Rotating Food

I have found that many people do not consider the ingredients in the dog food that they buy for their dog. In fact, many look for the cheapest food out there. I’m hoping I can help convince you to look a little closer at the food you feed your pet.

Jazz has issues with grain - specifically, corn. When I got her, she had very little fur on her front paws. She came to me on Eukanuba Sensitive Skin. I began talking with many of my Shiba friends about the fact that her feet weren’t getting any better. The first thing mentioned to me was that Jazz might have a corn allergy. I began doing some research and found out that there are several lines of Shibas that have developed this allergy. I looked at the ingredients of what I had been feeding and while there was not any corn, she was still scratching and her feet looked awful. The formulation might work for dogs just diagnosed, but Jazz’s paws were callused.

I wanted something with a bit more protein.
Eukanuba Sensitive Skin (www.eukanuba.com) :
Nutrient (percent)
Crude Protein not less than 23.00 %
Crude Fat not less than 13.00 %
Crude Fiber not more than 5.00 %
Moisture not more than 10.00 %
Vitamin E not less than 140 IU/kg
Omega-6 Fatty Acids not less than 2.0 %*
Omega-3 Fatty Acids not less than 0.4 %*

After research & recommendations, I decided to try Solid Gold, Barking at the Moon (www.solidgoldhealth.com)
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min 41%
Crude Fat, min 20%
Crude Fiber, max 4%
Moisture, max 10%

The first thing I noticed was Jazz ate her food so fast! She really, really liked it. Based on recommendations from some great shiba pals, I also decided to begin a food rotation. The main reason is because of protein levels. I’ve also noticed that most dogs get “bored” eating the same thing day in and day out.

The next on the rotation was Innova Evo, Small Red Bites.
www.evopet.com
Crude Protein (min) 42%
Crude Fat (min) 22%
Crude Fiber (max) 2.5%
Moisture (max) 10%
Linoleic Acid (Omega-6 Fatty Acids) (min) 1.2%
Carbohydrates NFE (max) 15%
Vitamin E (min) 300 IU/kg
Vitamin C (min) 500 mg/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) 0.4%
Docosahexaenoic Acid (min) 0.1%
Total Microorganisms (min) 90,000,000 CFU/lb

Calorie Content: 4,370 kcal/kg 527 kcal/cup

Small Red Bites are a staple on our rotation for a couple of reasons: Jazz always eats her Evo and it is easy to find local to me. We now rotate one bag of Evo in-between every other bag.

In the early days of rotation, I also picked up Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance. This was predominately due to it being a lot more accessible. At the publication of this blogpost, I could not get the website to come up so that I could provide the nutrition information.
www.naturalbalanceinc.com

Jazz was not as fond of the Natural Balance Dry Food, so I took it off of rotation. She loves the rolls and we use those as training treats because we can cut them up into smaller pieces.

The next brand that we use sparingly is Merrick’s Before Grain Buffalo. Jazz adores this, but it is not easy for me to find it local. When I drive into the city, I swing by one of the places that sells it.
www.merrickpetcare.com/store/before_grain.php
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (Not Less Than) 32.0%
Crude Fat (Not Less Than) 15.0%
Crude Fiber (Not More Than) 3.0%
Moisture (Not More Than) 11.0%
Calorie Content:3581 kcal/kg (calculated)
One pound provides 1625 kcal of metabolizable energy (calculated). One cup (100 grams) provides 383 calories. (Caloric content calculated using Modified Atwater Method).

Our most recent addition to Jazz’s rotation is Earthborn Holistic’s Primitive Natural. This is carried by my closest supply store, so I am thrilled Jazz likes this. In addition, if you send your UPC’s to them, they plant trees. It’s a neat marketing gimmick and I send in my UPC’s - currently, they’ve planted 32,800 trees. Everytime, I have going in to my local store to buy this brand, there’s been a coupon attached to it.
www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com

Crude Protein, not less than 38.00%
Crude Fat, not less than 20.00%
Crude Fiber, not more than 2.50%
Moisture, not more than 10.00%
Vitamin E, not less than 200 IU/kg
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), not less than 0.10%*
Omega-6 Fatty Acids, not less than 3.30%*
Omega-3 Fatty Acids, not less than 0.55%*
L-Carnitine, not less than 15 mg/kg*
*Not recognized as an essential ingredient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.
5184 kilo-calories per kg 717 kilo-calories per cup

