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GREATDANELADY.COM Linda Arndt ~ Canine Nutritional Consultant Email:  |
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Puppy Feed Program for Knuckling Over |
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To correct this problem you must switch the dog to Eagle Natural or Eagle Super Premium Large/Giant Breed Puppy food (not the new Eagle Holistic Large/Giant Breed Puppy. We have an excellant success rate using Eagle Natural or the Super Premium Food.
Willowrun Great Danes - 10weeks HOW TO USE THIS PROGRAM This feed program is used by many of the top breeders in large and giant breeds in the USA and overseas. This program has 18 years of success in helping to prevent and correct developmental orthopedic diseases (HOD,OCD, Pano). You must follow this program exactly because each component has a job to do - deleting one of these components compromises the integrity of this program. Do not add other foods or supplements to the program without discussing it with me first. Do NOT add your own raw meats, calcium supplements, I will provide raw options that are safe from pathogenic bacteria and parasites and balanced in their calcium and phosphorus ratio. This program will be divided into 3 parts: Section A. - supplements, and where to purchase Section B. - description of supplements - what they do Section C. - support information - for your puppy Please print out for future reference and provide a copy for your veterinarian, since most are unfamiliar with how to feed large and giant breed dogs. If they have any questions they can contact me personally for assistance. Please note, I am not a distributor nor a retailer of any of the products used in this feed program. I have used them for years and test fed on my own pets and in some instances, I have done laboratory tests to check quality and analysis and also done my own long term feed trials on many litters. I do not recommend companies that are unethical in their business practices. This information is not to be used in lieu of veterinarian advice, diagnoses or treatment. Switching Over To This Program - INSTRUCTIONS Section A. The
Basics Program
This program is a comprehensive and consists of 6 major components and this is it in summary form. Detailed info to follow below.
Where
To Order Products
1. DOG FOOD - Eagle Large/Giant Breed Puppy Food or Eagle Natural Pack - 23% protein 12% fat locate retailer at this website www.eaglepack.com 2. FOUR-IN-ONE PROBIOTICS & DIGESTIVE ENZYMES - beneficial bacteria, digestive enzymes, Vitamin C & Barley Grass 3. MSM-Nutritional Sulfur - not all MSM is alike - important for large breed dogs that often have issues with metabolic nutrient malabsorption of their diet. 3. NZYMES - dietary enzymes - in chewable Pet Treat or Granular (goes further) www.nzymes.com 4. OX-E-DROPS - antibacterial, antiviral, antifungus - keeps pH of the gut healthy www.nzymes.com 5. FLEXICOSE - joint support supplement (glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and herbs). www.Flexicose com 6. FOR VARIETY ADD - fruits & veggies & Eagle Holistic canned meats www.eaglepack.com For a safe, balanced raw option use Honest Kitchen dehydrated raw - info below. Section B. Description
of Supplements - Who - What - Why?
1. Food - Kibble and Canned My preference in food is the Eagle Pack line of Natural/Holistic dog foods. I think the best food to use for your puppy is:Eagle Natural 23% protein 12% fat OR Eagle Large/Giant Puppy Formula 23% protein 12 %fat . I can not correct growth problems on any other food so it is really important to make an effort to use these foods. If by some chance you can't
get Eagle write me first, if I am not available and you are in a rush
to get food or change a diet due to growth problems
- pick a company
from my list of better
foods and pick something in the 22- 24%protein range and 12-15%
fat range. Eagle Holistic Fish and Oatmeal is and adult food and not suitable for growing dogs and I do not recommend straight lamb rice diets for growth you need a multiple protein(meat) source in your foods to build good muscle mass. After 10 - 12 months of age you can safely switch to :Eagle Large/Giant
Adult Formula 24% protein 14% fat It is not necessary to switch, but some dogs need more calories at this age to hold weight. I choose Eagle because all products are made with human grade/organic ingredients,a multi-protein source, not grain based, yogurt cultures (probiotics) digestive enzymes, prebiotics, glucosamine HCL for joint support, high quality sequestered minerals which are critical for proper growth and no bone diseases, no ethoxiquin, no BHA,BHT, only naturally preservative, vitamin C and yucca and balanced Omega 6:3 fatty acids. This is the ONLY dog foods ever tested on giant breeds and it was done on several litters before it became available to the public. It has the longest track record for giant breeds of any food on the market. I directed the feed trials on this food 18 years ago as well as the Large and Giant Puppy food feed trials in 2002 so I know these foods work. To purchase Eagle Dog Foods:
