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Our dog Pickles, a Bichon Frise, turned 15 in May.  She was overweight, although we only fed her prescription commercial dog food (to avoid any more urinary tract infections). This dog food was high in sodium, and Pickles drank a lot more water. I suppose the purpose of added salt was to increase water intake to help flush out the kidneys. The vet told us that formation of crystals in the urine can lead to bladder stones. We were told that “Nutrition plays an important role in the overall health and well being of your dog.”.

Pickles never ate more than her prescribed dose of dog food. She would often leave some in her bowl. We also fed her a daily Greenie, which we called “crack”. Every day, at 6pm (the scheduled Greenie time), Pickles would whimper and whine until she was given her “crack”. She was definitely addicted to this.

Other than some vegetable scraps, we did not give any treats to Pickles.

Pickles was overweight at 20.2 pounds. Her adult weight began at 13.4  pounds. Especially over the last year, Pickles would make a honking noise each time she played or became excited. “How old is she?”, people would ask when we walked her. After hearing Pickles was 15 years old, they would sadly tell us that their Bichon Frise was as old as 14, 15, 16 when he/she died. Each time our apprehensive groomer would say, “She won’t last much longer. It is her heart.” This may be the last (grooming) time.

Our vet thought the honking noise was due to her trachea breaking down, common in smaller dogs. We switched from a collar to a harness to avoid further damage. The honking continued.

Pickles also had lymphomas, fatty growths under her skin which became larger and more numerous over the years. She also had red bumps/moles that were growing larger and becoming more visible through her, curly, fluffy white fur.

We had heard of some dogs who seamed to thrive on a whole food, plant based diet. We decided that at age 15, Pickles deserved a chance at a better quality of life.

Before

After

Within a month pickles lost 5 pounds. It has been two months and Pickles is 1.5 pounds over her ideal weight. The honking has stopped. The lymphomas are shrinking. The red bumps/moles on her skin are turning black and falling off.

She has more energy and can play for longer periods of time. People are remarking that our “puppy” is cute. She no longer begs for a Greenie. We had to adjust her collar to the last hole!

Before

After

I am not a vet or expert in dog nutrition. Some websites suggest adding taurine and other supplements. This recipe is low in oxalates as Pickles has a history of urinary tract infections.

Pickles had no problem digesting or liking, ok she loooooves this food.

We feed 1 heaping cup daily, per Vet’s recommendation.

2 Cups Brown Rice
2 Cup Black Beans
2 Cup Chickpeas
1 Bag Frozen Cauliflower
1 Bag Frozen Carrots
2 Cups Peas
4 Cups Water (reserve 1 to 1 1/2 cups)
2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 Tbsp Salt Substitute
1 Tbsp Parsley
1 Tsp Ground Turmeric                                                                                                                      . 1 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 Cup Ground Flax and / or Chia Seed
1 Cup Oats
In large saucepan, without oil, on medium Heat, add 2-3 cups water, and saute’ frozen ingredients till soft. Stir in remaining ingredients  until combined.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Blend to a paste with immersion blender. Add additional reserved water as needed to make a paste consistency.

Refrigerate. Freezes well.

Pickles still enjoys treats of raw vegetables like cauliflower stumps, green beans and as you can see in this video, Pickles loves kale.

I hope you found this helpful. Please seek advice from a vet for your dog’s diet.

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Until next time, Be Strong, Be Well and Be Green.