Saturday, May 31, 2008

Canine Eating Disorders - The New Frontier!

The Brown Dog is a Food Snob. She comes by it naturally, because she was raised by a chef. (Who, I think, put her up for adoption due to the rising cost of truffle oil. She likes her scrambled eggs with a little spritz.) You can read about The Dog Who Loves Cauliflower here.

We have tried to dial down her palate by mixing the dreaded Dog Food into her jasmine rice with curried chicken. She successfully separated good from bad, and the floor was covered with curried kibbles, to the delight of the other hounds. We have left her home alone, with only Rachael Ray for company; in hopes that she would realize caviar is not a staple. We have secretly replaced her Roaring Forties blue cheese with Velveeta. And gotten The Look, and a flounce off to the bedroom, in return. It is hopeless. But at least she isn't a

Compulsive Overeater.

Fortunately, if your dog IS a CO, there is a treatment. Go to your vet and get a prescription for Slentrol. This oily liquid, dispensed daily via syringe on your dog's food, or directly into your dog's mouth will curb her appetite. You will notice she eats less, and gradually she will lose weight. Um, couldn't I just skip the whole vet thing and put less in her bowl to begin with? Hello?

Oh, but then I wouldn't be addressing the emotional component of her overeating. Maybe she is upset because her favorite stuffed squirrel is losing its stuffing. Or maybe she missed me when I went to the dentist last week. Time to call the Dog Whisperer, or maybe the Pet Psychic.

Thank goodness there is a potential cure for compulsive overeating in dogs, but what about other eating disorders? Like Canine Bulimia? Anorexia? I think yearly vet visits should include checking teeth for acid wear caused by binging/purging behavior. Forget Doggy Day Camps. What we need are Inpatient Treatment Centers for Canine Anorectics.

The pharmaceutical companies clearly have their work cut out for them, but they are making progress. I just hope that, once they cure these devastating dog diseases, they take a long, hard look at cats. I have a feeling there is a whole lot more to "finicky" than the wrong flavor of Fancy Feast.

3 comments:

High Desert Diva said...

Poor Brown Dog! Loved the cauliflower post...

Nancy said...

There is nothing poor about the Brown Dog. She rules with an iron, um, paw.

AltheaP said...

This is great. My TalkingDog was on prednisone for allergies, so thought he was starving all the time, poor guy!