Di - how is Minnie getting on?

[miasmum]

have a hug, you and Minnie {{{{{Di and Minnie}}}}}} it is permanently exhausting isn't it, worrying

[JoM]

Di, if you have a Morrisons nearby they sell heart very cheaply, and liver too in smaller portions.

[Diflower]

Yes Jo Morrisons is just a bit further than Tesco, it's on my list. Today only had time to go to the local butcher.
The butchers in Morrisons are nice too

It's just so heartbreaking to see her so poorly But all I've read says it takes ages, and hopefully she'll get there.
Thanks mm
X

[Lozzles]

((((((((((((Di & Minnie))))))))))

[Diflower]

Thanks Loz x

Bb didn't have to leave till 11 so I dashed out to Morrisons. They had lambs hearts, a pack of 4 was was £2 which is quite cheap, don't know how long they'll last her but Hugh says 1 per person so a couple of days at least I should think.
They're in the slow cooker, it says cook for about 3 hours in the oven so slow cooker seemed a good idea. I've put just water in, but later will add some carrots, peas and brown rice, since that's what's in the wet dog food

They do ox heart but didn't have any, but did have diced ox liver - I'll do a bit more research. Lambs liver's not so cheap at the moment and no-one I've spoken to is sure whether you're supposed to give them pigs liver, you never see pork dogfood do you?
I will get round to looking online but I've still got quite a list of things I'm looking at/for.

She seems much the same today, her breathing's not brilliant but panting is another drug side effect.

[JoM]

How did she get on with the heart Di?
I hope she's doing well today xx

[meriad]

Di, I've been wondering..... do you have to cook all the meat; or could she have some of it raw? Just thinking about how (if at all) the protein level and also iron levels and other nutrients in the raw meat (which would be more natural) are changed when cooking.... gosh this really is a minefield isn't it?

and also, what about raw egg? Egg yellow is really high in protein as well and may be easy to stir in with her food?

[Diflower]

I was just going to post Jo
Did what I said and added 2 diced carrots, 2 handfuls of brown rice and 1 of peas at about 5pm, then needed to add more boiling water ; it cooked till about 6.30. We left it in the pot last night in the fridge, then this morning I spooned it all out into the food processor (it ahd absorbed all the rest of teh water overnight). It's brill, it looks just like the trays of dogfood
I gave Minnie a bit on the end of a spoon and she almost ate the spoon!

I was pleased with the hearts, the smell as it cooked was nice, not that strong tang you get with liver at all, and the liquid was a lovely dark brown. I was very brave and tasted a tiny piece, have to say it was quite nice, nowhere near as strong a flavour as liver or kidney, and the texture's between the two.

I've put it into four trays and reckon each one will do a day. The four hearts cost £2 so that's pretty good. If it was for normal food you'd use less heart and more rice and veg, but the point of this is lean extra protein. I'm planning on giving her the heart mix plus her dried food in the morning and evening, with the 1/4 teaspoon of spirulina, and lunchtime just the dry food with a cooked egg. She doesn't normally get fed three times a day but as she's so ravenous with the steroids it seems fairer to split it up more.

Other than that, she's about the same...yesterday I was (again) really upset about her, today feeling better. Just have to keep reminding myself of all the accounts I've read of dogs who have recovered from it.

[Diflower]

Di, I've been wondering..... do you have to cook all the meat; or could she have some of it raw? Just thinking about how (if at all) the protein level and also iron levels and other nutrients in the raw meat (which would be more natural) are changed when cooking.... gosh this really is a minefield isn't it?

and also, what about raw egg? Egg yellow is really high in protein as well and may be easy to stir in with her food?

Meriad no, the vet has stressed everything she has must be well cooked, including the eggs. Because the disease is an auto-immune one, the treatment is with immune-suppressants, so she doesn't have resistance to infection (it's a bit like chemotherapy).
Yes it is a minefield! I'd be quite happy making all her food myself, it was easy enough to cook the hearts, but it's the extra bits and pieces they need that make it hard.
Oh and no, you don't feed dogs pork in any form.

[meriad]

Ah, that does make sense....

And very interesting re the pork; I didn't know that