Nutrition

Nutrition + Great Genetics = Health. Simple formula but dog food is always changing. Good pet food companies are being acquired and then they start cutting costs and before you know it there is a problem and your dog pays for it.

We have a store with pet food and pet accessories. We even have a vet  that comes in every other Saturday. We sell hundreds of thousands of dollars in pet supplies. Vicki talks with pet vendors daily.  Regional veterinarians send their clients to Vicki so she can help pick out the right food for the right dog. She is the expert on dog nutrition. Here is the scoop.

Kibble, can or raw? Cans do not have any probiotics and good bacteria is necessary for mammals. Especially after an antibiotic is administered. Antibiotics destroy all bacteria. Good and bad. But it has to be a good food that actually has probiotics. 

Commercial raw food is made primarily with liver and liver is high in vitamin A. Some vitamin A is good but too much is bad. Dogs can overdoes from too much vitamin A. Also, raw food has all the pathogens that never get cooked out. Not safe for the dog and not safe for the family members touching the raw meat.

You want to feed raw? You can't get all the nutrients from raw no matter what you cook or prepare. The closest you could get is if you provide the entire animal, head, guts and all. Just like the wolves eat the entire animal because that's where the nutrients are. 

We do not recommend raw anything. 

Kibble is all about ingredients. Meat is 80% water. Meat meal is meat without water. Concentrate. Meat meal is good. 

Meat byproduct is not. Meat by product is beaks, feet, and feathers. No meat.

However, they say that taurine is reduced during the processing of the meal and taurine is critical to large breed dogs hearts.  Also, they say that dog foods with legumes are a problem. Grain free dog food usually substitutes grain for legumes.  They say that legumes block the ability for the heart to utilized the taurine. 

Stay away from grain free dog food.  Read the panel. Legumes are beans. No beans.

Corn as an ingredient is not good. It hangs out all year and gets wet and moldy and could cause ear infections. They use it because it is a cheap filler. 

Also, testing is an issue. Some test everything going into the processing and everything getting put into the bag. Others only test occasionally when several people call and tell them that their dog died.

Testing is important.  How do you know which ones test correctly and which ones only occasionally? Text me. Mergers and acquisitions are always happening and their formula usually changes. 

What do we do?  We feed a good kibble and top it off with a can of good dog food. Carrots for snacks. The only thing you buy from the grocery is the carrots.

Large breed puppy kibble for the first two years. There are only two we recommend.  Ask. 

At about five years of age we introduce clinical levels of glucosamine and chondrotln. Over 1,200 mg each. There are only a few with those levels.  Ask.

Also at five years of age, we mix it with the only food that has a ph over 7. Why? Cancer doesn't live in a petri dish in an alkaline environment. All but one pet food is below 7 (acidic) . Only one is over 7 and alkaline. Ask.

Tip...... if you can get it in a big box or a grocery store it's probably no good. There are only a few that are good for your giant breed and I guarantee that it is not there.  Ask. Text us.

 It's always changing with mergers and acquisitions so feel free to ask the expert. Vicki.

Don't worry. We are on top of it. It's good to have an expert on your side and we are always ready to talk mastiffs.