How we feed our dogs
Dogs, lions and tigers are all carnivores and in nature, none attempt to live on dry food. However, many vets are teaching their clients to feed only dry food. The stomachs and intestines of the dogs prey contain predigested vegetation and provide the meat eaters with much needed minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll and other nutrients necessary for excellent health and longevity. Most of the carnivores like dogs, don't possess the enzyme cellulase to digest cellulose (fiber) like herbivores, such as rabbits, deer and other small prey, and carnivores depend on these fresh kills to provide these much needed nutrients. Dogs that are not confined will hunt small game and satisfy their natural need for these complex nutrients. When fed as we instruct at Keystone GSD, your dog will never have a 'doggy' odor!!
Our domesticated dogs have lived off our table, and around our campfires for thousands of years. They have shared our foods from our tables containing cooked vegetables as well as yogurt, cheeses, and meats and they have thrived. Dry kibble has only been around for about 30 to 40 years. Until very recently dry kibble dog food could not be found in most third world countries, consequently, most dogs living in less developed countries eat food from their owners tables. I'm convinced that this natural food diet is the reason those dogs have longer longevity than domesticated dogs living on a totally dry kibble food diet as regularly recommended by veterinarians.
The diet we feed our puppies and dogs consists of meat (chicken, turkey or canned Mackerel or other meats low in fat), eggs, vegetables, cod liver oil, yogurt, brewers yeast, vitamins, kelp, and garlic. We combine these ingredients and mix with Professional Breeders Formula Dry food, which is the only truly natural dry food formula we know. This dry food contains no soy, No by-products (in other words, no hair, hooves, manure, horns or chicken feathers), no preservatives like BHA or BHT, Ethoxyquin, etc. and contains only vitamin E to retard oxidation.
A complete packet of information including our Diet, Caring for your Dog, Training Information etc. accompanies each puppy we sell. This packet describes our feeding in great detail. We feed this diet to all of our dogs, which includes dogs here for boarding/kenneling and training. The most common question/comment from first visitors is: 'Why is there no bad odor here? OR Why don't these dogs smell/have a doggy odor?' Try our diet plan for your pets and you will see great overall health, beautiful coats, no mange or skin problems and dogs that don't stink.
Our packet described in the above paragraph, thoroughly teaches you how to recognize symptoms of parasites, protozoas, etc. to assist you in deciding what to do when your dog begins to have problems. Dogs will get worms. We do not waste money on fecal exams because we can worm our dog for intestinal worms six (6) times annually for less money than we pay for two (2) fecal checks annually. These wormers that we use are non-prescription wormers. Our heartworm medicine, liquid Ivomectin, (the exact same active ingredient used to make Heartguard Heartworm Pills is sold over the counter (non-prescription), saving us $80.00 per year per dog on heartworm medicine alone (enough to feed our dogs correctly for eight months). Small breeds like toy poodles, lhasa Apsos, etc. can be treated for heartworms for only $1.00 per year.
We spend less than $10.00 annually per dog at our veterinarian, because we have educated ourselves on how to properly care for our dogs.