What dog doesn’t look happy when they are face down in their food dish? It hasn’t always been that way for us – both our dogs were off and on picky eaters most of their lives. Henry had been known to not eat for more than a day for no reason that we could discern.

When we moved here the dogs had been eating a fancy designer expensive dog food. I liked that it was more real nutrition and that they produced smaller stools. I figured that their bodies were actually absorbing more of the food due to less filler.

Lucy – like many floppy eared dogs – has had problems for most of her almost nine years with fungal infections in her ears, especially when the seasons change. She also had bad dandruff and chewed her feet almost compulsively.

A few months ago she was really in a bad way so we took her to the vet. After examining her, he recommended an elimination diet – just rice and tuna or salmon to start with. He also sold us her usual ear medicine and some shampoo.

So, we changed the dogs over to this new diet, which now consists of tuna, rice, frozen peas and chicken all mixed together. Being a vegetarian I don’t like to mess around with cooking chicken so I bought chicken breasts (quite inexpensively) at Sam’s Club to add to the food.

Both dogs are now enthusiastic eaters. They eat it up and then check each other’s dish, just in case. They lick the little pieces of rice off the floor. Lucy’s skin has cleared up beautifully, she only licks her feet once in a while, and I can keep her ears under control with cleaning every week.

I like the fact that they are eating without a lot of fillers and unknown additives. It is a bit expensive but no more so than the fancy food…and I am happier knowing that I am taking good care of our best friends!

Oh, and the treats that we give them now in place of store-bought dog cookies? Carrots!