Dog Food - Not Just for Dogs!

No, despite the title, I did not make a bad meal that tasted like dog food.   

I write this post today, you see, because my beautiful 2 1/2 year old Australian Shepherd, Remy (named after the character Remedios from 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, NOT THE ALCOHOL) is getting surgery today.  Remy has cataracts.  

:(

Australian Shepherds (aka - Aussies), famous for their beautiful coats, outstanding intellect, and their two-toned eyes, are actually known to have various eye defects. Some have one brown eye and one blue eye, but in Remy's case, each eye is half-brown and half-blue.  It sometimes makes her look like she has a severe case of lazy eye and my father always relishes in making fun of her, calling her Marty Feldman (from Frankenstein).  

Cataracts is actually very common in the breed, so although Jack and I were sad to discover a big, white mass in her retina, we were not surprised.  When we learned that Remy would have to get surgery, we started to worry like two parents would.  We were instructed to give her eye drops twice daily and at first, she struggled and ran around the apartment as if we had said the dreaded B-A-T-H word.  After a few weeks, however, she sat obediently as we delicately dropped liquid into her eye (she is such a good girl!).  

Taking extra precaution, we fed Remy her last meal before the surgery at around 5 pm.  She was not to eat or drink for at least 12 hours, so at 8:00 pm we gave her her last bowl of water. She lapped it up quickly and excitedly, as if she knew that it was the last taste of water she would have for a little while. 

We cuddled with her in bed while we fell asleep.  I awoke at 5 am and headed to the gym, knowing that an hour later, Jack and I would have to give her her last set of eye drops. Remy excitedly jumped out of bed and ran over to her food bowl, thinking that she would get an early breakfast. I sighed and pet her head as I apologized for starving her.  When I returned, Jack and I gave applied the eyedrops and I began making breakfast as she trailed my every move, still waiting for her breakfast to be prepared as well.

But there was to be no breakfast for my little Remy. 

She watched me intently as I prepared my egg white omelet, positioning herself next to a 20 pound bag of Pro Plan Salmon and Rice flavored food.  She dropped her nose into the opening of the bag, quickly pulling it out and looking at me with a look of both longing and confusion, as if to ask, "Mommy, what about my breakfast?"  

It killed me. 

I sometimes think having a dog is like having a child, but the difference is that you can't communicate with a dog. I couldn't say, "No, Remy, if you eat now, you'll go poop all over yourself and throw up during the surgery." Instead, I just hugged her as she shook her butt (Australian Shepherds have docked tails, so when happy, they shake their butts like hula girls).

Jack then took our thirsty, hungry, and confused dog off to surgery.  I swore to her that I would make her the BEST dinner ever when I got home tonight.  

I scoured the internet for a good meal, keeping in mind that, although the meal can contain some human food, Aussies also have very weak stomachs and cannot eat too many different kinds of foods (much to their dismay, I am sure).  I was shocked at the plethora of foods you can find on the internet! And they look tasty! 

I might actually steal food from her this time! The tables will be turned!

UPDATE:  She's out of surgery and doing great! She'll be even better after dinner! 

Salmon Dog Food Dinner Recipe - From Gourmet Sleuth.com

Ingredients
1 can of salmon (bones removed)
1 egg beaten
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1 potato
1 carrot
1 stick celery

Instructions
Combine salmon, egg, and cornmeal and mix well, form into patties, and coat them with a little more cornmeal. Fry in a tiny amount of canola oil until brown on both sides. Chop patties into small bites and stir together with chopped and boiled vegetables. A spoonful of cottage cheese may be stirred in for moisture if desired. 

Basic Balanced Diet - From GourmetSleuth.com

Ingredients
1lb ground beef,  preferably antibiotic and hormone free
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 lb bag mixed vegetables
1-2 lb plain yogurt

Instructions
Brown ground beef in a frying pan. Set aside.

Steam vegetables until tender in a pan fitted with a vegetable steamer. Remove from steamer allow to cool slightly.  Add vegetables to the beaker of your food processor and pulse until the vegetables are coarsely chopped.

Combine chopped vegetables with rice, add ground beef.  Store refrigerated in a tightly sealed container.

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I'm kind of researching on dog cataracts...'cause recently my dog has been diagnosed with cataracts..and should go into surgery soon..so I would appreaciate if you could provide any info you haven't put into your post...

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