Puppy Feed Program- All Breeds

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Left: Willowrun Great Danes - 10weeks- Blackwatch Great Danes 8 weeks

ABOUT THIS PROGRAM

The Blackwatch Feed Program has been used by us an other breeder friends for the past 25 years. As new information comes along I try to include it and provide options for people who use this program, whether they want to feed kibble, homemade or a raw diet. This program will work for all breeds/ages and sizes. This information is not to be used in lieu of veterinarian advice, diagnoses or treatment.

If you live OVERSEAS you have available two holistic foods www.preceptpet.com or www.anf.com.

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Part 1- Blackwatch Feed Program - CORE 4 Supplements

THE BLACKWATCH CORE 4 is based in the philosophy that no diet is 100% complete as stated on the bag, and regardless of the method of feeding; kibble, homemade or raw, we do much better in the long run when the CORE 4 supplements are included into a daily routine (dog, cats and humans). These supplements support immune and digestive function, help to keep a healthy pH and help to prevent vaccine reactions.

The CORE 4 are the basis for every Blackwatch Feed Program The CORE 4 is:

1. Probiotics - a blend of beneficial bacteria which protects the lining of the gut, helping to prevent overgrowth of (bad bacteria/fungus/yeasts) which compromises the protective lining of the gut. When this happens there is the potential for Leaky Gut Syndrome and Toxic Gut which can lead to bloat, compromised health, systemic yeast infections and suppressed immune systems.This is true in humans too. Probiotics are very important to help resolve difficult digestive issues and compromised immune function, as well as dealing with Candida, Coccidia, Giardia, parasite infestation, E coli, Salmonella and Herpes Virus.

2. Digestive Enzymes-help to break down the food for better digestion. The three that are of most importance are amylase (carbohydrates) protease (protein), Lipase (fats) and they are often found in combination Probiotic products.

3. Dietary Enzymes - comes from sprouted foods and it puts the "living component" back into a processed dog food. Dietary enzymes have strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties and they detoxify the body quickly, which speeds any healing and repair at a cellular level.

4. Ox-E-Drops - The primary reason for this liquid concentrate is because it helps to keep a healthy the pH in the gut so pathogenic bacteria and fungus does not over growth and make the dogs more prone to bloat and systemic yeast infections. I use it in my pets drinking water and diluted drops in their daily meals (1-2 drops per 20 lbs body weight. It can be used in a 2% solution (1 cup distilled water + 1 teaspoon of Ox-E-Drops) and used to clean ears, spray on wounds, as an eye wash, colonics or douches for Pyometra in bitches. Ox-E-Drops decontaminates water, 20 drops to a gallon and it can be used internally and in a vaporizer (30 drops to 1 gallon) for respiratory problems in dogs and cats. Many rescues keep their cattery free from respiratory problems with the use of vaporizers and Ox-E-Drops.

Note: When incorporating the CORE 4 or any supplements into your feed program, please start by adding each supplement 2-3 days apart until your pet is used to everything, then you can use all at once either AM or PM feeding or divided.

COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR PUPPIES - all breeds

My New Puppy Kit#1 - (2 - 4 months) - Stage 1 Growth: Med/Large/Giants Breeds

My New Puppy Kit#3 - (4-12 months) - Stage 2 Growth: Med/Large/Giants Breeds

My Tiny Pet Kit#24 - (toy and mini-breeds) All Life Stages

AFTER YOUR PUPPY IS 12 MONTHS - Pick One Below:

These are programs FOR THE LIFE OF THE PET.

Kit # 27 Original Core 4 (small dogs) - contains:Probiotics, Digestive Enzymes, Dietary Enzymes and Ox-E-Drops

Kit # 28 Original Core 4 (large dogs) - contains: Probiotics, Digestive Enzymes, Dietary Enzymes and Ox-E-Drops

Kit #37 - Core 4+Plus (all breeds): Probiotcs, Digestive Enzymes w/ Vitamin C and Barley Grass (fruits/veggies) Dietary Enzymes and Ox-E-Drops.

Kit # 38 - Core 4 Optimal (all breeds) : A whole food vitamin/minerals supplement that contains: Probiotics, Digestive Enzymes, Vit C, Barley Grass, Colostrum, Collagen, Trace Minerals MSM, Carnitine, DMG, Yucca. All this to support the immune, heart, joint, metabolism and digestion. An all-in-one product to fill in the holes in your pet's diet. The kit also contains Dietary Enzymes and Ox-E-Drops.

