February 1, 2022

Dear Frankie,

I think my mom is overly concerned about my health.

Once a month, she gives me two pills to prevent heartworm and prevent fleas and ticks. I’m OK with that; no one wants to have a heart attack or Lyme disease. Every day, she gives me medicine for my joints and bones in the form of a chew that tastes horrible, so I refuse to eat it unless it is smothered in peanut butter. She thinks she is fooling me, but whatever, the point is, I get the peanut butter.

She also cooks my food; she says you can’t trust the dog food companies. Every time one of them puts out a recall notice because of a toxic ingredient, she posts it on Facebook. She wants to make sure that her friends, who tease her about always cooking for me, see what she has been telling them all along. She cooks my food once a week and divides it into 14 Ziplock bags. She’s adamant that two meals a day are necessary for my digestion. A typical meal consists of organic ground chicken cooked in organic bone broth, mixed with salt (dogs also need sodium), a powdered vitamin supplement, and fresh green beans.

When it comes to exercise, she is a fanatic. She sends me to doggie day four times a week for strength training and yoga classes. In addition, she walks me three times a day for nature calls and fresh air exposure.

I won’t go into the monthly grooming appointments and the semi-annual physicals at the vet, which require a dental exam and a cleaning. Do you think my mom’s health routines are a bit overkill?

Needing advice,

Marcia

Dear Marcia,

I agree; the two pills are essential. What’s your beef otherwise?

Delicious home-cooked meals twice a day sound like heaven. It sure beats food poisoning.

Maybe grooming every six weeks would be more appropriate. If you have hair instead of fur, grooming goes with the territory. Nothing worse than a dog with matted and dirty hair.

If it’s the exercise that gets you, what’s so bad? In your golden years, you can look back and remember when you looked like a Greek goddess.

I do think having your teeth cleaned twice a year is a little over the top. Anesthesia shouldn’t be taken lightly and should be avoided whenever possible.

Maybe it’s time for a new vet. Be sure to growl, whimper, shiver, and whine when you see your vet at your next appointment.  Maybe your mom will get the hint.

Best,

Frankie   

Frankie is a rescue and a service dog for Geneva Woodruff. Together, they have traveled far and wide. Along the way, Frankie befriended dogs from all walks of life. She thought it would be remiss not to share the many lessons of life she learned from them.