Nutrition & Feeding of Dogs & Cats

“Nutrition & Feeding of Dogs & Cats”

By Alex Simpson

-A degree in animal nutrition

- A degree in farm & ranch business

-A degree in Equine Riding & Training

Jennifer’s Feed & Supply

The first most important thing to look for in any type of food for your pet is if it is AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) approved, Second if its made in the USA, and third if the first ingredient is a specified meat.
What’s the best food I can feed my dog or cat? Truth be told there is no one best food for your pet! The more verity and the more species appropriate you can feed the better!
The healthiest foods that you can feed your pet are going to come from the freezer. Raw meats are what they eat in the wild. If you don’t want to feed, don’t feel comfortable feeding or simply just don’t have the funds to feed raw not a big deal! The most popular feeding for the average person is dry kibble mixed with canned food!
The average dog you figure is about 50 pounds. That will usually include labs, Australian Sheppard’s, Pit Bulls, etc… First good quality water should be available at ALL times.
Dogs body weight in KG Water (ml)

3

100 6 85 10 75 20 60 30 55 50 50 75 45 Cats (average sized) 65A dog gets 25% of his total requirements from drinking, but a cat only gets 10% this way. Voluntary water intake will usually range from 2 to 3 times the amount of food consumed. Granted under conditions such as exercise, fever, kidney disease, diarrhea diabetic animals, etc… the amount of water consumed will increase. In hot weather your pet may need 4 or more times more water than the food is consumed.

In a protein evaluation, the first consideration is completeness. Are all 10 essential amino acids present? Lets take our newest product Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon formula for the dogs and Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck formula for cats. The first ingredient in the Salmon (Dog)formula is Deboned Salmon. It’s the best you can get when the first ingredient is a deboned specified animal (I will explain what I mean by a specified animal later) granted since it is being “cooked” at extreme temperatures the meat will loose almost all of its water content, making it much further down on the list of ingredients pound for pound. The second is Chicken meal followed by fish meal now before you go oh gross meals are bad, meals are dehydrated meat with no water left in it at all making it more like a powder when completely done being cooked. In the Duck formula (cat) The first ingredient is Deboned duck, followed by chicken meal, then turkey meal. The best dry kibble you can feed you pet will have 3 or more meat sources (duck, salmon, chicken, beef, venison, bison, etc..) then go in to your whole grains or in the case of grain free formulas like the wilderness your starches. Most commercially prepared pet foods contain a mixture of animal tissues, soybean meal and cereal grains which form a mixture that yields a biological value (BV) of 70% or more, thus capable of supporting protein functions of the body. As dogs and cats get older, feeding excessive protein tends to affect the kidneys, and this is especially important with reduced kidney function the older animal. The cat has a substantially higher protein requirement than the dog. The metabolic reason for the high protein requirement for that cat is the high activity of the amino acid catabolic enzymes in the liver. The amino sulfuric acid, taurine, is uniquely important in the nutrition of the cat. Taurine biosynthesis in cat tissue is limited and, therefore, cats fed a taurine-devoid diet are unable to maintain sufficient body concentrations.
A large part of most commercial dog food is composed of a carbohydrate which usually supplies the most inexpensive source of energy. Carbohydrates aren’t bad for dogs. In reasonable amounts, they can actually provide a practical source of energy. Since the early 1950s, dog food manufacturers everywhere have fallen head-over-heels in love with carbohydrates because they’re abundant, durable (long shelf life), essential to the kibble-making process, and inexpensive (per calorie than protein or fat).Please notice that not one of these reasons has anything to do with nutrition. Using a
dog’s ancestral diet as a model, the total amount of carbs consumed by a dog’s evolutionary predecessor is dramatically less than what’s become the norm for today’s kibbles. One sensible source estimates natural carbohydrate consumption for a dog’s ancestors at around 14 percent of total diet. Yet on average, today’s dry dog foods contain somewhere between 46 and 74 percent carbohydrates. Lets look at the Blue Wilderness label once again the first carb in the salmon formula (dog) after our 3 protein sources is peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber. In the Duck formula (cat) our first carb is peas as well. Peas along with other carbs are used as a binder to make the kibble. Fiber is also a part of the carbohydrate portion of the diet. Fiber has several functions in the digestive tract. Some is digested and used for energy, while other fibers absorb water and produce a more voluminous stool than do non-fibrous diets. Fiber also aids in stimulation and maintaining intestinal action, especially in senile or inactive animals. Animals expend energy in almost every form of body activity this energy is obtained from either oxidation of food or from destruction of their own bodily sources of energy. This is why its hard to keep weight on extremely active dogs! Carbohydrates and fats provide the largest sources of dietary energy, especially for dogs. Proteins are also an important source of energy for cats.

