medication may be beneficial. No thanks, I say.

For now, we will stick to the Dermacool and hope for the best. I don’t want any shots or medicine. Please.

Dogs have an instinct to chase after moving objects. Our nature is to catch our meals. It’s our prey. It’s what we do. Dogs in the wild do not have nice people providing them with a delicious meal in a pretty bowl. What a pity.

We also like to chase moving objects. It why I run after leaves and flowers that are pushed along by the wind. I love carrying these objects when I catch them. Try and get them away from me and you’ll be sorry. I can’t help myself.

Chewing on sticks feels good. Perhaps if my daddy trained me better I would give up my prey without such a fuss. Or maybe not. We may never know.

It’s because we can be. Why eat the same old thing every day when, with a little effort, you can convince your “caretaker” that you need variety. If you ate your dog food without any problems you wouldn’t be getting any tasty add-ins.

This works very well with my daddy. I was eating the dry dog food. Mostly. Sometimes I just wasn’t that hungry. But I can tell that worried him. So he added some other dog food to my dry. Then when I grew tired of that, he added some dehydrated chicken pieces. Then occasionally dried beef pieces. All healthy dog treats.

Eventually I got canned food mixed with my dry. Now on top of that I get rice added in, carrots, apples, cauliflower, sauce, pieces of treats, even some cereal.

My main diet is human grade Merrick Turducken. There’s duck, chicken, and turkey. Who can ask for a better diet. But if I can get more, I say why not.

Some doctors say you should never give your dog people food. Dog food is made for a balanced diet. My daddy agrees, which is why he never gives me meat. It’s also why he adds in only a small bit of other doggie safe veggies and treats. But I fear he’s growing tired of that and might just make me eat only dog food. Pity. Guess I’ll have to work harder at it.

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Note from Daddy Charlie: “I fed my last Chihuahua mostly people food and treats. She was overweight and in her later years not very healthy. She developed a protein deficiency and had to have special vitamins and medication. Not a pretty picture. I’m trying to do better this time. And it’s not always easy.”