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Maple Way
Immunization, Parasite Control and Nutrition
Immunization Information
Puppies and newly acquired dogs MUST be wormed and vaccinated strictly. These newly acquired canines should be wormed with a general liquid like Pyrantel (unless a stronger medication is recommended by your veterinarian) every two weeks----to make sure and kill the newly hatched eggs----for three months and then with a more powerful medication, such as Panacur granules, every two weeks for two months.
Dogs should be wormed with Panacur every six months. It should be given its rabies vaccination a first time, boostered in a year and then boostered every other year and its distemper/hepatitis/leptospirosis/parvo virus/parainfluenza vaccination a first time, at the very least a booster in a month and then boostered as needed.
They may also receive the "Kennel Cough" (Bordetella/AV2) vaccination, be boostered in a month and then boostered as needed.
The reason for the second worming exactly TWO WEEKS after each initial worming is to make sure and kill the newly hatched worms that were not effected by the worming medication while they were still in their eggs, and to kill them BEFORE they produce more eggs and worms.
No matter if the dog is companion, show, gundog, and/or breeding----after the first rabies vaccination has been given----a booster rabies should be given in ONE YEAR . The same applies to the distemper/hepatitis/leptospirosis/parvo virus/parainfluenza vaccination, except that it should be boostered at least ONE MONTH after the initial vaccination. (For puppies or newly acquired dogs, several boosters of previously mentioned vaccinations and wormings should be given.)
Parasite Control
Like most other animals, dogs are plagued by a wide variety of internal and external parasites. Unfortunately, many of these parasites have complex life cycles which enable them to survive even in the best-kept households/kennels/barns/yards/pastures/fields, etc.
Your veterinarian knows how to monitor and control canine parasites through regular examinations and proper treatment. Initial "de-worming" may be necessary at two to four weeks of age, followed by several treatments during the first year of life or, as the case may be, the first year of life with you. Where heartworms are a problem, regular medication for prevention of heartworm infection should start prior to the mosquito season.
Be sure to have your dog tested for heartworms before giving a preventative, the reason being, if your dog has them and is given a prevention medicine, the worms will move to the lungs and kill the dog. If the dog does have heartworms, get it treated immediately.
It is unwise to attempt to "de-worm" a dog yourself without the direction of your veterinarian; under certain conditions, you could cause physical damage or even death.
To keep fleas, mites, ticks, etc. at bay; it is suggested to use a good quality dip once or twice a year but be extremely careful. (Anyone, human or animal, who may be pregnant MUST NOT be exposed to any sort of dip or other such chemical. It WILL cause birth defects.)
(Any animal can also be safely dipped at your veterinarian's.)
A good way to ensure that your dog is worm and/or flea free is to have it checked by your veterinarian for heartworm, etc. and treated for any conditions then start the dog on a monthly medication such as Program (fleas), Sentinel (worms and fleas) or Interceptor (worms). (Special medication is required for tapeworms and should be given if necessary.)
Nutrition
Great Pyrenees do have specific nutritional requirements. Minimum requirements in a "good" quality processed dry dog food are: 18% to 21% protein, 10% to 20% fat and use the bag's suggested amount to feed that age and weight adjusted to the individual's needs. (Make sure to have an accurate weight from your veterinarian's scales.)
A good source for this is Diamond brand dog foods which can be found at most pet supply stores, our local hardware store and our local feed store. If the dog is breeding, show and/or working, it MUST have this ratio or slightly more depending on the conditions, terrain, activity, weather (cold or hot), flushing game birds, etc. This can be adjusted by feeding a small amount of Maxximum Nutrition Performance found at Wal-Mart. However, be careful not to feed a dog under two years of age too much or too little protein or too much or too little fat and do not supplement a dog under two years old with vitamins or minerals, unless under the direction of a vet, due to bone/joint problems. Use care with too much or too little protein and too much or too little fat in adults as well. Too much protein in the diet can cause bladder stones, as well, too much or too little protein can cause the leg bones to bend in or out and too much fat in the diet will cause diarrhea and overweight while too little fat will render the dog too skinny. Care should be taken in supplementing with vitamins and minerals which can lead to deficiencies in other nutrients which can cause bone and joint problems. (The diet MUST be balanced.)
An underweight dog should not be expected to do anything until it gains appropriate muscle, fat and weight. An overly fat dog should have its diet and/or activities changed.
