Kirkland Signature Dog Food
Chicken & Rice
Item # 25347
$26.62
We have had no allergy problems on this food
Pups weaned from mom to kibble
BASIC GUIDELINES FOR AMOUNT TO FEED YOUR STANDARD POODLE
As a general rule of thumb is
based on the assumption that a dog may be crated
or less active
during the day, while the owner is at work.
Remember, we'd
rather have a thin puppy at this time rather than a roly-poly
one!
How much should your puppy weigh? This little formula and the Food/Weight chart below should give you a pretty good idea.
My standard for my pups, which
are over 8 wks. of age, is:
1 lbs. of weight for each week of age.
One pound each way allowing
for bone substance.
For instance: If a puppy is 8
weeks old it should weigh around 8 lbs.
If the puppy is a female
it could be 7 lbs. and 9 lbs. for a male puppy.
Anything above
2 pounds per week of age, and you might want to consider the puppy
is too heavy.
This formula is fairly accurate until the dog reaches the age of 3 months.
The following amounts are for EACH feeding.
Do not worry if there is food left over.
Approx. Food and Weights for Puppy |
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Bloat
Our Poodles that we own and or raised, have never had Bloat and or Torsion.
Narrow Deep chested dogs are more physically prone to incidence of bloat and perhaps because
our poodles are wider more shallow chested might be part of the reason we have not experienced it.
A Great Dane breeder that doesn't have any bloat issues (hard to imagine) suggested that Rouine in feeding and
excersise times has aided her in not experiencing bloat. She suggested those that don't keep routines on holidays or weekends are risking it.
When I mentioned her theory to my Vet he did confirm that he sees cases of bloat (all variety of dogs)
on weekends and holidays for the most part and thinks she might be onto something.
We also "free feed" our adults (meaning we leave food down all day long and water)
and I do maintain a routine every day. My vet also suggested that anyone worried about bloat issues could feed
softened kibble to avoid any problems.
Someone that lost a Borzoi due to bloat recently sent me these links to share with anyone worried about bloat:
Bloat Kit
Acupuncture to relieve Bloat
~ Click to Read About Bloat ~
Prozyme Suppliment
According to the manufacturer, Prozyme increases absorption of the nutrients in the food.
Prozyme works in the body once the food is ingested (after mixing the Prozyme with the food;
it is not necessary to let the mixture stand before feeding).
By increasing the nutrient intake from the diet, Prozyme is reported to help with immune and digestive disorders,
poor coat and excessive shedding, skin problems, joint disorders, weight problems,
allergies, lethargy, bloating, flatulence, and coprophagia (stool eating).
FOOD INTOLERANCES
A lot of dogs that have food intolerances (often called allergies)
In order of the most common offenders in dogs are beef, dairy products, chicken, wheat, chicken eggs, corn, and soy.
So keep this in mind when searching for your alternative food sources.
We have had more and more people ask us about food allergies.
We first wish to make sure the puppy or dog does not have
Coccidiosis
or
Giardiasis you can treat automatically as a preventative
with many over the counter drugs or through your Veterinarian although a puppy with it may test negative it is just a hit or miss with this.
Because dogs or pups that hunt will be exposes to these or if a puppy or dog is stressed they will get an outbreak of the coccidiosis.
You can also find a ton of free information on the internet such as this booklet:
Free dog Food Report
FOOD ALLERGIES AND FOOD
INTOLERANCES
Food allergies
account for about 10% of all the allergies seen in dogs and cats. It is the
third most common cause after flea bite
allergies and atopy (inhalant allergies). With the
advent of lamb and rice diets many people feel that they are preventing or
treating food allergies. The fact is that nothing could be farther from the
truth.
The entire process of a pet
being sensitized to a particular agent in food and the complicated antibody response that occurs in the
intestinal tract in pets with food allergies are not very well understood.
Despite our lack of understanding of the actual disease process, there are many
things that we do know including the symptoms, how to diagnose food allergies,
and also how to treat them.
