FEEDING; CHANGING FOOD; HEALTH SUPPLIMENTS

RECOMMENDED FEEDING OF
                PUPPIES

When you receive you puppy from us, if in person, we will supply you with enough of the same food he/she has been eating, since beginning to eat solid food, to last about a week. This will allow you time to secure your own supply locally. We feel the brand and type we use is best for your pup but, this will ultimately be your call. If we fly your puppy to you, we will advise you days ahead of his/her arrival, of the brand and type we suggest you secure. Should you decide to change to another brand or even a different type of the same brand, this should be done gradually. Puppies' digestive systems are very delicate. Changing food to quickly will result in considerable irritation to the intestines and an unhealthy amount of bleeding in the bowels WILL occur. ANYTIME food is changed, especially concerning puppies, but also with adult dogs, some slight traces of blood probably will be noticed in the stools for a couple of days and the stools generally will be looser than normal. This is not cause for concern. The key word here is TRACES. You may see what appears to be a red line or two in the stool. This is normal when changing foods even if done properly as described below.

CHANGING FROM ONE FOOD
           TO ANOTHER

When changing a puppy's food, it is very important to follow the steps below to avoid intestinal upset.  If you are dealing with an adult dog, over a year old, and it is a "stout type" dog like a Westie or a large breed, you can generally just mix 50% of the old food together with 50% of the new food and feed that mixture for 5-6 days before offering the new food as the only food. If your dealing with a small "delicate" type dog, like "pocket dogs", you will need to follow the outlined procedure, no matter what the age. Intestinal distress may show itself as very loose stools and/or blood in the stools. A SMALLamount of blood is not a concern, so long as it doesn't continue more than a couple of days.  Anything beyond a small amount or lasting longer then a couple of days should be referred to your Vet.

Day one and two of the change-over:
Combine and feed 3/4 amount of food "A" with 1/4 amount of food"B"

Day three and four:
Combine 1/2 amount of "A" and 1/2 amount of "B"

Day five and six:
Combine 1/4 of "A" and 3/4 of "B"

Day seven and from then on:
Feed all of the new feed "A"

FEEDING SCHEDULE FOR
       WESTIE PUPPIES

Young puppies need a lot of food to supply the needed nutrients for their accelerated growth. They can add as much as 8-12 oz. per week to their body weight. Until your puppy is at least 4 months old, we recommend "free feeding". This simply means that his/her puppy food and clean, cool water be made available from the moment they awake in the morning until around ten (8-9) pm in the evening. The reason you will want to remove the food and water at this time is, over night they don't need it and if you remove it at this time there will be less "pooping" going on between then and 5-6 am. This will in no way harms your pup and may make for a little less clean-up in the morning.  The "free feeding" practice may need to be altered as your puppy gets older. Some Westies do fine on free feeding while others will over-eat and put on too much weight.  The one thing you do not want to happen is for your puppy to become overweight. Overweight dogs suffer from the same physical problems as we humans do. Joint problems, heart problems, respiratory problems, diabetes and more.

Puppies will tend to be a little on the chubby side while under 4 months of age. Their bodies need massive amounts of fuel to grow on, but nearing the 4-5 month stage, you will want to begin doing what I call the "rib check". Place the pup on a table and run your fingers along both sides of his/her rib cage. You should use about the same amount of pressure (fingers to ribs) as you would to check the ripeness of a nice ripe tomato, if that makes sense. You should be able to feel the ribs. They should not be buried in a deep layer of fat nor should they "bump along" under your fingers. You should be able to tell where each rib is as you slide your fingers along the sides.

Many Westie adults (over 9 months of age) will not over-eat and their food can be made available all the time but, some will so, these dogs will need to be placed on a regulated feeding schedule. Any schedule may need to be adjusted to a particular dog but, below I have outlined what I consider to be average. (revised 7/8/08)

A PRACTICAL FEEDING SCHEDUAL
           FOR A WESTIE DOG
                (over 9 months of age)

We urge you to continue to feed PUPPY FOOD until nine months of age. It contains higher levels of protein and other needed ingredients to produce a healthy, strong Westie. After the nine month period, a change to adult food is fine but, please read the section above (in red) dealing with how to make that change.

1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup at dinner time will keep most adult Westie fit and trim. Keep in mind that this is only a guide. Each dog has a slightly different metabolism and activity level. You may need to increase the amount to 3/4 of a cup each feeding or even decrease it somewhat. You'll need to do the "rib check" and kind of play it by ear. Nothing is ever set in stone when it comes to dogs. Seldom will a Westie, even a large one like our "Rio", require more that 3/4 of a cup per meal.

