A Word About Feeding Large Breeds

I have the utmost respect for my veterinarians, Kent Wisecup DVM, Rob Rich DVM and Nathan Rich DVM of Country Acre Animal Clinic, in NewCastle, Indiana. Without their efforts and knowledge I could not have been a successful dog breeder for 35 years.

Over the years, I have come to understand that many vets, like physicians, are not trained in nutrition, other than the mandatory few credits of general nutrition, that they are required to take in school. This is not enough knowledge to know how to judge a good commercial food from a poor one, how to decipher a label, balance an unbalanced diet, or how to feed a large or giant breed of dog.

Unfortunatel, vets rely on nutritional information give to them by dog food company sales representatives from Hills Science Diet or Iams. The sales reps, are the ones who are responsible for teaching our vets about nutrition (rather, how to sell their products), which is not nutritional education it is simply marketing.

I have been a university professor for 34 years and know that taking only one or two classes in a subject (especially small animal nutrition) is not enough knowlege to be making recommendations that effect the life long wellness of my animasl. And then to think the nutritional information given to your vet actually given by a dog food salesperson, makes this even more scary and very deceiving to the public, because the pet's owners put their complete faith in the veterinarians.

No, this is not good enough. It is because of this fact that this website and Feed Programs have become so valuable to owners and breeders of the large and giant breeds. This is a place for them to go get practical, common sense nutritional information, based in 33 years of experience raising giant breeds, doing feed trials and scientific research on how to raise a large breed dog. We know this works....champion after champion, litter after litter, with no growth problems, no reproduction problems and greater longevity tells us, these programs work.