Veggie Feastings and Happy Hearts

WHAZZUP??!! Two post in a week?? I'm on a roll!

I did something naughty, and I'd like to tell you all about it.

I broke into the human meat locker, that they like to call the "fridge." Mom doesn't know how, but I did it, and I am most pleased with my bad self. Mom keeps all my meatables on the bottom shelf of that wonderful machine... right at eye level for me and my brother. But I didn't take the meat. Didn't even touch it.

As it turns out, meat is not my most favorite feasting material.

Instead, I stretched my long and stretchy body all the way up to the tip top shelf, where I dug through a pile of vegetables, each snugged up in their own little bag. I picked my way through the pile, past the diakon radish, bypassing the carrots, ignoring the onions. Then I found it. The feasting of my desire.

The same thing that I am being all GoodBoySitStay for in this photo.
THE CELERY.
I am mildly obsessed with celery. It is my most favorite feasting ever. I drip droolies and beg the best begs whenever my mom takes it from the food box. It makes for the absolute BEST cold crunching feasting in the entire world.
What? Are you surprised?!? A meat-feasting beast like me totally digging on some green non-meat aisle material? Dude. Try it. It is AMAZING. And I'm pretty sure that something this good has to be made of meat even though it's green.

In fact, I've even got my brother eating it. He used to chew it to bits and spit it out, but even that stinkbutt has grown to love the crunch of fresh organic celery deliciousness.
Mom doesn't mind the daily feast snack either. She says that it helps to "speed things along" in the mornings when she needs to go to work. I think she's referring to how quickly I gobble down my veg. (By the way, I would like you to take note of the wonderful paper shreds that Big Pupi and I surprised mom with when she came home from the grocery store. She LOVES it when we greet her with thoughtful presents and decorations!)
In other news, mom got a call from the doggy doctor yesterday. My brother had some tests done on his ticker, and she got the results. Let me give you a little back story.
About 18 months ago, my brother was diagnosed with a heart murmur. It was a grade 1 (on a scale of 1–6, with 6 being valve failure). This is a very common ailment for beasts like us. As we age, the valve tissue can thicken, causing a murmur. It can be a progressive problem. But at stage 1, you don't do anything but keep an eye on it.

During our annual exam a few months ago, our new vet said it sounded like the disease had progressed to a stage 2. Not good. That's way too quick for mom's comfort. And given our hard-running lifestyle, heart health is a big concern. Big Pupi LIVES for our morning runs, and so mom thought it best to have a few more tests done.

Which brings me to his robo-dog naked pink chest panel.
Big Pupi spent the day at the doctor, (while I got to play at camp... SWEET), where they shaved his chest and took a gander at his ticker. Turns out that BP's blood mover does indeed have a leaky valve, but it is no where near a stage 2. Although there is some blood going back in to the heart, it is not enough to slow him down or even worry about at this point. My folks and doctor will keep an eye on it, but we don't need to taper down our runs or watch our exercise. She said that his resting heart rate is so low, and his resting breathing rate is slow, which all indicate a healthy heart and healthy body. Good news.

I was smiling (mostly because I get to continue on my morning fast hunts).
To make good news ever gooder, doctor said that BP's heart shows no signs of disfigurement or severe scarring from the heartworm that he had back when my mom first took him home. So overall, he gets an A+ on the old man health chart.
Ever since his first murmur diagnosis, mom changed up his supplements a bit. Now he gets a therapeutic dose of fish oil, at 2,000 mg per day instead of 1,000 (total of 240 mg DHA and 360 mg EPA). He's continued at 200iu Vitamin E every day to help metabolize the oil. Because antioxidants are really good for the cardiovascular and immune systems, he is given 500 mg Vitamin C, and about 300 mg of Coenzyme Q-10. CoQ10 has been shown in clinical trials to be beneficial to heart (and gum) tissue, and is also an antioxidant. Furthermore, CoQ10 is being studied for its cancer prevention benefits, which is something all senior dogs need to keep an eye out for.

