Being Sustainable with your Pets

I have an adorable German Shepherd called Kiva who is one of the goodest girls in the world.

About two months ago Kiva started having gastrointestinal issues (diarrhea and some vomiting) as well as developing hives on her arms, which we worked out came down to her diet.

Like any new puppy owner, I followed the instructions of the breeder and my vet when deciding what to feed my girl. This initially was a high end, breed specific kibble mixed with store bought mince. While this diet was good for the first year of Kiva's growth, it quickly became an expense I couldn't always afford. Additionally, the more research I did online, the more I started to shift my mind-set towards encorporating raw food (meat and bones and offal) into her diet. Sticking with the beef option, we mixed ox heart with kibble, slowly reducing the amount of kibble and increasing the amount of meat.

Unfortunately this didn't always sit well with Kiva's stomach so we shifted meats to chicken. This option was cheaper ($2.50 per kilo instead of $4.50 per kilo) and I could see from research that eating chicken was 10x better for the environment than beef. The vet also suggested we cut out the kibble and switch to rice when Kiva's diarrhea was at its worst. This option is also cheaper and helps us bulk out her diet without adding more meat. The only issue with chicken and rice was how dry everything was. I usually feed Kiva before going to work so that she's distracted while I leave, but most days I was coming home to half eaten rice because she had picked out all the chicken.

Luck struck quite fortuitously when I checked our fresh produce drawer (something I try to do every week) to see what we had left to use up and discovered a number of vegetables I had bought and forgotten about. My intention had been to cook a soup so I figured I'd chop everything up and hope that whatever it became tasted alright; onion, cauliflower, zucchini, potato and carrot plus some vegan chicken stock. I'll admit, it didn't taste very nice so I let it cool and walked away. Surprise, surprise though, a certain puppy dog found the smell of the soup quite interesting. After a quick google to check she could try it, I loaded up her dinner with soup, chicken and rice. And she loved it!

Making soup (now in our slow cooker while we're at work) is part of our weekly routine - we've shifted things so it is primarily sweet potato and carrot (and pumpkin when it's on special) as those are a cheap option. We also recycle all meat packaging through Redcycle.

While I have read the statistics about the impact of dog meat on the environment, I believe that we are making the best changes we can to be the sustainable while keeping our dog healthy.

THREE Take Home Tips:

1. Reconsider what diet is best for your pet and for the environment; look for alternatives when making meat purchases (especially if they are local) and touch base with your local butcher.

2. Do not simply be a Google researcher; check with your vet and if possible check with multiple vets; everyone will have their own opinion.

3. Do not try to make changes in one go; your pet (and you) need time to adapt to the new routine.

Obligatory Plea for Comments: show me your gorgeous fur babies <3