Today, I am posting a interesting article written byChristine Wilford who received her doctorate of veterinary medicine from Texas A&M University, Texas.The point of the article is that doing fecal exam on your German Shepherd Dog is likely a waste of time and money.Like all animals, your dog will get stomach worms, such as round, hook, tape, and whip worms are the most common.We at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennel do not do fecal exams rather like livestock ranchers, we assume that our dogs will get worms; therefore we place them on a worming program.Thus, worming our dogs twice a year for less than the cost of a fecal exam, which as you will read is not a reliable method to determine whether your German shepherd has or does not have worms.You too can learn how to worm your German Shepherd Dog for less than the cost of a fecal exam.
I’m Worm Free Because Dad Worms Me Twice a Year
Veterinary News
FECAL EXAM RELIABILITY
A common test for worms may not always give you the right results
A majority of owners may be surprised to learn how inaccurate the common fecal examination really is.Many owners are familiar with the annual regimen of bringing fresh fecal samples to their dogs’ annual physical examinations.Likewise, most owners take heart in hearing their dogs’ test are normal or, alternatively, owners are glad to receive medications for treating the worms lurking within the bowels of their companions.But what do these results really tell us?Understanding how the test is run and knowing a few facts about intestinal worms can help you understand the test’s relative inaccuracies.
In general, the fresher the sample, the more accurate the test results.As a sample ages, the contents of the eggs may hatch, may dry out and burst, or may mix well enough with the solution to be separated and float.How fresh is fresh?The preservation of worm eggs in a stool sample varies tremendously depending on temperature, humidity, and the consistency of the sample.AS time elapses, eggs will degrade and thus will go unrecognized when the slide is examined.During busy times of the day, other priorities may cause fecal samples to be left unexamined far beyond the optimal reading time.Even when a sample is fresh and handled appropriately, results may still be unreliable.
The chances of finding a worm egg depend on how many worms there are in the intestine, how many of the worms are female, the maturity of the worms and whether the females were laying eggs during the time that the feces was formed.If there are only a few worms in the intestines, the relative number of eggs laid in a fecal sample is usually much lower than if there is a heavy worm concentration in the dog.It is also possible to have a significant worm burden with relatively few female worms present; thus, a dog could have clinical signs of intestinal worms without showing evidence of that in a fecal examination.Similarly, if many of the worms are too immature to lay eggs, there will be no way to identify their presence through a simple fecal exam.
Additionally, because worms do not lay eggs at a constant rate, there may be no eggs in a fecal sample simply because the feces were formed and collected during a period when the adult female worms were not shedding eggs.
Based on this information, one could argue that an annual screening of an otherwise healthy dog is an unnecessary, and possibly inaccurate, test.So why bother checking a fecal sample if the results could be misleading?If no eggs are found, then there may be no worms present or there may be worms and they’ve gone undiagnosed.Owners cannot depend on a single negative result.Veterinarians who specialize in the gastrointestinal diseases recommend examining three separate fecal samples before concluding that a negative result is reliable.
When your dog’s stool is abnormal, that is, if you see blood, mucus, or a change of color or consistency, or your dog has loose stools, a fecal examination is advisable.Depending on the types of worms present, clinical signs may not occur or may be subtle.Worms do not necessarily cause weight loss or decreased activity.
In many cases, veterinarians use deworming medication as a diagnostic tool when fecal exams do not reveal worm eggs.In fact, it may be easier, cheaper, and faster to administer a deworming medication that eliminates the common types of intestinal worms.If the stools return to normal, it is concluded that the clinical signs were caused by intestinal worms.Sometimes, common sense and practicality should prevail over complicated and expensive diagnostic tests.
It so important to provide supplement nutrition including macro and micro nutrients to the diet of your German Shepherd Dog especially as growing puppy.Researchers have just discovered how important vitamin c is to proper growth and development of joints while German shepherd Dogs are growing.If insufficient amounts of vitamin c are provided in the diet during growth spurts that joint disease can develop even in puppies that are not genetically predisposed to joint disease.