We have also tried out Acana’s Pacifica - Jazz liked it, but I haven’t found a great local provider yet. We are still on the lookout for a consistent provider. http://www.championpetfoods.com/acana/show-product.php?formulation=pfd

We tried Jazz on Orijen 6-fish, but chose not to continue because of the gaseous emissions from Jazz. It was unbearable and since she sleeps in my bedroom, it was simply easier to stop feeding her this than wear a gas mask to bed every night during the rotation. http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products/6fishdogAnalysis.aspx
Crude Protein (min) 40.0%
Crude Fat (min) 18.0%
Crude Fiber (max) 3.0%
Moisture (max.) 10.0%
Calcium (min.) 1.5%
Calcium (max.) 1.7%
Phosphorus (min.) 1.2%
Phosphorus (max.) 1.4%
*Omega-6 (min.) 3.0%
*Omega-3 (min.) 1.2%
*DHA 0.7%
*EPA 0.3%
*Carbohydrate (max.) 20.0%
*Glucosamine (min.) 1200 mg/kg
*Chondroitin (min.) 900 mg/kg
Microorganisms (min.) 120M cfu/kg


Well, this is what makes up Jazz’s rotation - what do you do?

Bark & Giggle Boutique

When Jazz and I are out and about, I get asked all the time about her collars, leashes, and harnesses. All of Jazz's collars & leashes come from Bark & Giggle Boutique (http://www.barkandgiggleboutique.com/) - if you can't find a fabric that you are just dying to have on the site (which is very hard to do!!), Pam will be happy to assist you in finding the perfect fabric. Her harnesses were by Puppia and they have done well, but Bark & Giggle has come out with a new Custom-Fit Harness that we'll be picking up this weekend. Jazz's was done in a custom fabric and ties in several of her new collars & leashes. Another friend of mine does the embroidery on her harness so that all know who the queen is. In addition, we have a dog park bag from Bark & Giggle that holds all the stuff we need at the dog park and we'll soon be purchasing one of the slings from Pam. We currently have a sling, but it is not near the quality of a B&G item!

Some may think this is blatant advertising for a company and I guess it is, but when I like a product, I want to make sure everyone knows it!! Next blog article will be about Jazz's food rotation and why I choose the foods that I do. In addition, I want to support small, local owned business that make an impact.

Well, I'm enjoying Day 7 of vacation - I only have a few more days left. Jazz will be obnoxious by the time I go back to work. We've had a nice holiday together and I am really enjoying the time off from work & responsibilities. Jazz's secret Santa Paws sent some neat things - some sweet potato sticks, lamb jerky, and kong braided buddy monkey. Jazz has been carrying the monkey around everywhere! She's not much for toys, despite the huge box of toys that she has, but when she takes a liking to one, she'll carry it around until the thing falls apart from her misuse.

November is here

Well, the holiday season is in full swing. Just slid past Halloween, next is Veteran's Day, then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Jazz has been out and about lately - she gave pumpkins away before Halloween and has been seen hanging around in her sling at various events at The Orchard Church in Loganville, GA.

Recently, I exchanged Jazz's name in a secret santa paws gift exchange. It got me to thinking about the treats that Jazz gets. A fair amount of them are Nylabone. Her other favorites are Bison & Pheasant Jerky, Elk antlers, Pig snouts, and sweet potatoes. As with her food, treats are checked for corn ingredients - I'm always amazed at our corn sneaks into some of the most unlikely of places (jerky, for instance).

Recent Adventures...

Well, we’ve done a few things since I last wrote anything down. On October 17th, we participated in a walk for a cure for Mitochondrial Diseases. Jazz hung around in the sling for four hours. She was loved on by a lot of kids and adults. We had several trains to go by, blowing their horn, and Jazz never reacted. She was an excellent ambassador for dogs that day!

On the 20th, we headed out to PetSmart for a costume contest. While Jazz did not win, she was very cute! She was beat out by an Aviator and a French Maid. She didn't growl at any dog that was there, but was not amused by 2 Jack Russells on a Flexi-leash....oh well, neither was I.

2 years ago today - September 29

I was talking with a friend today and realized that it has been 2 years exactly since I picked Jazz up from her breeder. In honor of that momentous occasion, I've pulled some dates from the last 6 years that led me to where I am today.