HOW MUCH DO I FEED? See chart below at bottom of this information or click on link and printout for future reference. AMOUNT TO FEED CHART 2. Dietary Enzymes Nzymes - is Dietary Enzyme in a chewable healthy pet treat or in granular form. Nzymes put the "living component" back into a cooked, processed, stored dog food. Enzymes are heat sensitive and lost in processing/cooking of all commercial foods or making home cooked diets. As owners we must put dietary enzymes back into the diet, in order to maintain proper wellness and not deplete the body of this important resource. This can be done by the addition to your diet with a product called Nzymes, a chewable pet treat, or granular form which can be sprinkled on the food to replace what is lost. In other words, Nzymes provide the body with the right nutrients to allow the body to make the chemicals necessary to detoxify (clean out) the body and repair itself. Nzymes helps with the following:
Nzymes are from sprouts (food) so they do not conflict with diet or any medications. I have used the Nzymes for 20 years for my animals and I take the human product and have seen remarkable changes our health. By incorporating Nzymes into the diet, you are putting back the "living component" into the modern processed and cooked diets. This gives the body the tools it needs for repair and good health. Website to order : http://www.nzymes.com/ - 877- 816- 6500 - 8:00-6:00 PST 3. MSM - Nutritional Sulfur -
there are many brands on the market but the one with the longest track
record is the Vita-Flex brand that has been around for 25 yrs. MSM
Corrects malabsorption of other nutrients such as minerals whose imbalance
relate to problems such as osteochondrosis (HOD, OCD, Pano). It also
helps with the pain and inflammation relief associated with developmental
orthopedic diseases. Order online at - www.firstchoicenaturals.com 4. Ox-E-Drops - always use diluted in water Ox-E-Drops is clear a safe liquid that will kill pathogens: bacteria, fungus and virus. When feeding raw meat it is particularly important to use Ox-E-Drops to help prevent problems with the pathogens in raw foods. An added benefit is that Ox-E-Drops Drops does not kill the good bacteria of the gut and helps to encourage the growth of friendly bacteria. I believe Ox-E-Drops is very important component to a diet in the possible prevention of bloat and systemic fungus infections, toxic and leaky gut syndrome, because if it's ability to help keep the proper pH balance in the gut which is important in breeds that have a tendency to bloat. Ox-E-Drops can be use diluted (1 cup of distilled water + 1 teaspoon of Oxy-Drops) for a solution to clean out ears, eyes, to spray on skin or use as a colonic. It is very beneficial in systemic yeast infections as well. Dosage - 1 drop per 20 lbs of body weight. Use daily on food, mix with a little water and your canned Eagle meat and use as a gravy. During times of illness - double this dosage. To order: www.Nzymes.com or 877-816-6500 5. Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes 4 in 1 Probiotics - This is a combination 4 friendly yogurt like good bacteria, 4 digestive enzymes, Vitamin C - in and Ester C form and Barley Grass. It fills the "holes in every diet", processed or raw. Do NOT add more Vitamin C to your dogs diet it is already this product. First Choice Naturals 4 in 1 Probiotics contains:
6. Joint Supplementation I have used Flexicose joint supplementation with great success on my dogs. It is particularly noticeable when you introduce it to an elderly dog diet - they respond very well to joint nutritional supplementation. The amount of glucosamine in better dog foods is barely a maintenance level dosage, which is why I supplement my dogs. Whereby it is beneficial for all breeds ages and sizes, the large and giant breeds are particularly vulnerable due to their size, rapid development as a puppy and later tendencies toward bone cancer - normally of the long bone or growth plate. I believe most of these cancers can be prevented with a comprehensive diet and joint support during development. If a dog has had HOD, OCD or Pano as a young dog, I feel it is very important to use the Nzymes product and other "functional foods" with anticancer properties as part of the daily diet, in the hopes of preventing bone cancer as they age. I start my puppies on joint supplementation at 10 - 12 weeks of age and continue throughout