Feeding just dry-food will leave your German Shepherd Dog or puppy deficient on macro and micro nutrients, vitamins, and certain minerals.The reason why these supposedly balanced and even the top-of-the-line dry-foods cannot supply these nutrients, vitamins, and minerals needed for proper growth and maintenance is due to the way it is manufactured.Dry-food is cooked at such high temperatures and extruded at such high pressures that the nutrient values that are in the starting ingredients are destroyed or altered in such a way that they cannot be assimilated or digested.
This is why we supplement our Heidelberg German Shepherd Dogs’ diet with our Pure Total Dog Supplement, which provides all the macro and macro nutrient, vitamins and minerals in a form that is readily digested and absorbed by your German shepherd.Our Pure Total Dog Supplement is loaded with vitamin C, all the B-complexes including biotin and B-6 and 12, Digest K yeast which helps with digestion, desiccated liver powder, which helps with finicky eaters, selenium that is important with skeletal growth maintenance, Omega 3 oils, which supports the circulatory system, and Diatomite powder, which provides the macro nutrients needed for joint growth and maintenance.
Pure Total Dog Supplement
Our Pure Total Dog Supplement in combination with a daily tablespoon of Cod liver oil, which provides vitamin A and E and a good quality dry-food will provide everything needed for your German Shepherd Dog or puppy to grow correctly and thrive.
We sell our Pure Total Dog Supplement and Cod liver oil to the public.Our Pure Total Dog Supplement cost $19.95 and is a four month supply for one dog.Our cod liver oil comes in a quart bottle and will last two-months for one dog and is priced at $19.50.Our cod liver oil is imported from Iceland and is the most contaminant free cod liver oil available.We only purchase human grade for our dogs, which decreases possible contaminants such as PCB’s. Dioxins, and mercury. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested in purchasing these items from us.
A Happy Healthy Correctly Fed and Supplemented Puppy
Today I have another diet tip for your German Shepherd Dog.It is fall again, and for those that live in rural parts of the United States that means it is hunting season and more specific it is deer season.Here in Oklahoma, we have two large deer processors nearby and daily I collect their scraps from their deer processing operations.I usually pick up four large trash cans full of meat and fresh bones.We separate the bones from the meat scraps and place the bones in the kennels every evening.The following day we remove the bones before they dry out and become brittle and, therefore, become possibly a danger by breaking off in sharp shards.
Heidelberg’s William Loves Deer Bones
Fresh bones have the consistency of a bar of soap in that you can shave them as you can shave soap.Fresh bones in moderation are easily chewed and digested by German Shepherd Dogs.We even provide bones to puppies as young as 8-weeks-old.Our shepherds enjoying chewing off the fresh meat still attached to the bones and they enjoy eating some of the bones and the nutrient rich marrow inside the long bones. Our shepherd get very fat and healthier in the fall.In addition to the nutritional benefits of fresh bones, the process of chewing on the bones removes all the tarter off our shepherds’ teeth.
Grand Champion, Champion Heidelberg’s Kodi has a Perfect Smile Because He Keeps His Teeth Clean from Chewing on Deer Bones
Give your German Shepherd Dog fresh bones from time to time.Find a deer processor near you, and ask them if you can collect some fresh leg bones from them.Offer to bring a container that they can throw the bones in it for you. Most processor are more than happy to provide their bones to you.For the most part they just throw them away anyway.Collect and freeze enough to provide a fresh bone treat to your German Shepherd Dog a couple of times a month.
Note a word of caution: if you have not previously given fresh bones to your shepherd, you may need to monitor their consumption for the first couple of times because they literally will eat all the bones that you give them, which can cause gastric upset and constipation.Your shepherd never before having fresh bones will devour them as a kid would if they were experiencing chocolate for the first time as teenager.No amount will satisfy.Once you give your shepherd bones on a regular basis of a couple times per month they will then just chew on them and eat very little of the actual bone, which is what you want.After twenty-four hours remove any uneaten bones from the yard and throw them away.