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GOT A NEW LARGE OR GIANT BREED PUPPY?

If you have a new large/giant breed puppy and are following the Blackwatch Feed Program for Large/Giant Breeds, it is very important that you useThe Puppy Kit #1 or #3 or at the very least CORE 4 Optimal Kit#28 or 38 to help prevent developmental orthopedic disease and discourage allergies, systemic yeast problems, vaccine reactions. In short - to promote overall wellness it is best to use one of these kits.

Feeding Method #1 is best for large/giant breed puppies 8 weeks - 6 months

Feeding Method #1, #2, #3 works for large/giant breed puppies 6 months 10 months

Feeding Method #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 is fine for large/giant breeds past 10 mo - Adult

All small and medium breeds puppy or adults can be on any feeding method below because they do not have the developmental growth problems large/giant breeds have from too many calories and not enough exercise.

Also follow the AMOUNT TO FEED CHART for large/giant breed.

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What Food Do I Use for My Puppy?

For large/giant breed puppies from weaning - 7-8 months, I recommend using Precise Plus LARGE BREED ADULT Formula 24% protein/12% fat - it has good levels of calcium to support large breed growth.

Use this place of Eagle Natural pack or Eagle Super Premium Large/Giant Breed Puppy Formula in purple stripped bag, or Eagle Holistic Large Breed Puppy).

The other option to use for your puppy from weaning - 7-8 months is Precise Foundation Chicken/Rice Formula

For small to medium breed puppies I recommend using Precise Plus Puppy Formula

If Precise and Precise Plus is not available in your area, here is a list of better foods. If
a food is not on this list, I have a reason and it is based on a specific criteria.

What If I Can't Find Precise Foods?

If you can't locate Precise products you can use Pure Vita brand - (any of the 3 formulas will work) - Duck, Salmon or Chicken. They are a 24% protein 13% fat with 1.3% calcium and have micro-minerals in the food which are needed to correct problems. They are 365 calories per cup which are a good range. Call for a dealer near you: 800-525-9155 or do a search on the web for PureVita Dog Food.

What To Look For In A Good Puppy Food:

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BLACKWATCH FEEDING METHODS - PUPPIES

Pick one method of feeding that you think fits your lifestyle and your pet's needs.

1). Holistic or Super Premium Kibble + Canned Food + CORE 4 or Kit

click here for method #1 (Print out)

2).Holistic Super Premium Kibble +Fruits +Veggies & Raw Meat + CORE 4 or Kit

click here for method #2 (Print out)

3). Holistic or Super Premium Kibble w/ Raw Meat + CORE 4 or Kit

click here for method #3 (Print Out)

4).Commercially Prepared Homemade + CORE 4 or Kit

click here for method #4 (Print Out)

5).Homemade with Balanced Raw Meat + CORE 4 or Kit

click here for method #5 (Print Out)

6). 100% Totally Raw Meat - Balanced diet with Fruit/Veggie + CORE 4 or Kit

click here for method #6 - (Print Out)

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DIET VARIETY OPTIONS

HOLISTIC CANNED MEATS:

Precise has 4 holistic canned foods you can use, but you can also use any other high quality canned food on the market. Canned foods of poor quality (GROCERY STORE LEVEL) causes excessive gas, so if your dog is "aromatic", change brands of canned foods. I use only a couple of spoonsful of canned meat mixed in water for a gravy and pour over the kibble, stir and serve. This is not a problem with Precise canned meats. Grocery store level meats are NOT acceptable. You can also make up Linda's veggie soup mix and use that for a gravy for your dog's food.

VARIETY WITH LINDA'S VERY VEGGIE SOUP: Use 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.

VARIETY WITH OTHER FOODS: use in moderation:

Baby foods, 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, chocolate or macadamia nuts.

Do not add additional rice, chicken or other meats from the grocery store to a PUPPY'S DIET, as it will upset the balance of the calcium and phosphorus levels during growth stages. Use only holistic canned meats (balanced in calcium/phosphorus levels).

DO NOT MICROWAVE OR SOAK YOUR KIBBLE IN HOT WATER AS IT WILL DESTROY IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS ON THE DOG FOOD.

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HOW I MIX MY DOG FOOD

Introduce all your Blackwatch supplements kits 2-3 days apart so the system in not overwhelmed. If they get a loose stool stop and and reintroduce slower.

WATER ON KIBBLE - Puppies 8-10 weeks use 1/8 - 1/4 cup water + 1 tablespoon canned meat. You want the food moist but not floating and sloppy. For older puppies and adults I will use 1/2 cup of water per meal along with my Precise canned meat. 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.