BP has also shown some very slight signs of stiffness in his knees, so about 5 months ago mom started him on about 1,000 mg of Glucosamine daily. He gets the shellfish-free kind, because those kinds of fishes make him vomit for hours. After about 6 weeks on this supplement, he no longer shows any symptoms of arthritis. Once we're done with this bottle of Glucosamine, mom will move him to another shellfish-free kind that also has hyaluronic acid in it, as that is supposed to make the supplement work even better. We're both still on a pre-made greens mix with seaweed and alfalfa, and a Multi-B vitamin given a few times per week.

So... it sure sounds like a lot. But a couple of vitamins in each meal really isn't a big deal and we're HUGE believers that good nutrition is the BEST form of preventive medicine. Plus, vitamins cost WAY LESS cheese-money than vet bills.

Just a little food for thought from your beastly friends.

And I can promise you that we'll be thinking of our foods when we're out on our run tomorrow!

From your feasting friend,
Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 239- Vitamin A-OK

What's up doggie dudes? Mom is back so that means that I'm back online. Boy time with dad was pretty chill - we hung out mostly and snacked on some Cheeze-Its while dad read (not shred) his big juicy law books. He took me on a fast hunt one day which was totally awesome and we got to chase rabbits and squirrels. My slow poke brother had to stay home! Ha! This morning with mom home we all headed out for a fast hunt together, which meant that I had to put up with Big Pupi's short-leggedness. The dude slows me down. Cramps my style, you know?

I've received lots of awesome entries for my Very Tiny Competition and I'm totally stoked about the whole thing. Keep them coming! Some of you folks can get seriously tiny. Good work. You make my tiny look huge!

Time for some post-hunt, post-feast (goat & milk), tired-muscle nappies.

Howl at you later,

Stanislaw.

***

Big Punky Pupi talks about your belly:

Hello my fellow feasters! As I'm sure you know, I'm a major momma's boy and I've been super psyched since mom's been back. I think I carried my SingingChristmasTreeMouseToy and pranced around the apartment for hours when she opened that door! Oh happy day.

While she was gone I had to busy myself and so I decided to do a little research. After all... the original purpose of this blog was to provide my munching canine buddies with information about diet and nutrition. So here's a tidbit of info for those that crunch on kibble:

Let's talk about Vitamin K.

It's not something we think about often. Fish oil, Vitamins E and B, calcium, protein... those are all things I've discussed often in this blog when typing away about supplements and our nutritional needs. But this is the first time I've mentioned K here. It's found in abundance in dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, and it has a variety of forms (K1, K2, ... ). Certain forms of vitamin K can be synthesized in the large intestine, meaning that the bacteria that live inside us can create the vitamin that we then absorb. Ensuring a healthy gut with lots of probiotics makes a big difference here. That means eat your tasty yogurt! K is fat soluble, so it is possible to overdose as the body holds onto the vitamin (versus a water soluble vitamin which is flushed from the body, like vitamin C).

Vitamin K1 is also used as a clotting agent, and is often administered if a pup has gotten himself into some trouble and feasted on rat poison. This causes internal bleeding and the K1 tries to counteract that. (If you eat rat poison go to a vet ASAP for that K1! Don't supplement at home!)

Now onto some info for the kibble feasters -

Read your bag of kibble and check for any menadione derivatives: menadione sodium bisulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite, menadione dimethylprimidinol sulfate, menadione dimethylprimidinol sulfite or menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite. These are commonly generalized as "a source of vitamin K..." or "vitamin K supplement." Menadione is K3, a synthetic form of vitamin K - or rather, it is a vitamin K "precurser." Translated, that means that K3 is really only the puzzle pieces and our bodies must put it all together in order for it to actually be considered a real vitamin. Confusing, no? Unlike it's counterparts, K3 is water soluble and has never been proven to actually be more stable or contain equal nutritional value to the naturally-occurring vitamin K.

