DTE Answers To Common Questions About Cats And Dogs. Part 001 By Nene Ajayi

 

🥣What Should I Feed My Dog? Besides My Sanity.

Let me tell you how this post was born.

It was a calm Tuesday morning. Kids were off to school, husband gone to work, and for once, I felt like a responsible adult. I decided to treat my dogs, to something special: boiled yam and sardines. Don’t laugh yet.

Blaze, my German Shepherd, sniffed it. Licked it a little. Looked me dead in the eye. Then turned away, slowly − like a pastor rejecting temptation.

Meanwhile, Raya, my royal Basenji, took two bites, sneezed like a Victorian woman, and left. And my cat, Stu, who was not invited, jumped on the table and ate the sardines. The entire sardines. And vomited in my bathroom an hour later.

So again, I ask:

😕"What should I feed my dog?"

Reality Check: I Am Not an Expert. But My Mistakes Are Highly Experienced.

Let’s start with a few things I thought were okay to feed dogs, until I googled in panic mode:

▪️Bread soaked in milk – Tummy disaster

▪️ Leftover rice with stew – Too spicy

▪️Plantain (ripe) – Okay in moderation, but not daily o!

▪️Moi Moi – Let’s just say, my dogs were tooting their testimonies all night

🤔So What Do Dogs Actually Need?

Dogs, like our children, need balanced meals. No, that doesn’t mean eba, egusi, and small meat.

Here’s the basic breakdown:

✅Protein: Chicken, beef, turkey, fish (deboned!), eggs

✅ Carbohydrates: Brown rice, sweet potatoes, oats

✅ Fats: Fish oil, chicken fat (clean), flaxseed

✅ Veggies: Carrots, green beans, spinach, pumpkin

✅ Fruits (in small amounts): Apples (no seeds!), bananas, watermelon

❓Did You Know?

Grapes and raisins can literally shut down a dog’s kidneys. I once fed Raya two raisins from my chin-chin pack and had to spend the evening on Google and prayer.

Store-Bought 🆚 Homemade?

I feed Blaze kibble (dry dog food) mixed with sardines or chicken broth. But I also make "dog jollof" once a week. No seasoning, no Maggi, just boiled chicken, rice, and mashed veggies. Raya loves it, if I serve it in her pink bowl. Because obviously.

➡️Portion Sizes Matter

Too little, and you’ll have a hungry, moody dog scratching your doors. Too much, and you’ll have a chubby guardian sleeping through a robbery. I learned this the hard way when Blaze added 5kg in 2 months and could no longer fit through the backyard gate.

If you want exact measurements, here’s a more serious article I read and promptly scrolled down to admire cute gifts for Mother's Day. 

It's a veterinary site about dog feeding guidelines or something. It was enlightening but those mummy mugs were too cute.

💫My Amateur but Reasonable Feeding Commandments:

1. Thou shalt not feed thy dog moi moi.

2. Thou shalt not assume a dog will eat what thy children eat.

3. Thou shalt check food labels, even on dog food. (Too much corn? Run.)

4. Thou shalt know that dogs are NOT garbage disposals.

5. Thou shalt never underestimate how fast a dog can steal suya.

😎In Conclusion:

Feeding dogs isn’t rocket science, but it feels like it sometimes, especially when you're a tired mum, with three kids, a demanding German Shepherd, a diva Basenji, and a snarky cat who eats your dog's food and blames the twins.

So if you came here for expert advice, ejoo, I beg you, scroll up to the link. But if you came for real-life, small-stress, laugh-away-the-mistake vibes, you’re home.

And just in case you're just joining us, get the full series here.

Till next post,

I remain your humble fur mom,

Nene Ajayi,

Pet parent, food-confuser, and proud owner of three partially judgmental animals.