What's on the menu?

Tai is a healthy eater. Having said that, I must point out that that sentence can be interpreted in a couple of ways.

Does Tai eat healthy foods? Yes and no. Tai eats chicken... roasted chicken... and only roasted chicken. (I think you get the point. He doesn't have a particularly varied menu.) He pretty much turns up his little nose at everything else. On the very rarest of occasions, he'll deign to eat a tiny amount of pork or fish, but I could probably count on one hand the number of times that would happen in a year. The vet says we've probably spoiled Tai by not forcing him to accept other foods. Yeah, he's probably right. But Tai is a healthy boy, and to make sure he stays healthy, we give him a supplement regularly so he gets all the vitamins and minerals he needs. I should mention that we have gotten him to eat a little bit of dry dog food after all the chicken is eaten. He won't tolerate it mixed in, only added after the fact and only in small amounts. If we try to dump in a heaping amount, he's immediately turned off. So we mete it out a bit at a time till he feels he's had enough and walks away to the water bowl. That's the signal that dinner has officially come to a close.

Does Tai eat a good, healthy amount? Yes and no. Generally, he dives right in and practically inhales his food. Occasionally, he'll pick at it, eat just a few tiny pieces, then walk away. No amount of coaxing will get him back to the dish. This could go on for days. But then he gets good 'n hungry again and dives back into his chicken.

So, how did he become a finicky eater? I think it stems from puppyhood before we 'rescued' him. They were giving him rice with something added (could be chicken, pork, fish, possibly spicy sauces). To him, it was so unappetizing that he would just ignore it. By the time he was hungry enough, the ants had already claimed the food bowl and turned it into a writhing mass. To this day, Tai won't go near his bowl if he detects even a tiny amount of rice.

When all is said and done, though, he is healthy. We know it, and the vet confirms it. Everyone comments on how bright and shiny and soft his coat is. Everybody's happy.

So... chicken anyone?