K3 is widely used in livestock supplementation and in processed dog foods. Why? Well, because it's cheap. And there's never really been any research done to check for safety in long-term use. It has been banned by the FDA and by most international administrations due to its known serious side effects in humans, including severe birth defects, internal damage and death. Unfortunately dogs share most of these side effects when dosed with vitamin K3, or menadione. Here's a short list of known canine diseases linked to the supplement:

- Hemolytic Anemia

- Cytotoxicity in liver cells

- Hyperbilirubinemia (linked to Jaundice)

- Weakens the immune system

- Disturbs blood Calcium levels, which are super important for us dogs

...and so on. Fortunately, most of the high-quality pet foods avoid adding synthetic anything to their kibble mixes. Those are the foods that are usually grain-free or at least without corn, soy, and wheat, they contain human-grade meats and no animal byproducts. How do you know if you're feasting on a quality dry food? Well, read this article for a little 101 on how to identify the good stuff. And tell your humans to check out that ingredient label!

If you're concerned about your vitamin K intake or vitamin intake in general, consider supplementing with a whole, natural food. We recommend the Green Blend by B-Naturals, which is simply made up of dried sea greens and irish moss. Those dark green plants will be chock-full of nutrients, and they contain vitamins and minerals in their natural state.

That's all the learning for now, folks!

Big Pupi

Source:

The Dog Food Project: Menadione (Vitamin K3)

Raw Food Diet, Day 191- Animail

There are rows and rows of clangy boxy things at ground level of my apartment building, and day after day my humans return to the same one. After our noon weebles outing, my mom will usually stop by this clangy box place and make Big Pupi and me Sit Like Good Boy while she opens the little door to the box and fetches shredding materials. Yesterday a soft and flat package emerged from this clangy box, and mom said it was for me! (...and Big Pupi, I guess.) As we were headed to the elevators, Lisa - a super cool lady that works in the lobby, gives me pets and lets me cool my belly off each day on her floor - told me that I had a package and handed my mom a little brown box. More mail for ME?!

I skipped all the way back to my home with excitement. What could it be?! Mom opened the soft package first, and pulled out two snoods! Turns out that she had been looking for snoods for a long long time, and our grandma located some and sent them along. Our ears dangle in everything and even though the fur gets trimmed right up to the leather, we still manage to get them filthy with feasts and other stuff humans don't like. Snoods keep our dangly lobes neatly tucked away. Well, up to now we had makeshift dishtowel snoods that had been fashioned with a hair elastic, but I like the real thing much better. I just so happen to look smashing in my new snood.

I guess Big Pupi looks okay in his too.
Big Pupi absolutely HATES to have anything slipped over his head, so it was a bit of a struggle to get that on him. Someone should tell him that he'll wear it when feasting! Then maybe he'll be a bit more cooperative. Speaking of feasting, I had to test out my new attire.
Great success!

After a quick snooded snack of dehydrated salmon, we opened the small brown box. Inside we found an order of supplements from B-Naturals.

First we got the Green Blend, which is a mix of alfalfa, irish moss, algae, spirulina, seaweed and other good stuff. This is a great way to get all your minerals, and you only need a teeny tiny bit each day. Also in the box was the Immune Blend, which is jam-packed with all sorts of vitamins, probiotics and digestive enzymes. It's flavored with chicken liver and when the jar was opened Pupi and I started whining because we wanted to eat it!
Each of our supplements and our digestive enzymes used to be given separately, but to make our people's lives a little easier they now only have to measure out a teaspoon of the Immune Blend for each meal and toss in a fish oil pill. Simple! And you all know how I feel about efficient feasting. I need my meals ASAP. The Immune Blend is great for any pups that could use an immune system boost, and since Pupi and I are such social boys about town our folks feel it's best to keep our systems in tip top shape.

