Bulldogge Health

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Explore all options available to you when choosing a healthy diet for your new Olde English Bulldogge puppy!


Ideal – Healthiest

1. Hunted, raw prey (not realistic in modern society)
2. Fresh raw meats, bones, organ meats with very small amounts of fresh
vegetables. Include a well-rounded vitamin/mineral mix and omega 3 essential fatty
acids (salmon oil). You can prepare your own raw diet using meat/bone pieces and
parts, or you can use pre-prepared ground products such as Bravo! or Nature’s
Variety.

3. Fresh cooked meats, calcium, organ meat, with very small amounts of fresh
vegetables. Include a vitamin/mineral mix, and omega 3 essential fatty acids (salmon
oil). There are several books on the market that help you create your own home-
cooked diet. It’s best to follow the recipes in these books.

4. Ultra Premium commercial canned foods and augmented with some fresh, raw
foods. Canned foods, which are lower in carbohydrates, are much better for your
pet than dry kibble. Some of the brands I like are Nature’s Variety, Merrick, and
Evanger’s. These products are mostly meat, are usually grain-free, and very low in
carbohydrates. The meat they use is human quality and they do not use by-products
or chemical preservatives.

5. As in #4 above, but adding fresh cooked foods

6. Ultra Premium canned commercial foods WITHOUT fresh raw or cooked foods
added

7. Super Premium canned foods are very much like the brands above, but they use
more grains.  They still use good quality meats and don’t contain by-products. Brand
examples: Solid Gold,
Innova, Pet Promise.

8. Super Premium grain-free dry food (kibble) like Instinct by Nature’s Variety.  Grain free diets that utilize legumes are linked to heart failure in dogs.

9. Premium canned foods. These brands use substantially less meat. Water is often
the number 1 ingredient (in the Ultra Premium brands meat is the number one
ingredient), they use meat by-products (poor quality waste parts) and they usually
contain significant amounts of grains and chemical preservatives. Often, if all the
grains are added together, they would equal or exceed the meat. The meat quality is
OK, but just barely.

10. Super Premium kibble like Innova, Prairie, Canidae, and Timberwolf

11. Grocery store brands – canned or dry. These contain very little meat,
are made with substantial amounts of meat by-products, and primarily consist
of grain and grain by-products. The rendered meat used in these products
came from condemned animals, ie – animals that were deemed unfit for human
consumption. These products normally contain artificial colors, flavors
and chemical preservatives.
Worst – Unhealthy

How to grade your dog’s food:

Start with a grade of 100:
1) For every listing of “by-product”, subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source (“meat” or “poultry”, meat, meal or fat)
reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain “mill run” or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.
e. “ground brown rice”, “brewers rice”, “rice flour” are all the same grain), subtract
5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top
3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other
protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to wheat),
subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to beef),
subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point
Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one;
count “chicken” and “chicken meal” as only one protein source, but “chicken” and “”
as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1
point

100+        = A+
94-100    = A
86-93       = B
78-85       = C
70-77       = D
<70            = F

Here are some foods that have already been scored. If you don’t see your dog’s food
here, Score it and email us the results to add to our list.  


Dog Food scores:


Authority Harvest Baked /  116 A+
Bil-Jac Select /  68 F
Canidae /  112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior /  115 A+
Diamond Maintenance /  64 F

Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice /  92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula /  99 A
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Ultra Premium /  122 A+
Dick Van Patten’s Duck and Potato /  106 A+
Flint River Ranch Lamb Millet and Rice / 115 A++
Foundations /  106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold /  93 A
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium /  73 D
Innova Dog /  114 A+
Innova Evo /  114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables /  110 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice /  87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy /  87 B
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice /  23 F
Premium Edge Puppy (gold bag) by Diamond Foods/  99 A
Premium Edge Adult (green bag) by Diamond Foods/  96 A

Purina Benful /  17 F
Purina Dog /  62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It /  16 F

Royal Canin Bulldog /  100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult /  106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice /  97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ /  63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies /  69 F

Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken /  110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold /  97 A

If you have a food you would like us to add to the list whether it is good or bad please let us know!
This article added 1/20/09

