MOUSE, MOUSSE, MOOSE

Jet (my foster mom) always says I need to expand my vocabulary so she gave me a new challenge: mouse, mousse, and moose. Since I’m a smart dog and have already ‘graduated’ to terms like serendipity, it seemed like I was downsizing my brain’s reach by exploring such simple words.

I was wrong.

Humans tend to complicate things and complicating their words is no different. It turns out that ‘mouse’ is not only a rodent (one of my favorite chase toys) but it is also a computer controlling device (huh?) as well as a Minimum Orbital Unmanned Satellite of the Earth.

I was almost afraid to see how complicated ‘mousse’ would be. By definition, it’s a hair styling gel and it’s light food. (You’ve got to be kidding).

Then there is moose (pronounced the same way as mousse) but meaning two completely different things: a large animal with flat antlers and a member of a fraternal organization. None of these interested me until I discovered the flat antler creature. I prefer words I can relate to in some way.

A moose (the animal) turns out to be a very odd looking animal and far too big for me to chase. My grandpa recently sent me a video of a moose that discovers the joys of a sprinkler. Take a few minutes to watch the entire video before reading my closing statements.

http://www.wimp.com/babymoose

So, here’s my lesson of the day… Dogs are happy more often than humans because they find joy in the simplest things: a pat on the head, fetch time with their human. A moose is no different. They can find pleasure in some-thing as simple as… a yard sprinkler. Humans complicate things. – Even words. The more complicated, the further away from the simple real joys of life.

Okay, the question of the day is from Tom who asked: My dad says I have a bum knee. I’m not sure what hobos have to do with my joint but my leg is… cranky. It makes it hard to walk.


Dear Tom:
As humans and canines get older, they often get cranky (their disposition and their joints). I can’t do anything about the attitude but you might consider something called glucosamine to ease the joint discomfort. It works for a lot of humans. Consider diet changes (read info below from http://www.arthritis-cats-dogs.com/arthritis/arthritis-pain-relief.php) but make sure your human talks to your vet about it first.


PER: http://www.arthritis-cats-dogs.com/arthritis/arthritis-pain-relief.php


Change Your Dog’s Diet for arthritis pain relief 

Easy enough and it worked for my dog. Be sure you are providing a high-quality dog food with no added preservatives, food colorings, wheat, corn or soy products. It would be preferable to get a dog food that is low fat AND has low carbohydrates, but unfortunately there is no such thing as a low-carb dog food. Just be aware that grains (which make up a large component of dry dog food) tend to increase inflammation and aggravate arthritis. A better alternative would be to switch to home-prepared meals with either cooked or raw meats and vegetables. 




However, if you don’t want to prepare meals for your pet, then cut back on the dry food and start adding a cup of fresh veggie “salad” every day. Celery is excellent for the joints. I often chop up lettuce, celery, cucumber, some carrot, and any other fresh vegetables I have on hand. Just make sure to cut all vegetables into very small pieces for easy digestion (a food processor is perfect for this) and don’t use onions or mushrooms as they may be toxic to your dog.


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