Food Portions for Canine Athletes

"How much should I feed my dog?"  I am asked this question more frequently than any other. It is usually followed quickly by..."the back of the bag says I should feed between 4-6 cups".  I then scratch my head. No wonder why there are so many overweight dogs. Being an overweight gun dog as well as being one expected to perform in the field is not the dogs fault, but the owners. If you want your dog to hunt at it's optimum level then please don't feed it the same amount every day. Learn to read your dog and properly react to it's nutritional needs.

In blue collar terms(since I'm a blue collar type of guy) let's think of your trusty hunting partner as a coal burning stove. The hotter and longer you want it to burn, the more coal you need to shovel into it. Just like us humanoids, dogs need calories to convert into working energy. Some days we need to burn more, some days we need less. As humans we have the ability to make this type of cognitive judgement. But it is up to us as conscientious dogs owner to determine "how much" for them. The very worse thing we can do is feed our dogs the exact same amount every day. You would be overweight too if you ate the same amount of calories everyday without "rationing" your intake to meet your energy output!





Athletically fit dogs equal more game in the bag

 
  

There are all sorts of complex mathematical equations floating around for how much we are "supposed" to feed our dogs. E=MCWhatever. It just doesn't make sense in my world of hard charging gun dogs. No dog is alike, just like people and snowflakes. The only true way is to care for your hunting companion and that means not just during the season. Find your dogs "benchmark" of food portion size and them adjust up or down given the amount of work and environmental conditions. Work and Weather can play a huge factor in determining how many calories your dog will burn a day. During the hot summer months dogs metabolism slows making it necessary to ration back food portions.  Find the benchmark by set trialing measured feeding portions, not "free feeding". By free feeding I mean, just putting out heaps of food and your dog eats when it wants and how much it wants. Although some dogs can control their intake, many can not and need to be fed strict portion sizes. Investigate how many calories per cup the food you are supplying gives your dog. Find the average "day in the life" and feed accordingly. If food is left that can be a quick notifier of to much. Of course during days of higher than normal physical activity the caloric intake needs to be increased accordingly. Closely monitor slight weight fluctuations up or down. If your dog is experiencing drastic weight increases or decreases, contact your vet for a thorough check up. There are countless variables that can effect your dogs weight including internal parasites, poor quality nutrition, stress, infections, disease, and all of which need the immediate attention of a trained professional to diagnose

I recommend feeding twice a day. Some professionals will disagree with me. But rationality speaks volumes. Dog's digest and metabolize smaller portions more completely thus making for a cleaner burning digestive system. I.E. they get more out of small amounts and breaking their feed time in half makes for a cleaner burning engine. Once you have determined the overall rate of feed per day per caloric needs, I suggest split feeding that amount.  More during the A.M. feeding than I do the P.M. Day time metabolic rates are higher because of the obvious increase in activity than the slower evening time feeding...but that might not be the case if your feeding a kennel of Blue Tick Coon Hounds! So plan accordingly and use the best human quality available in your arsenal...common sense.

Nobody knows your canine athlete like you do. Don't let anybody tell you any differently. Rely on your own perception and due diligence. Stay on top of the game for the betterment of your dogs health and well being. This means a close watch and daily changes either up or down in the amount of food you feed your trusty four legged hunting partner given how much or how little they need the calories. Oh, and watch the treats for god's sake!

Best of Luck Out There,

Mark

Energy Density

Energy; every working gun dog requires it. It takes energy to tree a coon, nail down a covey, chase out a wing shot pheasant, and the thousand other requirements we hold our trusty four legged hunting companion accountable for. Energy comes from food. But not all dog foods are created equal...

ENERGY & FOOD 
What is energy? It is the fuel that supports the function and activity of every cell in the body. This fuel is supplied by digesting food and converting the end products of digestion into a use able form. Energy Density is measured either in units of kilocalories(kcal) or kilojoules(kJ). The major factor that drives a dog to eat is its need for energy. No other mechanism exists for any other dietary component and therefore the intake of all nutrients depends on the calorie content of the food.  We measure the total energy content of any food by burning it, or we can measure the usable energy in a food by feeding it to animals in carefully controlled conditions. There are three common terms used to describe the energy content of food:

• GROSS ENERGY (GE) When food is burnt completely in scientifically controlled conditions, the energy released can be measured as heat. This heat energy represents the total energy content and is called the gross energy of a food. Have you ever heard someone refer to a performance food as "hot". -this is what they meant by that
• DIGESTIBLE ENERGY (DE) Not all of the gross energy of a food is available to the animal. Some components in food are not fully digested and so energy is lost in the feces. Digestible energy represents the energy which the animal is able to extract from the food.
• METABOLIZABLE ENERGY (ME) Metabolizable energy is simply the usable energy of any foodstuff. It differs from digestible energy in that is takes account of energy lost in the urine from materials which are absorbed but not fully used in the body. It is metabolizable energy which is referred to in basic nutritional calculations.

From the importance of overall Energy Density let's take a closer look at what is Metabolizable Energy. According to our friends at Doctor's Foster's & Smith's; "understanding metabolizable energy (ME) is essential in determining the nutritional quality of your dog's food and comparing foods. ME is defined as the amount of energy available from food once the energy lost in the feces, urine, and combustible gases has been subtracted. Essentially, ME is the energy left for your dogs body to use once all digestion is complete."

