Monday, April 6, 2009
Training Tip-Healthcare, Vaccinations, and Nutrition
Healthcare and Vaccinations: When choosing a pup, another key to see that you are getting a pup from a responsible breeder is if the pups have been health checked by a vet. Vaccines are readily available and far too many breeders will purchase a general de-wormer and vaccines and never take the litter in to be health checked by a vet. There are many things a vet can detect during these checks that would get overlooked otherwise. Pups can contract internal parasites such as coccidia, giarardia, or whipworms that over the counter dewormers will not work. By 8 weeks of age, when the average pups go to their new homes, they should have received their first round of vaccinations and been health checked by a Vet for internal parasites and more. Vaccinations are critical to the developing pup. The initial vaccination and each of the subsequent booster rounds are meant to booster or build upon the dogs immune system and it’s ability to ward off the various diseases it is being vaccinated for. The typical protocol for vaccinations is four rounds of shots at three week intervals. If you are getting your new pup at 8 weeks of age, it should have already received it’s first round of vaccinations before you pick him up. Remember, that even though pup has received these shots, does not mean that he cannot contract the various diseases. Keeping a pup away from public parks, doggie parks, other puppies, and adult dogs that you do not personally know the vaccine history of is the safest bet.
Many times when people take their new pup to a vet, the presence of some type of internal parasite/worms are detected. This is not uncommon, even when pups come from what you see as a healthy and clean environment. Many times it the mother can pick something up from the environment and it go undetected, and then pass it onto her pups. Do not be alarmed. Your Vet can prescribe the correct de-wormer that will rid the pup of these parasites, and pup will be just fine.
Beyond the realm of puppy vaccinations, you will need to take your dog as an adult, back to the vet once per year for annual vaccinations. Starting around 4 months of age, your dog will need to be on a monthly heartworm preventative and a flea and tick preventative. Your Vet can show you all of your various options and can be your best source of guidance and information. Remember, a healthy pup is a happy pup.
Nutrition: While dogs have different nutritional requirements than humans, puppies have different nutritional requirements than do adult dogs. Feeding a good puppy food that is fortified with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids will help build the dogs immune system as well as help to develop and maintain healthy skin and coat. It is my opinion that puppies should not be fed a food whose protein and fat levels are higher than 32% protein and 21% fat. Humans have all to often fallen into the line of thinking that more is better. A puppy that is fed higher levels of proteins and fats can grow at too fast a rate which can lead to various joint issues. Your Vet is an excellent source if you would like more information on this.
The brand of food you feed your pup is not important here. The important key is that you stick to one single brand of food. One of the leading problems/symptoms of both puppies and adults brought into vets is diarrhea or loose stools. The leading cause of this is most often diagnosed as “Dietary Indiscretion”. Simply put, it is caused from changing your pups diet or feeding them human food. Sticking with one brand of food throughout puppy hood, will greatly reduce unnecessary expense and trips to your Vet.
Feeding a pup on a set routine or schedule is important. Sticking to the routine will of great aid in house breaking and crate training. I will discuss this more in the next chapter.
At 8 weeks of age, I recommend feeding pups twice per day. This may mean you need to get up a littler earlier than you normally do each day, so you can feed and water pup followed by ample opportunity to relieve themselves before you leave for work. By the age of 14 weeks, I switch my pups are only fed once per day for the rest of their lives. Unlike humans, dogs can get all their daily nutritional requirements in one single feeding. When you first get pup home, you may need to moisten his food with water. This depends greatly on whether the breeder had been feeding them moistened food or had they switched them to straight dry food by the time pups were 8 weeks. I have my pups switched over to adult food by the time they are 6 months old. I believe that by continuing with the higher levels of protein and fats found in puppy food, leads to excessive growth and weight gain. When choosing an adult food, I highly recommend you feed your dog a product made of Lamb Meal and Rice. All the typical adult maintenance foods use chicken and beef by-products as their main ingredient. This is the source of many skin and coat issues that Vets see in dogs. Many times, once the Vet has the dog owner switch over to a Lamb Meal and Rice, the skin and coat problems are cured. Note, there are other skin problems that a dog can develop that a simple switch of the food will not cure. If you are feeding your dog Lamb Meal and Rice and he still develops coat and skin issues, consult your Vet for appropriate testing and diagnosis.
Many times when people take their new pup to a vet, the presence of some type of internal parasite/worms are detected. This is not uncommon, even when pups come from what you see as a healthy and clean environment. Many times it the mother can pick something up from the environment and it go undetected, and then pass it onto her pups. Do not be alarmed. Your Vet can prescribe the correct de-wormer that will rid the pup of these parasites, and pup will be just fine.
Beyond the realm of puppy vaccinations, you will need to take your dog as an adult, back to the vet once per year for annual vaccinations. Starting around 4 months of age, your dog will need to be on a monthly heartworm preventative and a flea and tick preventative. Your Vet can show you all of your various options and can be your best source of guidance and information. Remember, a healthy pup is a happy pup.
