Earlier this week, we had a little health scare with Roli. He wanted to go out at 4am (not unusual), but then he was a bit out of it, with labored breathing and coughing. This has never happened and it seemed like it could be something significant. He had improved by the time we got to the emergency vet, X-ray was negative and they had no other ideas, so we took him home.
He slept all morning, but improved pretty much back to normal before a follow up with our normal vet midday. Based on what she saw, the vet thinks he is not absorbing taurine due to grain-free food. Low taurine can lead to heart disease, but is reversible so we should transition him to a food that includes grain.
Apparently, even dogs can get some good nutrients from grains and might even need them for optimal health. Maybe this is why Silverbear was always hunting down bread on our walks.
I don’t know what to believe anymore. I thought feeding Roli grain-free food with high quality ingredients was the best thing for him. It turns out that I might have been using assumptions that were incorrect. A bit of research corroborated the vet’s suggestions, so grains here we come.
What have you learned that changed your mind about something you had been sure about?
Shoes
Carbs
CO2
A continuing learning experience with things that impact and react with what I call myself!