September 28, 2003 – Beloved Husky, Torbin Vladimir of Gorky Park passed away in his sleep.
June 2004 – caught sight of gorgeous dog, called a Shiba, makes me think of a blond Gorky, wouldn’t it be nice to have a small version of a husky??
August 2004 – New house is finished, where will the dog area be??
February 2005 – Caught a dog show on TV, saw the Shiba again, must do more research on it, the Akita, and the Norwegian Elkhound.
September 2005 – I think Dad would deal better with Mom’s death if we had a dog. Start researching the Shiba, eliminated Akita due to size – I want the kids to easily be able to walk the dog, can’t find anyone local with an Elkhound to meet.
January 2006 – Maybe the time isn’t right for a dog, Steve just got a new job and I’m working crazy hours again, got to put it off again.
July 2006 – just spent the week with brother Joe, his Samoyeds make me long to have a dog in my life again.
September 2006 – Fall Ball has started, where could I fit in the time for a dog—I’m never home!
April 2007 – Dad wants me to find a dog – I told him I’ve found the breed, it’ll be a lot like Gorky, just smaller.
May 2007 – I’ll get the Shiba in Dad’s memory.
June 2007 – There are so many breeders, who do I pick? How do I know who has the best dogs?
August 2007 – got an email about a Shiba in Athens for rescue. Called Steve (my brother), he’s good with the plan.
September 2007 – emailed every Shiba breeder on the east coast that does rescue – maybe drive to OH to pick up a Shiba?
September 15, 2007 – heard back from a breeder in NC, has a Shiba that has a skin allergy and doesn’t like other dogs. All I have to do is drive to NC.
Saturday, September 29, 2007 – left house at 5 am to go pickup rental car from airport to drive to Winston-Salem, NC. Met with the breeder for 10 minutes and was on my way with my Shiba. Spent the drive talking to Jazz.
October 2007 - attended 1st Shiba meetup - Jazz has a few issues with other dogs - will have to work on this.
December 2007 - another Shiba meetup - met Rachael & Chad and Dave.
March 2008 - joined this crazy forum called Nihonken.org - switched Jazz to a grain-free food rotation
April 2008 - did Pet Parade with Jazz
May 2008 - did 5K with Jazz, learned about Melatonin
June 2008 - Jazz plays with Jake - only growls a couple of times
August 2008 - brought home Fletch, rehomed after 2 weeks - Jazz wasn’t upset, participated in local dog show
September 2008 - Jazz gets a new friend, Sally the pug, Jazz shows her stuff at several responsible dog owner days with local AKC clubs
October-November 2008 - several playdates @ Rachael’s - Jazz is doing better with Niko
December 2008 - Jazz snarls and nips Niko
January 2009 - met Brad & Jen, Pam & Tim
February 2009 - started working on noise aversion training, met Victoria Stilwell
March 2009 - got to see Jazz “play” in the snow
May 2009 - took Jazz to a Braves ball game, drove with Jazz to PA to meet Jen & John, Kristin & Chris, Kris & Dan, Joe & Dawn, Beth & Tom, Casey, Jenny & Jon, Steph, Jason, Pam, and a few more crazy shiba people
July 2009 - moved, Jazz dealt with it great!! Had a watermelon social at a local park - Jazz got lots of attention.
August 2009 - took Jazz to fair at church - she played and was unfazed by the loud music.
September 2009 - met up with Pam on her way through Atlanta - on way back, met up with Pam @Dave's for a great breakfast.

We haven't posted much lately, but we've been pretty busy! There have been meetups, dog shows, photo shoots, a guest appearance and dinner with an out-of-town friend. In addition, Jazz has begun shedding, so there's been some extra grooming going on around here.

The meetup was a small group, but nice. The location - Camp Woof, Norcross, GA - was nice. They have a great store.

The dog show was fun, even though Jazz was unable to attend. There were some pretty shibas, but none came close to Jazz. LJ got to meet up with her shiba club, while forum members were gathering in Wisconsin. As much fun as the dog show was, she'd much rather have been in Wisconsin.

LJ borrowed a nice camera and took quite a few shots of Jazz - some turned out very nice - she needs to buy a dSLR very soon.

Jazz was a drawing card for a fair at the Church - lots of people stopped by for Jazz love.

Lastly, our friend Pam was passing through Atlanta and we got to have dinner with her - very nice. We're looking forward to doing this again real soon.