Warning...this post might make you laugh.  I was at Tractor Supply Company in Ankeny this weekend at my wellness clinic, and this really nice woman was hanging around my booth.  She was being so sweet to the little puppy I was working with.  She was interacting with the owners while I was focusing my attention on the exam, history taking, and yada yada yada. (PAYING CLIENTS first she whispered...wink wink).  I was sort of annoyed that I wasn't getting to talk with my clients 100% but they were open to her presence therefore so was I. Anyhoo..I played with the puppy....had fun hearing old stories about other labs the owners had.  After I was done taking my time with my clients I shook the woman's hand and introduced myself.  I assumed she was my next client. She seemed so nice. Nope...I am bla bla bla from Hills SCIENCE DIET and..I cut her off kindly.  "I was the student rep for Science Diet as a student, and fed it to my dog as well. I no longer recommend it for my clients because I actually took the time to read the label." But wait she said...we have a new line with 'natural natural ingredients'. No thanks.  
     My nutrition training is now thankfully through the Chi Institute. (feel free to click on the link to see where my food ideas now originate).

Well...it is time to admit that I bought into the 'education' hook, line, & sinker while I was in vet school. I was a student representative for a major food company. For $1000/yr I organized functions for my boss to come to the school to talk to the students about why their company was 'the best'. We routinely offered free food for lunch presentations. We also gave out stethoscopes (with the company label on it of course), surgical equipment, and pet food at a reduced cost. The money generated with pet food sales was given back to the school, and there was a 'feeding committee' that determined how the money would be dished out (and how the company name would be 'honored'). Through vet school and up until 2005 (for approx 7-8yrs) I fed my poor dog this food. I say poor dog because it was not a good choice on my part. I remember telling people when I graduated from vet school that 'your dog is not a cow...it does not need so much corn' when someone told me that they fed Old Roy. I felt like such a BRAT when I finally read the label on the food that I feeding poor Chance. Corn was one of the first ingredients on my bag of food too. Well...life happens & I did not change Chance's food until I got fed up with it while we were living in Maine. I had enough 'aa ha' moments in regards to pet foods that I sheepishly went into The Animal House in Damariscotta, Maine to learn about animal nutrition. I had less than one week of small animal nutrition in vet school (besides what was spoon fed to us by the major food companies), and I had a lot to learn. I was reminiscing with my husband about the choices I made in regards to Chance's food, and he was shocked to hear me say "I thought I was doing the right thing, so I didn't read the label." What is in your pet's food? If you would like some suggestions please let me know, and we can set up a consultation.

Yesterday was quite a day, and after the burnt pork chops cooled off on their perch outside (in a pan...with a lid) Martin ate them. The supplies I gathered: Bread (from a neighbor...we were out), KY Lube (from my vet kit...yes it had thermometers shoved in it previously), Fleet baby enemas (not recommended... I was in experiment mode). I made sandwiches with the material - Ky/bread x 3 & enema/bread x 1. We'll see how it goes. I remember helping my boss with an abdominal surgery when I was in high school, and I hope Martin can avoid it. The dog had eaten a COOKED (raw is generally ok) bone & it perforated a section of intestine. YIKES!!!

Photo credits below:
Image 1:  The pan - who would want to eat that?/ The kit
Image 2:  Ethan checking out what fluffy bread is like
Image 3:  Martin...waiting for sandwich #4

Note:  Martin passed his 'goods' & is alive to talk about it.  -5/8/12