Canine Nutrition

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PLEASE BE ADVISED: THE THOUGHTS & OPINIONS BELOW DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF "BLUE ROSE DOXIES". Please call or email if you have any questions.

The information below consists of the following topics:

Feeding your dog a RAW meat or BARF diet
Advice on feeding your dog or puppy through all stages of life.
Feeding guidelines for most dog foods.
Gastric Torsion (bloat) and dog food.

This page was created to give advice to puppy and dog owners on proper nutrition and feeding practices. Most of this information is based on the breeding as well as articles and information gathered from the many people involved in dogs that I have had the pleasure of meeting and knowing.

The information below (advice on feeding your puppy or dog) is to help today's dog and puppy owners. One thing I would like to say is that I have seen people drive themselves batty worrying over which food diet is the best for their dogs.

If you have any specific questions regarding the nutrition or feeding of your dog or puppy, PLEASE feel free to email me at any of the email addresses on our "Contact Us" page. I will be more than happy to help you.

Remember that all those holistic, or "natural" dog foods are trying to sell you a product. The only way to convince you to buy their product is by convincing you that the regular commercial dog food sold in stores is detrimental to your dog's health. Why else would you spend the money on their food? The most honest opinions on dog nutrition are given by those who have nothing to gain by convincing you to purchase a certain brand or type of dog food.

Feeding your dog RawMeatyBones and Raw Food (Opinions Do Change):

In the past I had taken some information from a friend of mine. I had originally agreed with her. Now I have a different opinion about "Raw Feeding". : This decision to switch our dogs to a raw diet was one that was researched thoroughly. I hope that you will do the same.

It is not something that is new. People have been raw feeding for years. Dogs or "Wolves" in the wild have always eaten their prey raw. No, they did not take the time to trim & cook the meat. LOL! Anyway, we started 6 of our dogs on raw. I was worried about being able to find the meat at a good price. So I have waited to start the remainder of our dogs on the raw food. Actually the dogs that are on the raw, are doing great. With the price that a premium grade of Kibble has gone up to, it is cheaper to feed the dogs on human grade meat than to buy kibble for them. Everyone knows that dogs are carnivores. So they really do not need grain or vegetables. Dogs cannot process the grain, fruit or vegetables. This is the reason why you see so many bowel movements a day. My dogs have less(poop) and smaller poop than they had when they were on kibble. And the money that I am saving is wonderful. Not to mention the fact that I am doing the very best for my beloved pets. Go to this link for more info on feeding your dogs a species appropriate diet: Natural Rearing

UPDate: My Reggie(chocolate/tan dapple boy): He is such a sweetie. I would always look at him and say to my husband: He looks like a red. Now I know he is not a red. But his fur coat was so washed out. Boy does he ever look like a chocolate now!!! And his teeth! It was going to cost me upwards of $200 to have his teeth cleaned. Well, no need for that now.

We have also started all of our dogs on raw. Words cannot describe how wonderful they are doing. I have researched this so much and have come to the conclusion that this is the best way for our dogs.

If anyone would want to pick my brain, please feel free to call or email me.

Puppies:

Birth through weaning

The first 24 -48 hours of a puppies life it receives an important live giving nourishment from the mother known as "colostrum". Its also known as the foremilk. This fluid is rich in antibodies and minerals and help protect the puppy until it is older. It is very important puppies receive this nourishment from the mother. Puppies should not begin weaning until after four weeks of age. It is best they are not totally weaned from the mother until 6 weeks of age. I prefer this way so that my pups are as protected as long as possible from deadly viruses.

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After weaning until adulthood

Puppies 6 weeks to 4 months should be fed 2 to three times a day. It is always a better idea to feed your adult dog once a day. Puppy food is usually higher in fats and protein than adult food. Some premium brand lamb diets have fat and protein levels close to adult food. Keep in mind all puppies can become too heavy regardless of the food if the owner feeds too large of a quantity of food.