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.

(See my article on Bloat and Torsion for details) (See On My Soapbox)

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Can I Feed The BARF Diet to My Puppy?

I do not promote totally raw diets or grainless diets on growing large and giant breeds (Dogs that mature at 50+ lbs - includes any dogs of the "bulldog type" those broad body, massive fronts, because the nutrients and caloric intake are very difficult for a new pet owner to calculate, and they inevitably end up contacting me to try to "fix" their dogs growth problem.

Grainless diets are very high in calories and calcium/phosphorus and not appropriate for breeds in which we want a slow even growth with no OCD in the future. They are often so low in carbohydrates the dogs enery level can't be sustained especially if a working dog doing agility, showing, obedience or hunting. Even household pets can have lethery on low carb diets and lack endurence. Remember grainless diets are NEW to us with little research on the long term effects.

BARF is a philosophy not a specific way to feed so when someone tells me I feed BARF, that could mean a hundred different ways they decided to feed, from being a Billinghurst purest to "thinking" they are a Billlinghurst follower, but have modified the program to suit their own needs - with or without nutritional background. All I know is, I know a heck of a lot more about dog nutrition than 99% of the people I come in contact with, and you do not see me feeding BARF to these large dogs because it is very hard to manage.

There reasons are far too many to discuss in this brief commentary, but you will notice I do have a safe and balanced raw option in all my feed programs. You can increase the amount of raw used as the puppy get older and past the drastic growth stages at 10 months of age.

Take note, you can not take a normal kibble and add raw meat from the grocery store or home butchering because it is not be balanced in calcium/phosphorus ratios. Unless you can grind up your own meat/bone comb it is best to use a commercially prepared balance raw meat product like Northwest Naturals which is a better and safer way to go because they are ALREADY BALANCED and therefore fit with the kibble you are using without throwing off the dogs diet.

Editorial comment: There is some talk of feeding raw at a different meal than with kibble. Personally I used to recommend this, but over they years of observing my own dogs and, well let's face it....here we feed them better than we feed ourselves -- and if given the chance, right after that holistic dinner of the best raw, kibble and holistic supplements - they will drink out of the toilet, scour for fresh cat doodies, then go outside and toss around frozen poopsicles and scrounge for dead stinky things to roll in and chew on. So I am not so darned sure it makes any difference whether you fed the raw with kibble, I think if they are healthy and on the program, they adapt - they are after all, nature's trash cans. I have never seen any actual research on this theory of separating kibble from raw - it may be discussed in booklets from the early BARF diet recommendations but there is no research to back it up. I did see one article- once, written by a chemist, with some"theories" but nothing concrete in the line of actual research. I tell my puppy buyers when they introduce raw with kibble, start slow and work into it - mostly so there is no loose stools, but I have never had any problems with top dressing raw with kibble, but then I have always used a holistic kibble and my CORE 4 Supplements (Probiotics/Digestive Enzymes, Dietary Enzymes and Ox-E-Drops)- and I know that makes an enormous difference in proper digestion.

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FOR DAILY CARE: ears, eyes, teeth, skin, healthy treats, fleas

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Support Information - Required Reading

LEARN WHY GIANT BREED GROWTH IS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER CANINES: Understanding & Preventing Developmental Bone Diseases - Large/Giant breed Puppy Growth

PUPPY CARE GUIDELINES: is part two of this important information for your puppy. Click on link and print out. For information on appropriate crates, toys, bedding, collars, shots, ear taping, vaccines, puppy health issues etc. Puppy Care Guidelines and Puppy Handbook answers all the questions.

COMMON SENSE TRAINING:

Where to Buy and How to Use a Crate

Read this: Does My Vet Understand Nutrition?

Common Puppy Problems hiccups- demodectic mange - puppy acne - vaginitis - picky eaters etc.

When do I spay or neuter?

Cropped Ears Or Natural Ears? If you have a puppy and intend to have have it cropped, make sure you read these articles. Should I Crop My Dane Puppy? and Anesthesia Guidelines For Cropping. If your dog is already cropped, here is info for taping and aftercare.

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 misdiagnose as HOD. So, here is info:

Prevention of Vaccine Reactions

The AAHA recommended schedule for vaccination

Dr. Jean Dodd's Vaccine Protocols-2006

Vaccine Reaction Photographs

OTHER TOPICS:

Allergies or Systemic Yeast?

Bloat Nutrition is a Factor

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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. 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