their adult life. With the large/giant breeds their joints have added stressed, so any thing that can help support them as they age, is a positive step in the right direction. SHIPPING OVERSEAS - Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom - more added daily so check with the company to see if they ship to your country. For more complete information and ordering go to this website: Flexicose Options: For Variety - Meats - Fruits - Vegetable MEATS: I use Eagle Holistic canned dog foods for variety (beef, chicken, liver, lamb, duck, fish, puppy).I mix a couple of tablespoons of canned meat with tepid temperature water and make a gravy. Do NOT use grocery store brands they are full of preservatives and 4D meats (dead, diseased dying and disabled) and they give the dogs stinky gas and are full of unhealthy fillers. NO homemade concoctions of meat/rice combinations that you make up at home, they are very unbalanced in their calcium and phosphorus levels and can cause growth problems. FRUITS &VEGETABLE: I think it is important to incorporate some real foods into you dogs diet on a daily basis. Not only is this done for nutritional purposes, but because the dog gets bored eating the same thing day in, day out!! This is a list of recommended foods to use in moderation: yogurt, buttermilk berries melons, apples, banana, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, oranges, squash, sweet potato, green beans, zucchini - minced/diced/raw/cooked - they love frozen berries and melon balls!! Pulverized fresh veggies are best for digestion. NO raw onions, grapes or raisins, macadamia nuts. Linda's Very Veggie Soup - 2 large cans of chicken or beef broth - (low sodium for heart or elderly dogs- or homemade). Add LOTS of veggies - carrots, green beans, wax beans, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and couple cloves of garlic. The idea is to use this as the filler so you want it to be hearty and filling. OR 6. Variety - A Safe Balanced Raw Meat & Fruit/Veggie - OPTION If you want to introduce some raw meat, fruits and veggies to your dogs diet, the is is the best way to do it because it is balanced in it's calcium and phosphorus ratios and free from pathogenic bacteria and parasites. This is a freeze-dried dehydrated raw turkey or chicken diet, all you have to do is reconstitute with filtered water, let sit a few minutes and serve. Do not get lazy and simply sprinkle this on the top of their food, make sure you use it reconstituted with water first -so it does not draw all the water out of the dog's gut, causing the dog to want to drink water in excess. The food dehydration process takes place so the ingredient are still considered raw yet done at a temperature to kill any pathogenic bacteria. Enzymatic activity in dehydrated foods is simply suspended until the food is rehydrated with liquid. The Honest Kitchen dehydrated raw dog food is available in two formulas: FORCE (21% protein - 14% fat) - Chicken, Flaxseed, Potatoes, Celery, Cabbage, Sweet Potatoes, Zucchini, Green Beans, Apples, Honey, Alfalfa, Kelp,Yogurt, Bananas, Papayas, Basil and Rosemary. EMBARK 29% protein - 16% fat - Turkey, Flaxseed, Potatoes, Celery, Spinach, Carrots, Coconut, Apples, Kelp, Eggs, Sesame Seeds, Bananas, Cranberries, Rosemary. The Honest Kitchen dog food and Eagle Pet Foods is endorsed by the Whole Dog Journal. To order call 858-483-5995 ~ www.thehonestkitchen.com Note: Since you are using this to top dress your dog's food for variety and not as the whole diet, you can use either one of these formulas even for Great Dane puppies. Just use in reasonable amounts so you are not adding too many calories during growth stages. Honest Kitchen Amounts for Puppies:
HOW I MIX MY DOG FOOD
I add my supplements in the AM just because it is easier to do it all at once. I make gravy of tepid temp water and Eagle canned meat and add the Ox-E-Drops to this mixture.Top dress with a little fruit or veggie or the Honest Kitchen mixture at least with one meal a day. I tend to use my evening meal for the Honest Kitchen - just for variety. WATER ON KIBBLE - Puppies 8-10 weeks use 1/4 - 1/3 cup water + 1-2 tablespoons canned meat. You want the food moist but not floating and sloppy. For older puppies and adults I will use 1 cup of water per meal along with my Eagle canned meat. OPTIONAL - Top- dress the dog food with Honest
Kitchen.
Do not microwave, soak or use hot or very warm water on your kibble. It will destroy the integrity of the friendly yogurt type cultures and the fragile vitamins/minerals and amino acids on the food. Water On Food:
Drinking Water: Withholding water for fear of bloat is a myth. Stress is the cause and bloat/torsion is the response. It is much more complicated that simply saying water is the cause of bloat.
