Sugah
by Tanya M. Jackson

When my son first moved his family to Florida, the first thing on order was a nice family dog. He has a teen daughter and two little boys, full of energy. We needed the perfect dog!

So of course we began checking at the shelter. The children wanted a girl dog, and she needed to be big enough and friendly enough to endure lots of kids and lots of love. We made several trips to look at dogs. Finally we took the whole family to an adoption day at the shelter. All the dogs were at their best, showing off their manners and how they liked to play and how they got along with others – people and animals.

This big year-old “Southern Red Dog” seemed to think my son and his little boys were pretty special. (We call them a southern red dog if we just can’t seem to pin a breed mix on them.)  She sat for them; she walked on a leash. A volunteer told us that they knew little about her at the shelter. She had not been there very long; she was picked up as a stray. Thus, no history, really. She had been spayed and was ready to go, and we could make our own history with her, if we wanted. The family looked at a few more dogs and then came back to this doggy without a name. None of us remember what it was while she was at the shelter. She is just our Sugah.

“Sugah” – as in brown sugar, or cinnamon sugar, or maybe just plain sweet sugar, has become a joy of a dog. She is everybody’s pal. She likes to play rough, or just hang out with the gang. She helps us train all the foster puppies that come and go at our house. She is the best couch potato around!!  In fact she is famous for that art of sleeping on most of the couch!

Sugah’s only problem is that she is desperately allergic to CORN and all corn products. It took us a while to find this out. Her skin problem developed soon after she came to live with us, and worsened gradually. The poor dog was miserable and we were trying every remedy known. Nothing seemed to help: baths, lotions, potions from the vet. Poor Sugah itched and scratched incessantly. There were no fleas, ticks or such in sight.

Eventually it occurred to me to get online and check out dog allergies! It is amazing what one can learn on the net!  The vast majority of dogs with allergy problems, I read, are allergic to corn. And CORN is often the number one ingredient in dog foods!

So off we went in search of a better dog food. Eventually we found a natural brand that is simply lamb and rice. Then we found Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, another lamb and rice mix. NO CORN. We told the kids Sugah can have no corn chips, no picnic corn cobs that she loves, nor other such little snacks and stolen tidbits. Her meals are also pretty much free of wheat products too.

We have been diligent about her diet, and Sugah is getting better. Her food is expensive. It takes policing to make sure she gets no stray corn products. But Sugah is looking and feeling great; her coat is thick, glossy and red. Her heart is full of joy. She loves her family and her family loves her. Another dog from the shelter has found her forever family, and they are forever thankful that they found her. She’s worth everything – expensive food, lots of toys and playtime, lots of love, everything that a beautiful dog like that deserves!