There are so many kinds of vitamins and minerals in the diets of your pet so I will touch base on the most popular ones added in your pets foods. First I would like to point out what sets the Blue Buffalo into a category of its own. Dog and cat kibble is cooked at 350 to 400 degrees, all kibble will go thru this process and the vitamins added to the feed will loose up to 30% while vitamin C will loose close to 75%. Blue has what are called Life Source Bits. They are cold formed which means the vitamins in this feed loose none of their potency. Its like eating a steak with your multi-vitamin. First lets discuss copper, copper is important in hemoglobin formation as in iron. Zinc, a deficiency will cause thinning hair coat, scaly dermatitis, parakeratosis, anorexia, weight loss and slow growth. Iodine, a deficiency produces poor hair coats, anemia, hypothyroidism and abortions. Vitamin A, very important for good eye vision epithelial health and bone growth. Riboflavin, a deficiency causes dry scaly skin, erythematic of hind legs and chest, muscular weakness in hind end, anemia, and sudden death. Thiamine, deficiencies cause anorexia, weight loss, dehydration, paralysis, and convulsions Biotin, a decency causes posterior paralysis and seborrhea. Folic Acid, a decency causes hyperplasia of the bone marrow, acrostic anemia, and glossitis. Vitamin C, also know as the anti scurvy vitamin, a deficiency causes delayed wound healing, and scurvy type lesions and symptoms- cutaneous or subcutaneous hemorrhage around teeth and gums.
There are three types of feeding methods for dogs and cats, free choice, ad libitum, or self- feeding; time restricted meal feeding; and food restricted meal- feeding. Free-choice feeding is that situation in which more than the animal will consume is always available, thus, the animal can choose to eat as much as it wants when it chooses. With time restricted meal feeding, the animal is given more food than it will consume in a specified period usually 5 to 30 minutes, whereas, with food restricted meal feeding the animal is given specific but less amount of food than it would eat if the amount of food was not restricted. Some people use a combo of these methods; Free choice dry food and canned food or specific food twice a day. The type of feeding you decide to do can be somewhat determined by the type of food being fed. Dry foods can be successfully fed to most dogs and cats at free choice (ad-libitum), however, some dogs or cats will over eat and become obese or have digestive issues. Cats always do better when fed alone with out distractions or worry of competition. If you have multiple cats is always best to have more than one place to eat drink and litter boxes.
Lets now take a look at feeding your older pets. Maintaining good oral hygiene is important to insure adequate food intake and utilization of the food. A good thing to remember with dogs is good oral hygiene comes from the dogs saliva, the more slobbery your dog is usually the cleaner his teeth are. Bones are a fantastic way to spoil your dog and create that much wanted saliva. The quantity of food fed just like in younger dogs should satisfy hunger but not over feed your pet causing him to be obese. Its best to feed your older pets small meals at least twice a day on a regular schedule. Older pets may have a reduced appetite, and digestive absorption this is why older animals become obese so easily (lack of mobility applies as well).
Obesity is a concern for older and younger less active animals. Obesity is the most common nutritional problem occurring in dogs and cats in our society, far exceeding all deficiency diseases combined. a dog or cat can be considered obese when 10-15% above optimum body weight. Obesity is much more common in female dogs up to 12 years of age and is about twice as high in both sexes if the dog or cat is spayed or neutered. Beagles, cocker spaniels, collies, dachshunds, and labs have the highest incidence of obesity. Obesity is equally as common in both sexes with higher chances in older neutered cats.
The feeding of your pet also is greatly influenced by his or her size you wouldn’t feed a small dog a large breed formula or visa versa. The formulas are made specifically based on weight of the dog. Small breeds are considered dogs that are 25 pounds and under average dogs are 26 pounds to 49 pounds and large breed dogs are 50 pounds and over. The biggest difference between foods are small breed formulas tend to have kibble in shapes that help reduce tarter build up, where as large breed formulas have added glucosamine and chondroitin to help support a bigger dogs joints.
The most common supplement fed to both dogs and cats is salmon oil. Salmon oil has many benefits. The most common use for salmon oil is for skin and coat health, salmon oil will heal your dogs skin and make it healthy, a silky coat starts with proper skin care. You will never encounter an itchy dog with dry flakey skin having a beautiful luxurious coat! Salmon oil is also very high in omega 3 fatty acids, helps with eyesight, a great chondroitin, and helps reduce inflammation. It is a great supplement to add to your puppies and kittens diet because of DHA which helps in brain health and growth!
Does your dog have arthritis? Use Next Level Joint! Your first thought may be hey that’s for horses. Actually Next Level Joint is a great product to help your pet become mobile again. A few of next levels best active ingredients are MSM and Shark Cartilage both of these ingredients take strides helping your pet. MSM is a chemical found in plants, animals, and humans. It can also be made in a laboratory. Shark cartilage is a dietary supplment
made from the dried and powdered cartilage of a shark; that is, from the tough material that composes a shark's skeleton. All in all there is no one best diet that will work on every pet. Water should be at free choice at all times. Each pets needs are different which is one reason not to feed a small breed formula to a bigger dog or visa versa. There are tons of supplements to make your pet happy and healthy, always discuss with your vet before starting a vitamin program. But most of all of us at Jennifer’s Feed & Supply hope you have many happy years with your pet full of licks and pets! Be sure to check out our next article on sheep and goat nutrition!

