my basic feeding points:
1)FREEFEED(yes, I'm shouting as I believe that this is the most important thing you can do. Exceptions to this are obvious, such as a new puppy and a chowhound adult dog, but freefeed as soon as you can)
2)Never feed treats anywhere near where you feed meals. These 2 events should never be associated in the dog's mind. NEVERNEVERNEVER place anything but dryfood in a dogs bowl!!!
Treats should be very small in nature. A dog is just as happy getting a small treat as a large one. It is also a great opportunity to practice some obedience when giving out small treats. Wait, sit, OK, or whatever, even with puppies. Akitas border on brillant and dont let anyone tell you that 5-6 week old pup is incapable of learning.
Other basics:
*Feed a good dry food that says ''complete and balanced nutrition''.
*Corn should be no higher than the #3 listed ingredient, ESPECIALLY in a puppy food(corn is not as digestable and therefore the protein rating in a corn or corn meal food is bogus-ly high.
*NEVER feed a dry food that has soy in any amount to a large breed dog(or any dog IMO). You are asking for Bloat, a killer.
*Do not feed any food containing ethoxyquin as it has been linked to DEATH in 2 breeds and is suspect in others (the breeds are collies and something else..any1 help here?). The IDIOTS at Science Diet will tell you(they told me) that it wasnt proven in Akitas, so why not feed it to my dog. IDIOTS, I'm surrounded by IDIOTS. I DO NOT feed Science Diet products under any circumstances as my 2 encounters with them convinced me that they have absolutely NO concern for the health of my animals.(note: SD was the last major dogfood company to remove ethoxyquin from one of its varieties of dry food)
*Lots of water available at ALL times, I dont care what your circumstances are, there is NO exception to this.
*I'm sure I've left out a lot, but this should get some opinions going.......
Posted on Dec 02 1999, 9:37 AM
imo.........GENETICS!
An animal will grow at its genetically preditermined rate PROVIDED that all nutrients are available to it. It is our job to provide 100% of those nutrients.
The only harm excess protein or other nontoxic nutrients can possibly cause is to the digestive/excremental systems that must process it.
I feed puppy food until the growth spurt slows, then a dryfood that provides 100% of all necessary nutrients.
FEED (and water) Your Puppy
Chickens are raised in megabarns and most dogfoods get a good dose of whatever drugs the chickens are having. Also it's mostly chicken parts, not the breast or leg meat.
Cows are shot full of antibiotics+ and the residue sttays in the parts, finding their way into the food too.
Lamb and Rice is the better way to go.
Corn is harmless, but not a lot of it is utilized in the digestive process (just look at the stools), so you are not getting any nutritional value by buying cheaper, cornladen foods.
NO SOY. Can contribute to bloat.
No ethyoxyquin (sp). May cause problems in Akitas.
Fish is good. These dogs originated on high fish diets.
Raw anything can contain loads of germs, but hey, these are dogs, and they eat week-old roadkill. No, I dont feed raw eggs, but cooked are ok.
FREE FEED. Leave food available ALL THE TIME for the dog to eat when, and how much he pleases. He is already genetically programmed to be a certain size. He will be that size , subject to your feeding him junk food and getting him fat AFTER he becomes an adult.
What else. Oh yeah. ALWAYS have water available, even in his crate. To deny a dog, especially a large breed, access to water is to torture him and may be creating future medical (or even behavioral) problems.
One other thing I do is to mix several good foods. That way I know all of the trace elements are being supplied. I also feed fish oil capsules sporadically. Dont know if it helps, but the logic is for it.
Picky Eaters
My 1st male was a picky eater. He was skinny by genetics and so I worried about him eating a lot. He didnt eat as much as i thought he should, so I started throwing some table scraps into his bowl as the years went on. This eventually developed into his turning away meat sauces that he'd had 3 days in a row because he knew I'd get him something different tastier if he held out. Yes, he ran me. And it was hell when he developed cancer and I was fighting to keep weight on him.
Set of Akitas #2 now get treats and table scraps in a totally different room from their food, and not much of them. Both are well built solid dogs. They are freefed and eat 1.2# of food a day(ie, 2 dogs eat 1.2# of highquality dry food). This works out to about 1100-1200 calories per day for a 132# and 105# pair.
If you need to change your food:
Get a good priced high quality food and if he eats it, STICK WITH IT FOREVER. If you freefeed, just leave it and he'll eat it when he gets hungry (I know its hard).
If you dont free feed, take up his bowl at a predetermined amount of time and make him wait to eat at the next feeding. DO NOT feed him more than is normal when he resumes eating and acts hungry when his bowl is clean. This is a form of manipulating you, a skill all Akitas are inherently expert at.