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Linda Arndt ~ Canine Nutritional Consultant
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Blackwatch Feed Program for Sensitive Stomachs - All Breeds



HOW TO USE THIS PROGRAM

This feed program is used by many of the top breeders in the USA and overseas. This program has 20 years of success and 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, 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 so that is why some of the foods you see on the market are not on my list of better foods. Just because it is listed in Whole Dog Journel, does not mean it is a good product. They ONLY read labels and a label only gives you 50% of the true picture when it comes to pet foods. This information is not to be used in lieu of veterinarian advice, diagnoses or treatment.

If you have a senior adult with no health problems -go to the Senior Feed Program.


Section A.
The Basics Program

This program is a comprehensive and consists several components and they can be purchased separately or in a kit format - Feed Program for Sensitive Digestion Kit#12

1. Dog Food - Natural/Holistic Super Premium - kibble and canned
 
2. 4 in 1 Probiotics & Digestive Enzymes - beneficial bacteria - Digestive enzymes
 
3. Nzymes - Dietary enzymes - missing in all commercial foods - antioxidants
 
4. Ox-E-Drops - help keep proper pH in the gut
 
5. Liquid Health Level 5000 - joint support supplement
 
6. Variety - canned meats - raw options - fruits and vegetable

Where To Purchase Products

1. DOG FOOD - Eagle Holistic Line or Eagle Super Premium Line of Pet Foods - locate retailer at this website www.eaglepack.com

2. FOUR-IN-ONE PROBIOTICS & DIGESTIVE ENZYMES - beneficial bacteria, digestive enzymes, Vitamin C & Barley Grass www.firstchoicenaturals.com

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. Liquid Health Level 5000 - joint support supplement (glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and herbs). www.Liquid Health Level 5000 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 is the Natural/Holistic Eagle Pack line of Pet Foods which I have used for 20 years. Choose one of the following or you can rotate flavors on adults. Do not mix any foods or brands of food 50/50 for any length of time, other than transitioning over to a new diet which should only take 3 days on Eagle.. Mixing foods can cause nutritional imbalance. Here are Eagle choices:

  • Eagle Holistic Duck/Oatmeal - 23% protein 13% fat - allergies/sensitive stomach
  • Eagle Holistic Lamb/Rice 22% protein 15% fat - allergies/sensitive digestion
  • Eagle Natural Pack - Lamb/Rice/Chicken - 23% protein 12% fat sensitive digestion

I have provided a list of better food and my criteria for selection, located at this website - if you live somewhere where you can not locate Eagle.

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. Eagle owns their own USDA/Aphis approved plant.

To purchase Eagle Dog Foods:

    • Go to their website http://www.eaglepack.com
    • On the Eagle Home page click on Retailers or Purchase Online or International sales
    • Call Eagle - 800-255-5959 - they ship directly to you as well

DO NOT SOAK KIBBLE AND LET SET, OR USE HOT WATER ON YOUR KIBBLE IT WILL DESTROY THE INTEGRITY OF THE NUTRIENTS AND PROBIOTICS - YOGURT LIKE CULTURES ON THE FOOD.


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 - in pet treats or granular (multiple pets)

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:

    • Allergic reactions
    • Natural anti-inflammatory ~ so you can avoid risky medicines like Rimadyl
    • Arthritis
    • Orthopedic problems ~ HOD, OCO, Pano, Wobblers, Hip Dysplasia, ACL
    • Epilepsy and Seizures - due to vaccine reactions
    • Vaccine reaction prevention
    • Cleanses residual toxins from medicines, flea and parasite preparations.
    • Boosting the immune system
    • Reduces shedding
    • Itchy ears
    • Yeast infections
    • Bladder infections
    • Hotspots
    • Reduces healing time from injury, surgery (cropping/bloat/c-sections)
    • Reduces recovery time from anesthesia.

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.

To Order: www.nzymes.com or www.firstchoicenaturals.com


3. Ox-E-Drops

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 www.firstchoicenaturals.com


4. 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:

    • Yogurt Cultures - friendly bacteria in the form of Acidophillus and other cultures

    • Fruits - Vitamin C in the form Ester C-50 - 500 mg per dose based on weight

    • Digestive enzymes, needed when using processed or raw diet.

    • Veggies - Barley Grass -your daily salad.


To order: Website: ~ http://www.firstchoicenaturals.com or by phone at - 765-287-8288


5. Joint Supplementation

I have used Liquid Health Level 5000 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.

For more complete information and ordering go to this website: Liquid Health Level 5000


6. For Variety - Meats - Fruits - Vegetables

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 &VEGETABLES:

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:

    • 8-10 weeks - 1 Tablespoon
    • 11-16 weeks 3-4-Tablespoons
    • 4 - 6 mo 1/4 cup
    • 7 - 8 mo 1/2
    • 9 mo - adult 1/2 - 1 cup daily

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 Honest Kitchen
Honest Kitchen Amounts

    • 8-10 weeks 1 Tablespoon
    • 11-16 weeks 3-4-Tablespoons
    • 4 - 6 mo 1/4 cup
    • 7 - 8 mo 1/2
    • 9 mo - 18 months 1/2 - 1 cup daily
    • Adults - 10% - 15% of daily diet with Eagle Pack

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:
Commercial foods need to be fed with moisture so dogs don't over consume water after a meal, and so the kibble does not pull moisture from the dogs system in order to break down properly. Use
"tepid" temperature water never hot or warm and never soak your food as it breaks down and destroys nutrients. Mix up and feed immediately. I use approximately 1 to 1-1/2 cups of water for adults per each meal. Adjust accordingly for puppies. If they have loose stools, you may be using too much meat or water than necessary. Adjust that before you panic and think they are sick.