Supplements

Food is always the foundation for nutrition, but I am asked all the time about supplements.
I have some good experience with testing many supplements for many reasons and I always come back to one – NuVet.
In my experience, it is the best nutritional supplement available today.
The majority of my puppy buyers are using NuVet Plus to provide optimal
health and a strong immune system. It supports proper development
as well as beautiful skin and coat and crystal clear eyes.  When I first started using NuVet
on my dogs, I noticed a huge difference in appearance in literally 2 weeks.
This is nojust a vitamin. It’s an immune system builder with a precise balance of
vitamins, minerals, omega fatty acids, amino acids and high-potency antioxidants.
It works great through all three stages of a dog’s life.
For puppies – Fills the immunity gap all puppies experience. Shortly after birth
maternal antibody effectiveness is greatly reduced. By 8 weeks your puppy’s
immune system is at a vulnerable point. Once in their new home, the immune
system is weakened by the stress of adoption and exposure to novel bacteria
and viruses in their environment. This is also when the vaccine series is started.
Vaccines are most effective if the immune system can respond properly.
Starting NuVet Plus is important to helping your puppy grow into a healthy adult.
For dogs in their prime – Provides the necessary antioxidants, amino acids,
vitamins, and minerals to sustain peak performance in the prime of their lives.
For older dogs – Helps provide the nutritional needs to live long, happy, and
productive lives in their senior years.
I highly recommend NuVet Plus.
For your convenience, you may order directly from the manufacturer by calling 800-
474-7044 and using Order Code: 93820, or ordering online at www.nuvet.com/93820.
You can also save an additional 15% and assure you never run out of NuVet by
choosing the “AutoShip” option at check out.
To the long life and health of your dog!

Brian Miller, Evolution Bulldogges

The CRUD (dogshow crud)


This is an illness we have been seeing crop up in Olde English Bulldogges lately mainly in the south, but it is not restricted only in the southern states. Many veterinarians do not know of Crud, and others refuse to believe it’s existence.
Many olde english bulldogge puppies have been lost due to vets inability to identify this illness. Fecal samples typically return with little to no information as to the cause. In Bulldogges, it is common to occur alongside coccidiosis, yet sickness persists after the coccidiosis is controlled.
The following information was found on Woodhaven Labs website. Please note, this is NOT a Campylobacter infection. To read more about campylobacter, please visit Campylobacter. Note from Woodhaven Labs: When my dogs were ill with this, we did a test for Campylobacter bacteria and it was negative. Dog show crud is NOT Campylobacter. There are some sites which are saying that the crud is Campy, but that information is incorrect.
The Crud is a Bacterial overgrowth in the digestive tract. It will sometimes test low positive for Parvovirus. It is NOT a new form of Parvo although symptoms are quite similar to parvo. Crud dogs do not have a high temperature, nor will they have intestinal lesions. If a normal fecal is run on feces which are not quite to the watery and bloody stage, it will show a very high bacterial content and will be negative for parvo (usually).
Any one of the normal bacteria found in the digestive tract will go into overgrowth. The mystery is what triggers it. Possibly infected urine/feces or something brought in on shoes or clothing or from a visiting dog. We know what cures it and what to do when a dog hasn’t been treated quick enough. And of course we know the end results with a dog that dies of it.
Symptoms start 12-48 hrs after initial contact (usually) and may spread to other dogs rapidly.Dogs are alert, hungry, energetic. Normal feces starts with mucus sheath, continues to get progressively softer until becomes explosive diarrhea. Vomiting may or may not accompany. Feces have a sweet/flowery aroma along with a “slaughterhouse-on-a-summer-day” smell. Feces are *usually* mustard colored then become bloody. Dogs dehydrate at an astounding rate. Dogs are also at risk of intususseption(sp).
The younger or weaker the dog, the worse it is. Some dogs may never get it, even though they may be kenneled with an affected dog. Some dogs also get over this without treatment.