The dog should be a good medium and in condition to its structure.
A somewhat better approach is the BARF (Bones And Raw Foods) diet or any good, balanced raw foods diet. When first starting, it takes a little more time and a little more care to prepare and feed but is all in all better for the dog. The diet consists of raw, meaty bones from beef and venison (although care should be taken with deer bones) to chicken and rabbit. Any meat can be used as long as it's raw and with the raw bones. Pork should not be used due to the high fat content and parasites. Cooked meat is no real good to the dog although table scraps as extras are fine. (Cooked bones should always be avoided as they can splinter, get stuck and choke the dog or poke the insides.) Raw bones are fine including chicken bones which bend easily when raw and help clean teeth as well as large beef, etc. type bones. (However, be careful of neck bones that they don't get stuck and do not feed bones that have sharp edges, have been sawed lengthwise or knuckle bones as the dog can be cut and teeth can be broken on them.) The diet should be varied and should include raw vegetables, fruits and such things as yucca root, herbs, small amounts of garlic, egg yolks, ground egg shell, raw milk (not pasteurized or homogenized), cottage cheese, yogurt, plenty of natural vitamin C (not the ascorbic acid kind), etc. You may need to grind all this up with some meat and make it something like what would be found in the stomach of an animal which canines would eat in the wild. Organs such as heart, kidney, liver, tripe, brains, lungs, stomach with contents, etc. are good in smaller amounts. Some vitamins and minerals may be added with care by your veterinarian's suggestion, although natural sources of vitamin C are very good. (Do NOT over supplement.) A raw diet generally consists of two percent to three percent of the dog's accurate body weight per day. Puppies and dogs usually won't overeat a natural diet but it MUST be varied and therefore balanced. Some feed part dry food and part natural, especially if they cannot find a reliable and/or affordable supply of raw foods.
FRESH, "LIVE" (NOT BOILED) COLD WATER SHOULD ALWAYS BE
AVAILABEL AT ALL TIMES.
Boiling water kills nutrients, electrolytes, etc.
Some things to stay away from: chocolate, egg white, onions and excessive amounts of any one thing, which will cause an unbalanced diet. Also, always remember and remind your veterinarian to get an accurate weight before giving anesthetic and only give to effect. Supplement 10 pounds hamburger
1 large box Total ™ cereal
1 large box uncooked oatmeal
15 oz jar of wheat germ
10 egg yolks, no whites
10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
2 cups dried kelp
1 ½ cups of olive oil
1 ½ cups of unflavored molasses
1 ½ cups of plain yogurt
¼ cup of iodized salt
1 cup powdered bone meal (optional)
2 cups ground or pulped tender grass, spinach or other green {pulp and juice} (optional but greens are important)
½ cup apple cider vinegar (optional)
½ cup Pedialyte or other liquid or powder electrolyte to drink or mixed in (optional)
½ cup of ground flax seed (optional)
Garlic to taste (optional)
Pyrs: 1 tablet of Pets Prefer - Adult Maintenance Plus for Dogs vitamin
1. Mix all ingredients together in a five gallon bucket.
2. Pinch off sections of meat mixture and form 2 inch meatballs for Pyrs.
3. Place ½ vitamin tablet in each Pyr meatball.
4. Place in freezer bags and freeze.
5. Thaw as needed. Feed raw. Hand feed one a day or place on top of regular food once a day.
Make sure each dog gets their own.
This recipe is good for putting and keeping weight on active dogs. Be careful though, it will put weight on the dog in a matter of a few days. A lot of weight in a matter of a few weeks!
We feed this to ensure proper nutrients and digestion that cannot always be achieved with just dog food alone. Raw meaty bones are good too.
If you're having trouble with keeping weight on your dog, take it to the vet and have it checked for internal and external parasites. A regular de-worming and flea control schedule is necessary. We alternate Pyrantel and Panacur for intestinal worm removal and control and use Sentinel for monthly heartworm, intestinal worm and flea prevention, removal and control.
Any questions, please contact:
Christina M. Ingram
c/o West Union Post Master
West Union, WV 26456
Phone: (304) 873-2727
E-mail: BCIngram@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.maplewaykennel.com
(Due to unwanted soliciting, etc. we have not included our full mailing address. If you wish to write us, please send it to the West Union post office as stated above. If you would like to come see our dogs, just call or e-mail and we will provide detailed directions.)
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