Drinking Water:
It is very important to
NEVER withhold water from your dog. This can lead to over consumption and bladder infections. Use common sense, do not let them drink excessively after exercise or dinner. Like a horse, let them cool down and then drink. I have found if I have water available in several places, they never overdo it since they know it is available to them when they need it. That way they drink less amounts of water, but more frequently.

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.


 

Nutritional Support For Special Needs
Vaccine Reactions:
To help prevent this problem in adults, make sure they are on
Vitamin C and Nzymes. I use the Nzymes Product to support the immune system, and prevent vaccine reactions.
Anesthethesia / Surgery:
This is important information about anesthetics and giant breeds. Print out for your vet. Also for any elective surgery, i.e., spay, neuter or emergency surgery such as bloat/torsion. I use Nzymes to detoxify and help with fast healing.
Heart Problems:
If you own a giant breed or one prone to heart problems it is recommended that you use the highest quality protein food and supplement with these components. These are nutritional substances from food sources and do not conflict with medications or each other and are good to use for heart disease. Supplements for Heart Disease.


    1) Co-enzyme-Q-10 - www.firstchoicenaturals.com

    2) Taurine and L- Carnitine - Two amino Acids are critical to strengthen the heart -
    You can get these from the health food store. Make sure you select a very good brand so they are usable by the body.

    Taurine 100 mg a day
    L-Carnitine 100 - 200 mg a day

    These dosages are taken from the newest textbook Small Animal Clinical Nutrition and would be increased if the dog had been diagnosed with actual cardiomyopathy.

    3) Colostrum - this amazing product will regenerate and rejuvenate the immune function as well as heart muscle. It is highly recommended for dogs with cardio.
    In the future you can order from the Nzymes company - in the meantime, get Immune Tree Brand at the Health food store or on line. You want "first milking" colostrum - guaranteed to be that it is. - www.firstchoicenaturals.com

 


Section C - Support Information - Required Reading

Read this: Does My Vet Understand Nutrition?

Vaccines

There are several articles and photos of vaccine reactions at this website. You need to know how to prevent vaccine reactions, because vaccine reactions in some breeds will kill your dog in a slow agonizing death known as Immune Mediated Response, which is always misdiagnosed as HOD. So, here is info:


Special Alert - Antibiotic Reactions in Great Danes and Other Breeds.

Sulfonamide Antibiotics
Based on information gained from the National Bone Survey, I do not recommend using Sulfonamide* antibiotics to my puppy buyers because these drugs can cause serious side-effects like sloughing of skin and internal bleeding and HOD-like symptoms including;
fever, aching joints, swollen joints, lack of mobility, depression and anorexia. The following antibiotics are sulfonamides.

    • Ditrim
    • Primor
    • Tribrissin
    • Bactrim
    • TMZ
    • TMP/SDZ

Another commonly used, potentially troublesome antibiotics is Cephalexin (Keflex, Cefa-Tabs). This can also produces the same symptoms as HOD (fever,swollen/hot joints, immobility, anorexia) even in adult dogs. I will use Chephalexin, but with a watchful eye and if the dog starts acting lethargic and achy, we stop the antibiotic, since they are sensitive to it. Call the vet for an alternative antibiotic and make sure you are using a good Probiotic product to keep the digestive tract functioning properly.

I will not use Sulfonamides drugs on my dogs. A reaction can happen from 24 hours - 2 weeks of being on an antibiotic. If there is a reaction, my vet recommends Dexamethsone/Azium and discontinue use or antibiotic.

* Research references on Sulfonamides


Fleas - Heartworm

People ask me what I use for these problems. I use Interceptor as a heartworm preventative and for flea and tick problems I use a topical product- either Frontline Plus or Advantage, Advantix or Frontline products. I do rotate a different one each year. Because these are not systemic products, I feel a bit better about using them and because the dogs/cats and my self are also on Nzymes, which detoxifies the body, I am comfortable with using these products.


Special Alert - Other Breeds:
For Collie/Sheltie/Aussie and Sighthound Owners (could effect some Great Danes)
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 heart worm preventative. 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 diarrhea and giardia)
Flagyl

Torbutol
Butorphanol
Morphine
Acepromazine
Ivermectin - Heart Guard
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)
Loperamide (Imodium®; over-the-counter antidiarrheal agent)
Doxorubicin (anticancer agent)
Vincristine (anticancer agent)
Vinblastine (anticancer agent)
Cyclosporin (immunosuppressive agent)
Digoxin (heart drug)
Acepromazine (tranquilizer)
Butorphanol (pain control)
Potential Problem Drugs
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
Domperidone
Paclitaxel
Mitoxantrone
Etoposide
Rifampicin
Quinidine

Morphine
Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory
PO Box 2280
Pullman, WA 99165-2280
(Phone/FAX 509-335-3745)
VCPL@vetmed.wsu.edu

Additional Support For The Adult Dog:
Go here for Spay and Neuter information
Go here for leaky bladder information
Go here for anal gland problems

     

Go here: For other articles that pertain to Adult Dog Care

For Common Sense Training Program for All Ages: The Ultimate Puppy Toolkit

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