To hunt hard, long, and strong a gun dog needs a certain number of calories per day. This will vary with the breed, age, sex, activity level, body condition, and other characteristics of your dog. ME, as shown on food packages, shows the amount of calories the food will provide your working gun dog. Look on the package for a statement of calorie content, expressed as "ME (kcal/kg) = ##," where ## will be a number, such as 3500. You should also see a number of calories per cup or per can, depending on whether the food is dry or canned. If you do not see the kcal per cup on the bag, call the manufacturer for the amount(it is not legally necessary for food companies to list kcal's on their bags of food!

ME essentially equals the usable calories and their concentration, or density. A higher ME indicates a higher concentration of calories, and a more energy-packed food. This can be compared to the difference between a sports energy bar and a rice cake. The energy bar has a much higher ME, because it contains concentrated calories for energy. Similar to an energy bar, dog foods with higher ME numbers provide your hunting partners body with more concentrated calories for more energy. With a higher ME, your the dogs body will receive more energy from a smaller amount of food. This also means he will eliminate less as waste, giving you less waste to clean up. Dog foods with a higher ME can also save you money in the long run since you can feed less while still providing the needed calories to fulfill your hard charging gun dogs nutritional needs.

At the end of the day there are thousands of dog food manufacturers...but not all dog foods are created for the needs of a working gun dog.

Best of Luck Out There,

Mark Northup

Lyme Disease Facts

The mild winter brought us an early spring full of beautiful, warm weather. Unfortunately, it also delivered an explosion in the tick population! I have personally lived threw the trials and tribulations of Lyme Disease by having my best canine friend suffer through it as well as my own mother. I can bear witness to it's repercussions. The American Lyme Disease Foundation(ALDF) is the leading info source for all things tick related. Let's see what they have to say about Lyme Disease;

"Lyme disease (LD) is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacterium called a spirochete (pronounced spy-ro-keet) that is carried by deer ticks. An infected tick can transmit the spirochete to the humans and animals it bites. Untreated, the bacterium travels through the bloodstream, establishes itself in various body tissues, and can cause a number of symptoms, some of which are severe. LD manifests itself as a multi system inflammatory disease that affects the skin in its early, localized stage, and spreads to the joints, nervous system and, to a lesser extent, other organ systems in its later, disseminated stages. If diagnosed and treated early with antibiotics, LD is almost always readily cured. Generally, LD in its later stages can also be treated effectively, but because the rate of disease progression and individual response to treatment varies from one patient to the next, some patients may have symptoms that linger for months or even years following treatment. In rare instances, LD causes permanent damage.

Although LD is now the most common arthropod-borne illness in the U.S. (more than 150,000 cases have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] since 1982), its diagnosis and treatment can be challenging for clinicians due to its diverse manifestations and the limitations of currently available blood tests. The prevalence of LD in the northeast and upper mid-west is due to the presence of large numbers of the deer tick's preferred hosts - white-footed mice and deer - and their proximity to humans. White-footed mice serve as the principal "reservoirs of infection" on which many larval and nymphal (juvenile) ticks feed and become infected with the LD spirochete. An infected tick can then transmit infection the next time it feeds on another host (e.g., an unsuspecting human).

Borrelia burgdorferi The LD spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, infects other species of ticks but is known to be transmitted to humans and other animals only by the deer tick (also known as the black-legged tick) and the related Western black-legged tick. Studies have shown that an infected tick normally cannot begin transmitting the spirochete until it has been attached to its host about 36-48 hours; the best line of defense against LD, therefore, is to examine yourself at least once daily and remove any ticks before they become engorged (swollen) with blood.

If you discover a deer tick attached to your skin that has not yet become engorged, it has not been there long enough to transmit the LD spirochete. Nevertheless, it is advisable to be alert in case any symptoms do appear; a red rash (especially surrounding the tick bite), flu-like symptoms, or joint pains in the first month following any deer tick bite could signal the onset of LD.  Manifestations of what we now call Lyme disease were first reported in medical literature in Europe in 1883. Over the years, various clinical signs of this illness have been noted as separate medical conditions: acrodermatitis, chronica atrophicans (ACA), lymphadenosis benigna cutis (LABC), erythema migrans (EM), and lymphocytic meningradiculitis (Bannwarth's syndrome). However, these diverse manifestations were not recognized as indicators of a single infectious illness until 1975, when LD was described following an outbreak of apparent juvenile arthritis, preceded by a rash, among residents of Lyme, Connecticut.

Where is Lyme Disease Prevalent?
LD is spreading slowly along and inland from the upper east coast, as well as in the upper midwest. The mode of spread is not entirely clear and is probably due to a number of factors such as bird migration, mobility of deer and other large mammals, and infected ticks dropping off of pets as people travel around the country. It is also prevalent in northern California and Oregon coast, but there is little evidence of spread.

In order to assess LD risk you should know whether infected deer ticks are active in your area or in places you may visit. The population density and percentage of infected ticks that may transmit LD vary markedly from one region of the country to another. There is even great variation from county to county within a state and from area to area within a county. For example, less than 5% of adult ticks south of Maryland are infected with B. burgdorferi, while up to 50% are infected in hyperendemic areas (areas with a high tick infection rate) of the northeast. The tick infection rate in Pacific coastal states is between 2% and 4%.