　
References:
Dog Food Advisor
Animal Feeding & Nutrition 10^th edition

The Ins and Out of Chicken Care

Poultry and Game Bird Nutrition

By Logan Graham

Manager at Jennifer’s Feed

The ownership of poultry and game birds has significantly risen over the last few years. Due to the expanded understanding and desire of being self-sufficient, and for teaching younger generations responsibility and dependability that comes from caring for these animals. This article will explain and expand on nutritional requirements, the importance of free range, and some of their behavior traits.
There are many important steps to follow when raising baby chicks. Most chicken owners will receive their chicks when they are approximately 1 to 6 weeks of age. Through this time heat, water, food, and bedding are the most important necessity’s. When considering places to keep these baby chicks one should look for a heated and protected room for them. I personally used a spare bath tub until they had some of their adult feathers and started to jump out. By that time the weather was warm enough that I was able to move them outside to a small coop with a heat lamp. Heat is probably the most important tool when raising chicks. Heat should be 90 to 95 degrees for the first 2 weeks then should be decreased 5 degrees every week until you reach a ground temp. of 75 degrees. These temperatures should be measured at the bedding of the pen. Always have your heat lamp to one side of your enclosure so if they become to hot they can escape to a cooler side. A general rule to keep in mind is if your chicks are huddled under the lamp lower it and if they avoid it raise it. The best bedding that can be used throughout the chickens life is pine shavings. These may be harder to clean and may be more expensive than straw but with straw being a main carrier of dust and hay mites pine shavings are the best bet.
After travel either from the hatchery to the store or from the store to your house immediately provide fresh water. Be sure all of your chicks have drank before providing food. There are many water additives that are beneficial to chicks immune systems, the most important one is a basic electrolyte package. Just like sports drinks these electrolytes replenish the body and maintain the immune system. These additives should not be added for the first couple days.
When considering food for chicks it varies dependant upon their purpose. Meat birds or game birds should be fed a high protein meat bird feed, while layers should be fed a high protein starter feed. Any meat bird will be able to live their entire life on the same feed considering that it is about 19% to 22% protein. Layers however make several changes, for the first 6 weeks they should be fed a starter feed, then to a grower feed until they are laying or until 20 to 21 weeks of age. Most starter and grower feeds will have their own directions which will vary brand to brand but this is the best method to follow. Most larger feed companies combine the two into a starter grower feed which can be fed from start to when they lay. When you start to buy feed for your chicks you will come across medicated or non-medicated feeds. The medication in these feeds is provided to reduce stress of travel and to prevent diseases like coccidiosis. Although medicated feeds are recommended they are not essential for raising a healthy flock.
Broilers and meat birds are to be free fed for about 42 to 56 days or until a weight of 4 to 5 pounds. Like I stated above most meat bird feeds consist of a protein level of 19 to 22 percent. Also most feeds can be fed from birth to harvest. Other meat bird feeds will recommend that you feed a starter feed for 2 to 3 weeks then a grower feed for 2 weeks then finish out on the meat bird feed. Medicated feeds are not usually recommended, because of the short life span these medications may not leave the system entirely.
For adult layers feeding a layer feed is vital to replenish lost nutrients from egg production. There are 3 different versions of the same feed. These versions are the mash, crumble, and pellet. All of these versions will meet the needs of your layers, the only difference is waste. With the mash a substantial amount of the food will be crushed and ground into a fine powder which the chickens will kick out and not eat, the crumble has less waste but the pellet has the least. The reason for the variety is that all starter and grower feeds come in either mash or crumble and getting your chickens to switch to pellets may not be worth the saved pennies. Because of the time it may take to change the diet over to pellets you may see egg production decrease. Most of the layer feeds that you will find will be a 16% protein, however most companies make some of their feeds 20% protein. This higher protein feed is designed to be fed in cold weather or at the start of egg laying.

