Home cooking for Momo

 

Yesterday I spent some time in the kitchen preparing Momo's food. I recently began to home cook for her and while the idea of home cooking still scares me a bit (I'll get to that in a little bit), it's always a rewarding process.

For a long time Momo was actually on raw food. We gave her Answers Detailed Beef and supplemented with Answers Raw Goat Milk and Answers Fermented Fish Stock. Noah was actually on their kidney diet protocol and he did exceptionally well on it. Momo didn't have any ailments for us to adjust her food, but as we began to read more about Answers we thought it was a great diet to have Momo on as well. And for a while she did great on it. She didn't have any problems on it including digesting the food. And we became huge fans of Answers Pet Food (we still are!).

Then last June, Momo went in for surgery to remove a lump found behind her thigh. This was the second time she had gone under anesthesia last year (the first in March for a dental and several teeth extraction). In hindsight I am beginning to realize that this is when a lot of health related problems began to arise for her.

First, post surgery Momo developed a bad cough. We had it checked out but I was never really given a reason why she developed a cough or why she was coughing at all. She still coughs to this day - mostly when she exerts herself (like right before she starts to bark or sometimes when she gets up from a nap or she'll get up just to cough). Then she began to get really itchy (and unfortunately again she is still itchy to this day - her paws and also her body). And she began to not be able to digest raw food. She developed bad diarrhea and no matter how many times and how slow of a transition we made she just always ended up developing diarrhea. And finally she began to get ear infections. 

This was all new for us as Momo didn't have any of these issues before. I am thinking now that perhaps the process of going under for surgeries might have changed something in her body and might have messed something up in her gut (we have used probiotics throughout the time when she had diarrhea on raw food but they never helped - we did use gut soothe in the past but I did not use it while she was going through her digestive issue). But Momo also had a host of ailments while she was in Korea and had gone through multiple surgeries there as well. I guess we will never really know why the sudden flare ups.

In any case, we ended up switching Momo over to Just Food for Dogs and she loved all their recipes - venison, beef and turkey were her favorites. Her stool became firm again but still was very itchy. I relied on their food for several months before delving into cooking meals for her. Just Food for Dogs actually offers a do it yourself kit for people who want to make their own food for their dogs based on the recipes they offer. The kit includes the recipe, a shopping list, instructions and also their vet formulated nutrient blend. I didn't actually purchase the kit myself yet but may do so in to in the future to just have it on hand.

So this is where the scary part comes in for me. While I have relied on cookbooks for dogs in the past and continuously read things online, I am always scared that I am not providing enough nutrients when I home cook or that I am not getting the meat/vegetable/grain ratio right or that it's too oily or fattening or I might be under or over feeding because I don't know how much calories there is to the meal I just cooked. I think I developed this panic when I used to home cook for Piri and I ended up giving him too much calcium. He needed to go in for regular blood work because of his kidney disease and that's when we caught his spiked calcium levels (and it was weird because I was actually the exact recommended dose for calcium supplement).

But we're trying again. And while I don't have everything right, I hope to get there. 

I feel like I have to state this before going further, but I am not a vet or a nutritionist. This is just a personal journal of how I am home cooking for my dog. Anyone who is interested in doing so should consult with your vet and other specialists who are trained to give you advice and are better positioned to answer any questions you may have.

So, we decided to do a 16 oz of meat, 20 oz of vegetables and 4 oz of grains for Momo's food. We currently use olive oil to cook (we don't use coconut oil because it's fattening and we instead use a little bit of it to brush her teeth at night). For this particular recipe we used hamburger patties and also salmon for her main source of protein, carrots, Korean sweet yam and cabbage for her vegetables and brown rice for her grains. I also added five pieces of chicken giblets (I cooked this in a separate pan and washed off the excess fat and then cut up to mix with the rest of the ingredients) and every week I'll add in some eggs and also a little bit of fresh water, boneless sardines to her food for some extra nutrients.

Momo eats 3 oz twice a day and also around 1 oz right before bed (sometimes she throws up in the morning when her stomach is empty) and so this amount of food would last her around 5 days. I also switch up her meat and vegetables every time I cook.

In every home cooking for your dog article I've read, it is always suggested that a calcium supplement be added. I actually don't do this because of what I had gone through with Piri (over supplementing) and so instead I rely on the following supplements to help her with joints, overall immune and more: 

• Dr. Harvey's Golden Years Herbal Supplement (they offer these herbal supplements for all stages of your dog's life)
• Dr. Harvey's Coq10
• Dr. Mercola Pet Astaxanthin
• Adored Beast Love Bugs Pre & Probiotics
• Adored Beast Jump for Joynts
• Super Snouts Green Lipped Mussel Powder

We are also trying something new over the weekend. It's called Green Juju and we were thinking to include it on rotation as her vegetable source for her meals. The only store that carried it is a bit far from where we live and so we'll head on out over the weekend to pick it up.

Momo has been loving her food. She gobbles it up and licks her bowl clean, which makes me incredibly happy. Her stool has been perfect and she hasn't been showing any concerning signs. So far so good!

Happy eating dog friends!

I like this life with you... I miss this life with you // 022

"There is no place like home."

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum

Rivergreen Cottage

A few days ago, Yangkyu and I took our first overnight trip with Momo. We rented a little cottage on a working farm in Elkton, VA, called Rivergreen Cottage, and it was the type of experience that we had been looking for (well, I guess mostly me).

For a while now I had been wanting to get into camping but wasn't sure how often I would keep it up. I had camped a lot as a kid and it wasn't actually one of my favorite things to do. And as I got older the thought of sleeping inside a tent, being outdoors with a ton of bugs and having the bathroom not be so accessible wasn't really my jam. But as always, having dogs often changes my perception and with Momo and the current state of affairs with the pandemic, I thought it would be the perfect type of getaway that all of us can enjoy.

