Our 1-year-old shepherd mix Faulkner seems to require the smell of real human food in order to realize he needs to eat. Dry food alone just does not interest him, and trying to let his hunger change this resulted in a way-too-thin dog. How thin? Well, WAY too thin, even according to the latest chart at the vet's. And winter here in the mountains comes soon.

So I started by adding doggie-tea to the kibble. The first try was a small amount of canned dog food and an equal amount of water, mixed, and poured over the kibble. Yumping yiminy, doggie-dancing till I set it down, and SCARF! All gone. Burrrppp.

Realizing that could get pretty expensive, I cast about for another tea. An egg, thinned with water, is working. Not quite the same enthusiasm, but enough for him to eat as much kibble as he should be eating. And the remains of last night's sausage-spaghetti sauce sticking to the empty pot, swished with water, did OK too.

OK, dog fiends, am I on the wrong track? Am I killing the dog? :~)

Photo: WHERE'S THE BEEF?

~Susan