Symptoms
The spirochetal agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdoferi, is transmitted to humans through a bite of a nymphal stage deer tick Ixodes scapularis (or Ixodes pacificus on the West Coast). The duration of tick attachment and feeding is a key factor in transmission. Proper identification of tick species and feeding duration aids in determining the probability of infection and the risk of developing Lyme disease.
The early symptoms of LD can be mild and easily overlooked. People who are aware of the risk of LD in their communities and who do not ignore the sometimes subtle early symptoms are most likely to seek medical attention and treatment early enough to be assured of a full recovery.

Click here for pictures of EM's The first symptom is usually an expanding rash (called erythema migrans, or EM, in medical terms) which is thought to occur in 80% to 90% of all LD cases. An EM rash generally has the following characteristics:

■Usually (but not always) radiates from the site of the tickbite

■Appears either as a solid red expanding rash or blotch, OR a central spot surrounded by clear skin that is in turn ringed by an expanding red rash (looks like a bull's-eye)

■Appears an average of 1 to 2 weeks (range = 3 to 30 days) after disease transmission

■Has an average diameter of 5 to 6 inches

(range = 2 inches to 2 feet)

■Persists for about 3 to 5 weeks

■May or may not be warm to the touch

■Is usually not painful or itchy

EM rashes appearing on brown-skinned or sun-tanned patients may be more difficult to identify because of decreased contrast between light-skinned tones and the red rash. A dark, bruise-like appearance is more common on dark-skinned patients.

Ticks will attach anywhere on the body, but prefer body creases such as the armpit, groin, back of the knee, and nape of the neck; rashes will therefore often appear in (but are not restricted to) these areas. Please note that multiple rashes may, in some cases, appear elsewhere on the body some time after the initial rash, or, in a few cases, in the absence of an initial rash. Around the time the rash appears, other symptoms such as joint pains, chills, fever, and fatigue are common, but they may not seem serious enough to require medical attention. These symptoms may be brief, only to recur as a broader spectrum of symptoms as the disease progresses.

As the LD spirochete continues spreading through the body, a number of other symptoms including severe fatigue, a stiff, aching neck, and peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement such as tingling or numbness in the extremities or facial palsy (paralysis) can occur. The more severe, potentially debilitating symptoms of later-stage LD may occur weeks, months, or, in a few cases, years after a tick bite. These can include severe headaches, painful arthritis and swelling of joints, cardiac abnormalities, and central nervous system (CNS) involvement leading to cognitive (mental) disorders.

The following is a checklist of common symptoms seen in various stages of LD:

Localized Early (Acute) Stage:
■Solid red or bull's-eye rash, usually at site of bite

■Swelling of lymph glands near tick bite

■Generalized achiness
■Headache

Early Disseminated Stage:
■Two or more rashes not at site of bite
■Migrating pains in joints/tendons

■Headache
■Stiff, aching neck

■Facial palsy (facial paralysis similar to Bell's palsy)

■Tingling or numbness in extremities
■Multiple enlarged lymph glands
■Abnormal pulse

■Sore throat
■Changes in vision
■Fever of 100 to 102 F

■Severe fatigue

Late Stage:
■Arthritis (pain/swelling) of one or two large joints
■Disabling neurological disorders (disorientation; confusion; dizziness; short-term memory loss; inability to concentrate, finish sentences or follow conversations; mental "fog")

■Numbness in arms/hands or legs/feet

Diagnosis
If you think you have LD symptoms you should see your physician immediately. The EM rash, which may occur in up to 90% of the reported cases, is a specific feature of LD, and treatment should begin immediately.

Even in the absence of an EM rash, diagnosis of early LD should be made on the basis of symptoms and evidence of a tick bite, not blood tests, which can often give false results if performed in the first month after initial infection (later on, the tests are more reliable). If you live in an endemic area, have symptoms consistent with early LD and suspect recent exposure to a tick, present your suspicion to your doctor so that he or she may make a more informed diagnosis.
If early symptoms are undetected or ignored, you may develop more severe symptoms weeks, months or perhaps years after you were infected. In this case, the CDC recommends using the ELISA and Western-blot blood tests to determine whether you are infected. These tests, as noted above, are considered more reliable and accurate when performed at least a month after initial infection, although no test is 100% accurate.
If you have neurological symptoms or swollen joints your doctor may, in addition, recommend a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test via a spinal tap or withdrawal of synovial fluid from an affected joint. This test amplifies the DNA of the spirochete and will usually indicate its presence.

Treatment
Recommended courses and duration of treatment for both early and late Lyme symptoms are shown in our Table of Recommended Antibiotics and Dosages (see also table footnotes).

Early treatment of LD (within the first few weeks after initial infection) is straightforward and almost always results in a full cure. Treatment begun after the first three weeks will also likely provide a cure, but the cure rate decreases the longer treatment is delayed.

Doxycycline, amoxicillin and ceftin are the three oral antibiotics most highly recommended for treatment of all but a few symptoms of LD. A recent study of Lyme arthritis in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that a four-week course of oral doxycycline is just as effective in treating late LD, and much less expensive, than a similar course of intravenous Ceftriaxone (Rocephin) unless neurological or severe cardiac abnormalities are present. If these symptoms are present, the study recommends immediate intravenous (IV) treatment.

Treatment of late-Lyme patients can be more complicated. Usually LD in its later stages can be treated effectively, but individual variation in the rate of disease progression and response to treatment may, in some cases, render standard antibiotic treatment regimens ineffective. In a small percentage of late-Lyme patients, the disease may persist for many months or even years. These patients will experience slow improvement and resolution of their persisting symptoms following oral or IV treatment that eliminated the infection.

