Tequila came into our lives in 1996. She was born in May and came to live with me when she was only 51 days old. She was the cutest puppy in the world and soon amazed us by her quiet demeanor, innate good manners and sharp intelligence. She was a true people dog and would rather sit on a park bench beside us and people watch than run around with other dogs.
She was also a world traveller. From Recife she went to Resende and then to Rio and Brasilia. From Brasilia I took her to Montreal, where we lived for 3 years and then to Toronto, where we stayed for another while. Tequila loved Canada. She relished the cold and snow. I was always amazed at how much energy she had at minus 20 celsius. The happiest I ever saw her was when we took her hiking into the mountains north of Montreal, in the Fall. She must have zigzagged a good 20 km that day, but she had us, she was free and it was cold. She ran the whole way up the mountain and down. Needless to say, she slept for 3 days afterwards.
When Alan first came to Brazil to meet my parents, in december 1997, she didn’t like him. She knew he meant a lot to me and was jealous. But he would put her on top of the wall that surrounded my parents home and together they would sit there for hours watching the world go by. Once Alan retired, they became best buddies and she would call him for a nap every afternoon. He would be working on the computer, she would come, nudge his hand and then point towards the couch, where she would lie at his feet.
When it came time to come to Spain, I had to bring her back to Brazil. I knew her health wasnt the best at that point and I wanted her to be in a place where she would get the best care and attention. That she did. Today my mom called me to let me know they had to put her down. She now rests in a quiet little plot by the river, across from my parents’ home. Here are some recent pictures from when we lived in Toronto:
You were the best buddy I ever had. You’ll live forever in my heart….
Hi Alex,
I’m so sorry to hear about Tequila! I never had the pleasure of meeting her but I heard from many that she was a wonderful dog.
take care,
Dana
Hey Alexandra,
My sincere condolences about Tequila. I know how difficult it can be to lose a pet. I’m sure she had a very happy life with you and your family.
Christian
HI Dana, hi Christian,
Thanks for the kind words.
I have learned a lesson with Tequila’s death – if you ever have a pet, do some research before changing your pet’s diet on the advice of a vet. Tequila developed a tumor in her liver after 2 years of being fed some crap dog food – sold only by vets – on the advice of a good vet, from a reputable clinic. I have since learned that the only training vets get on nutrition is a one hour lecture given by a representative of the pet food industry. That’s what makes me upset the most about her illness and death.
Hope all is well with the two of you.
Dana – keep me posted on your move and when you get to El Paso.
Alex
Hi,
Tequila was really a beautiful beautiful dog. It was Jeanne who told me to have a look at her history, for we’re going through a diet change with Leopoldo, our dog.
In Brazil I would feed him with Nutralis, which is a natural/no meet, rich and affordable food. I’ve been giving him Pedigree Vitality and that’s probably what caused his allergies.
The doctor prescribed that Hill’s diet, but now I’m really afraid of it…
Thank you for the tips! I’ll be researching what I’ll feed him with from now on… He still has to through his recovery before getting back to solid food again.
Best wishes!
Claudia
Hi Claudia,
I’m sorry to hear about your dog. Have you considered feeding him a natural diet? It doesnt have to be too time-consuming. In the last few years of Tequila’s life, because of her damaged liver, she had to eat a low-protein diet. Since I didnt like the ingredients in the few low-protein processed food in the market, I chose a high quality dry food (Fromm 4-star) and reduced the amount I’d give her by giving her a formula of 1/3 whole wheat pasta, 1/3 cooked vegetables, and 1/3 dry food, with a bit of nutritional supplement to balance everything. She really thrived on that. Even her mood changed; she became a much happier dog.
We cooked a big batch of pasta and vegetable every 2-3 weeks, packaged individual portions in small plastic bags and kept them in the freezer. Every 2-3 days we’d move 2-3 day supply to the fridge and simply put it in her bowl. It was as easy as feeding a straight dry food diet.
You can find other tips in this amazing forum:
http://www.understandinganimals.com/forum/index.php?topic=148.0
Alex