Nutrition: While dogs have different nutritional requirements than humans, puppies have different nutritional requirements than do adult dogs. Feeding a good puppy food that is fortified with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids will help build the dogs immune system as well as help to develop and maintain healthy skin and coat. It is my opinion that puppies should not be fed a food whose protein and fat levels are higher than 32% protein and 21% fat. Humans have all to often fallen into the line of thinking that more is better. A puppy that is fed higher levels of proteins and fats can grow at too fast a rate which can lead to various joint issues. Your Vet is an excellent source if you would like more information on this.
The brand of food you feed your pup is not important here. The important key is that you stick to one single brand of food. One of the leading problems/symptoms of both puppies and adults brought into vets is diarrhea or loose stools. The leading cause of this is most often diagnosed as “Dietary Indiscretion”. Simply put, it is caused from changing your pups diet or feeding them human food. Sticking with one brand of food throughout puppy hood, will greatly reduce unnecessary expense and trips to your Vet.
Feeding a pup on a set routine or schedule is important. Sticking to the routine will of great aid in house breaking and crate training. I will discuss this more in the next chapter.
At 8 weeks of age, I recommend feeding pups twice per day. This may mean you need to get up a littler earlier than you normally do each day, so you can feed and water pup followed by ample opportunity to relieve themselves before you leave for work. By the age of 14 weeks, I switch my pups are only fed once per day for the rest of their lives. Unlike humans, dogs can get all their daily nutritional requirements in one single feeding. When you first get pup home, you may need to moisten his food with water. This depends greatly on whether the breeder had been feeding them moistened food or had they switched them to straight dry food by the time pups were 8 weeks. I have my pups switched over to adult food by the time they are 6 months old. I believe that by continuing with the higher levels of protein and fats found in puppy food, leads to excessive growth and weight gain. When choosing an adult food, I highly recommend you feed your dog a product made of Lamb Meal and Rice. All the typical adult maintenance foods use chicken and beef by-products as their main ingredient. This is the source of many skin and coat issues that Vets see in dogs. Many times, once the Vet has the dog owner switch over to a Lamb Meal and Rice, the skin and coat problems are cured. Note, there are other skin problems that a dog can develop that a simple switch of the food will not cure. If you are feeding your dog Lamb Meal and Rice and he still develops coat and skin issues, consult your Vet for appropriate testing and diagnosis.
# posted by Clay Black @ 5:41 PM 
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Clay,
Quick question regarding food--do you ever recommend a free choice feeding plan? My lab has been on a free choice routine for his entire life and has never had a weight problem, but he may be the exception to the rule.
Great blog!
Thanks,
John
Quick question regarding food--do you ever recommend a free choice feeding plan? My lab has been on a free choice routine for his entire life and has never had a weight problem, but he may be the exception to the rule.
Great blog!
Thanks,
John
# posted by 
: April 7, 2009 10:35 AM
: April 7, 2009 10:35 AM
John,
For many reasons free choice feeding is never recommended. While you are fortunate with your lab, most times we see dogs overweight since their intake is never properly monitored. Many times different family members will come through and add food to their bowl not knowing that someone else did it earlier and the dog ends up taking in 2 to 3 times what it should on a daily basis.
Another issue is that loss of apetite is signs of illness with dogs, so by feeding set amounts at set times we can better monitor it.
Then there is the point from a hunting perspective. When I travel to South Dakota each year pheasant hunting, we are there for 5 straight days. The dogs are in the field all day, which in many cases, is the time when they would eat part of all of their daily meal. I like to put my dogs food down knowing they are taking in enough nutrition to keep them going the next day. A nibbler will never really have the time to eat like at home, so they can pass out in the field from lack of nutrition.
Now with puppies, free choice feeding and watering will make house breaking hard. If we control their food and water intake, then we control their bowel movements and urination schedule. A young pup must be taken outside immediately after eating or drinkinng. Then I like to take them out again 20 to 30 minutes later since what they just took in had to work through their system.
One last note. Dogs are creatures of habit, and getting dogs in a set daily routine, makes life on everyone, including the dog much easier. This routine does include going outside to eliminate. You can change your labs feeding schedule. I would reccommend starting off by switching to a twice per day feeding, morning and evening. At first, you might want to crate the dog to feed it. Put the food in, give him about 15 to 20 minutes to eat. If he does not, then pull it up. Repeat at the second feeding. The dog at first might not eat as much, but through hunger, will learn to eat when it is put in front of him. This will be a necessary step if you are planning on bringing a new pup into the house since the new pup will be going through the house breaking regimine.
I hope this answers your question.