Food allergies affect both dogs
and cats. Unlike atopy, there is no strong link
between specific breeds and food allergies. Food allergies affect both males
and females and neutered and intact animals equally. They
can show up as early as five months and as late as 12 years of age, though the
vast majority of cases occur between 2 and 6 years. Many animals with food
allergies also have concurrent inhalant or contact allergies.
Food
allergy or intolerance?
There is a distinction that
needs to be made between food allergies and food intolerances. Food allergies
are true allergies and show the characteristic symptoms of itching and skin
problems associated with canine and feline allergies. Food intolerances can
result in diarrhea or vomiting and do not create a
typical allergic response. Food intolerances in pets would be similar to people
that get diarrhea or an upset stomach from eating
spicy or fried foods. Fortunately, both food intolerances and allergies can be
eliminated with a diet free from offending agents.
Common food culprits
Several studies have shown that
some ingredients are more likely to cause food allergies than others. In order
of the most common offenders in dogs are beef, dairy products, chicken, wheat,
chicken eggs, corn, and soy. As you may have noticed, the most common offenders
are the most common ingredients in dog foods. This correlation is not a
coincidence. While some proteins might be slightly more antigenic than others,
many proteins are similar in form and the incidence of
allergic reactions are probably associated with the amount of exposure.
For example, pet foods have historically been made up of beef, chicken, corn,
and wheat. In an effort to combat food allergies, several companies produced a
diet made of lamb and rice. There was
nothing special about lamb and rice diets except those two ingredients were
normally not present in pet foods. Animals had not eaten lamb
or rice before, and therefore , had not developed an
allergy to it yet. If the main ingredients in pet food become lamb and rice,
then it would stand to reason that the most common problem foods could become
lamb and rice. The determinant of whether a food is likely to
cause a food allergy or not is based on the structure and size of the
glycoprotein in the food. In addition, many lamb and rice-based foods
contain many other ingredients, and if the animal has a food allergy to any of
them, this lamb and rice food will do nothing to treat the food allergy. In
addition, while many people criticized and blamed preservatives and flavorings as a source of food allergies, studies have
shown that they are not the causes, and while we may not have justifiable
health concerns about preservatives, food allergies is not one of them.
Symptoms
The symptoms of food allergies
are similar to those of most allergies seen in dogs and cats. The primary
symptom is itchy skin. Symptoms may also include chronic or recurrent ear infections, hair
loss, excessive scratching, hot spots, and skin infections that respond to
antibiotics but reoccur after antibiotics are discontinued. There is evidence
that dogs with food allergies may sometimes have an increased incidence of
bowel movements. One study showed that non-allergic dogs have around 1.5 bowel
movements per day where some dogs with food allergies may have 3 or more per
day.
It is difficult to distinguish
an animal suffering from food allergies from an animal suffering from atopy or other allergies based on physical signs. However,
there are a few signs that always make me suspect food allergies. One of these, is a dog with recurrent ear problems, particularly
yeast infections. Another, is a very young dog with
moderate or severe skin problems. A third tip off, is if a dog suffers from
allergies year-round or if the symptoms begin in the winter. And the final clue, is a dog that has very itchy skin but does not respond
to antihistamines or steroid treatment.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis for food allergies
is very straightforward. But due to the fact that many other problems can cause
similar symptoms and that many times animals are suffering from more problems
than just food allergies, it is very important that all other problems are
properly identified and treated prior to undergoing diagnosis for food
allergies. Atopy, flea bite allergies, intestinal
parasite hypersensitivities, sarcoptic mange, and yeast or bacterial
infections can all cause similar symptoms as food allergies. Once all other
causes have been ruled out or treated, then it is time to perform a food trial.
