Mixology: supplements, vitamins, meds, more

I talked to Dr. Bannink on Monday about Presley's supplements. We're still waiting for the Vitamin D3 to come in at OVRS and I was hoping to pick up the DHA (to replace the Super EPA) at the same time. Dr. B said I could reschedule Presley's blood test until four weeks after she starts taking the D3. We will need a CBC to check her Calcium levels, which can be depleted from the Vitamin D.

I also mentioned to Dr. B that I couldn't find the recommended 4,000IU of Vitamin A, but I could find 10K or 5K plus Vitamin D. She didn't want Presley to have the additional D, so she said Presley could take 10K every other day if that was all we could find. I asked about the 5K+ that is already in Presley's kibble, but Dr. B said it isn't concentrated enough.

Scott and I checked a couple different places to find the recommended dosage of Vitamin A. After striking out we decided to give her the 10K Vitamin A at dinnertime on even days only. It's not a perfect schedule, because some days have 31 days, but it's the best we can do.

Meal times for the dogs are like a chemistry class. Breakfast can be a little confusing because Presley has been waking us up at 5AM. For those who know me, you know that I'd sleep in until noon if given the choice. So trying to put all of this together at 5AM is really hard. Each dog has a different food and different meds or supplements.

For Presley, the formula is:

• 1 cup kibble (Natural Choice Senior)
  
• 1/2 can of wet food (Natural Choice Senior Turkey & Rice Formula)
  
• 1 scoop L-Glutamine powder
• 2 Chemo Blood Support pills
• 2 CAS Options tablets
  
• 1 Glucosamine/Chondroitin pill
• 41 drops of Mitake Extract (dinnertime only)
  
• 1 Vitamin A (dinnertime on even days only)
• Mix it all together so that everything is evenly coated with the wet food, otherwise she won't eat it all.
• Check her bowl after she's done eating to make sure there are no pills left in the bowl because Diesel and Bristol like to lick Presley's bowl.
  

To make sure we don't miss anything for Presley, I've created a "med sched" that we posted on the cabinet door above where the dogs' meals are prepped. It's a great way to keep track of everything so we don't have to rely on our fading memories.

Scott and I are both thankful that the L-Glutamine powder is almost gone. Mixing this into her food has been the biggest pain. It dries out the canned food and doesn't mix easily. Dr. B said we could discontinue this one when it is gone.

For Diesel, at each meal we give her two cups of kibble (Natural Choice Large Breed) and one pill of Glucosamine/Chondroitin with a dab of Cheez Whiz. Diesel usually finishes her meal first before the other two girls, then waits to see if there are any remnants in the other bowls.

For Bristol, we feed her two cups of kibble at each meal -- a mixture of one cup Science Diet and one cup Natural Choice Puppy. We're slowing weening her off the Science Diet, which is what the shelter was feeding her. To each meal, we've been adding one pill of antibiotic and a half pill of Rhimadyl, both with Cheez Whiz. We finished the Rhimadyl tonight and we only have a couple more days of the antibiotic left.

While all the girls are eating, I refill their water bowls. Presley and Diesel share an elevated feeder that has three bowls with the middle bowl designated as their water bowl. Bristol eats from her own elevated feeder, so I also have to refill her water bowl.

After all of the girls are done eating, I clean (or at least rinse out) their food dishes. The bowls are stainless steel and they look really nasty when they are caked with dried food and saliva.