Adult dogs

All of our adult dogs are now on a raw diet. All are doing wonderful. No Problems! Not to mention the cost is so much cheaper than kibble. That is if you are doing your homework and looking for the good deals. You can pay as much as you do for your own food, or you can buy as cheaply as 10 ¢ a pound.

If anyone has called their vet to find out what they charge to clean their dog's teeth, you know how expensive it is. Most vets charge over $200 to clean a dog's teeth. Now that they are on raw, their teeth are just beautiful. All starting to turn white. Very little tartar. In time we expect to see perfectly white teeth on them all.

Causes of excess shedding in dogs.

**Over bathing your dog can actually cause excessive shedding and sometimes even cause a smell from skin damage. Over bathing can damage your dogs skin, dry it out and contribute greatly to shedding.

**Dogs that live inside tend to shed all year long. Since the daytime and night time hours control when a dog sheds naturally, dogs indoors are exposed to much longer periods of light (artificial light from lamps and indoor lighting). That combined with indoor heating cause a dog to shed at least some of its coat all year long.

**Stress or stressful situations (as that scary visit to the vet and surgery) can contribute to shedding.

**Parasites can contribute to shedding. Dogs overwhelmed by parasites (worms) can have a dull unhealthy looking coat and shed more than usual.

**Good nutrition is very important in the over all health of your dog. Nutrition can have a very important role in hair growth or shedding problems. Dogs that are fed diets with soy or corn as the main ingredient tend to have a more unhealthy coat, can show symptoms as a dull unhealthy coat with excess shedding and tend to need more trips outside to relieve themselves.

**The quality of the protein and the actual amount of protein your dog eats can affect shedding. Dogs tend to shed more when being fed diets with corn or another carb as the main ingredient. These dogs may not get the amount of protein needed in their coats which can contribute to shedding. Dogs fed protein levels that are higher than needed can shed in excess also. These dogs may not have dull looking coats and are in good health, but they seem to shed more. It appears that they grow more coat and shed more because of that. Sometimes adjusting the amount of protein can make a difference in these cases.

**Dog allergies can show themselves as ear infections, excess tearing, dry, irritated and itchy skin as well as excess shedding. The majority of the time allergies are caused by a dog's diet.

**If you're using a quality premium food to feed your dog, do NOT add vitamins to it's diet. This can interfere with your dog food.

**If you're feeding a high quality dog food do not purchase shedding or anti shedding products. You're just paying for something you're already getting from your food. Anti - shedding products are nothing more than vitamins and supplements already supplied by your dog's food.

Gastric Torsion And Dog Food

Gastric Torsion or "Bloat" can kill a dog in a matter of 2 hours or take as long as 36 hours. It is horribly painful to a dog and is a problem in adult dogs. The stomach fills with gasses making the dog extremely uncomfortable. As it progresses it twists and locks the gasses in causing even more severe pain. Bloat can happen to any dog but it is much more likely to be seen in large or giant breed dogs with deep chests. Anyone with a large breed dog should take care to avoid this horrible killer of pets. Below are some ways to avoid bloat in your dog. If your dog seems in pain or discomfort after it eats and does not want to lay down comfortably, it may be suffering from bloat.

☻ LEAVE WATER OUT AT ALL TIMES! If you limit water your dog is much more likely to drink quickly and too much. This contributes to cases of bloat. If something is always available a dog is much less likely to gorge. NOTE: Monitor your large breed or giant breed dog after heavy exercise.

☻ Feed your dog from an elevated dish. This helps the dog take in less air as it doesn't "suck" in air when eating.

☻ IF you purchased a dog from a quality breeder, they will know the bloat history of their dogs. It can be hereditary.

☻ Prevent your dog from eating quickly. Sometimes putting a large rock in the middle of the food dish slows down the eating process as the dog must eat around the rock. The rock needs to be too large for your dog to fit into it's mouth!

☻ Keep your dog calm after meals. Harsh exercise and physical activity can contribute greatly to bloat.