Treatment

The key is to treat this as fast as possible before the dogs go anorexic AND to treat ALL dogs on the premises (non-affected dogs should get ONE capsule).
Treatment is 250mg Cephalexin per 25lbs of body weight. Pups may get Ceph-drops. This MUST be given orally NOT I/V – it MUST go thru the digestive tract. If the dog vomits the pill up, just give it again until it stays down. Give another dose approx 8-12 hrs later. If the dog returns to normal DO NOT medicate again.
DO NOT use an IV drip on a Crud dog. Their circulatory systems will be very depressed; *if* a vein can be found, it may not be able to support an IV. Use Lactated Ringers Solution SUB-Q and force electrolytes orally (pedialyte).
I have to stress not to continue the drug after the dogs stop the diarrhea. The important thing is to treat them ONLY until the symptoms stop. Also, sometimes affected Crud dogs are not able to handle IV support because of circulatory collapse from massive dehydration. What a quandry since IV is the fastest way to rehydrate. So giving fluids under the skin is best; ONLY give until the drug starts to work.
Afterwards IV is fine. Since the drug works so quickly, this is not too much of an issue. The whole point is to keep them “going” until the drug has time to work – usually a few short hours.
IV rehydration HAS thrown Crud affected dogs into deep shock and have also found some dogs having a complete shutdown of renal system, leakage of renal and intestinal fluids into various organs, circulatory and intestinal ruptures, etc. Not sure this was directly related to being IV’d but in every instance this has occured directly after IV support was started. It is not the case when there was no IV support.
Also, DO NOT flea-dip/worm/vaccinate at this time, PLEASE!!!!!
Do NOT automatically assume Parvo when you see this. This is NOT Parvo, it is a BACTERIAL overgrowth in the digestive tract. Do NOT use Amoxycillin. Dogs should show improvement within hours of treatment using the correct drug.
If you have any questions, please e-mail me privately at [email protected] with the subject CRUD. You may re-print this in its entirety as long as the following disclaimer is included.
(Disclaimer: This information has been compiled from reports received by treating veterinarians and owners. The information written is what has worked previously. This information should be taken to any veterinarian who is treating dogs with this problem. No one that does not have veterinary training should diagnose and medicate their own dogs).

CRUD FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Crud?
It is a bacterial overgrowth in the digestive tract. Any one of the normal bacteria found there can go into overgrowth under certain circumstances.
What is a bacterial overgrowth?
It is when the normal bacteria found in the guy begins to reproduce at an abnormal rate.
What is the difference between Crud and Parvo?
The simple difference is that Crud dogs do not have fevers and are generally active and alert and have good appetites. They remain this way until they are massively dehydrated. Dogs with Parvo develop fevers, are lethargic, and do not want to eat. There are other differences, but these are the obvious ones.
 

Swimmer Puppy


Swimmers may occur in litters of English Bulldogs, Basset hounds, or Newfoundlands. Any breed can be affected. It is not the length of leg that predisposes a puppy or a litter to this problem. The condition is not necessarily hereditary, even though it may occur repeatedly in the litters of one bitch.
All puppy bones are little more than rubber bands in their first weeks of life. If you notice the shape of the chest of your puppies as they are born, you will see a normal oval shape, with the long axis vertical. As puppies crawl around the whelping box and nurse, often they begin to acquire a more flattened shape, with the long axis of the chest becoming more and more horizontal.
Factors which contribute to this are  
* 1. Excessive milk consumption – due to a mother with great deal of milk willing to stay in the whelping box for long stretches. This is what accounts for repeated litters of swimmers from one bitch.
   
* 2. Flat whelping box – no way for a puppy to alter pressure on the rib cage by crawling up onto a toy or something similar.
   
* 3. Temperature in room too warm – puppies are content to lie in one position and not move around looking for a warm spot.

Delayed walking and aspiration pneumonia are possible consequences of this flattened shape.

Treatment and prevention are pretty much the same thing. Do not allow a bitch with too much milk to spend an unlimited amount of time in the box nursing her puppies. Watch for the first evidence of this problem and take steps to get mother away from the puppies for a couple of hours at a time if you see it starting. Even if this makes more cleanup for you, it will help the puppies. Place sections of orthopedic “egg carton” foam under the blanket in the box, raise one end of the box 2 to 3 inches, or put lots of small soft toys in it so that the puppies can find a place were they can get the weight of the stomach off their lungs, and can orient with their head and chest higher than their abdomen.