As if the day couldn't get any better, mom disappeared for a while and came back with a bag smelling of deliciousness. I was disappointed to learn that it was human deliciousness, and it all went into cupboards and the meat locker for safe keeping. Well, not all of it went into human storage... mom got us canned salmon!
Pupi is a salmon fanatic and goes to town on his meals when there's a scoop or two of the fishies on top. Delish! It's very important to get a variety of proteins to ensure that we are exposed to a wide nutrient profile, and also to avoid the development of food allergies. This canned salmon is a super easy way to mix things up.*

In other non-feasting news, I want to give a big howl of appreciation to Momo and Pinot for the Daily Blogger award!
We may take the weekends off, but this is inspiration to get my humans to take down my dictations on Saturdays and Sundays as well. Lazy people! From one set of spaniels to another... we love it! If any of our blogging pals post more days than not, and if you haven't yet received this award, consider it yours! We'd love to pass it on.

Keeping my ears clean while snacking on salmon,

Stanislaw

***

Big Pupi has to add a comment:

I just wanted to remind any raw feasters -- fish that swim upstream to breed should NEVER be fed raw. They may contain a parasite, and if this parasite is infected with a rickettsial organism it will cause Salmon Poisoning Disease. These types of fish are only safe after thoroughly cooking, as this kills the microorganism. Dogs are the only species susceptible to the disease, so if your human loves sushi tell them not to worry, but also not to share any with you!

Vanilla ice cream, on the other paw, carries no parasites and is creamy deliciousness. I am counting down the seconds to my birthday tomorrow, and I've been eyeing that container of creamy feasting that my humans got for Stanislaw's birthday and saved for mine. I need candles and stuffies and belly rubs and a morning at the bark park and sleepies in the human crate and...

Raw Food Diet, Day 140- Sad Stanley

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Big Pupi takes over:

Hey guys. It's Big Pupi M.D. taking over Stan's blog again.

My brother Stanislaw is under the weather once again. He vomited three more times yesterday morning and could barely hold his little head up for breakfast. My humans fed him tablespoons of sugar water to make sure he got some fluids and to keep his energy levels up. He looked like someone had stretched his face all long and dangly, and between his sad, saggy ears you could see a pair of tired, droopy eyes. His gums were almost white and all he wanted to do was snuggle into his fleece blankie and snoozle.

By lunch time Stan was able to keep down a soupy breakfast of mutton, yogurt and water and since then all things have been heading in the right direction. He even mustered up the energy to give some snaggly pigeons the scare of their lives and to join me in begging our dad for some cheese. Our people figured that if he's able to make sad eyes for food, then he's making a recovery. It's a good thing that Stanley is improving, because he was about 30 seconds from being taken to the Emergency Place of Tile and Steel. That's not fun! Especially when you're feeling as yucky as he was.

So keep your paws crossed that today is a puke-free day and that Stanley continues on his road to recovery. He seemed a-okay on Saturday and his therapist paid a visit - he'll update you on all of that once he's in blogging order. In the mean time, watch out for the dog flu that's making its way around and take care of your doggy selves!

**UPDATE ON STANISLAW**

Breakfast has stayed down and he made it through the night without getting sick! He's even tried to annoy me and fight me for my ChristmasTreeSingingMouseToy. I'm just gonna tell you to give that one up right now, Stanislaw. Have I EVER allowed you to touch ChristmasTreeSingingMouseToy?? Anyways, our people think that he has a severe allergy to bananas, which were used as his high-value reward on Saturday during his training. Yipes! Well, I guess you live and learn and feast and so far he's about 95% back to the old and terribly abrasive, toy-stealing, barky-faced Stanley. This means that my humans can stop being OBSESSED over that stinky boy and pay attention to me now!

Daily doggy immune-boosters:

~Vitamin C: 250-500 mg per 10 lbs body weight, or until bowel tolerance. Not recommended if you are currently suffering from sad tummies like Stanislaw. Vitamin C can give your immune system a helping hand and a kick in the pants, and it functions as an antioxidant.