Scratch grains are another popular feed that you will find at any feed store. Many misconceptions about scratch exist. The main reasons scratch is important has little to do with nutrition, they range from establishing ground pecking and to reduce the number of eggs broken by being pecked. Another use for scratch is to spread the chickens out around the yard. By doing this you will find that the insect amount will diminish. Overall scratch is a treat and feeding a large amount will fill up the chickens with a low protein feed.
Other necessary supplements that are required for healthy birds are grit and oyster shell. Grit is important for the digestion of food. Grit is essentially small hard rocks. When the chicken ingests grit it is held in the gullet where it helps to break up the food for easier digestion. Adding grit is important for birds that are kept in an enclosure, other free range birds are able to acquire small rocks from gravel drive ways. It is still a good idea to provide grit to any flock. Oyster shell is another additive that improves the condition of the egg shell. Calcium is the main factor at play here, when the chicken is experiencing a lack of calcium the egg shells will be weak and break very easily. By adding oyster shell free choice in its own dish you will increase the calcium intake
Free range chickens are as close to all natural as one can find. Not only will this method save you money, you will be rewarded with even better eggs. Allowing your chickens to roam the yard and fill up on high protein insects will reduce the amount of feed you have to buy. The down side of free range is the natural predation. With hawks, owls, coyotes, and many more in this area this will increase potential risk to your flock. Ways I have kept predators at bay is to create an outdoor enclosure for them to have full access to throughout the day. When I was at home I would let them all the way out and toss some scratch to spread the chickens out over the area. My smaller outdoor enclosure was made of 6ft welded wire with the same wire as a roof. Of course every night I would keep them in my sealed coop. With your chickens being free to roam the yard you will have to learn some of their special laying spots that certain chickens will always go back to.
When having free range chickens the rooster’s importance increases. Despite the contrary belief that roosters are aggressive it depends a lot on breed and how they are raised. I have had 7 roosters throughout my chicken career and have only had 1 that was ever aggressive towards humans. That rooster was a Rhode Island Red, my other friendly roosters where black austrolorps, buff orpingtons, and barred rocks. However roosters protect your flock from most predators or at least detour the predator from getting to all of them. Also having a rooster stimulates the hens to lay more.
While working at the store I have had many people ask me what is the best coop design. Truth be told there is no one best design. Mainly the most important thing is that it is sealed from predators and the elements, and that you have roosts so your flock can be off the ground. When it comes to nesting boxes many think you have to have enough so each bird has one. If you want to spend the extra money, the more the merrier but its not necessary, usually 1 box for every 2 chickens is satisfactory. If you can adding an electrical outlet would be an excellent addition to your coop. Not only will this help with providing light for you while you search for eggs but it makes it easier and safer to install heat lamps without running extension cords.
One of the best things to remember about chickens is to keep their life monotone. The least amount changes they have in their life improves their egg laying potential. This ranges from temperature, to having the dog run up to coop and scare them. Really the smallest change can impact their laying potential. Keeping heat lights on throughout the winter is a great way to keep the birds laying. In this area we see changes from 30 degrees to 60 degrees from night to day, having a heat lamp on at least through the night reduces the change that can affect chickens.

The most economical way to raise and keep chickens is to raise cross-over breeds. These breeds are decent layers that are also good meat birds. Usually these birds will lay for 2 to 3 years, so if you harvest the worst layers after the first year for meat then you can start harvesting your older birds while raising and replacing them with new birds. The gestation period of a hen is about 21 days then she will not lay for a couple of months while raising the chicks. The best way to have the highest survival rate of the new chicks is to get a incubator and raise them yourself. This also is more guaranteed because the mother might not want to brood the eggs. The difference between fertilized and non-fertilized eggs is the fertilized has faint white spots on the egg, almost looking like paint drips. Eating these eggs is fine as long as they have not been brooded. If you don’t check for eggs for a couple of days then find some of these eggs it would be best to discard, or incubate them.
Just like any animal chickens need to be wormed as well. There are many different wormers on the market for poultry and most of them are mixed in the water. These are the simplest forms to use. Although worming your dogs and cats is more serious I recommend worming your flock annually. Worming should be preventative, this will help to keep your flock healthy and producing. There are many myths and some natural ways of worming your flock. One popular myth that exists is adding bleach to the water, this is an old idea that obviously can be ruled out by our understanding of bleach. Other natural ways are feeding raw pumpkin seeds. Also mixing diatomaceous earth in with their feed is said to help with worming. The most important thing to remember is you need to be on a schedule.
Hopefully this article helped correct some of the myths and expand on the knowledge you have already put to use. We look forward to meeting all your pet and livestock needs. Check out next months article on dog and cat nutrition by Alex Simpson.
Logan Graham
GM of Jennifer’s Feed and Supply