Although treatment approaches for patients with late-stage LD have become a matter of considerable debate, many physicians and the Infectious Disease Society of America recognize that, in some cases, several courses of either oral or IV (depending on the symptoms presented) antibiotic treatment may be indicated. However, long-term IV treatment courses (longer than the recommended 4-6 weeks) are not usually advised due to adverse side effects. While there is some speculation that long-term courses may be more effective than the recommended 4-6 weeks, there is currently no scientific evidence to support this assertion. Click here for an article from the New England Journal of Medicine which presents clinical recommendations in the treatment and prevention of early Lyme disease.


Prevention & Control
Larval and nymphal deer ticks often hide in shady, moist ground litter, but adults can often be found above the ground clinging to tall grass, brush, and shrubs. They also inhabit lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of woodlands and around old stone walls where deer and white-footed mice, the ticks' preferred hosts, thrive. Within the endemic range of B. burgdorferi (the spirochete that infects the deer tick and causes LD), no natural, vegetated area can be considered completely free of infected ticks.

Deer ticks cannot jump or fly, and do not drop from above onto a passing animal. Potential hosts (which include all wild birds and mammals, domestic animals, and humans) acquire ticks only by direct contact with them. Once a tick latches onto human skin it generally climbs upward until it reaches a protected or creased area, often the back of the knee, groin, navel, armpit, ears, or nape of the neck. It then begins the process of inserting its mouth parts into the skin until it reaches the blood supply.

In tick-infested areas, the best precaution against LD is to avoid contact with soil, leaf litter and vegetation as much as possible. However, if you garden, hike, camp, hunt, work outdoors or otherwise spend time in woods, brush or overgrown fields, you should use a combination of precautions to dramatically reduce your chances of getting Lyme disease:

■Deer ticks and two other common tick species - dog ticks and Lone Star ticks (neither of which is known to transmit Lyme disease)

*Deer ticks are found east of the Rockies; their look-alike close relatives, the western black-legged ticks, are found and can transmit Lyme disease west of the Rockies.

Then, when spending time outdoors, make these easy precautions part of your routine:

■Wear enclosed shoes and light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily

■Scan clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors

■Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails

■Use insect repellant containing DEET (Diethyl-meta-toluamide) on skin or clothes if you intend to go off-trail or into overgrown areas

■Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls (havens for ticks and their hosts)

■Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening

■Do a final, full-body tick-check at the end of the day (also check children and pets)

When taking the above precautions, consider these important facts:
■If you tuck long pants into socks and shirts into pants, be aware that ticks that contact your clothes will climb upward in search of exposed skin. This means they may climb to hidden areas of the head and neck if not intercepted first; spot-check clothes frequently.

■Clothes can be sprayed with either DEET or Permethrin. Only DEET can be used on exposed skin, but never in high concentrations; follow the manufacturer's directions.

■Upon returning home, clothes can be spun in the dryer for 20 minutes to kill any unseen ticks

■A shower and shampoo may help to remove crawling ticks, but will not remove attached ticks. Inspect yourself and your children carefully after a shower. Keep in mind that nymphal deer ticks are the size of poppy seeds; adult deer ticks are the size of apple seeds.

Any contact with vegetation, even playing in the yard, can result in exposure to ticks, so careful daily self-inspection is necessary whenever you engage in outdoor activities and the temperature exceeds 45° F (the temperature above which deer ticks are active). Frequent tick checks should be followed by a systematic, whole-body examination each night before going to bed. Performed consistently, this ritual is perhaps the single most effective current method for prevention of Lyme disease.

If you DO find a tick attached to your skin, there is no need to panic. Not all ticks are infected, and studies of infected deer ticks have shown that they begin transmitting Lyme disease an average of 36 to 48 hours after attachment.Therefore, your chances of contracting LD are greatly reduced if you remove a tick within the first 48 hours. Remember, too, that nearly all of early diagnosed Lyme disease cases are easily treated and cured.

To remove a tick, follow these steps:
1.Using a pair of pointed precision tweezers, grasp the tick by the head or mouth parts right where they enter the skin. DO NOT grasp the tick by the body.

2.Without jerking, pull firmly and steadily directly outward. DO NOT twist the tick out or apply petroleum jelly, a hot match, alcohol or any other irritant to the tick in an attempt to get it to back out.

3.Place the tick in a vial or jar of alcohol to kill it.

4.Clean the bite wound with disinfectant.

Keep in mind that certain types of fine-pointed tweezers, especially those that are etched, or rasped, at the tips, may not be effective in removing nymphal deer ticks. Choose unrasped fine-pointed tweezers whose tips align tightly when pressed firmly together.  Then, monitor the site of the bite for the appearance of a rash beginning 3 to 30 days after the bite. At the same time, learn about the other early symptoms of Lyme disease and watch to see if they appear in about the same time frame. If a rash or other early symptoms develop, see a physician immediately. Finally, prevention is not limited to personal precautions. Those who enjoy spending time in their yards can reduce the tick population around the home by:
■keeping lawns mowed and edges trimmed

■clearing brush, leaf litter and tall grass around houses and at the edges of gardens and open stone walls

■stacking woodpiles neatly in a dry location and preferably off the ground

■clearing all leaf litter (including the remains of perennials) out of the garden in the fall

■having a licensed professional spray the residential environment (only the areas frequented by humans) with an insecticide in late May (to control nymphs) and optionally in September (to control adults)."