~Probiotics: Probiotic supplements can be purchased like the ones sold by b-naturals, or given in plain yogurt (that contains live cultures). Yogurt can be mixed with food daily - 1 heaping tsp per 5 lbs. Probiotics help keep the bacteria in your belly in check, and if you've been sick recently it can also help replace the good bacteria that we need to properly digest our feasts. Plain yogurt also makes a healthy snack if your humans put some in a food puzzle toy and then freeze it before giving it to you. Mmm mmm delish!

~Garlic: This tastiness can give a boost to the ol' immune system, but don't go overboard. Add enough to make your food tasty, but too much garlic can hurt more than it helps.

~An immune blend which contains lots of vitamins, minerals and probiotics: A great and easy way to make sure that your diet is giving you everything you need... especially if you're on kibble/canned food where cooking and processing can break down many of the nutrients. Again, b-naturals makes a great immune blend mix.

Raw Food Diet, Day 7- I Know What is Meat

For your information mom, I know what is meat. In fact, I am an expert on meat. I eat and sleep meat. Chicken wings are meat, lamb is meat, oxtail is meat, and cheese is meat. Pills and supplements are not meat and I refuse to eat them. So stop trying to bury them within my raw meat to trick me into consuming them. I will find them and spit them out. No matter how far you shove them down my throat and massage my neck, I will not swallow them. I eat the raw meat diet for a reason, the reason being that I am a wild animal consuming what I was meant to in nature. If I was in the wild, I would be hunting down squirrels and eating them, biting wings off chickens, and sneaking up on oxen and eating their tails off. Mom, I guess I am okay with eating the veggies you give me as long as you continue to blend them up to resemble the stomach of a kill I made in the wild, but forget about me eating supplements. I mean, how many wild animals do you know that hunt fish oil pills? Whoa, there's a juicy digestive enzyme running up that tree that looks tasty, maybe I'll chase after it! I'm a wild animal, so stop it with the supplements.

***

bro's notes from the feasting cage:
Whether or not your human supplements your food is a personal choice that they need to make. Tell your person to do their research, consult your doctor, and take into consideration any medical needs you may have before proceeding with these additions. Some people choose to give quite a few extras, while some choose not to give any at all. The following is meant to act as a foundation to give your human a jump start on their supplementation education.

Supplementing your diet:

Oils

Fish oil is an excellent source of Omega-3s, EPA and DHA. A good rule of thumb when searching for an oil is to find one that offers 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA per capsule, as this is a good ratio of the two. One capsule can be given daily per 10-20lbs of dog. As this oil is a very unstable substance, light and oxygen can significantly effect the quality of the supplement. It is recommended that your human purchase the pills or capsules, instead of th oil in a bottle. They can give you either a whole capsule, or poke a hole to break the pill and release the appropriate amount of oil for your daily ration.

(Note: Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to have anti-inflammatory qualities and may actually reduce or slow the growth of tumors.)

Olive oil is high in Omega-6s, and some choose to add a touch of this to their pet's food. Omega-6s, however, are generally present in sufficient amounts in the raw diet without needing to be supplemented. It is important to note that Omega-6s can increase inflammation and tumor growth, and too many Omega-6s can "block" proper absorption of the Omega-3 fatty acids.

Flaxseed oil is an excellent source of inactive Omega-3 fatty acids. This means that the body must process this supplement and convert the inactive acids into ELA and DHA that can be processed and absorbed. There is some debate on whether dogs have the enzymes necessary to make this translation possible.

Vitamins

Vitamin E should be given with the fish oil, since it aids in your body's ability to process all of the nutrients it needs from both supplements. E can be added in the amount of 50-100iu per 10lbs of body weight.

