Health Issues-Nutrition

Nutrition

We feed Victor Dog Food Hi Pro Plus (click link for website) daily in addition to supplements such as Kelp, Green Phyto Food, Kefir Milk, Yogurt, and Raw Chicken Leg Quarters once or twice a week.

GRADE YOUR DOG FOOD

If you dont have excel, follow the below instructions

Start with a grade of 100:

1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points

2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat meal

or fat) reference, subtract 10 points

3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5

points

5) If the same grain ingredient is used two or more times in the first

five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer's rice", "rice flour"

are all the same grain), subtract 5 points

6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than two

meats in the top three ingredients, subtract 3 points

7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

8) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points

9) If corn is listed in the top five ingredients, subtract 2 more points

10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2

points

11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic

to other protein sources), subtract 2 points

12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to

wheat), subtract 2 points

14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to

beef), subtract 1 point

15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points

2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5

points

3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points

4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points

5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3

points

7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points

8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points

9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points

10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point

11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point

12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the

first one, count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but

"chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point

13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are

pesticide-free, add 1 point

Scores:

94-100+ = A BEST!

86-93 = B STILL GOOD.

78-85 = C May need to change or add additives.

70-77 = D Need to think about changing.

69 = F AWFUL! CHANGE!

Here are some foods that have already been scored.

Scored Dog Foods:

Arkat VF Large Breed Puppy Score 103 A+ 103 A+

Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A 99 A

Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A 97 A

Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A 97 A

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+ 116 A+

Canidae / Score 112 A+ 112 A+

Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+ 115 A+

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+ 122 A+

Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+ 106 A+

Foundations / Score 106 A+ 106 A+

Innova Dog / Score 114 A+ 114 A+

Innova Evo / Score114 A+ 114 A+

Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+ 110 A+

ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+ 103 A+

Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+ 100 A+

Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+ 106 A+

Wellness Super 5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+ 110 A+

Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B 92 B

Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B 87 B

Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B 87 B

Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 73 D 73 D

Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D 73 D

Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F 68 F

Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F 64 F

Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F 23 F

Purina Beneful / Score 17 F 17 F

Purina Dog / Score 62 F 62 F

Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F 16 F

Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F 63 F

Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F 69 F

Health Issues/Natural vs Pharmaceutical

There are many skin and health issues that can be resolved by change of diet or supplementing to replace the deficiancy that has created the symptoms/issue. The most common is allergy symptoms. You can spend a ton of money at the vet and be prescribed medications that are actually harmful and detrimental to your dogs well being. Over abundance of yeast in a dogs system in my opinion is the most common issue confused with allergies. The dog scratches, has a rash or redness of skin, rust colored areas under the tail, front legs next to the chest same as in people, it can manifest into a variety of symptoms different in each dog. Antibiotics and or prednisone treatment resolve the issue temporarily only to return in full force shortly after the treatment is stopped. These medications actually help the yeast grow by killing the good bacteria necessary to keep things in balance. If it is yeast related there is a simple way to stop the problems and avoid recurrence with very little trouble. Follow the basics and I promise you and your pet will be happier for it. The dogs system gets out of balance and allows the yeast to overproduce. Yeast is present in everyone. When it overproduces, it causes a variety of problems internal and external. It can even affect internal organs. Changing the ph in the dogs digestive tract and over all system will inhibit over production putting the dog back in balance resolving the issue. It takes several weeks to see improvement and a few months to get completely under control. Persistence is the key, and it does work.

Feed food with NO corn. Avoid food with wheat or soy and use rice or sorghum based dog food ingredients.

Feeding a probiotic supplement may produce quicker results. It is also natural parvo preventative. til their vaccinations take hold.

Feed 1/3 to 1/2 cup of plain yogurt or plain Kefir milk (found in some grocers dairy/organic dairy section) every day. This helps put good bacteria back in the dogs digestive system and helps control the yeast that has taken over. It's also a natural way to protect a puppy against parvo-scientific fact that parvo needs certain bacteria to do its damage. Crowds out the bad bacteria and promotes the good enabling the dogs immune system to be the best it can be.

I wean every litter on Kefir milk it to help protect them against parvo.

Add a few tablespoons of ACV (apple cider vinegar) for each gallon to your dogs watering dish, bucket etc. Replace the ACV each time you change. This will also control tear stains, which is yeast growing in the dogs fur.

Here is a link that has a TON of information and other ways to approach the resolution of yeast. What ever method you decide to use, keep after it for several months. It takes that long to eradicate it from the dogs digestive system as it may even be living in the dogs internal organs, i.e, it must be treated from the inside out in addition to any topical solutions you apply for temporary relief.

http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/yeast_infections_dogs_questions.html#Question_2033

I highly recommend only giving your dog filtered water if your water quality is sub par in general. We actually installed a filtering system and swear by the results.

Please feel free to call and ask any questions you may have. It is difficult to cover everything and it may be something new to you that is common knowledge to most so I dont think to post it. Visit the CONTACT US portion of the website. I am always happy to talk dogs and do my best to answer any questions you may have.