This article is in honor of my bub, Browning's Belgium Sweet Sixteen. Call Name: Gauge. He died after a long life that might have been prolonged if we caught his Lyme Disease earlier.

 The End
The best defense is always a great offense! Be vigilant! Religiously use topical tick preventatives and check yourself and your gundogs over every chance you get and double check twice over when you're both active in environments that are known tick habitats -and even those that are not!

Best of luck out there,

Mark Northup



Quotes used and denoted are the property of:American Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc., All rights reserved. Copyright © 2006

Vetericyn, Wound & Infection Treatment

As bird hunters and dog owners we are already chest deep into our hunting seasons. Here in Wisconsin this means waterfowl, woodcock, ruffed grouse, and pheasant are all in our sites. Hunting these birds requires hours of trudging through thick marshes, dense forests, or rugged cover. Our hunting grounds are filled with potential health hazards to both man and dog alike. Dewey, my pointer, has already fought threw continued eye irritants as well as a minor skin infection to a hind paw. These conditions, although potential serious if left untreated, can be remedied at home with the right over the counter medications. As always contact your vet for treatment and professional advice.

One particular canine health aid that has recently come to market needs mentioning. In our gun dog world full of things that sting, bite, cut, stab, and injure it is wise to invest in a bottle of Vetericyn. Vetericyn is a revolutionary wound and infection treatment liquid that is truly unique.

According to their website, "When your dog has an open wound or infection, Vetericyn should be the product of choice because it is easy to apply into the affected area to care for an infection while accelerating healing. It is safe as water so it will not harm your dog or the environment. Dogs typically lick their injury so any products applied should be non-toxic. Vetericyn is non-toxic so it will not cause injury if it happens to be ingested or licked after application. This is possible because Vetericyn works in the same way as your dog’s immune system. As such, the body recognizes it as a friendly infection-treating. Vetericyn also creates an optimal environment for healing. Vetericyn used on have demonstrated a reduction in healing time by up to 60%. Vetericyn significantly increases the oxygen content at the wound site within 30 seconds and maintains that oxygen level for up to 36 hours. This increase in oxygen along with the reduction of infection is responsible for these accelerated healing times. As a one-step cleanser and dressing, it eliminates the need for multiple products while reducing the application time and requirements. Since it is “no-rinse”, it leaves no film or residue to clean off. And unlike traditional antiseptics and topical antibiotics it does not damage healthy tissue."

I personally used this product on Dewey's recent skin infection, which was possibly Staph(MRSA). I was impressed that it cleared up the issue after only three applications of this very easy to apply spray. I was however a little shocked at the $34.99 price for only 8 fl oz. I will admit it was a bit cheaper then a trip to see our buddy Dr. Chris. I barely used a fraction of it this season and now have much more for later issues. I have also been using it to spray Dewey's undercarriage that always is red and raw after a tough hunt. I have noticed it helps cleanse and soothe his "nether regions" during post hunt recover. I also believe it is a nice piece of preemptive treatment to ward off any of those nasty micro critter causing uglies that inhabit the soggy bottoms. In all, Vetericyn is a wonderful product that I strongly feel has lived up to its claims!

Best of luck out there,

Mark

Dirty Water

The core of a gun dog's health and wellness rests solely on the backs of the owner supplying the following; quality nutrients and quality conditioning. The most overlooked (and most important) supplied nutrient is also the most commonly found on earth: Water, aka Aqua, aka H20.  Just like Adam Sandler's character said in the movie The Waterboy, "that is some high quality H2O".  His statement rings paramount to the overall health and well being of both man and dog alike. The simple fact is high quality H2O makes an enormous impact on your dog(s) performance and overall health.

One of the main causes of  dog diarrhea come from the deteriorating condition of Americas water supply. Carol Browner, chief of the U.S. EPA states, "The way we guarantee safe drinking water is broken and needs to be fixed." Not only are humans affected by this problem but animals as well. Just like humans, fluid intake is crucial to your dogs health. If they do not have enough fluids while dog symptoms diarrhea are occurring, they will dehydrate. It is critical that you refresh their water supply (with high quality H20 of course!) every time they drink all of it from their bowl. Don't forget to clean it everyday. Throw stale or old water if they don't touch it for a day. And always supply a source of clean, highly filtered water.

According to John Askelon, an authority on U.S. Drinking Water Quality, recently said: If we ask the question...Are there any main causes of cancer? We think that food or exposure to industrial waste are the culprits. But Americans must understand that the condition of their drinking water has deteriorated in the past decade. Recent findings reveal that there are more than two thousand toxic chemicals in the tap water that are now the main causes of cancer.

While we enjoy the convenience of progress, humans have developed 80,000 various kinds of synthetic chemicals for home and industrial purposes. Most of it are dumped into soil, sewage, lakes, rivers and landfills and this has come to a tremendous consequence extreme cases of degenerative disease have sprouted everywhere. Before pesticides and herbicides were invented, Americans had a 1 in 50 chance of having cancer. Today, 1 in 3 citizens in the U.S. will get cancer in their lifetime, including 1 in every 2 males. This type of figure is also directly quantified to the influx of canine(dog) cancer in this country over the past decade.

