> The Adventures of Bella Donna: May 2011

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Sorry for the long absence!

Life has been crazy lately!  I haven't updated in a long while, so here is my condensed version of the changes so far.

At the end of April, Bella went in for surgery to have her spayed.  The day after her stitches came out, I packed up my car with my essential belongings, my pup and my fish and drove to Amarillo to help my sister pack up her house.  She recently got a job in Arkansas, and recently found out she is pregnant, so I came to help.

From there, Bella, fish and I moved to Arkansas to help out my sister and brother-in-law with my 3 year old niece.  We are still living in Arkansas and I am looking for jobs.  Pray I find one and can find some direction in life.

Bella has now reached the 50 pound mark!  She is a growing pup!  Also, it has been estimated that she might be a Rhodesian Ridgeback / Chow mix instead of the lab chow mix.  Whatever she is, she is the cutest pup in the world.

I recently switched her food.  She had been eating Canidae Grain Free food for All Life Stages, but unfortunately that food is tough to find in regular markets.  Also I was having trouble getting her to eat.  So I switched her to Blue brand for puppies.  I still want to keep her holistic and healthy, and she hasn't had a picky eating problem since the switch.  I had heard a lot of good about that brand, although the protein content is a bit high.  To counter that I sometimes feed her less of the recommended amount (not much less, just a little) and then I feed her treats of raw veggies and fruits.  Her favorites are bell peppers (especially orange), blue berries and carrots.

We are still in unpacking mode, so once I find the blender I am going to make green smoothies and freeze them in ice cube containers for extra treats.

One of the great things about feeding my pup a holistic, grain free, healthy diet is the issue of teeth.  I have noticed from seeing other dogs and what they eat that their teeth are yellow and gross and full of plaque.  Bella and my sister's pup, Boston (who is also on a grain free, holistic diet), have wonderfully white teeth.  This is great because I don't know how I would brush her teeth without her chewing on the toothbrush.  And a lot of the chews out there that are "good for their teeth" aren't so good for their bodies.  So my word to those seeking an idea for dog health and teeth is a grain free, holistic diet.  And don't get your dog treats with sugar in them.  It's crazy some of the things made for dogs.  No wonder dogs are getting human diseases like diabetes.  Look to nature for guidance.  Their bodies (and ours) weren't made for oreos and marshmallows.  And dogs don't have the convictions we do (or should) about how much is too much of what treats.

Here I will leave you with some new pictures.







She has found a new love for sleeping under my bed...