Vitamin C can help us cope better with physical and emotional stress, and it also acts as a antioxidant. Some humans choose to supplement vitamin C on a regular basis, while others give lots of C-rich fruits and vegetables in the veggie mix and only add extra vitamin C when we are under stress. This can be supplemented at 250-500mg for every 10lbs, or until bowel tolerance. Bowel tolerance means that it can be supplement in the amount that you can handle before having your tummy get upset. Since vitamin C can cause stomach issues, it is important to introduce the vitamin in small increments to make sure it isn't going to make us sick. Have your human search for C supplements with bioflavanoids.

Vitamin B complex can aid in digestion and help round out a complete diet. Folic acid, part of the B complex, is abundant in fresh meats and isn't as necessary to supplement -- however, if your human does choose to add vitamin B to your diet it is best given as the complex and not as a singular B vitamin (such as B-12 or B-6). I have not been able to find a suggested dosage rate for B.

Minerals

Calcium should only be considered as a supplement if your human is not feeding you bones as part of your diet. Ground egg shells and bone powder can be added in that case to make the appropriate meat-to-bone ratios. Let your human know that it can be dangerous to over-supplement calcium, so they should speak to your doctor before proceeding.

Kelp is a huge seaweed or algae that grows in nutrient-rich ocean waters. It can supply iodine, lots of minerals and amino acids to your diet. Powdered kelp can be given at 1/2 tsp per 10-20lbs of body weight.

Alfalfa contains vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E and K, and also has minerals. This can be given at 1 tsp per 10-20lbs.

Apple cider vinegar has been around as a dietary supplement for hundreds of years for humans, although its exact medicinal purposes are debated. It is suspected to aid in digestion, balance stomach acids, and provide a large series of minerals. If your human does purchase ACV, it should be unpasturized, organic and unfiltered (it should appear cloudy, not clear). This can be mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with honey, and given in your food or water. A general rule of thumb is a daily dose of 1/2 tsp for small dogs, 1 tsp for medium dogs, and 2 tsp for large dogs. It is important to note that ACV is very acidic, so it is highly recommended that it is mixed with another food to decrease the strength of the acid.

Digestive Additions

Probiotics can be a very important addition to your diet (and your human's too!). These can be found in specially prepared supplements, or in yogurts with live cultures. Probiotics are important in preserving the balance of good bacteria in your gut, and they aid in digestion and absorption of your feast. One heaping tsp of yogurt can be given for every 5lbs. If giving a prepared supplement follow the dosage guidelines on the package.

Enzymes are something our digestive systems produce naturally to break down our foods, however, for some of us we may not make enough. Many dogs (like my brother and I) need some extra enzymes added to our diet during the first few months on raw food, as our bodies adjust to the new types of feasts we are eating. Animal-based enzymes are best, so tell your human to avoid the vegan or vegetarian varieties that are available. There is an excellent enzyme mix available from B-Naturals online: www.B-Naturals.com.

L-glutamine can help heal the digestive tract if you are suffering from numerous stomach upsets and other digestive issues, and it can also help an ill dog rebuild muscle tone. This can be given at 500mg for every 20lbs.

Miscellaneous

Garlic is an excellent addition to your veggie mush, and boy is it tasty. I think I'll eat almost anything that stinks like garlic. This tasty addition acts as an immune booster, antibiotic, and anti-parasitic. Go with what's tasty without going overboard.

Gloucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM -- these are commonly used for dogs with arthritis or other motion-related issues that cause pain. Please have your human consult your doctor for proper uses and dosages to address whatever problems you might have.

Co-enzyme Q10 is used to address a few specific problems, including gum disease and arthritis. A common dosage for this is 1-3mg per pound, but please check with your vet before including this supplement.

**

It may be easier for your human to purchase a pre-mixed powdered supplement that contains many of the above ingredients in their appropriate amounts. Again, I refer you to the B-Naturals website for these products.

Don't forget to have your human to their homework before starting a regimin of supplements!

I hope this gives them a good starting point.

Happy feasting.

Research for this section is from Lew Olson's K9Nutrition Yahoo! Group, "The BARF Diet" by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, and "Raw Dog Food" by Carina Beth MacDonald.