0n (12 Apr 05) WAYNE CHIRNSIDE wrote to CINDY HAGLUND...

->  He's lived a good long life Wayne. I was wondering why dogs don't
-> live longer than they do.

 WC> Genetic hand they were dealt.
 WC> Perhaps if we cross the canine genome with that of a parrot...

 haha. But ya never know! Anyway lifestyle has a lot to do with
longevity as well just as with humans I imagine.

Have you read anything on what makes dogs eat too fast? (People do
this too; I do.) I recently read in a Dr. Fox (vet) column where he
says sometimes it can be due to a craving for a lacking nutrient.

I wondered about this with our dog Patches. But then again the family
he lived with before we adopted him had two bigger dogs Patches had to
compete with. I think that's why he ate fact...  Sometimes I worry
what if... yeah that old torture game..  He did love fruit! Except
bananas. But the week before he passed away he did eat a bit of
bananas.. for the potassium. He was well fed mind you. I just wonder
though if nutrition did play a role in his fast eating habit. (We did
try to help him slow down as fast eating can cause bloat which can be
fatal the vet said.

Cosmo on the other hand always sniffs his food first, and then noshes
along at a leisurely pace. In fact he often sits down while he's eating.
Funny little guy. I'll never forget his first taste of steak. :) He
was actually Cautious!!! I thought for sure he'd snatch it right out
of my hand. But no, he carefully sniffed it first. Must be an ancient
inbred custom back when dogs/cats and castrated men were used to 'test
the emperor's food for poisoning.  (Don't take this speculation seriously
I'm just poking fun at him a bit.)

-> Just why is that? Patches was so full of
-> life, so full of energy almost right up to the end. IF we could have
-> gotten him a heart transplant I would have... heck I'd take a loan out
-> of the bank to do it. He  would have been worth it. (Patches was
-> diagnosed with mitral valve inefficiency last August.)

->  WC> He does hog the bed at night though.

 Especially on warm evenings. They want to stretch out more.. cool
eves they curl up. Naturally just like we do.

This 'where the dog sleeps' reminds me of way back when I was
little... our family had a Hungarian Visula (a medium sized dog
resembling a lab only skinnier and short haired)... Often times I woke
up in them morning to very warm feet. Gus would get UNDER the covers
at the foot of the bed. I don't know how he breathed down there.
..................

-> There was nothing quite like this pair.. these two dogs were an
-> act.... tons of fun to watch how they played together... got along so
-> well. Like slightly competitive fun loving brothers.

 WC> Dog's feel alright, they develop a sense of ethics based on the pack
 WC> leader too and mine has played practical jokes on me.

 Cosmo has taken to doing a lot of sniffing on our walks now. It's as
though he's looking for his brother's scent. He not only sniffs though
he 'marks territory' a habit he never used to do at all (but Patches
did.)

Cindy
     

... A horse is a horse, of course, of course.

--- PPoint 3.01