If you would like more information on this subject, I found a great article at the link below!

http://www.eclipse.net/~bobaloo/bloat.htm

A SPECIAL NOTE IN REGARD TO "BIL JAC" FRESH FROZEN DOG FOOD

As a breeder I constantly answer questions about puppy and dog nutrition. I consistently hear of owners feeding Bil Jac's fresh frozen dog food to their puppy. These owners are feeding this food in belief that it will put more weight on their dog and shinier coats. While Bil Jac may add some shine to your dog's coat it is NOT because of the protein content or proof that this food is superior for your puppy or dog. You may be very surprised to learn that this frozen dog food has a protein content of just 18 percent. Most premium quality dog foods made for puppy consumption can boast of protein contents between 26 and 32 percent. DO NOT WEAN YOUR PUPPY WITH BIL JAC FRESH FROZEN DOG FOOD!! Bil Jac's dry dog food is safe for puppies and all dogs. It also has a much higher protein content than the fresh frozen food contains.

Puppy owners should know that they can cause their puppy to become ill by feeding Bil Jac Fresh frozen dog food. Puppies and older dogs can actually come down with Pancreatic illness from consuming too much of this food. The other problem is that Bil Jac can spoil easily. The fat in Bil Jac can speed up spoilage in the same way leaving fresh hamburger sitting out in your kitchen for an unsafe period of time. If you must use Bil Jac try limiting your puppy's consumption of this food to training rewards. I would refrain from letting senior dogs eat Bil Jac at all. I have seen complications with the pancreas senior dogs fed Bil Jac on a regular basis.

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The foods listed below are a few of the premium dog foods available at popular pet stores. Most of them offer large breed puppy foods:

Please make the decison to not feed any of the foods below: A species appropriate food is the best way to go. RawMeatyBones is what will protect your beloved pets against allergies & help control other diseases.

*Purina Pro Plan (has a wonderful fish diet for dogs with sensitive stomachs or allergies)
*Eukanuba Dog Food (recently introduced a lamb line of dog food).
*Nutro Max
*Natural Choice **my favorite line for dogs with allergies** (large variety of foods)
*Authority Dog Food (PetsMart only)
*Purina One *available in larger chain grocery stores and Walmart*
*Iams (watch their regular diet food as it changes to corn as a main ingredient, their lamb diet food is fine)
*Pro Pac
*Pro Plan *They offer a full line of quality foods for all dogs.
*Bil Jac ( I feel the protein amounts are high in some of their foods, they may also still use BHA as a preservative).
*Nature's recipe (offers different foods for dogs with sensitivities and food allergies).
*Royal Canin * (I prefer this for small and toy breed dogs)
*Diamond "Naturals"

*Blue Seal "Pork & Barley" & "By Nature" (too expensive now)

My general guidelines for most dog foods are:

1. Avoid all dog foods containing CORN, SOY & WHEAT.

2. Feed a food with meat as the first ingredient. (and doesn't have corne as the second, third and fourth ingredient).

3. I always avoid foods that contain BHA , BTH, ethoxoyquin or other synthetic preservatives. Most premium foods now use natural preservatives (like vitamin E).

4. Never feed a dog food that contains dyes for color. This is for the owners benefit as the dog is color blind.

5. Feed your dog food that is meant for his or her age and activity level. (puppy, adult, large breed or senior)

6. Check expiration dates on dog food bags. Dog food only has a certain amount of shelf life before it starts to lose its nutritional value. Old food also attracts insects.

7. READ dog food ingredients. The first ingredient is the MAIN ingredient. Just because a bag of food says "Beef" on the bag do not take it for granted it is the main ingredient.

Corn and soy based foods although much less expensive, tend to give you more piles to clean in your yard as the dog usually defecates much more often. Dogs fed this diet tend to shed more, have dry skin as well as be less tolerant to fleas. Dogs show food allergies in different ways. Some scratch and bite themselves. Others may have eyes that tear excessively or even get ear infections from the food they are being fed.

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