Before we decided on investing in camping gear though we thought it would be better to try out a camping type of experience. I had Rivergreen Cottage saved as a place to get away to for a couple of years. We had actually wanted to take Noah here as well and had been waiting for the day when he would get better. Unfortunately that day never came for us and I wasn't so sure how Momo would do without Noah by her side but we decided to take the plunge anyway (instead of constantly worrying about what ifs - we always get in the habit of worrying too much) and Rivergreen Cottage just so happened to have an opening for two nights and three days this past week. Timing couldn't have been better as it was following on the heels  of our wedding anniversary and also right before Yangkyu gets busy again with his PhD program this week. Rivergreen Cottage was also a good distance (a little less than 2 hours) from our home - a distance that feels like a legit road trip but short enough so that Momo doesn't get too stressed (she is not a fan of car rides).

I always get a little nervous when people ask us where we went and how it was because for us this experience was a good one, but it definitely came with some quirks that may not be so ok with others. So just a little background - Yangkyu and I are the type of people that are ok with forgoing some of life's conveniences for a couple of nights. And to reiterate what I said earlier, we had been wanting a sort of an off the grid type of experience to see how we would like it. With this in mind, these are some things about Rivergreen Cottage that are helpful to know for folks who fell in love with the scenery but are a little weary about spending a couple of days in an off the grid like experience: 

• It is on a working farm and so there are herds of cows that come by the cottage, which is fenced off with an electric fence (more on this a little later). But this also means that you'll smell cow manure and your tires may possibly run over them too. This sounds terrible but it really isn't. The tires actually freaked us out more than the smell (more Yangkyu because he is more of a clean freak than I am).

• The electric fence is for the cows and surrounds the cottage as well as I believe the way down to the private river area. Kids, dogs and adults are cautioned not to touch it. Thankfully for us, Momo can't be off leash since she will run away and so we didn't have to worry about her wandering off and touching the fence by accident. 

• The private river area is beautiful and close to the cottage but the walk down is steep, although I believe there is a way to get down there with a car (which we didn't know before). 

• The toilet is a compost toilet. This was also a big concern of mine but again it was just one of those life's conveniences that Yangkyu and I were able to do away with for a couple of nights. Although when I did come back home I was thankful for my flushable toilet!

• The shower didn't have strong water pressure and hot water. I believe this might have been a fixable issue if we asked the hosts but it really wasn't that big of a deal for us and so we just used it as is.

• The cottage doesn't have 24 hour electricity. It does have a generator which can be turned on for up to 8 hours. Again, something we could do without and we were also surprised at how much we didn't need constant electricity. The only times that we felt was absolutely necessary as when we needed to boil water quickly and to turn on the AC for Momo so that she didn't overheat. And overnight while sleeping we had the generator off. Since we were up in the mountains it was incredibly cool at night (almost a bit chilly the first night).

• The thing with electricity though was that we didn't pay too much attention to food. We brought instant foods that could be either microwaved or needed a little bit of hot water mixed in to eat. We didn't bring anything like eggs butter or milk, etc. because we weren't sure how to keep it cool without relying on electricity. We don't have a big ice box and constantly going out to get ice wasn't something we were keen on doing. It did make us be better planners to think through these types of situations (and not having the mentality of just winging it) should there be a next time we do a similar experience.

• We did run into a little bit of an issue with Momo though with food. She normally eats human grade food that needs to be refrigerated. I ended up transitioning her to a dry and wet food combo a few days before our trip only she ended up being finicky because it was a new environment. We ended up adding some chicken we grilled with her dry food but she got an upset stomach and what I think was acid reflux. It scared for a bit but she was able to bounce back.

• There are bugs. Lots of them. I mean it's the outdoors. It's on a working farm. It isn't so bad. We did bring an electric fly swatter just in case and it came in handy (although it is harder to catch flies with it than I had imagined).

Some amazing things about Rivergreen Cottage: 

• The private river area is lovely. We didn't get to spend a lot of time there because Momo ended up not feeling well but we had the whole area to ourselves. There are a couple of grills, chairs and a fire pit area, too. It would be perfect to just spend the day reading, relaxing and being in the water.

• The scenery is beautiful. We got to witness some beautiful sunsets and sunrises and stars at night (not as bright as I experienced as a kid camper but definitely bigger than what we get to see in the suburbs). 

• It is only 16 minutes away from the Swift Run Gap Entrance at Shenandoah National Park for people who are looking to hike. 

• There is a grill and fire pit also right at the cottage.

• The hosts are very friendly and helpful. We had a couple of questions and they were quick to respond. They don't interact often but when they are needed they are readily available. 

So Rivergreen Cottage being such a good experience for us, are we going to delve into camping? 

Probably not.

Not right now at least. I am still not convinced that we will camp as much as I would like and I am not exactly prepared to invest in a whole lot of camping gear right now. So it will be mainly going to secluded places like Rivergreen Cottage. We already booked our next trip for November in West Virginia called Lost River Vacations. It is a tiny house in the woods, also secluded, which I loved even before COVID. It is dog friendly as well. 

A few more pictures of our time at Rivergreen Cottage.

Thank you for a wonderful stay!

Noah's Urn

 

Noah’s urn came in the mail the other day. Green is the color we gave him because he came to us old and ill. But I wanted him to always stay green no matter how old he was or what condition he was in, just as evergreen trees stay green all year round. I couldn’t have found a more perfect color to suit him.

Noah’s final home. The same as his rainbow bridge family.