One thing we have learned over the years is Westies sometimes build excess stomach acid over night. This can lead them to regurgitate. It will appear as a clear-to-yellowish liquid that will have a very nasty smell. The reason this happened seems to be their stomach becomes empty, acid builds and when it becomes too much, up it comes. The best way we have found to resolve this problem, in most cases, is:
At bedtime, place (depending on the food size) 20-30 pieces of dog food within the dog's sleeping area as a late night snack. This, along with water, should releive the problem.
Once in a while, a Westie will regurgitate for no apparent reason.

SUGGESTED SUPPLEMENTS FOR
                   PUPPIES

If you're feeding high quality food as we recommend, there is no need to add general supplements to the diet. In fact, adding things such as "doggie vitamins" like "Pet Tabs" could actually overdose your loving friend on some of the "oil soluble" vitamins. Excess "water soluble" vitamins will pass through the dog's system via the urine, but "oil soluble" ones will not and will build-up in the body and can cause a variety of problems.  Some could be severe. Feed good quality food and stay away from the vitamin tablets. MORE IS NOT BETTER!!!

We do however, highly recommend the use of PURE UNFLAVORED COD LIVER OIL until the puppy is 9 months of age. Cod liver oil contains fair levels of EPA and DHA ( Omega-3 ) which support mood and cardiovascular health as well as healthy joint functions and, the main thing we like about this oil, is the high levels of vitamin A and vitamin D. While the oil itself is great for the coat, Vitamin A is crucial for good eyesight (especially night vision) and reduced susceptibility to infection. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption and deposition of calcium and phosphorus in the teeth and bones. A deficiency of vitamin D tends to lead to "Rickets. Cod liver oil is taken from the liver of the cod fish. This is not the same as fish oil taken from fish muscle. Fish muscle oil does not contain Vitamin A or Vitamin D in any usable amounts but Fish muscle oil has its own very important ingredients as we will discuss in a moment. The fact that cod oil has vitamin D and readily assists in the delivery of calcium to the bones and teeth is why we highly recommend it for puppies.

COD LIVER OIL DOSAGE FOR PUPPIES

Twice per week, combine approximately 1/8 teaspoon of cod liver oil and 1/8 teaspoon of pure, finely ground oyster shell calcium (which we grind ourselves and supply with your new puppy) with a heaping teaspoon of yogurt. Try to keep the sugar content of the yogurt less than 12 gr. This combination delivers an optimal amount of usable calcium, other natural sea minerals (from the oyster shell), Vitamin D (from the cod oil) for strong bones and teeth while the yogurt supplies enzymes for good digestion and for females, even if they have been spayed, the enzymes contained in yogurt aids in keeping a proper balance of the correct bacteria in the vagina to deter infections. Even after you puppy becomes an adult and throughout his/her life we advise feeding a tablespoon of yogurt twice per week. It's great for their digestive system. Our Westies prefer strawberry, blueberry or strawberry/banana flavors.

OCEAN FISH MUSCLE OIL FOR
                 ADULTS

After you Westie reaches 9 months of age, his/her bones have acquired most of their mass and strength so, the need for the extra bone building materials have decreased considerably. Now is the time to place your efforts on things that will secure, hopefully, a long and health life.

Ocean fish muscle oil is taken from the muscle (meat) of the fish and offers a different type oil then the liver of the cod fish. Muscle oil has very small amounts of Vitamin A which the puppy needed early on in life but it contains a form of EPA and DHA which is much more readily available for the body to use. Cod oil has EPA and DHA (Omega-3) but the type it contains must be converted. Through this conversion
process it LOOSES nearly 70% of its available value while muscle EPA and DHA needs no conversion and is 100% available for the body to use. Just for your information, plant derived Omega-3 fatty acids (like Flax Seed Oil and others) must go through a similar conversion so, fish muscle oil Omega-3 is the best for our dogs and ourselves. Always be sure the oil comes from FISH MUSCLE. Most any ocean fish muscle oil works very well but be sure it is certified to contain NO DETECTABLE AMOUNTS OF HEAVY METALS OR TOXINS.

