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DOG FOOD RATINGS WEBSITES
5 STAR DOG FOODS LIST
SOLID GOLD brand BARKING at the MOON, it received 5 stars
SOLID GOLD brand HUND-N-FLOCKEN, it received 4 stars
FEEDING/DIET
After careful consideration, we have chosen Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken (lamb) and Barking at the Moon (Beef and Ocean Fish) Adult dry dog food as our primary feeding for our labradors. It is all natural and includes many ingredients we already give to our dogs, including beef, salmon, veggies, lamb, berries, natural oils, vitamin D, B12 and vitamin C. In addition, I love the fact that SOLID GOLD brand dog food lists its ingredients as simple as possible. switching between the two of these great dog foods should give our labs the best possible well-rounded diet.
Click the picture to go to the Solid Gold website for nutrional information.
We still plan to inlcude fruits as snacks in their diets and give them their sardines and mackeral occassionally, but with Solid Gold, they won't need it as much since it is already included in the food.
OUR PREVIOUS DIET included BLACK GOLD PREMIUM DOG FOOD but it was not rated high on the dog food ratings websites listed above as for nutritional values, so we have switched to SOLID GOLD brand.
I first want to say that now that I know more about natural foods and the benefits they give our dogs, I will NEVER again recommend feeding a "store bought" dog food. They all lack natural vitamin C supplements that are derived from vegetable and fruit sources. We strive to keep Hazel, Hannah, Liberty and our little dachshund, Henry, as healthy as possible so we are sure to include what we believe to be a healthy diet for them.
Canned Jack Mackeral (or Salmon or sardines) mixed with a raw egg and some small bites of dog food & vegetables like peas and carrots may also be included in a normal daily feeding for our dogs.
We even give them raw beef, raw chicken, raw rabbit, raw squirrel or raw venison on occasion.
Our local butcher provides the raw meat, except venison, rabbit and squirrel. My husband is a deer and small game hunter, so we provide the venison and small game in their diets. Some of this raw food may include chicken backs, chicken legs, any type raw liver or heart, turkey necks, turkey legs, or raw beef bones to chew on. We may include one of these raw items in their diets twice a week, but the fish & vegetable mixture is almost a daily intake for them.
You can get the canned fish at Walmart or even dollar stores. You can even try fresh raw fish if they will eat it! Also be sure to include vegetables like carrots and peas in their diets as well.
We buy the frozen bags and thaw them and incorporate that into their food mixture at times too.
We are also sure to include an Ester-C tablet in their diets daily. I give them Vitamin C for their joints and muscles and it helps with rebuilding cartilidge. I've included a couple links below for reading about the benefits of Vitamin C in our dogs' diets. Most store brand/bought dog foods lack the vitamin C and minerals dogs need. From the research I've done, I believe Vitamin C is essential to our pets' health. Our dogs' diets may differ from what you prefer to feed your dog, but I am sure if you read up on natural foods vs. store bought dog food, you may change your mind about buying a store bought dog food for your precious pet.
We've found that the price is not that much higher either.
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VET CHECKS
When your puppy goes home, he/she will have been introduced to the fish mixture already. By 8 weeks old, they are already eating 3/4 cup to 1 cup of this mixture every other day. Our labs typically wean their pups at 5-6 weeks of age. At 6-7 weeks, all of our puppies are taking into our vet for their 1st set of shots and thorough vet checks. Each puppy is weighed, given a 5-way shot
(that includes vaccinations for Distemper, Parvovirus, Adenovirus, Hepatitis, and Parainfluenza), check for underbites/overbites,
listens to their heart and lungs, check their skin and coat, check for hernias, check for undescended testicles, check ears, check hips and
elbows and a check of their eyes.
As always, with any change in diet or excercise for your puppy or dog, please consult your trusted veterinarian. We have found that our diet works well for our dogs. But you may choose a different diet according to your environment or food availability. To make your puppy's feeding transition better for you, we can send a ziploc bag of SOLID GOLD DOG FOOD home with you to incorporate into the new food you'll be feeding your puppy as we don't want it to be a drastic switch and cause the puppy irregular bowel movements or upset stomachs. We recommend feeding 3/4 of Black Gold with 1/4 of your brand and then as the week goes on, less of the Solid Gold dog food in his/her diet. Your pup should be eating 3/4 to 1 full cup of dog food or food mixture each feeding by the time they go home with you. We feed them twice a day. You may want to add slices of apples, bananas and raw carrots as a snack mid day.
WORMING TREATMENTS
We do not give our pups any medicines for fleas that include pesticides. We keep them on cedar bedding and give them 2 baths before going home with an oil based shampoo and conditioner (Sentry brand). We also start de-worming treatments on the pups from age 3 weeks until they go home with the brand name, Pyrantel. All pups are born with worms, so we do our best to try and keep every pup worm-free before going home. However, we encourage continued use of the Pyrantel until at least 12 weeks of age, giving 1 tsp. every other week from age 8 weeks to 12 weeks. Please understand that all pups are BORN with worms, so your pup can have worms when they go home with you although we do our best to keep them from this. Our vet gives a dose of STRONGID dewormer when the pups get their first vaccinations as well.
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