FEEDING MY DOGS REAL FOOD IN PORTLAND OR

Chiropractor Portland OR Lawrence Berntsen With His Dog

Why I now feed my dogs real food in Portland might be a good treatment option. Almost everyone will experience some form of back pain, ranging from slightly irritating to completely crippling, in their lifetime. Whatever the degree of pain you are experiencing and whether it is acute or has become chronic, at the very least you would probably rather live without it. In the most extreme cases it can be difficult to go on living with it. This article aims to help you to understand what causes lower back pain, and how chiropractic treatment can help you achieve lasting back health so that you can go on enjoying those walks in the park.

I have a 5-year-old overweight black Lab/ Shar-Pei mix named Moose, who is food-obsessed. Moose will eat anything except vegetables, with the exception of broccoli, but only if it's been lightly steamed.

I also have a 16-month-old Sheepadoodle puppy, Freya, who is the pickiest eater I've ever come across. Freya won't eat kibble or canned dog food, not even the highest quality, three dollars a can, grain-free, filler-free, organic, free-range, sustainable, local, etc. She won't eat eggs.

Did I mention my dogs have been spoiled beyond repair?

My husband and I tried every dog food in our local pet store. The search for a menu that would work for both our dogs was becoming tiresome and expensive. We decided to do some research on the raw food diet. It sounded appealing. We liked the idea of our dogs getting back to their roots, eating raw meat, vegetables, and fruits like dogs do in the wild. Helping our pups get the nutrient-dense foods that their bodies were designed for and could easily digest. We sorted out how much food each dog should get per meal. We learned about the risks of feeding them foods with bones, about which meats were ok to serve together and which weren't, etc. We tried it. Moose gladly ate it all. Freya refused most of it while tolerating a select few items for a short period.

Now we feed them real food. We still feed the same meats, vegetables, and fruits as the raw diet, but we cook them first and include chopped herbs and spices that are safe for dogs to eat. This way of eating can get expensive. The meat is the costliest part. We started looking for ways to cut back on expenses without sacrificing nutrients.

Recently, I stopped by the new Asian grocery store on 82nd and Foster where the old Frey Myers used to be and found some seriously reasonable deals on meat there. Granted, the types of meat were a bit outside my comfort zone, but I figured it was worth a shot. If my dogs liked it, I could save a lot of money each week buying chicken feet, duck heads, cow uterus, pig feet and tails, and other such tidbits. I also found some great prices for fresh herbs. Herbs are the most nutrient-rich food on the planet by volume. I doubled checked the online list of herbs safe for dogs and then bought a few to try out in their next few meals. I chose Thai basil, parsley, and some mint.

The Real Test!

For their first official cooked meal, I picked out some chicken hearts, feet, and pigtails. I stopped there since our vet told us not to combine more than three types of meat in one meal. Apparently, it can upset their tum tums. I sautéed the proteins in a little coconut oil, until brown on all sides, threw in some chopped herbs and a very tiny pinch of sea salt. I made sure to wash their bowls and then portioned out the meat to cool. I then used a bit of low sodium chicken broth in the sauté pan with some baby spinach, carrot slices, and broccoli to steam/sauté until tender. I mixed that in with the meat and served it to them. They loved it.

I've served up a few more combinations to them since then and found that they like it all. Real food freshly cooked Is looking like the winning combo. In the future, I'd like to meal prep for the week so that it's quick and easy to toss it all into a pan to cook up in 10 minutes or less. It's a small price to pay to ensure my fur-babies get the best possible food for them.