For many reasons free choice feeding is never recommended. While you are fortunate with your lab, most times we see dogs overweight since their intake is never properly monitored. Many times different family members will come through and add food to their bowl not knowing that someone else did it earlier and the dog ends up taking in 2 to 3 times what it should on a daily basis.
Another issue is that loss of apetite is signs of illness with dogs, so by feeding set amounts at set times we can better monitor it.
Then there is the point from a hunting perspective. When I travel to South Dakota each year pheasant hunting, we are there for 5 straight days. The dogs are in the field all day, which in many cases, is the time when they would eat part of all of their daily meal. I like to put my dogs food down knowing they are taking in enough nutrition to keep them going the next day. A nibbler will never really have the time to eat like at home, so they can pass out in the field from lack of nutrition.
Now with puppies, free choice feeding and watering will make house breaking hard. If we control their food and water intake, then we control their bowel movements and urination schedule. A young pup must be taken outside immediately after eating or drinkinng. Then I like to take them out again 20 to 30 minutes later since what they just took in had to work through their system.
One last note. Dogs are creatures of habit, and getting dogs in a set daily routine, makes life on everyone, including the dog much easier. This routine does include going outside to eliminate. You can change your labs feeding schedule. I would reccommend starting off by switching to a twice per day feeding, morning and evening. At first, you might want to crate the dog to feed it. Put the food in, give him about 15 to 20 minutes to eat. If he does not, then pull it up. Repeat at the second feeding. The dog at first might not eat as much, but through hunger, will learn to eat when it is put in front of him. This will be a necessary step if you are planning on bringing a new pup into the house since the new pup will be going through the house breaking regimine.
I hope this answers your question.
Thanks for the reply, and your suggestion makes perfect sense.
Just to clarify--if you are only feeding twice a day at the puppy stage and then once a day thereafter, how often are you giving them access to water?
The only reason that I have hesitated to feed my lab only once daily is the danger of bloat in such a large dog. Should this be a concern, or is this usually not a problem when feeding at a maintenance level?
Also, once you get down to feeding once daily, are you feeding in the am or pm, or does it matter?
I have no problem in switching my lab over to a set feeding schedule, and will start the process right away. Without a doubt, set feeding times would be a necessity whenever we become a two dog household. Thanks again for your great advice.
Just to clarify--if you are only feeding twice a day at the puppy stage and then once a day thereafter, how often are you giving them access to water?
The only reason that I have hesitated to feed my lab only once daily is the danger of bloat in such a large dog. Should this be a concern, or is this usually not a problem when feeding at a maintenance level?
Also, once you get down to feeding once daily, are you feeding in the am or pm, or does it matter?
I have no problem in switching my lab over to a set feeding schedule, and will start the process right away. Without a doubt, set feeding times would be a necessity whenever we become a two dog household. Thanks again for your great advice.
# posted by : April 8, 2009 3:12 AM
: April 8, 2009 3:12 AM
At 8 weeks of age, and you take the pup home, he may not eat or drink like he should. Everything is different for the pup. In my house, I have a no spill waterbowl. For a pup, this is very different than anything they have drank from before, so I will add water to his food. This assures me that pup is staying hydrated. After eating, I will take pup to my kitchen and offer him some water, along with other times during the course of a day. Once pup is freely drinking from the waterbowl, then I stop putting the water on his food. So at this stage of the game, I will offer him water after each feeding. For a dog of 50lbs, that is housed indoors and not getting alot of outside activity, the minimum amount of water needed to remain hydrated is around 12 oz. NOTE-I said minimum needed. Once their outside activity goes up, so does their need for water. So, in comparison, a young Boykin Spaniel puppy WILL NOT require 2 quarts of water a day. So offering him water after each feeding is adequate. If you take pups on long walks during the summer months, yes, it is a good idea to give him some water afterwards, but just do not let him take in too much. A pup, especially after physical exercise, should not take in enough water that his stomach looks fat or plump.
Assuming you are feeding a mid to high grade food and not the cheapest product on the market, then on a 65 to 70 lb lab, you are only feeding him about 4 to 5 cups, depending on the manufacturers recommendatioins. This is not enough to worry with.
Now on once per day feedings, I prefer evening feedings for several reasons. I do not want to leave a dog crated all day while I am at work on a full stomach. That is an accident waiting to happen. Plus, just like our parents told us not to go swimming for an hour after eating, it is not good to feed a dog, then put him afield where he is going to be physically exerting himself.
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Assuming you are feeding a mid to high grade food and not the cheapest product on the market, then on a 65 to 70 lb lab, you are only feeding him about 4 to 5 cups, depending on the manufacturers recommendatioins. This is not enough to worry with.
Now on once per day feedings, I prefer evening feedings for several reasons. I do not want to leave a dog crated all day while I am at work on a full stomach. That is an accident waiting to happen. Plus, just like our parents told us not to go swimming for an hour after eating, it is not good to feed a dog, then put him afield where he is going to be physically exerting himself.
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