Not only dose ocean fish muscle oil contain the much more usable "long-chain" EPA and DHA Omega -3 but it also contains a healthy portion of Omega -6 fatty acids. Together, these two, in proper amounts, promote optimum health and overall vitality. As of the time of this writing (5/11/08), there are two brands of this oil we recommend. They are:  Wild Alaskan Grizzly Salmon Oil and Sea Pet Omega-3 fish oil. The Sea Pet is derived from the small anchovie fish. We mainly use the Alaskan Grizzly but either one will greatly enhance overall health, improve skin conditions, create glistening coats, act as a natural anti-inflammatory agent and help to reduce shedding somewhat.

I hope this information will be helpful to all who have taken the time and caring to read it. All of it works. We, at La Terra Dios Ranch have proven to ourselves that it dose. We receive no compensation what-so-ever for any product we endorse. We simply advise using them because we do and know they work.

Research has shown that most dog foods that are approved by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) for their nutrient quality have all the basic vitamins and minerals a dog needs but, studies have also shown that especially, the "B" vitamins of foods are mainly destroyed during the production process so quality producers normally add additional "B" vitamins after the food is made. This is very good accept that length of storage, temperatures during storage/use, and light can again reduce and/or destroy vitamins, especially the "B" vitamins! So, do your best to purchase your dog food from a place that stores it at less than 70 degrees and has not been/is being exposed to sunlight. The sun's light may not penetrate the bag but the heat surely will. Food should NEVER be stored in or near a window. Always think about HEAT and check the expiration (Best By) date. Once the food is at your home try to keep it as cool as possible. Never store in a HOT garage, or in an out-building in the warmer months. Find the coolest place you can to keep it out of light, out of the heat, and only purchase, at least in warmer months, what you will be using in a month or so.

Now that I talked about dog food and how to care for it, I'd like to offer something which WILL be very helpful to you dog, no matter what his/her breeding. This is a quality, "B" COMPLEX vitamin supplement! The key term here is "B" COMPLEX"! The best "complex for dos would contain mainly, 4 different "B" vitamins, plus Folic Acid and Biotin. B-1, B-2, B-6, and B-12. For "B" vitamins to work properly within the body, they need to work together. A quality "B" complex formula will aid considerably in the calming of jittery, bouncing-of-the-wall dogs, aid in the reduction of skin problems (even if only minor), and is excellent for brain and nerve functions, digestion, coat condition, and the complete working and health of the body. It is best to check with your Vet for the proper dosage for your dog and you may want to even get the first bottle of pills from him/her. After you know what you need, With considerable searching, you'll more likely find a comparable formula (mgs of each "B" vitamin) for dogs (or for humans) on line for much less cost! It's quite difficult and at times dangerous to attempt to use human multi-vitamins for your pet. Some human vitamins add sweeteners to liquid and chewable forms. These sweeteners are generally ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS that are EXTREMELY TOXIC to your pet! The two mainly used artificial sweeteners are Sorbitol and Xylitol. These will kill you pet! Some Vitamins are fat soluble and can build up in the body to a non-favorable, even toxic levels. Others, like the "B" vitamins, are water soluble. Any excess of water soluble vitamins will be flushed out through the urine and/or feces daily so, there is no chance of compounding (having a build-up in the body). "B" vitamins are 100% water soluable!

We highly recommend finding the proper "B" Complex and corresponding dose for your dog and offering it as prescribed by your Vet. We are in the process of setting all our Westies on a "B" Complex regiment. Even as long as we have been rearing Westies, new information continues to evolve and we do our best to keep up on it and pass that information on to you.

BY THE WAY, THIS WOULD BE A VERY GOOD COMPLEX TO USE FOR YOUR ENTIRE "HUMAN" FAMILY, IN HUMAN DOSAGE AND FORM. IT WORKS THE VERY SAME WAY IN OUR BODIES AS IT DOES FOR OUR DOGS. THIS IS ALSO TRUE FOR THE COD OIL AND FISH MUSCLE OIL MENTIONED ABOVE!

Information on these vitamins: Signs of deficiencies

"B'-1 Thiamine, a nerve vitamin Loss of appetite, loss of reflexes, loss of nerve control, weakness

"B"-2 Raboflavin Poor growth, eye abnormalities

"B"-6 Pyridoxine Anemia, poor growth, lesions

"B"-12 Cyanocobalamin Macrocytic

Folic Acid Hypoplasia of bone marrow, macrocytic anemia

Biotin Poor hair, dry skin, diarrhea

NOTE: Healthy dogs do not need additional "C" vitamin. They synthesize this, temselves in their own liver.

Check back in a month or so. I'm researching, what we feel, is the best "B" Complex to use on our Westie family and will post the name, dosage, where to purchase, and price here, at the bottom of this page and you can do with as you wish.

Rodger

Update 2/7/12