All the water on this planet is re-used over and over by the hydrological cycle of nature. Therefore, there is no new water. As more chemicals are used, so does the toxicity of drinking water. So we are left with the same kind of water that gets worse every year. Most of the contaminants that can be found in our water supply is the result of improper use of solvents, lawn chemicals, gasoline, cleaning products, oil and compounds which we dump into our sewage system. In return, nature brings it back to us as rain and the water seeps in to our underground water sources.

Water treatment facilities in cities cannot totally eradicate the toxins since they consist only of sand bed filtration system. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, -Drinking water plants are old and out of date, and water supplies are increasingly threatened and contaminated by chemicals and microorganisms. In the past many diseases cannot be linked to any probable cause. Today it can now be linked to toxins in our water supply and they are the main causes of cancer.

The U.S. Council On Environmental Quality states, -While levels of these carcinogens (SOCs) in drinking water are low, it is precisely these low levels that carcinogen specialists believe to be responsible for the majority of human cancers in the U.S. In 1998, tap water tests were conducted in 29 cities and they discovered two or more pesticides in the drinking water. The Environmental Working Group report stated that, -millions of Americans are routinely exposed to one or more pesticides in a single glass of tap water.- In Indiana, 9 pesticides were found in a glass to drinking water.

The fact is, animals are prone to many illnesses when exposed to highly toxic chemicals because their bodies cannot detoxify the harmful compounds. A recent tap water test also revealed that 45,000 human infants had drank baby formula mixed with tap water containing weed killers and 9 other chemicals in every bottle. In one of the reports of the Science Advisory to the EPA, it stated, -when two or more of these contaminants combine in our water, the potency may be increased by as much as 1000 times! So, are there other main causes of cancer.  Now you know the answer. What are you going to do about it to protect your family..and your trusty hunting partner?

There are numerous quality water filtration systems available today. They range from $15 to $35,000! The best thing I can suggest is finding one that best suits your budget. Any filter at any budget will be an improvement over using straight tap water.  In my opinion one of the best overall values for dog owners is the PUR Waters Systems "at home" pitcher filter.  According to their website PUR filters can attest to the following:

Does PUR Remove chlorination by-products or chlorine (taste and odor) in Drinking Water?
Chlorine is a type of disinfectant, not a contaminant, that’s added to drinking water to control microbes. In addition to the off-putting taste and odor that can be caused by chlorine, chlorination by-products, such as total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), can form in the water. TTHMs can cause anemia in infants, young children, and fetuses of pregnant women.  PUR faucet filters reduce 98% of TTHMs, which can have harmful effects on the body. PUR water filters also remove the taste and odor of chlorine. PUR faucet mounts are certified to reduce up to 10x more drinking water contaminants from your water than the leading filtration brand's pitcher-leaving you with great-tasting drinking water. Chlorine is a disinfectant, most commonly used to kill microbes in the water supply. If excess amounts are used, or if high concentrations of chlorine are in your pipes and plumbing, it can cause bad taste and odor in your drinking water.  Total Trihalomethanes are chlorination by-products that can emerge in chlorinated water. This type of water contaminant can cause anemia in infants, young children and fetuses, nervous system effects and even cancer. Can we assume dogs as well? I think it safe to say..yes.


PUR and Heavy Metals in Water
Heavy metals such as lead and mercury can get into your water from the pipes and plumbing coming into your home. The health effects of excessive exposure to these heavy metals can be serious, especially for young children and babies. It can cause delays in physical and mental development. Also, adults may potentially be impacted by heavy metals with kidney problems and high blood pressure when exposed to levels above the EPA maximum contaminant level for extended periods of time. The EPA estimates that 20% of human exposure to lead happens with their drinking water. Which is why it’s so important to us, at PUR, to create products that provide you and your family the clean water they deserve. PUR faucet filters reduce many heavy metals that may be found in drinking water. In addition, PUR® faucet filters reduces up to 10x more drinking water contaminants than the leading filtration brand's pitcher. Lead can come from corrosion of plumbing and pipes going into your home. It also can get into the water supply through erosion of natural deposits. Exposure to lead has been linked to delays in physical or mental development in children. In adults, lead exposure may potentially cause kidney problems and high blood pressure when exposed to levels above the EPA maximum contaminant for level for extended periods of time. Mercury is a liquid metal that gets into the water from sources including natural deposits, refinery and factory discharge and landfill runoff. Exposure to excessive amounts of mercury may potentially cause kidney damage when exposed to levels above the EPA maximum contaminant for level for extended periods of time.

PUR and Microbial Cysts
Both giardia and cryptosporidium are microbial cysts—and they are tough to disinfect. What makes them tough is the way they operate. These microbes grow a cyst wall around themselves for protection in unfavorable conditions. When giardia and cryptosporidium reach more favorable environments like your stomach, their cyst walls break down and the microbes inside them release to potentially cause gastrointestinal illness like diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps. Cryptosporidium is a microbial cyst that is commonly found in lakes and rivers that can cause gastrointestinal illness. It enters the water through animal and human fecal matter.  According to the EPA, cryptosporidium is resistant to disinfection. The microbial cyst, Giardia, is a one-celled parasite that infects humans and animals in the cyst stage of their life cycle. It enters the water through animal and human fecal matter.


 According to their website
At PUR, we believe that everyone deserves clean water. Which is why PUR faucet filters reduce 99% of microbial cysts like giardia and cryptosporidium; while the leading filtration brand's pitcher doesn’t. It’s also why PUR reduces up to 10x more drinking water contaminants than the leading filtration brand's pitcher—leaving you and your family with clean drinking water.

