Doggie meatballs…

Last week, I wrote about being a private chef to Klaus, our bulldog with so many allergies that his diet is minimal. He takes medication twice a day for allergies and anti-itching. 

I’m finding Klaus likes the food topper I am making, but he knows I am sneaking the pills in his food. When I grew up, it was called being slipped a Mickey. My father always warned me never to put a drink down at a party or bar because someone could slip me a Mickey. He didn’t know how I drank; I never put my drink down! 🤣

This morning he was eating his kibbles topped with the beef stew I made last week, and he found the three carrots with the pills in the bowl and spit them out, setting them next to each other on the floor. 

“Klaus! You little bastard, what am I going to do with you!” He turned around and smirked at me. Then I laughed because he’s so smart and stubborn. I had to put my thinking cap on and decide what I could use to hide the pills now. 

We’ve used liverwurst, peanut butter, cheese, and sweet potatoes to disguise his pills. He figures it out, then won’t eat it anymore. It’s almost like he says to Otto, “They keep trying to poison me, I tell ya; I’ll outsmart them!” And he does. 

Today I saw a recipe for doggie meatballs. He loves meatballs…this could work. An article said never to let them see you put the pills in the food or even hear the pill bottle. Good to know. 

I defrosted some ground venison and made his meatballs with the venison, an egg, gluten-free oats, and doggie-approved herbs like basil and oregano. I am not a fan of venison, so this was perfect meat to use for him and how low in fat it is. 

I made his sauce with some crushed tomatoes, which have no added salt or sugar. Then I added some carrots cut smaller to fool him and some black eye peas that I had in the pantry. The peas are in the bean family, which is high in protein and fiber. They also help regulate dogs’ blood sugar levels. I added some fresh basil and parsley and a dash of oregano. Mangia Mangia! 🇮🇹 

After I baked the meatballs, I added them to the sauce, which I cooked down until it coated the meatballs. It smells good, but I didn’t try it since I turned off venison when I was a kid. I just can’t do it. I know everyone in VT loves it, but this gal from Jersey had a yucky experience. That all she wrote. 

I hope he likes these meatballs because it’s easier to make than the stew. I will make it a Swedish meatball style with a gravy yogurt sauce next week if he does like it. We will see if he eats them or not—that little bastard. 🐶