Elimination diets and
provocative testing:
A food trial consists of feeding an animal a novel food source of protein and carbohydrate for 12 weeks. A novel food
source would be a protein and carbohydrate that the animal had never eaten
before. An example would be rabbit and rice, or venison and potato, or duck and
rutabagas. These are homemade diets but there are several commercial diets
available on the market. Special Foods produced by Hill's and Purina, and a
food named EXclude are used by many dermatologists.
Regardless of the diet used, it must be the only thing the animal eats for 12
weeks. This means no treats; absolutely nothing but the special food and water.
Young growing pets have special dietary needs and a homemade diet that only
contains one protein and one carbohydrate with no multivitamin or fatty acid
may not be suitable even for only twelve weeks. For puppies undergoing a food
trial, a balanced commercial diet like the ones listed above is recommended.
|
A
food trial consists of feeding a dog a novel food source of protein and
carbohydrate for 12 weeks. |
Veterinarians used to recommend
that a pet only needed to be placed on a special diet for 3 weeks, but new
studies show that in dogs, only 26% of those with food allergies responded by
day 21. However, the vast majority of pets responded by 12 weeks. Therefore, it
is very important to keep the pet on the diet for the entire 12 weeks. If the
dog shows a marked reduction or elimination of the symptoms, then the animal is
placed back on the original food. This is called 'provocative testing' and is
essential to confirm the diagnosis. If the symptoms return after going back on
the original diet, the diagnosis of a food allergy is confirmed. If there has
been no change in symptoms but a food allergy is still strongly suspected, then
another food trial using a different novel food source could be tried.
We must reiterate that placing a dog on a commercial lamb and rice formula
dog food is not an acceptable way to diagnose or treat food allergies.
Lamb and rice are no longer considered novel food sources and most commercial
lamb and rice diets also contain wheat, egg, corn, or other ingredients that
can be the cause of the food allergy. Despite the implication by dog food
companies to the contrary, these foods do not prevent food allergies nor are
they considered adequate for diagnosis. While these diets may provide adequate
nutrition, they are not a substitute for a true, novel protein source diet.
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The only way to accurately diagnose
food allergies is with a food trial. |
Blood Testing: Many owners and veterinarians attempt to
look to other tests to diagnose food allergies. Blood tests
such as the RAST test or the ELISA test can be performed to screen for food
allergies. In addition, intradermal skin testing
could also be performed. Despite the fact that these tests are routinely
performed and used as a diagnostic aid, there
is no evidence that blood tests are accurate for the diagnosis of food
allergies. Veterinary dermatologists insist that there is no
merit in these tests whatsoever in the diagnosis of food allergies. The only way
to accurately diagnose food allergies is with a food trial as detailed above.
While the intradermal skin testing is excellent for
diagnosing atopy (inhalant allergies) it is
ineffective for food allergies. While the ELISA and to a lesser extent the RAST
test can be used to help in the diagnosis of atopy,
they have no benefit in diagnosing food allergies. In our review of all the
current books and articles on veterinary dermatology and allergies, we could
not find a single dermatologist that endorsed anything other than the food
trial as an effective diagnostic aid. If you want to diagnose and treat food
allergies you must do a food trial.
Treatment
Once we determine a positive
diagnosis, then the treatment is very straightforward. The owner of the animal
has two choices. They can choose to feed the animal a special commercially
prepared diet or a homemade diet.
If the owner chooses to feed the
homemade diet, then they can periodically challenge the pet with new
ingredients and determine which ingredients are causing the food allergy. For
example, if the animal's symptoms subsided on a diet of rabbit and potatoes,
then the owner could add beef to the diet for two weeks. If the animal showed
no symptoms, then they could then add chicken for two weeks. If the animal
began to show symptoms, then it could be assumed that chicken was one of the things
the pet was allergic to. The chicken could be withdrawn and after the symptoms
cleared up, a different ingredient could be added and so on until all of the
offending ingredients were identified. A diet could then be formulated that was
free of the offending food sources.
If homemade diets are used, it is essential that they be balanced, with correct amount of ingredients, vitamins, and minerals.