Feeds and Feeding, Neurotic Edition

At Gunner's most recent cardiology appointment on January 12, 2022 with his residency-trained in cardiology veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Fields Benny, we got the good news that Gunner's heart size and overall condition are stable.  This finding is based on radiographs of the chest (Gunner's heart and esophagus), blood pressure, kidney panel, echocardiogram of the heart, and pulmonary pressure.

Gunner's heart size is stable but his pulmonary pressures were slightly higher at this visit than at the last visit. His kidney values were mildly elevated at this visit. This is a change this visit compared to September when the cardiologist veterinarian last checked. A low protein kidney diet is not recommended for cardiac patients as Gunner needs adequate protein to prevent muscle loss.  Gunner also cannot receive safe fluids under the skin. 

Dr. Fields Benny recommended having Gunner's Creatinine and BUN values rechecked in 8 weeks with his primary veterinarian Dr. J. Scott Mellina to monitor for trends.  On 1/12/22 Gunner's creatinine value was 2.0 mg/dL (normal is 0.5 to 1.8) and his BUN was 29 mg/dL (normal is 7 to 27).

Gunner's doppler ultrasound of his heart:

Radiographs showing Gunner's enlarged heart pushing into his trachea. Eat a bag of dicks heart disease

Moving on, in the ongoing effort to provide optimum nutritional support I've decided to try a diet based on raw protein for Gunner (as well as Jackie since she is an active sport dog too). The diet I've chosen is Dr. Harvey's brand Canine Health base mix food that I add fresh meat such as chicken or beef, and add oil to the base mix food. This base mix has 54mg sodium per 100 kcal (versus 89.5mg sodium per 100 kcal of his current diet The Honest Kitchen Beef and Salmon) which is an improvement since cardiac patients need to limit their sodium intake. 

I have started the process of cautiously transferring Gunner onto the new diet.  We're on day two of about 21 days of slowly transitioning to the new diet, being careful to avoid any negative GI issues. 

Jackie is also transitioning to the new diet from her current kibble. She is my pickiest eater, and early taste tests are favorable.  As a palatability trial, I offered Jackie just the Canine Health base mixed with hot water.  I was surprised that Jackie preferred the Canine Health over her current Fromm kibble, even without the addition of any meat.

The protein source I'm starting with is ground hamburger, fed raw but slightly warmed with hot water, to avoid stomach upset that could occur from eating very cold meat out of the refrigerator. Since all my dogs are already on fish oil, my source for the added oil is Wholistic Pet Organics brand deep sea wild Alaskan salmon oil. 

Though I'm transitioning very slowly, eventually the complete diet for Gunner will be 3/4 cup dry Dr. Harvey's Caninie Health base mixed with 1/2 cup hot water, 8 ounces of protein (hamburger, chicken, beef hearts, salmon, eggs etceteras), and 2 teaspoons of Wholistic Pet Organics deep sea wild salmon oil per day, divided into two meals: one meal in the morning and one meal in the afternoon. Supplements include a dollop of canned pumpkin per meal, a heavy dash of organic ground turmeric, and SmartPak brand Smart Canine combo senior chews, one chew per meal.

Pearls:

• Dr. Harvey's Canine Health has been recommended to support health and longevity by people whose opinions matter. It is a dehydrated whole-foods base mix that you add raw protein such as hamburger, beef hearts, fish, chicken, or eggs as a protein source and oil as a fat source
  
  
  
• SmartPak's Smart Canine Combo Senior contains key ingredients for healthy joints, tendons, and ligaments, including glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid (HA), and collagen; in addition, ingredients such as turmeric, resveratrol, devil’s claw, yucca, and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) help address discomfort associated with aging; it also provides prebiotics and probiotics to help support a normal digestive system

  

  
  

  

  
  
• Organic turmeric has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects
• 

  
  
• Salmon oil provides omega 3 fatty acids, which benefit heart health and brain function, reduces inflammation and strengthens the immune system
  
  
  

• A kitchen scale that measures ounces (as well as grams and pounds), has an easy-to-disinfect stainless steel surface, and a tare button that subtracts the container weight to zero out the scale is helpful in measuring accurate amounts of raw protein. This scale was 9 bucks and it works well: 
• 
  
  
• Careful prep, cleanup, and keeping hands, surfaces, and tools clean and disinfected are key to preventing salmonella and other germs from taking hold on prep surfaces or in food bowls. It's easy enough to put dishes in the dishwasher to be sterilized, good ol' handwashing with hot water and soap, and 409 antibacterial kitchen disinfectant is a simple way to keep tools and surfaces disinfected when dealing with raw food
  
  
  
• This electric glass tea kettle heats water in less than four minutes and has proven very convenient as I can leave it filled with water on the kitchen counter in my prep area for use on-demand for rehydrating the base mix; pouring hot water over the cold protein out of the refrigerator is just enough to warm it without cooking so it is still raw
  
  
  

Seems like a lot of fuss... and it is... and it's worth it to keep this good buddy feeling his best