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  1. #41
    Registered User
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wise Old Owl View Post
    [/FONT][/COLOR][/LEFT]
    Hey Salty - I read this OLD thread and nobody really nailed it. Get a cheese slicer (wire kind) and open a can of low sodium SPAM cut it up into nice slices. Stick on a Harvest Food Dryer for 4 hours rotating once or twice the tray from top to bottom. Ultra light - high in quality fat and a hell of an easy treat.
    Thx...sounds like a great idea! So far I’ve had good luck mixing the dehydrated with his high cal kibble but like the idea of Spam for him.....not me!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  2. #42
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    03-16-2015
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    Chaumont,Ny
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    Did your dog lose weight on the CT ?

    thom

  3. #43
    Registered User Wise Old Owl's Avatar
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    01-29-2007
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    High up in an old tree
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    ...............................
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

  4. #44

  5. #45
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    12-01-2019
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    Golden, Colorado
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    33
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    Hi all,

    I am a new member at WhiteBlaze but a bit of a long-time lurker. I work for the largest co-manufacturer for ultra-premium pet food in the United States. We produce the most tonnage for some of the largest companies in the United States and globally. I'd like to help the community understand more about pet, mostly canine companion, nutrition and how to maximize their intake.

    The three most important ingredients in a canine's diet are proteins, fats, and vitamin and minerals in that order. Canines do not need calorie to achieve a balance nutritional diet and often times it leads to more health issues as most owners default to grains or human-grade foods to increase caloric intake. Calories are used primarily for weight sustainability or gain/loss in puppies or senior aged canines. Additionally, canines can receive calories through their fat options.

    Several of our customers have high-performance (HiPro) canine diets which focus on high protein sources such as chicken, lamb, or beef that meet a minimum specification. In most cases, canine protein-sources need to be only 60% protein minimum but HiPro will often exceed 68%+. There have been some lamb specifications in market recently testing at 75% which is very high and quality. My two canines are on a lamb based diet for five months and rotate chicken and beef for seven. It is important to rotate protein choices after three to four months. There have been studies which show that prolonged feeding of the same food for long periods of time can lead to allergic reactions manifesting in a variety of symptoms, including itchy skin, hot spots, upset stomach and more.

    Some of y'all probably read the calorie portion and thought how is fat more important for energy in canines? Well, fat has more than twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates and proteins. A gram of fat has about 9 calories, while a gram of carbohydrate or protein has about 4 calories. In other words, you could eat twice as much carbohydrates or proteins as fat for the same amount of calories. To provide fats for canines, use a combination (if easily available) of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fish oils such as herring, salmon, etc. Omega-6 fatty acid sources such as shaved pork fat, poultry fat, sunflower oils, or vegetable oils (corn and soybean) for a cheaper alternative. What's the cheapest bulk option and still provides a ton of calories/fats? Coconut Oil! Simply melt a tablespoon onto dry kibble or spoon it out for the canine to enjoy.

    Often most skipped by at-home canine pet food chefs, are vitamins and minerals. In our formulas, we use vitamin and mineral premix blends to help add more nutrition. This section is also the hardest to achieve as scientifically-available vitamin and minerals are hard to buy such as L-Carnitine, Thiamine, or Niacin. The good news is that you can achieve a quality source through whole foods, but the easiest option is through dry kibble. If none of those options are sufficient, it is easy to purchase canine multivitamins on the market. A suggestion would be Zesty Paws brand of vitamins. The company I work for does not manufacture this brand but it is well known in the industry, that Zesty Paws provides high quality and ethically sourced vitamins and minerals.

    All in all, the best choice for canines on the trail would be dry kibble as it meets all GA requirements but could provide extra weight to carry. Another option would be to have the canine carry it's source of food and water through some sort of backpack. If nothing else works, at the very least, meet the protein, fat, and vitamin and mineral requirements.

    Basic rules of thumb for canine feeding:
    1) Use one gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight for breed. Ideal body weight means average weight for that breed. Example: Average male Weimaraner weight is 77 lbs. so the canine would need 77 grams per day.
    2) As mentioned above, a gram of fat provides more calories than carbohydrates or proteins. Essentially, 2:1 ratio. Using the Weimaraner protein amount above at 77 grams per day, it would mean that fats need to be 38.5 grams per day.
    3) If dry kibble isn't an option and there is still worry about not meeting vitamin and mineral requirements, consider a multivitamin. The option is cheap and weights 11 ounces once removed from packaging. It would not take up much space or weight in the backpack.

    Hopefully this helps and I will provide any answers to questions! I can recommend dry kibble, freeze dried, or wet foods for animals including canine, feline, cattle, and exotic pets. If y'all are looking for dry kibble recommendations the top industry benchmarks for nutritional requirements are Chewy American Journey, Blue Buffalo Wilderness, and Science Diet. I would recommend avoiding brands such as Taste of the Wild, Orijin, Acana, or Zignature as these are associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). DCM is a primary disease of cardiac muscle that results in a decreased ability of the heart to generate pressure to pump blood through the vascular system. Currently, studies point to their grain-free formulas which include a high usage of peas or legumes. It is important that the first three ingredients in a canine ingredient deck does not include peas or legumes. Look for formulas that have proteins or fats in the first three ingredients. Example, Chewy American Journey Lamb & Brown Rice is deboned lamb, lamb meal, and brown rice.

    Thanks,
    BroggyTheHomie

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