Neko had to see the vet this week. She has scratched her ear raw, which means she has mites and needs to have an industrial hose job followed by ear drops. The last time I had to adhere to this treatment I gave up because she would not let me near her. That the drops had to be refrigerated didn't help. Who likes ice cold drops in their ears?
So I told the vet no ice cold drops and she agreed, but only if I would give Neko a pill with steroids in it. Whatever. Neko has always shown a talent for fetching round objects and I see no reason why she should not have a career in professional baseball.
We have a new vet, a nice young woman who bought the practice from the old vet, who retired. He was pretty old. She asked me about Neko's diet, explaining that sometimes these repeated ear infections are skin rashes due to food or airborne allergies. So I had to explain that we feed Neko boiled meat (lamb and stew meat) or chicken because she refuses to eat canned dog food. What about just dry food, she asked. Clearly, she doesn't have a dog. I know the Nazi School of Tough Love requires owners to treat their pets like merciless killing machines that live to be a hundred, but I just can't do it. Neko loves her boiled vittles and she shall have them.
An article online caught my eye today. It was about animal myths. Like, you should never give a dog people food. Luckily, this is not true. Neither is it encouraged. Helpfully, the article listed the foods owners should never give their dogs - because they are toxic. Many are no brainers; who would ever give a dog alcohol? I can't imagine offering Neko a sip of wine. And everyone knows, or ought to, that chocolate is verboten.
Here's the list.
Chocolate
Onions
Grapes
Raisins.
Yeast dough
Alcohol
Tobacco
Marijuana
Moldy or spoiled food
Wild mushrooms
Large amounts of raw fish
Potato, rhubarb or tomato leaves
Large amounts of raw liver
Large numbers of macadamia nuts
Fruit pits
Corn cobs
Am I to understand that there are people who would feed fruit pits or corn cobs to a dog? What about "moldy or spoiled food"? Do some people think their dogs are living, breathing garbage cans?