Can I Feed The BARF Diet to My Puppy? I do not promote raw diets on growing large and giant breeds because
the nutrients and caloric intake are very difficult for a new pet
owner to calculate, and they inevitably end up contacting me to try
to "fix" their dogs growth problem. There reasons are far to many to discuss in this brief commentary, but you will notice I do have a safe and balanced raw option for you to used in this feed program and you can increase the amount of raw used as the puppy get older and past the drastic growth stages at 1 year of age. Take note, that not all kibbles are meant to be used with a raw or even an added meat component. Some of the Eagle foods you can use 10% raw and Timberwolf Organic diets (specific ones) you can add meat because they have adjusted the calcium and phosphorus levels so this can be done safely. Always ask how much is the correct amount of meat to kibble. Again - this is for adults not puppies. Section C - Support Information - Required Reading LEARN WHY GIANT BREED GROWTH IS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER CANINES: Understanding & Preventing Developmental Bone Diseases - Large/Giant breed Puppy Growth PUPPY CARE GUIDELINES: is part two of this important information for your puppy. Click on link and print out. For information on appropriate crates, toys, bedding, collars, shots, ear taping, vaccines, puppy health issues etc. Puppy Care Guidelines - this is Part 2 to this program and a MUST to read. COMMON SENSE TRAINING: The Puppy Toolkit OTHER VALUABLE INFORMATION - HOMEWORK! Read this: Does My Vet Understand Nutrition? Common Puppy Problems hiccups- demodectic mange - puppy acne - vaginitis - picky eaters etc. When do I spay or neuter? Cropped Ears Or Natural Ears? If you have a puppy and intend to have have it cropped, make sure you read these articles. Should I Crop My Dane Puppy? and Anesthesia Guidelines For Croping. If your dog is already cropped, here is info for taping and aftercare. Vaccines
Special Alert - Antibiotic Reactions in Great Danes and Other Breeds.
Fleas - Heartworm
AMOUNTS TO FEED LARGE/GIANT PUPPIES This chart is base the assumption that a dog may be crated or less active during the day while the owner is at work. Use this guideline to help prevent growth diseases in puppies. The most sensitive time for growth problems is from 3-6 months of age. Giants (Danes, Newfies, Pyers, Irish Wolfhounds etc.), start with the low - mid range amounts to start with - this is a guide- but I have found it is pretty accurate. Note: Large breeds such as (Labs, Boxers, Collies, Goldens, Shepherds, Dobes, Rotties etc.), should be fed the low end amounts on chart up to 5 months, then at 5 months and up they tend to hold around 5-7 cups of food, unlike the giant breeds - so hold in this range of 5-7 cups -increase or decrease according to activity levels. You want them well covered, but with the last rib showing slightly. 2 months 2-4 cups per day - (divided into 3 meals daily)
Puppies: These amounts are based on a moderate caloric food (350-385 Kcal per cup). This is only a general guideline so they do not consume too many calories before 6 months of age, disrupting their growth patterns causing accelerated growth and potential bone problems. Keep the puppy lean, but not skinny. On a dog with a smooth coat, I want to just barely see the last rib if the dog is standing. That is the perfect weight for growth. If he is too lean, feed 1/2- 1 cup more per day. You have plenty of time to get muscle on them as the mature - show people are the worst at wanting them heavy to get them in the show ring. Just relax, you can't force an acorn to become and Oak tree over night. NOTE: If your puppies seems
absolutely starved on these amounts you can add a
little more food as long as their legs don't start
to turn left/right or bow out..or you can a homemade
veggie soup component to the diet and it will not
add too many calories.