I have been using the following PUR 5 cup water pitcher for the past 6 months(picutred on left). For my intial $15 investment plus $10 for replacement filters every 2 months I have been more than satisfied with the results. In fact, my dog, Dewey seems to drink more and often which is a good thing. I keep it in the refrigerator door and use it refill Dewey's house, outside bowls, and squirt bottles that we use in the field.

To be honest I have no idea if having my dog drinking purified water will help prolong his life or improve his performance. There is no scientific research to support this theory that many believe as fact. BUT, I have seen a noticeable difference since changing a few moths ago. I believe that if toxins in tap water are effecting the health and wellness of humans through quantitative studies I can safely assume that our dogs are suffering as well. Whether it be the short or long terms negative effects from consuming contaminated drinking water, my best bud and faithful hunting companion deserves the same as me. I don't drink from the tap. Neither will he.

Best of Luck Out There, -Mark

Liam & Theo: Rest In Peace

Today we take a break from gun dog nutrition and fitness talk for matters of greater importance. In remembrance of these two war hero's, please read on...

This past February, I came across an article about a soldier and his dog. They both died fighting in Afghanistan. Their story has remained close with me since. Not a day ends that I do not think about them. Maybe because the soldier was a young man, just like me. His spaniel was highly trained but not to hunt wild game. Their passion together was to seek out enemy bombs in defense of a greater, more worldly good. Their deaths have become a shuttering reminder to me that life, whether man or dog, is fleeting away each day. We can never turn back the clock and we only have the present moment to make things worthwhile. Liam and Theo's time here ended much to soon but their accomplishments together will remain part of  history for generations to come. Here are a few excepts and pictures of Liam and Theo.  I thank them for all that they are; a boy and his dog who both died together doing what they loved; but not more than each other.

Lance Corporal Tasker deployed to Afghanistan on 8 September 2010 as part of the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment. Having trained as an Arms and Explosives Search dog handler, he was attached to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards on 19 February 2011.  On 1 March 2011, Lance Corporal Tasker was taking part in a patrol with his dog, Theo, when they were engaged by small arms fire, during which Lance Corporal Tasker was struck and died from the injuries he sustained. Sadly, on returning to Camp Bastion, Theo suffered a seizure and died. Lance Corporal Tasker was born on 11 December 1984 in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. He joined the Army in 2001 and was originally a vehicle mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. His passion though was always dogs which led to his transfer to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) in 2007.


A trainer who had a natural empathy with dogs, he was a rising star within the Dog Training Group. In 2010 he was posted to 104 Military Working Dog Squadron, St George's Barracks, North Luffenham, Rutland, part of the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment. From the onset of his operational tour in Afghanistan, he provided strong search and clearance capability for units across Helmand province. In a short period of time he had significant success locating improvised explosive devices, weapons and bomb-making equipment. His success undoubtedly saved many lives. Lance Corporal Tasker was an outgoing, jovial and friendly character. He was extremely popular within his squadron. His easy-going, confident approach belied a consummate professional. He always strived to be the best, and within the squadron he was one of the best. He will be sorely missed by all in the squadron. He can never be replaced and will always be remembered. He was a fun, friendly, talkative character who always wanted the best from his dog, his troops, and himself. He leaves behind his mother Jane Duffy, his father Ian Tasker, his brother Ian, his two sisters Laura and Nicola, and his girlfriend Leah.

Those that knew them best had this to stay...

Lt. Col. David Thorpe, Commanding Officer, 1st Military Working Dog Regiment:


"It is a challenge to put into words what Lance Corporal Liam Tasker meant to those he worked with. To his friends he was a mate who could put a smile on your face; he was that man who you wanted around and who you wanted to spend time with. To the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment he was a strong, reliable soldier and an expert 'Dog Man'. He genuinely loved the dogs he worked with and was always able to get the best out of them. He was one of the highly qualified dog trainers in Afghanistan and had spent time at our training establishment making sure that the new soldiers coming out of training had the best possible skills and experience imparted into them. Epitomising the hardworking, determined and ambitious nature of our very best soldiers, he wanted to go to Afghanistan. He wanted to ply his trade in the harshest of environments, to be outside of his comfort zone, and he wanted to be successful. He was. The work he did in his five months in Afghanistan saved countless lives, of that I have no doubt. He flew the Royal Army Veterinary Corps' flag high; he led from the front and made us proud. Lance Corporal Tasker wanted to go far in the Army and he had all of the attributes needed to be a career soldier, with capacity to spare. His ability to command whilst maintaining his sense of humour had already marked him out as one to watch. His loss has hurt every single one of us today. He will be missed. He will not be forgotten."

Major Caroline Emmett, Officer Commanding 104 Military Working Dog Squadron:


"Lance Corporal Liam Tasker was a larger than life character who was a joy to be around. His enthusiasm was infectious and I always enjoyed our frequent talks together. He and his dog Theo were made for each other. Lance Corporal Tasker was one of the best people I have ever known. Kind, with a good heart, he always put others before himself. His professional excellence and positive attitude to life is something that I and others looked up to. Lance Corporal Tasker was an Arms Explosive Search dog handler and trainer of the highest calibre. He and his dog had more operational finds than any individual team has had in Afghanistan to date and he saved many lives as a result of this. He was so proud of his achievements and I was so proud of him. Lance Corporal Tasker was one of the best people I have ever known. Kind, with a good heart, he always put others before himself."

