What a balagan - I hope your ill daughter is now better and your elderly parents are now less of a worry - ditto shortage of staff at work.

But - Tai is still with us [and I have long conversations about him when I say my prayers at night, silly though it might sound], so I guess that is a Good Thing even though you are still missing another pair of nikkies.

As for adding carbs to a raw fed dog - I had to add loads more veggies to Pereg's diet when I had to get medication increased weight off her, which worked fine, but since her last blood test when her BUN levels were raised and my Vet wanted me to decrease her meat protein in her first [non bone] meal, I had to start looking into whole grains for her to bulk out that meal and keep her from being so ravenous that she would probably have eaten the whole bungalow. Or driven me totally round the bend with non-stop nagging for food.

For her, just another six weeks for the next weigh-in and blood tests so only then will I know if I did the right thing in giving her grains.

But when you have a dog who is ravenously hungry all the time, sometimes you just have to give in and try, as I have done, adding whole grains.

Please give Tai a cuddle from me.

(((hugs))) xx

Glad to hear that Tai is still doing well, and I hope that the danger is now over and that you will have many more years with him. God Bless him.

Nikki, just a thought as regards bulking Tai's food out. Lona is, at the moment, the size of a detached house, I obviously would like her to be more of a one bedroomed flat, and instead of pureeing veg as I used to, I now grate and steam them in the microwave, I put a 'topping' of bean sprouts on and moisten it with some chopped tinned tomato. This is giving her bulk, so is going some way towards convincing her she is being fed and I am not a Cruel Mummy. I don't think giving starch is the answer as they start to feel empty pretty soon after, a bit like us after a Chinese meal!!!

Glad to hear Tai is doing well. You could try adding some mashed potato for bulk, or mashed sweet potato?

If it's any consolation, Loki ate some of my slipper a few days back, so you're not alone. He was sick and brought the bits back up though.

How kind! And Tai is just about to have a cuddle!!

O God! I have just bent down to give him a cuddle - he is lying on the floor at my feet ... and his breath is just absolutely horrendous!! He is definitely still full of something - O God, he's now farted!! Jesus, I think I will have to dial 999.

Cough cough splutter gasp!!

You're right, he is starving hungry soon after. We also give him chopped raw carrot as well as the puree as this bulk seems to help to push everything through - it comes out as it went in, undigested, but it seems to help with the hunger. OH says the rice, being carbohydrate, does seem to upset him very slightly and we are hoping that this too will encourage everything through!

We sometimes give them steamed veg as well, and the water at the bottom of the steamer - anything to fill up greedy boy Tai! He isn't actually fat any more, you can easily feel his ribs and backbone, we don't know why he has suddenly become so ravenous. He isn't diabetic, might just be his age. O phew - I can smell his breath from 5 feet away, it is FOUL!!!

Ordinary potato gives him bad diarrhoea, but sweet potato he is fine on and does have that sometimes, also butternut squash!

Ben chewed the leather tongues off OH's laced up riding boots the other day!! OH was not amused

Poor Chico!!

Honestly Nikki, if you could hear my "chats" in my prayers, you would pee yourself laughing. I mean I say these things out loud and Pereg listens very carefully while I hope that they reach the Deity to whom I believe.

I mean I will talk about "Nikki's Tai - but You might know her as Gnasher, that is "nasher" with a G" - I know, it all sounds so daft but that is just the way I am, and I try to remember names and mention them all I do really do my best to remember all who needs prayers, be they two or four-legged, actually having quite long one-sided conversations at times.

Does it help? I have no idea. I just know that even if it is only Pereg who hears me, at least to me they are prayers, and if someone asks then they are always added.

And like today when we have lost a couple of very special epis from the epi List, they will be mentioned with thanks for their lives and hopes for their now peace.

Just the way I am, I guess.