Do not have the room too warm. A heating pad under the blanket in the center of the box will give the puppies a reason to move around when the bitch leaves the box, going to the warm spot where they can use each other as ramps to get their head and chest going uphill. If your puppies are spread out all over the box when not nursing, your room and box are too warm. They should want to congregate in one area, and touch one another. If they pile up (literally) and whimper, they are too cool. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature of 68 to 72, so the bitch can be comfortable and not stressed by heat, and so that the puppies will gather in one area of the box. This has the additional benefit of keeping them from being squashed by the bitch or against the sides of the box when she enters the box and lies down.

Traditionally ‘hobbling’ the puppies legs has been used to help get these puppies up on their feet. In some short legged breeds this may indeed help, but generally speaking, the prevention and treatment guidelines above will be all that are necessary. If puppies have aspiration pneumonia from pressure on their stomach and lungs, cold nebulization and antibiotic treatment may be needed.

this article added 1/20/09

The Post on Demodectic Mange


Posted by Brian_M on 7/25/2011, 12:18 pm
Evolution Bulldogges
Demodectic mange is a mite that likes to travel around feasting on mammalian sebum, hormones, and to a lessor degree dead skin. It is not uncommon for demodex mites to be just about anywhere, but what is uncommon is to find them. These tiny little microscopic nasties are like any other bug in the way that they can walk and climb with ease from place to place. Just as with fleas and ticks, a dog’s immune system has zero effect on a walking creature since it is too large and wont sit still long enough for the dog’s immunity to attack it effectively. What a dog’s immune system should have no problem destroying is the demodectic mite eggs.

Demodectic Mange mites crawl a shallow distance down into hair follicles to eat the oils produced in the skin’s sebaceous glands located towards the top of the follicle. Once they clean out one gland they move to another. After a short period of time each emptied buffet bin is refilled and can be feasted upon again without instance. The mites cause little to no damage to the hair follicles themselves since the sebaceous glands are very near the surface, but what does cause damage is when they decide to reproduce. The female mite will deposit her eggs deep inside the hair follicle where they will sit for about 48 hours until they hatch. In that 48 hours, the tiny soft shelled eggs should be detected by the dog’s immune system and a massive strike launched to break down the protein shell of the eggs and effectively destroy the baby mites before they ever hatch. Occasionally a problem occurs and the immune system either doesnt identify the eggs as a threat, or the immune response is weak and ineffective in breaking down the eggs. In that event, the baby mites hatch deep inside the follicle and begin eating and eating and eating. A whole swarm of nasty little bugs crawling, climbing, scratching, and eating their way out of the hair follicle will cause massive damage. The hair shaft and papilla are torn to hell, swelling ensues, and the severely damaged hair shaft itself falls out.

This is why a dog having fleas or ticks does not indicate that there is an immune deficiency, but demodectic mange does. A healthy immune response will easily destroy some weak little demodex eggs sitting inside a hair follicle, but a defective immune system does not eradicate them within the 48 hour window. Any dog that is not able to destroy the mite eggs prior to the hatch, is either immune compromised from being deathly ill or on immunosuppressive medication, or the dog’s immune system is defective on a genetic level.

Any degree of hair loss with the identification of demodex mites through a skin scraping indicates an infestation, and an ineffective immune response. Any dog showing any degree of infestation of demodectic mange (even one spot) is evidence of a defect in the immune response as mite eggs are relatively easy for a canine’s lymphatic system to mount an effective attack against. Even in an environment swarming with adult mites, a healthy dog with the proper immune response will effectively destroy the mite eggs long before they hatch. This is why some dogs will break with demodex and others will not, even when in the same house or kenneled together. By the time enough eggs hatch to cause hair loss, the dog is infested. Any dog who shows any degree of hair loss from the presence of demodex should be spayed or neutered to preserve the effective immune systems within the breed, and stop the proliferation of unhealthy dogs.

This was written by Brian Miller of Evolution Bulldogges and permission is given freely to copy and paste and share this information. I have hope that this detailed explanation of the process of demodex proliferation clears up some of the misinformation that has been pumped into the heads of the less informed in the dog world. Demodex can be a very serious infestation that can be bad enough that it cannot be cured without some degree of immune response and euthanization of the dog is the only option. Responsible breeding is the only effective means to eliminate demodex infestation, as immune response is genetically passed to the offspring. Only those dogs with the strongest immune systems should be bred to maintain the integrity of health within each breed.