12-Month-Old Heidelberg’s Nelson With A Perfect Smile
If you are considering getting a German shepherd puppy consider getting one of our older puppies and save a little money on some very high quality shepherds.
A diet tip for your German Shepherd Dog; add one to two ounces of cooked carrots to their diet daily.Carrots are rich in vitamins including Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate and Manganese, and a great source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Potassium.All these vitamins and nutrients are need for the daily maintenance and growth of your German Shepherd Dog.
Carrots are rich in vitamins and nutrients and are good for your German Shepherd Dog
Unfortunately, many dry-food dog formulas add refined sugars to their dry-food to make it more palatable to dogs, thus making the owners think it is a good food because their dog prefers it over dry-foods without added sugars.Refined sugars are very bad for dogs causing tooth decay, obesity, and potentially diabetes.However, the natural sugars found in carrots can sweeten and improve the palatability your wholesome dry-food.
Heidelberg’s Danny loves carrots
Therefore improve the taste and health of your German shepherd Dog by adding one to two ounces of cooked carrots mixed well into the dinner.If you are going to cook your own carrots be sure and add the water you cooked the carrots in to the dry-food because most of the vitamins and nutrients will be found in the water.
Heidelberg”s Bart had his carrots today. Did you?
If you are considering getting a German shepherd puppy consider getting one of our older puppies and save a little money on some very high quality shepherds.
It has been awhile since I last posted.I hope to post on a more frequently in the future.Nevertheless, what I am going to discuss is very important for those with new and growing puppies.
Most German Shepherds are born with good joints and good genetics to grow into healthy adults without joint problems later in life.However, since puppies no longer for the most part have natural diets where they consume fresh killed prey items, especially consuming the predigested stomach contents of prey animals such as rabbits, deer, etc., a vitamin C deficiency exists in most German Shepherd Puppies diets.Puppies grow fast; therefore, it is important that their diets bein balance with vitamin C in relation to their calcium intake.Excessive calcium encourages rapid bone growth especially in the long-bones, however if this takes place with a vitamin C deficiency the joints growth will not be congruent with the long-bone growth and joint disease and abnormalities can develop even in genetically normal and healthy puppies.
GCh. Ch. Heidelberg’s Kodi X Heidelberg’s Yoyo puppy
By providing vitamin C even in excess can help ensure that your puppies grow correctly and have healthy joints as adults.In addition, to our Total Pure Vitamin Supplement, which contains ample Vitamin C, we are recommending that you add an additional 500 mg Vitamin C tab daily to your puppy’s diet , especially if you are supplementing their diet with Yogurt.
A Healthy Heidelberg Female German Shepherd Female Enjoying Her Life
This is a quick post today to remind and encourage everyone about the start of our new Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and Basic Obedience Class at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels on Saturday, September 7, 2013 at 10:30 am. There is no charge for this class and all breeds and ages are invited.The only requirement is that your dogs must be up to date on all their vaccinations.
We concluded our summer training session in August with several owners and dogs passing the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen Class.Since the conclusion of that class AKC has announced a new advanced level for Canine Good Citizen. With the introduction of AKC Community Canine, the AKC’s CGC program now provides a comprehensive three- level training program for dogs and their owners. Beginning with AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, progressing to Canine Good Citizen and now to AKC Community Canine, the CGC program trains dogs through all stages of life to be well behaved in society.We are excited about the new program and will match our training class exercises to meet the qualifications of this advanced level of training.
We Cannot Wait to go to School
We look forwards to seeing new faces and old friends.Please make it out for our free training.The more participants that we have makes for a better class and training opportunities for all.
AKC Community Canine expands on CGC skills and lays the beginning foundation for obedience, rally and therapy dog work.Many of you with young dogs are planning on moving through to bigger and better things for your puppy, and we thank you for allowing us to be a part of this journey.
Slow School is Open
Please continue to check out our web page as we post updates on available litters: https://kgsd.inventivehorizons.com/PuppiesForSale.htm. We have several wonderful puppies that we are accepting deposits on, and these puppies will be ready to go to their new homes on September 9, 2011.
Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion. Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds
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