Dog Feed Program for Wobblers Syndrome

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Introduction to Wobblers Syndrome

This feed program is used by many of the top breeders in large and giant breeds in the USA and overseas. This program has 25 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 offers suggestions for nutritional support and other

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Gold Bead Implants have been shown to be very beneficial for epilepsy and wobblers syndrome and well worth investigating for your pet.

Support information about Wobblers.

Information on Gold Bead Implants for Wobblers

Permanent Acupuncture with Gold Bead Implants

Gold Bead Directory of Veterinarians (NEW!!)

I always recommend acupuncture and chiropractic work for orthopedic cases. I have used it on my dogs with very good results. To locate a vet practitioner in your area click here for a directory. Dr. Durkus who does the gold bead implants in Marion, Indiana also does chiropractic work.

American Holistic Veterinary Site

http://www.ahvma.org/referral/index.html

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Click Here: New Help for Paralysis and Wobblers Syndrome

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Then I top dress my kibble with one of the HONEST KITCHEN - an organic dehydrated raw meat /fruit/veggie mixe. I use about 10% of this in combination with my Eagle kibble for the benefits of using a safe raw component along with valuable fruits/veggies. This provides variety and
the best of both worlds for the owner without all the mess of handling a
raw diet and having to worry about whether the diet is balanced or not.

*Do NOT use grocery store brand of canned food 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.

The Honest Kitchen dehydrated raw dog food is what I use to provide a 10% raw component to my dogs Eagle kibble. It is balanced in calcium and phosphorus ratios which are very important in growing and elderly dogs!

I use the EMBARK or any of their other products which are carried at www.firstchoicenaturals.com such as Force, Keen, Thrive etc. Sometimes I will use PREFERENCE, which is strictly fruits/veggies and herbs. What's nice is to rotate these as your top dressing, your 10% component. Here are two examples:

EMBARK 29% protein - 16% fat - Organic Turkey, Flaxseed, Potatoes, Celery, Spinach, Carrots, Coconut, Apples, Kelp, Eggs, Sesame Seeds, Bananas, Cranberries, Rosemary.

PREFERENCE: 12% protein 5 % fat - Alfalfa, sweet potatoes, cabbage, celery, apples, spinach, organic kelp, coconut, bananas, zucchini, and honey.

One- 4 lb bag will make up to 17 lbs of moist meat/fruits and veggies and if used to top dress your kibble you can see it goes a long way. The Honest Kitchen dog food and Eagle Pet Foods and Wellnes pet foods are endorsed by the Whole Dog Journal.

To order call - 765 - 343-0724~ and to order online go to www.firstchoicenaturals.com

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Amounts I use of Honest Kitchen :

8-10- weeks - 1 Tablespoon each meal
11-16 weeks - 4-Tablespoons AM and PM meal
5 - 6 mo - 1/2 cup AM and PM
7 mo - Adults - 1/2 - 1 cup daily - AM and PM

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IF you want to do your own fruits and veggies here are some suggestions

FRUITS &VEGETABLE: 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 or chocolate.

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.

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HOW I MIX MY DOG FOOD -

When introducing these components from the Kit #9 to your dog, add each supplement 2-3 days apart to make sure they are used to it.

Day 1 - Introduce Filling N The Wholes
Day 3 - Microlaction and Glucosamine Joint Supplement
Day 5 - Nzymes Granular

I make up some Honest Kitchen ahead of time and pull out a couple of spoonfuls. Then I make gravy of 1/4 - 1/3 cup tepid temp water and canned meat stir into kibble with supplements. Top dress with Honest Kitchen mixture (at least with one meal a day) or your own fruits and veggies. You want the food moist but not floating and sloppy (this is for large/giant breeds, reduce amount for smaller breeds accordingly).

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 1/4 - 1/3 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.

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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Other Nutritional Support

1) Co-enzyme-Q-10 - 90 mg day 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.
www.firstchoicenaturals.com

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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.

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

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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.

If you want a totally natural approach to flea/tick care I recommend these products - Neem Spray and FirstChoiceNaturals has a terrific spray by Liquid Fence.

Do NOT use spray flea repellents containing pyrethrums on your dog- I had it cause nerve damage to a Dane puppy, and it was diagnosed as wobblers. Once we stopped the flea spray and detoxified the dog, the symptoms went away.

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Special Alert - Other Breeds:

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.

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

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/

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Additional Support For The Adult Dog: