Nutritional "Dog Smoothie" Supplements

Every once in awhile a company comes along who; breaks the mold, raises the bar, thinks outside the box, etc...or any of the other hundreds of cliches to elaborately describe innovative ideas. This particular company has done just such...


They call themselves Ubuntu.

Ubuntu has created one of the coolest, most unique, and functional line of dog treats on the market today. They offer a natural ingredient dog treat "smoothie" fortified with supplements each formulated specifically for either Hip and Joint care, Digestive care, or Skin and Coat care. Each vitamin/nutrient supplement smoothies comes in a four pack of single serving 3.5oz. cups. Basically, they are a Banana/Peanut Butter flavored treats that closely resembles a kid's Jello pudding cup but for dogs. In addition to a tasty treat, Ubuntu "SMART PUP" line is PACKED with high levels of canine nutritional fortification.

We will let information from their website fill in the rest of the science:

SMART PUP Skin & Coat is specially formulated to keep dogs looking and feeling their absolute best. This treat provides the essential Omega-3 fatty acids dogs need for healthier skin and shinier coats. We use salmon and cold water fish oils formulated to provide over 300% more absorbable Omega-3 than leading dry treats. Many dry treats use botanical sources of Omega-3, like flaxseed oil to boost their claims, but dogs can’t metabolize flaxseed nearly as well. SMART PUP Skin & Coat smoothie treats are a great tasting way to deliver meaningful benefits to your dog everyday.

SMART PUP Digestive Health makes everything that dogs eat better for them. The combination of probiotic cultures and prebiotic fiber in our delicious, all-natural treats stimulate the good bacteria in your pup’s intestinal tract. This, in turn, promotes better digestion and nutrient absorption, alleviates intestinal upset and helps strengthen your dog’s immune system. Plus, a touch of ginger helps stimulate appetite in older dogs. SMART PUP Digestive Health smoothie treats are a great tasting way to deliver real benefits to your dog everyday.

SMART PUP Hip & Joint is more than just a delicious, all-natural treat for your dog. Through our exclusive formulation, each treat provides your dog with 600mg of liquid glucosamine to promote optimal joint health. SMART PUP Hip & Joint smoothie treats are a great tasting and effective way to deliver meaningful joint relief to your dog everyday. The Power of Liquid Glucosamine – Studies show that only 10-20% of vitamins and minerals in dry form are actually absorbed by a dog’s body, compared to nearly 100% when in liquid form.



My 4 year old pointer, Dewey has fallen in love with them! The first time I brought a sample home to try he literally did a back flip in my kitchen when I tore the cover off.  He licked the cup clean in under a minute. To know he was getting 600mg of highly digestible Glucosamine in each serving of something he thought was a treat made me one very satisfied dog owner. Over the past two months I have used the Hip and Joint cups as part of Dewey's post hunt recovery and prehunt prep. I have noticed an overall improvement in his recovery time and an increase in his stamina in the field. Although Dewey does not suffer from chronic joint pain,  Glucosamine is a powerful anti-inflammatory nutrient that helps aid in the nourishment of dogs muscles, joints, tendons, and cartilage. Although I have only tested the Hip and Joint smoothies, it is highly probable that their other products are equally effective. Ubuntu Smart Dog Treats are available at your local PETCO store now! The best part is they are very affordable. I urge you all to give your dog a shot at them! You will not be let down and neither will your four legged hunting companion!

Best of luck out there. -Mark

True Performance

As gun dog owners I believe we all strive for the same collective results. A dog that works hard and covers a lot of ground. A dog that is well trained and highly motivated. A dog that is fit and physical. A dog that truly loves to hunt for us and share the thrill. At the end of the day when the last feather floats to the ground, our gun dogs are truly our most faithful and trusted companions. But what are we doing to return their hard work, devotion and commitment? Better yet, what are we doing to make our good dogs great?

Like all living organisms, it starts and ends with nutrition. Food is the fuel that steams our dogs engine and stokes the fire within. Without quality food your dog will never reach his or her full potential in the marsh, woods, or field. These days more and more manufacturers are focusing on producing high quality dog foods. Unfortunately, there are still those owners who believe dog food found at a grocery store is just as good. This simple is not the case. Canines specifically produced and trained to hunt are animal athletes. With any athlete, the quality of their diet dictates their overall performance on the field of play. Over the past year many of my blog posts have hopefully shed some light of the positive and negatives effect of both proper and improper nutrition. Fall is upon us and most hunting seasons across this country are only days away from opening. Unfortunately, for a dog to fully adjust to a food change it can take 4-6 weeks to see any results in the field. But it is never to late to switch from an inexpensive "grocery store" brand to a premium food. If this is your first visit to my blog I urge you to read past posts titled,  Pocket Guide For Dog Food Consumers, The Holistic Gun Dog, and Performance Dog Foods for a more in depth look.

But you may ask, what makes a dog food low or high quality? Great question but one you can answer for yourself very quickly by following these helpful red and green flags. Here is my blue collar round up on things to watch for...

Red flags for low quality dog foods contain:

• ANY Grain source as #1 ingredient
• High amounts corn, soy, and/or wheat grain sources in ingredients overall/any combination
• Grain Gluten in ANY form(low grade protein source)
• Unspecified mystery "Meat" ingredients such as Meat Meal, Meat By-product, etc
• Synthetic preservetives such as, BHT(Butylated Hydroxyanisole), BHA(Butylated Hydroxytoluene), Propylene Glycol, Ethoxyquin
• Food coloring agents aka; color #whatever 

Green flags for high quality dog foods contain:

• Whole meat or whole meat meal proteins such as chicken, duck, beef, bison, fish, lamb, etc as the first ingredient
• Low overall grain ingredient content and gluten free
• At least 2 meat type proteins in top 5 ingredients(including meat protein meals which are a very high source of quality protein)
• Natural preserved with mixed tocopherols(vitamin E)
• Powerful antioxidents such as blueberries, cranberries, etc
• Contain Prebiotics and/or Probiotics aka; Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium



Nothing better than seeing a well fueled, hard charging dog having fun hunting birds!

  The above mentioned red or green flags are a great way to quickly establish whether or not a dog food is grocery or premium. But be advised, some manufactures who are considered "premium" producers slip red flags into there formula's to cut costs. Do NOT be fooled. Do your due diligence and read the label in it's entirety. Do not be fooled by the disclaimer on every bag of food in this country: Approved by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages. The AAFCO has in most nutritionists opinion regulate and allow a very low level(base minimum) of acceptance on what they consider a food "formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the the minimum nutrients in dog food". In other words, all dog food for sale in America must reach these low standards before they can even be allowed to bring the product to market. Yep, even Ol' Roy met AAFCO approval so that is not saying much!

I hope this brief round up helps you make a more educated decision when shopping for your gun dogs next bag of food. There are some really wonderful manufacturers out there doing the right thing for our dogs. I don't guarantee many things but I will guarantee this; switching your dog to a high quality diet will vastly improve their performance in the field and in the home. Don't be scared away from the higher prices. If the health and wellbeing of your fourlegged hunting partner is important to you, price should not be the first concern.

Best of luck out there. -Mark



What is Probiotics?

To most gun dog owners "probiotics" might sound like a word straight out of a science fiction movie. It could even be a term used at a congressional hearing regarding performance enhancing drugs in professional sports. I can easily understand how probiotics could be a word to describe a mixture of robotics and steroids. Fortunately, that is not the case. In this post I hope to shed some light on exactly what is 100% natural, probiotics and how it can directly benefit our trusty hunting companions.

In actuality, probiotics are "good bacteria" that aid in digesting food and absorbing nutrients more completely. If you have ever seen an Activia Yogurt commercial staring Jamie Lee Curtis? This is exactly the same but for dogs. When your four legged friends large intestine is colonized by a healthy amount of probiotic bacteria, there isn't any room left to be occupied by harmful bacteria. Probiotics act as a natural protective barrier which keeps such harmful pathogens such as Salmonella and E-coli from proliferating. Probiotics for dogs also helps to bolster the canine immune system by increasing antibody levels. Another "buzz word" and not to confused with probiotics is prebotics. Think of prebiotics as health food for existing intestinal probiotic bacteria. Probitotic bacteria will feed on prebiotics and become even stronger. For more complete information on prebiotics visit my post written last year, What is Prebiotics?

Dogs both young and old benefit from daily supplements of probiotics. It keeps them healthy, happy, and hunting hard!

OK, so lets get down to the blue collar explanation of probiotics. Working gun dogs are exposed to all sorts of harmful bacteria in the field. Whether it be retrieving a bloody pheasant or muck covered mallard our best friends are exposed to a myriad of nasty microcritters. Without doubt, a gun dog needs to be supplied every available weapon to fight off possible illness after being exposed to these circumstances day in a day out. An increase of probiotics adds a first line defense by increasing the strength of the dog immune system. This occurs because the good bacteria helps the intestine stay health and absorb more of the nutrients in your dogs daily diet. Conversely, it helps your dogs internal engine burn cleaner and more efficient -i.e they are supplied the ability to digest their food more completely. Secondly, probiotic cultures wage a nonstop war against harmful gastrointestinal bacteria that can proliferate quickly if not held in check. Has your dog ever suffered through an awful bout of diarrhea or has been diagnosed with a chronic sensitive stomach? That is where probiotic cultures can come storming into play like a superhero in time of need. They are your dogs intestinal and immunity police!

Supplemental probiotics can be given to your dog in various forms. The two strains of direct fed micro organisms that can currently be used in dog food are Lactobacillus acidophilus and Enterococcus faecium. These days there are a number of reputable food producers that add probiotics into their dry kibble formula's. Dog foods such as Blue Buffalo, Castor & Pollux(both of their NutriMix and Organix brands), and Wellness have all been at the forefront of the probiotic food ingredient movement. In addition, there is a wide variety of over the counter powder supplements that can be sprinkled in powder form on top of your dogs existing food. Check out Fastrack by Conklin for super premium probiotic supplements.

If you have any further questions regarding probiotics or nutritional issues please do not hesitiate to contact me. I can be reached directly at northupland@yahoo.com or post a comment below. I will personally respond to each and every question. Thank you for reading.

Best of luck out there. -Mark