[NAGDU] A number of topics

[Vanessa Lowery]

First, thanks for the m Mini welcomes to the list that I have just received and will probably continue to receive. It's good to be back and recognize a few familiar names.

Second, my thoughts about Guide horses. I'm not certain that the Guide Dog foundation even operates anymore. So if someone wanted a guide horse, a private trainer would have to probably be located. While the horses do live longer, your greatest barrier is that you need to live in an area where zoning laws will allow you to have Appropriate living space and housing for the horse. If you live in the city, that ain't gonna happen. Even some smaller towns would possibly create zoning issues with respect to the presence of the Guide horse. I don't know if the ADA would allow for exceptions, but you would have to explore that. 

As for dog food, I have used grain free dog food for a number of years. A lot of the Guide Dog scooters are not thrilled with this even though they know graduates do it. The same can be said for many veterinary practices. But I have found that my dogs have done well on grain free food. Virtue was eating Purina pro plan 3020 when I left The Seeing Eye last year, but it became evident pretty quickly that he was not going to tolerate it. I had stools that were the consistency of mashed potatoes. I did try one dog food that offered ancient grains (barley, oatmeal, and another grain that I can't remember). But even that didn't work without going through all the details of the several grain free foods that I tried, I ultimately settled on and am pleased with Acana singles limited ingredients lamb and apple grain free dog food. Virtues stools are much more consistently firm. I don't doubt that some dogs truly do not do well on grain free food, and the Heart problems that the Guide Dog schools and veterinarians state could happen. But thus far, that is not been the case with any of the dogs for whom I have fed grain free. If my dog began to Wayne in stamina, I would definitely consult with the vet, had the appropriate test done, and if warranted, withdrawal  Withdrawal the grain free food. But until it happens, my thought is that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

I am now going to join my dog and my cat and an after breakfast (animals only thus far) morning nap. It's raining outside, so it is a good day to take a nap.


Vanessa and the zoo  
Sent from my iPhone