According to the Jill Lawless, artcile published by the Associated Press:

Liam and Theo were a team, fast friends doing a dangerous job — searching out roadside bombs laid by insurgents in Afghanistan. The jovial British soldier and his irrepressible dog worked and played together for months, and died on the same day. On Thursday they came home, flown back to Britain in a somber repatriation ceremony for the soldier remembered for his empathy with animals and the companion he loved.

Lance Cpl. Liam Tasker, a dog handler with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, was killed in a firefight with insurgents in Helmand Province on March 1 as he searched for explosives with Theo, a bomb-sniffing springer spaniel mix. The dog suffered a fatal seizure hours later at a British army base, likely brought about by stress. Military officials won't go so far as to say Theo died of a broken heart — but that may not be far from the truth.

"I think we often underestimate the grieving process in dogs," said Elaine Pendlebury, a senior veterinarian with animal charity PDSA. "Some dogs react very severely to their partner's loss." She said it was not uncommon for pets to respond to an owner's death by refusing food and becoming sick — and the bond between working dogs and their handlers is especially close. "The bonding that I have seen between soldiers or police and their dogs is fantastic. When you see them working together, it's really one unit.""I love my job and working together with Theo," Tasker said in a profile of the pair released by the Ministry of Defense before his death. "He has a great character and never tires. He can't wait to get out and do his job and will stop at nothing."

The soldier and the 22-month-old dog had been in Afghanistan for almost six months, uncovering roadside bombs and weapons in a dangerous daily routine. Theo became a bit of a military celebrity after the defense ministry released photos and video of him and Tasker to highlight the lifesaving work of military dogs. The footage, now deeply poignant, shows Theo energetic, ears cocked, tail wagging  alongside Tasker searching a compound for explosives. In it, Theo is seen feverishly circling the dusty area, his nose pressed to the ground. At one point he stops, tail wagging furiously, and begins digging the rocky earth before turning eagerly toward Tasker, who calls out "good boy!" and lets out a chortle of delight before tossing him a treat.

The Ministry of Defense said then that Theo had been so successful finding 14 hidden bombs and weapons caches, a record for a team in Afghanistan that the dog's tour of duty had been extended by a month. Tasker was the 358th British soldier to die in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Theo was the sixth British military dog killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001. There are calls for Theo to receive the Dickin medal, which since 1943 has recognized wartime bravery by animals.

Thank you Liam and Theo for your ultimate sacrifice and a job well done. May you both rest easy; together in peace.

Best of Luck Out There. -Mark

Digestibility of Performance Dog Foods

Today's dog food world can be compared to the American wild west of a begone era. There are very few laws and even fewer law enforcing regulators. Fact is, even federal agencies charged with providing product assurance do not require pet food manufacturer's to list how high or low the quality of their ingredients are on their labels. This makes it difficult to compare products of differing brands. However, many high quality food manufacturers are more than welcome to run independent "digestibility studies" to verify the quality of their ingredients and food formula's. Make note: if a company does not run these type of studies or is apprehensive about making these quantitative digestibility numbers public information...please rise now and raise the red flag of concern.

Here is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. There is an inverse relationship between a food's digestibility and the resulting fecal volume.

• Factoid: The HIGHER the digestibility of a dog food, the LOWER the fecal volume.

A dog(and any other living organism) can digest and utilize more nutrients in a higher digestible food therefore less stool is eliminated. I think this is simple science everybody can easily understand. To research the digestibility of your own dog's food normally requires a call to the manufacturer to get their foods combined protein digestibility percentage(although not required to be put on bags some high quality, reputable manufacturers display this information readily on their website)

There is a basic mathematical formula to determine the overall digestibility of the protein source. Take the crude protein percentage(found on bag) multiplied by the digestibility percentage(found by calling manufacturer) equals the true digestibility of the protein source. For example if the crude protein is 30% and protein digestibility is 84.6% multiply: 30 x 0.8460 = 25.38%. There you have it! A very quick and efficient method to discover how truly digestible the protein portion of your dog's food really is.


If you're feeding multiple gun dogs it is a good idea to know how digestible the food really is. It will save you a ton of money in the long run! The more they absorb during digestion, the less you need to feed!


Individual protein sources contain different levels of amino acids and each protein is different in its ability to be broken down into these amino acids. Hence, not all proteins are created equal as some are better than others. The ability of a protein to be used by the dog and its amount of usable amino acids is summarized as protein quality  or Biological Value, BV for short. Egg has the highest BV and sets the benchmark standard for which other proteins are judged at a 100 score. Fish meal are close behind with a value of 92. Beef is around 78 and soybean meal is 67. Meat and bone meal and wheat are around 50 and corn is 45.  These are just a few examples of the individual digestibility of common ingredients.

The bottom line is certain proteins are hard for dogs to digest therefore they pass them without absorbing the needed nutrients in a timely manner. The result can hit your wallet or pocket book as well. The lower the digestibility of the food the MORE your have to feed to fulfill your dogs needs. The higher of course, the less! Hopefully by using the basic formula posted above and doing your own research and due diligence the conscience gun dog owner can get to the "meat" of the food he or she is shelling out hard earned cash for every month. Sorry, Pun completely intended.

Best of Luck Out There. -Mark