Adolescents: Young adult male great Danes may want to eat as much as 12 cups per day until mature. If this is so, you should switch up to a higher protein for example use a 25% protein 15% Fat and they will have to process less food. Once they are over 10 months of age you can move to the Eagle Holistic Chicken or the Eagle Adult Large/Giant Breed. Adults: I feed my mature bitches(giants) approximately 5- 6 cups per day and mature males approximately 6- 7 cups per day. Older dogs and bitches approximately 4-6 cups per day. Why do they go off feed? For a couple of reasons - Hormones play a big role in your dog backing off their food - coming into season, the false pregnancy, teething around 5-7 months of age, and inactivity all have a hand in them backing off eating. Food consumption can be directly related to the amount of free exercise your dog gets on a daily basis. I have 2 Great Danes at home right now, 3 and 4 yrs of age - intact male and spayed female. Normally, the female at 125# eats 5 cups total a day of Eagle Adult Food, divided AM and PM. The male is 165# and in good weight on 6 - 7 cups a day. On my adults I also rotate Eagle Foods (Chicken, Duck, Fish etc). I open one bag, finish it out then switch to another, just because I want them to have variety. I also use the Eagle canned foods for this as well and added fruits and veggies. For details see the Adult Feed Program. A pet owner writes: "If we try to offer more food, it just gets left behind and they don't eat all of it." As long as your dog is not running a fever, lethargic,
vomiting, distressed or has diarrhea and you KNOW they are
not sick, then it is normal for them to back off on their
feed regardless of weather. This is natures way of telling
you they do not need it - regardless of their weight, they
are eating a nutrient dense diet and they need to take a
break from it. Remember, in the wild, dogs would never
eat on a daily basis, so they are telling you.."Mom,
I don't need it - take it away!". They are not
usually food driven like people who eat for a variety of
other reasons; celebrations, misery, nervousness, pleasure
etc. ...well, that is most dogs aren't. My Pug on the other
hand, well that is another story! Every week on one day I cut back on the amount by 1/2 cup each meal or 1 cup per day total - IF THIS IS A DOG THAT SELF REGULATES INTAKE and starts walking away from their food you may have to do this more frequently. My male is like clockwork...once a week he turns his up his nose and I would have to throw out half his food, if I didn't cut back once a week...then the next day he is ready to eat again. Weather is a Factor: Right now is July and we are in the heat of the summer (Indiana) which means humidity and horseflies, so my dogs are only out long enough to do their "business" a few times a day, then they come right back in the house until the sun sets. Although they live in an in air-conditioned environment my male will drop down from 7 cups a day total to eating only 5 cups a day total --- and female will normally eat 6 cups a day total, will drop down to only 4 cups a day total consumption. This is because they do not get the free exercise they would normally get in good weather, so their intake is directly related to the enegy they expend. Less exercise means they need less food intake. The only real exercise they get in the dead of summer is at night when the sun goes down, out the go to play. Their actual expenditure of calories is not as great in the heat or the dead of winter for that matter because of the decrease in exercise - so if you just remember that their intake is directly related to how much exercise they get you will realize you need to cut back at certain times. If you don't remember they will let you know..they will walk away from their food. During this kind of weather it is not at all unusual for my males to eat half rations, by his own choice, for about 3 days, then back on full rations. This tells me he did not need the calories due to the fact that he is not expending much energy in extreme weather. Lite or Low Protein Diets
Older dogs and growing puppies
should NEVER be placed on Low Protein or a lite or restricted
protein/fat diet. The only time an animal should be fed a restricted
protein or fat diet is due to a specific disease. Cut back the
amount you feed rather than switch to a lower protein and lower
fat. They need the nutrients and their brains, organ
functions and coats will suffer dramatically. Special Alert: For Collie/Sheltie/Aussie and Sighthound Owners
For those people who own Collies, Shelties, Sighthounds,
Aussies, Border Collies, any breeds with Collie background or
mixed breeds with any of these dogs in them, it is critical that
you know there are certain medications your dogs CAN'T take. Do
not leave it up to your vet to know this..YOU must print this
out and know it - it is a matter of life or death.
These dogs have a sensitivity to Ivermectin (Heartguard Heartworm medication. Only use Interceptor. Other related drugs you can not use on these breeds or there will be neurological damage. Other related drugs you can NOT use:
Metronidazole (which is used for diarreah and giardia) There are many different types of drugs that have been reported to cause problems in Collies, ranging from over-the-counter antidiarrheal agents like Imodium® to antiparasitic and chemotherapy agents. It is likely this list will grow to include more drugs as our research progresses. Drugs that have been documented, or are strongly suspected to cause problems in dogs with the MDR1 mutation: Ivermectin (antiparasitic agent) The following drugs may potentially cause problems when given to dogs that have the mutation. Biochemical studies have shown that this gene has the potential to act on over 50 different drugs. Ondansetron Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Here is the link for more drug information
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This program is for your
puppy that has problems with bowing or knucking over due to uneven
growth patterns between the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments.