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Weight Conversion Chart for Tube Feeding Puppies OR Bottle Feeding Puppies:
There are times when your newborn puppies mother is either unwilling or unable to properly nurse and care for her newborn babies, she may have had complications requiring a C-Section and if she was spayed her milking and mothering hormones have been removed with her ovaries. Maybe she has developed eclampsia and the puppies need removed, or maybe she has mastitis and they need removed or worst case scenario she died after whelping. Possibly it's something as simple as a very, very large litter of big thriving Doberman puppies, regardless of the reason here is a handy chart for determining how much formula your puppy should be consuming each day. Please divide the amount of formula into 6 equal feedings which will ensure the adequate amount of food being fed to your puppies every 4 hours. If you don't own a weight scale now is the time to purchase a good digital scale, you will need to weigh your puppies every 12 hours to make sure they are gaining. Remember this is just a guideline, not a set in stone formula, adjust according to your puppies breed and rate of growth. And WEIGH THOSE BABIES! CLICK HERE FOR GOATS MILK PUPPY FORMULA FORMULA WEIGHT: 1/2 ounce formula = 15cc 1 ounce formula = 30cc> 1 ounce = 28.3 grams PUPPY WEIGHT: 1 oz. = 8.3 grams 15cc daily 2 oz. = 56.6 grams 15cc daily 3 oz. = 84.9 grams 15cc daily 4 oz. = 113.2 grams 30cc daily 5 oz. = 141.5 grams 30cc daily 6 oz. = 169.8 grams 45cc daily 7 oz. = 198.1 grams 45cc daily 8 oz. = 26.4 grams 60cc daily 9 oz. = 54.7 grams 60cc daily 10 oz. = 83.0 grams 75cc daily 11 oz. = 311.3 grams 80cc daily 12 oz. = 339.6 grams 90cc daily 13 oz. = 367.9 grams 90cc daily 14 oz. = 396.2 grams 105cc daily 15 oz. = 424.5 grams 105cc daily 16 oz. = 452.8 grams 120cc daily 17 oz. =481.1 grams 120cc daily 18 oz. = 509.4 grams 135cc daily 19 oz. = 537.7 grams 135cc daily 20 oz. = 566.0 grams 150cc daily 21 oz. = 594.3 grams 150cc daily 22 oz. = 622.6 grams 165cc daily 23 oz. = 650.9 grams 165cc daily 24 oz. = 679.2 grams 180cc daily 25 oz. = 707.5 grams 180cc daily 26 oz. = 735.8 grams 195cc daily 27 oz. = 764.1 grams 195cc daily 28 oz. = 792.4 grams 210cc daily 29 oz. = 820.7 grams 210cc daily 30 oz. = 849.0 grams 225cc daily 31 oz. = 877.3 grams 225cc daily 32 oz. = 905.6 grams 240cc daily 33 oz. = 933.9 grams 240cc daily 34 oz. =962.2 grams 255cc daily 35 oz. = 990.5 grams 255cc daily 36 oz. = 1018.8 grams 270cc daily 37 oz. = 1047.1 grams 270cc daily 38 oz. = 1075.4 grams 285cc daily 39 oz. =1103.7 grams 285cc daily 40 oz. = 1132.0 grams 290cc daily
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FAQ – Pet Cancer, Alternative Treatments Written by Webster Kehr, Independent Cancer Research Foundation, Inc.|Last updated on April 29, 2015
Pet Cancer Sites My intent in this article is to point the reader to those who have pet cancer expertise. I have collected a few web sites that discuss and specialize in pet cancer alternative treatments. Also, I have received other links from those who have been so kind as to share them with me. First of all, there is a Yahoo forum for pet health: Yahoo Group for Pet Health Cesium chlorideis a product widely used by humans on their cancers, especially advanced cancers. Here is a vendor that has put together a package of products for pets. He has put together several very good base treatments, especially for advanced cancers. Of course, you can add most other pet cancer treatment products to this treatment. Essense-of-Life Pet Products I might add that Larry of Essense of Life is an expert on using his products on pets. For example, he uses an entirely different dose of cesium chloride on dogs of 100 pounds than he does on humans of an equal weight. Contact Larry about questions on his products. Another cancer treatment that I have noticed that is frequently used with pets is Essiac Tea. Here is an article, with vendors, for Essiac Tea: Essiac Tea Article The Dirt Cheap Protocol, the most commonly used cancer treatment for humans on this website, can also be used for pets. Honey is perfectly safe for dogs, but it is up to the reader to determine the safety of individual products for specific types of pets. For pets I would suggest between 6 and 10 of the items, with doses adjusted for weight. See the left side-bar. One final note. I do NOT recommend the Breuss cancer treatment for pets. The laws of biology would state that it would still take 42 days for the treatment to work for pets, like it does for humans. However, pets should not be put on a 42 day fast. Tumors In Pets – The Kelmun Protocol (Cancer Also)The Kelmun Protocol (baking soda and maple syrup) has done very well at shrinking tumors. It is both a highly alkline protocol and it contains a “trojan horse” (maple syrup) to allow the baking soda to target cancer cells. The dose of baking soda should be 1 TEAspoon for pets over 60 pounds and for pets less than 60 pounds a proportionately lower dose. It should be combined with juicing (e.g. carrot juice with a tablespoon of beet juice) and “green drinks” and hopefully an electromedicine protocol, such as the High RF Frequency Generator with plasma amplifier (which does not need “skin” to make a connection). Also see the “Dirt Cheap Protocol” for more ideas to add to the Kelmun Protocol: Dirt Cheap Protocol Also see the “Inexpensive Cancer Treatments” article, which is linked to on the left side-bar (the column of links on the left side of most pages). Pet Cancer Site (Primarily for Dogs)Tony Isaacs, whom I have known for many years, has a website for pet cancer. He doesNOTrecommend oleander products because they are too hard on their digestive tracts. What he does use is inositol/IP6, colloidal silver, etc. Here is his website The Best Years in Life Website Here are some excellent general sites: http://www.evolutionsupply.com/ http://www.charlesloopsdvm.com/ http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/AnimalWellness/Acancer.aspx http://www.katberard.com/healthcare.htm (see Essiac Tea warning) Here is a site with a special Transfer Factor formula for cats (e.g. feline): http://www.shirleyswellnessnews.com/tf/feline_complete.htm This site links to other sites for pet cancer issues. http://www.thensome.com/petcancer.htm Here are some links to discussion groups: This is the feline-cancer holistic support group of Jim Hale, where there are a lot of other useful links https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FelineCancer-Holistic/info A ‘general’ feline-cancer support group, where alternative approaches are discussed https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/feline-cancer/info A group meant for people who have to deal with mammary cancer in their cat. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FelineMammaryCancer/info Here is the Dutch speaking feline-cancer support group of Christel Smit https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/KattenMetKanker/info When Mother Nature provides the medicine...People all across the world are scrambling to find natural solutions to their health problems. Of all the “alternative” options, essential oils are currently the hottest trend toward regaining control of your health! Register for FREE now! Important Things You’ll Learn About Essential Oils:● Understand what essential oils are and why they are popular today ● Why essential oils are nature’s BEST medicine ● How to use essential oils safely and effectively ● Tips for regaining control of your health with essential oils ● Pain and stress remedies using essential oils ● Culinary uses for essential oils ● How to use essential oils for high performance health ● Essential oils for animal aromatherapy ● And so much more! Read Morehttp://www.cancertutor.com/faq_petcancer/  Apple Cider Vinegar Tea Body Rinse
Introducing the yeast-smashing homemade spray for your dog! This body rinse can be useful to restore skin pH, soothe itchy skin, calm rashes and welts, and has some added benefits for keeping biting flies, fleas and gnats at bay. Mix the following ingredients together in a bottle/jar with cap and shake well before use: Apple Cider Vinegar: 1/2 cup Brewed Green Tea (cooled): 1/2 cup Distilled Water: 1 cup Apply to clean skin and coat, massage, rinse, and pat dry. Getting Started With Chinese Herbs
BY NANCY SCANLAN, DVM Published: 2010.06.03 03:16 PM Some veterinarians are worried about the safety and possible toxicity of Chinese herbs, but this is not a concern when you buy from the companies commonly used by veterinary herbalists. Companies in China that do not have an American counterpart may add adulterants or toxic substances. Which companies have quality-control procedures and follow U.S. good manufacturing practices? Examples include Golden Flowers, Health Concerns, Jin Tang Herbals, K’an Herbals, May Way, Natural Path and World Herbs (Darcy Naturals). All these companies examine raw herbs to ensure the right species, avoid the use of toxic species and submit both the raw ingredients and the final product to laboratory tests. In addition, one company uses organic herbs. At least three of the companies import raw herbs from China and process them in the U.S. The companies belong to quality assurance groups such as the National Animal Supplement Council and the Chinese Herbal Medicine Coaliti, which work with the Food and Drug Administration to establish certification standards for safe and effective use of their products. All have experienced herbalists as founders or staff members. All give or sponsor continuing education, enabling practitioners to better understand their products. “Chinese Herbal Patent Medicines: The Clinical Desk Reference,” by Jake Fratkin, is an excellent reference for more detailed information on Chinese patent medicines, including tainted ones. Read the LabelLooking for Chinese herbal formulas on a label, it appears that all are proprietary. Ingredients are listed from most to least, without specific grams for each. When the formula is a “Chinese patent formula,” it is one of more than 10,000 formulas available from more than 200 books, which specify the proportions of each herb to include in a formula. These formulas have been in use for periods of hundreds to thousands of years, giving substantial time for both verification of action and side effects. In addition, there are Chinese herbal materia medica which give specific doses of each herb. An experienced Chinese herbalist can tell by looking at the formula what the relative amounts are and what the indications are for the formula. The Chinese use combinations, not single herbs, to treat a problem. There is a primary herb, which produces the main action desired, and other herbs may decrease side effects, increase the activity of a product through synergy or address lesser symptoms associated with the main problem.Using a smaller quantity of each of two herbs may have a more beneficial effect—fewer side effects—than using a larger quantity of a single herb. Western medicine sometimes does the same thing—for example, when we use several drugs to treat congestive heart failure. Dosage Chart for Human FormulationsWhen using a product designed for animals, follow the recommendations of the company. If you use human formulations you will need to adjust the recommended dose. They generally come in tablets, tea pills (small round pills) and granules. Doses for each form of a human formulation are as follows: WeightHealth Concerns TabletsGolden Flowers Tablets Tea PillsGranules0-25 lb 0.5-1 BID0.5 BID1-2 BID0.5-1 gm BID25-50 lb1-1.5 BID0.5-1 BID3-4 BID1-2 gm BID50-75 lb 1.5-2 BID1-1.5 BID3-4 BID2-3 gm BID75-100 lb2 BID1.5-2 BID5-6 BID3 gm BID100-125 lb2-3 BID2 BID5-6 BID3 gm BIDWhat’s in a Name?The names of most Chinese herbal formulas sound funny to the American ear. If one does not translate them, the Chinese names are unfamiliar (such as Gui Pi Tang) and often long (such as Liu wei di huang wan). Literal translations are also problematic (“Restoring Spleen Soup” and “Six Flavor Rehmannia Pill”). Just as one Chinese term for headache literally translates as “head wind,” the term “spleen” means different things to Chinese and Americans, and Gui Pi Tang does not do what you might think it does. Most American Chinese herbal companies follow this path, but you should not judge the efficacy of a formula by the fact that the name seems strange. Odd names should not stop the practitioner from using Chinese formulas. They have a place in Western medicine, addressing areas for which we have no good Western answers. For example, some Chinese formulas are effective against MRSA and other highly resistant infections. Formulas for arthritis have far less effect on liver, kidneys, and the GI tract than COX-2 inhibitors. Some formulas can help reduce or eliminate the need for corticosteroids in dermatitis cases. The easiest way to get started is to use formulas that have a straightforward action, where you do not have to understand Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory in order to use them. If you read the Chinese rationale behind them, you can absorb a little TCM knowledge and eventually gain a better understanding of why you should use other formulas that are more fine-tuned for specific problems. Good ExamplesHere are chronic conditions and the Chinese formulas I use for them. Unless otherwise noted, the first name is the Health Concerns product; the others are the Chinese names, if ordering from other companies: • Anemia, including that caused by chemotherapy: Marrow Plus • Arthritis with inflammation: Mobility 2 (Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang) • Atopy: Skin Balance (Health Concerns original formula) • Atopy with rhinitis: Xanthium Relieve Surface (Bi Yan Pian) • Cancer: Power Mushrooms (combination of Chinese mushrooms with anti-cancer effect. Can be given with most chemotherapy except immune suppressants) • Canine cognitive dysfunction: Flavonex • Cystitis, including that with resistant bacteria: Akebia Moist Heat or Ba Zheng San • Demodectic mange: Enhance (Quan Yin formula designed by Misha Cohen OMC, L. Ac.) • Incontinence (urinary and fecal)—also helps lumbar pain: Rehmannia 8 (Shen Qi Wan) or Backbone (Bu Shen Huo Xue) • Muscle spasm (severe): SPZM (Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang) • Muscle spasm (chronic): Ease 2 (Chai Hu Gui Zhi Tang, or Bupleurum and Cinnamon) • Prostatitis, enlarged pros-tate, prostatic cysts: Essence Chamber (Combination of saw palmetto with Chinese herbs) • Pruritis: Si Wu Xiao Feng Yin No. 3 from Darcy Herbs • Pain relief: Channel Flow (Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan) > • Rhinitis or sinusitis (chronic): Nasal Tabs 2 • Vestibular syndrome: Gastrodia Relieve Wind or Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin. This article first appeared in the June 2010 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Nancy Scanlan practices at Shasta Lake Veterinary Clinic in Shasta Lake, Calif. She is immediate past president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Assn., president of the Veterinary Botanical Medical Assn., and president and founder of the California Veterinary Holistic Medical Assn. Her book, “Complementary Medicine for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses” (Wiley-Blackwell), is due out in January. FOOTNOTES:1. Robinson, Narda, Top 10 Holistic Traps, Veterinary Practice News, June 2008 2. Review of Adulteration of Chinese Patent Medicines with Synthetic Drugs, HerbalGram. 2004;61:22-23 American Botanical Council 3. note: all these companies have websites describing their practices 4. NASC, National Animal Supplement Council, PO Box 2568, Valley Center, CA 92802. 5. Editorial staff, AAOM Forms Herbal Medicine Coalition, Acupuncture Today May, 2001, Vol. 02, Issue 05 accessed on 2/28/2010. 6. Fratkin, Jake, OMD, LAc, Chinese Herbal Patent Medicines: The Clinical Desk Reference, Shya Publications, Boulder CO, 2001 7. Personal communication from Huisheng Xie, DVM, Ph.D. 8. Bensky, Dan et al., Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition, Eastland Press, Seattle, WA 2004 9. Beebe, S., DM et al., Clinical Handbook of Chinese Veterinary Herbal Medicine, Herbal Medicine Press, Placitas, NM, 2005 p. 27-28. 10. Zuo GY et al., Screening of Chinese medicinal plants for inhibition against clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Nov 20;120(2):287-90. Epub 2008 Aug 28. 11. Beebe, S., op. cit. p. 37 12. Schwartz, Cheryl, Four Paws, Five Directions, Celestial Arts Publishing, Berkeley, CA 1996 p. 154.  Unique Dobermans ships nearly all of our Doberman puppies by air. Our Doberman puppy buyers live all around the world, so essentially the only reasonable method of transporting our beloved Doberman puppies is by air. I would much rather see one of our Doberman puppies flown to their new home than stopping at every fecal, virus and bacteria infested truck stop and rest area for miles or even days while traveling across state lines in a van, car or truck. A trip across the country by auto transport will leave a puppy inside it's crate for DAYS! A flight across country will take hours and our vulnerable Doberman puppy will not be exposed to serious disease causing pathogens at every stop. In all the years and literally hundreds of puppies and adults shipped all around the world, we've only had 2 dogs "misplaced" for a bit when they didn't make a connection. The fines to airlines for harming a pet are quite significant and we believe they do everything in their power to prevent accidents.  Natural Treatment Options For Your Dog’s Seizures Homeopathic treatment can be can be very effective for reducing the frequency and severity of seizures in dogs.
Our Dobermans are not pampered indoor couch potatoes or protected and caged kennel dogs. Our Dobermans are our personal family dogs and as such live on a ranch where they encounter horses on a daily basis and cattle, sheep and other livestock regularly. Fortunately only one of our Dobermans in the 80's developed a head tremor in his old age which i'm sure was probably due to a head trauma suffered on the ranch at one time or another. We are vocal proponents of using natural and homeopathic remedies when at all possible, here are some of our findings regarding seizures and your dog: A study done in 2007 tested a single remedy, Belladonna 200C, in ten dogs with idiopathic (no known cause) epilepsy. During the seizure phase, 3 to 4 drops of Belladonna were given at 15 minute intervals, until the researchers saw a considerable reduction in seizure activity; then it was given four times daily. Dogs with head shaking syndrome as well as seizures were also given 3 to 4 drops of Cocculus 6C weekly for an additional three months. In this study, the numbers of fits reduced to just two or three during the first two weeks of the study, and then became occasional in next two weeks. With the continuation of Belladonna, no fits were observed during the two to seven months of follow-up. In two cases, epileptic fits reappeared within 15 to 25 days after stopping the homeopathic treatment. When the Belladonna was resumed, the seizures were again controlled. This success was seen with just one or two remedies. There are also other homeopathic remedies that can help reduce seizure activity in your dog. These include: Aconite Useful for both attendant and patient! The sudden onset fits the picture, and fear is sometimes seen just prior to the fit. Belladonna Another remedy where suddenness is a feature, together with the violence of the convulsions. There is great sensitivity during the fit, and the slightest external stimulus will keep it going. The attack usually involves a single fit rather than a cluster. As it is the acute of Calc carb, it is often of use where that is the indicated constitutional remedy. Bufo This has the reputation of the keynote of fits occurring during sleep. In actual fact, the link is to night and sleep combined. The other feature is worse in a warm room. There is often a howl at the start of the fit. Cicuta virosa A distinctive feature here is that during the spasms, the head is thrown back and to the side, so that the muzzle rests on the shoulder blade facing towards the tail. Cocculus A very useful remedy, its connection with vertigo gives it its place in this context. Hyoscyamus Related to Belladonna and Stramonium, this is also an excellent “local” remedy. Its picture is characterized by excessive movements of the face, both prior to a fit and at other times. Kali brom As Potassium bromide this is used as a conventional anti-convulsant and it is also employed as a homeopathic remedy. The timing of the fits is often linked to estrus, and there is marked excitement before they start. Silica, having both convulsions and “ailments from vaccination” in its picture, is extremely useful when seizures are vaccine induced. NOTE: Don’t try giving these remedies to your dog – discuss these remedy choices with your homeopathic vet before treating your dog. If you don’t have a homeopathic vet, you can find a great homeopathic vet here who is close to you or is willing to guide you with phone consults. Seizures and epilepsy are typically the result of chronic, long standing disease and this makes the choice of remedy difficult. Consult with your homeopathic vet to find the proper constitutional remedy for your dog, one that matches your dog’s unique personality, emotions and physical symptoms. Unlike conventional medicines, homeopathy won’t contribute to your dog’s toxin buildup, and this gives him the very best chance of saying goodbye to seizures forever.  HOW TO MAKE THE RENE CAISSE HERBAL TEA Ingredients 1.5 litres of bottled still water (or filtered water) 15g dry herb mix Utensils Saucepan with a well fitting lid 1 heatproof measuring jug 1 fine gauge sieve Spoon 3 x 500ml glass bottles with tight fitting lids (easily purchased from your local chemist) Sterilise all equipment by either heating in the oven to 150oC/gas mark 2 for 20 minutes, using a sterilizer or using bottle sterilizing solution. Stage 1
Stage 2
 Battling Cancer with Essiac Tea
Essiac may help your pet's health by:
As a general guide for treating animals, it is best to assess the dosage according to your pet's weight. 15 to 40lbs (7 - 18kg): 1/2 ounce of tea, twice per day 40 - 80lbs (18 - 36kg): 1 ounce of tea, twice per day Over 80lbs: 2-3 ounces of tea, twice per day The best results are seen in animals who had a much larger dose than these recommended doses. However, an issue with large doses for pets is the amount of Rhubarb they end up taking. Rhubarb is a laxative, and that is probably the main reason it is needed in essiac. In the first 70 years of the 20th century chemotherapy regimens tended to cause constipation, and that is not the case anymore. Dogs have much shorter digestive systems than people, and they are much more susceptible to diarrhea. So the larger dose of essiac must be balanced against the amount that can be taken without causing diarrhea. One way to decide what the dose for a pet ought to be is to increase the amount until they get diarrhea and then back off. WHO SHOULD NOT TAKE THE ESSIAC TEA: If your dog has kidney disease, are prone to kidney stones, or kidney infections. The varying amounts of oxalic acids in this tea are irritating to the kidneys. If your dog has have a bowel obstruction or diarrhea. Properties in this tea promote peristalsis (the action by which the bowel moves it's contents through). In the case of diarrhea, valuable fluids and electrolytes are lost through the rapid emptying of the intestines. Prolonged diarrhea can result in dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. If your dog has ulcers or colitis. The Essiac has an action of being a laxative or cathartic (depending on how much you take). Some properties in this root can be highly irritating to ulcers and colitis, exacerbation (or worsening) these conditions. If your dog has tumors that are encroaching on a major blood supply or an area of an organ that expansion of the tumor could have dire consequences. In Rene's work, she reportedly noticed that in the beginning phase of a person taking this tea, the tumor could appear to enlarge before it began to break down. (One of the reasons she was adamant that they take very small doses.) If you notice any sudden pain or untoward symptoms after beginning this tea, stop taking it. If you have a brain tumor. In Rene Caisse’s work, she noticed that many times the tea seemed to make the tumor initially grow, then break down. This can be extremely detrimental in the brain tissue. Rapid or excess growth can put pressure on areas of the brain that affect body/mental function. If the tumor would break down, it can release pieces of the malignant tissue which could cause a stroke. Circulation in the brain is unlike the rest of the body. Methods of Administering Essiac to Pets Administer one hour before or two hours after a meal whenever possible. Best method - directly via syringe, eye dropper, turkey baster (large pets) food dish, etc. Alternative methods - mix with broth (beef, chicken, or fish) or with water; mix with food (if no other method works). You should bare in mind that giving your pet essiac tea will make them thirsty, therefore make sure they have plenty of water available. This will have a secondary beneficial effects on their health, by making them drink plenty of water. Watch for diarrhea when giving your pet essiac, if it is excessive cease giving your pet essiac until you have rid the problem and then start back on a smaller dosage..  Beanny's Anti-Cancer Diet
Morning 2 ounces Essiac tea before breakfast (on empty stomach) Breakfast 1/2 cup brown rice (preferably organic and non-instant) Two boiled chicken breasts (preferably organic). Sardines can be substituted a few days per week. 1/3 cup chopped broccoli 2 chopped shitake mushrooms 1 clove chopped garlic 1 scoop NuPro all Natural Dog Supplement (see link on left) 3 St. Jon Naturals Shark Cartilage Tablets with Glucosamine HCI for Dogs (I don't believe this is available any more. You can substitute bovine cartilage). 2 Fresh Factors tablets (see link on left) Selenium (200 mcgs) Omega 3 Fatty Acid (Fish Oil) vitamin Alfalfa tablet (1000 mgs) Mid-Day Snack 2 tablespoons fresh pressed organic flaxseed oil mixed with 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (Barleans is a good brand) Dinner 1/2 cup brown rice Two boiled chicken breasts or lightly cooked fresh calves liver (alternate every other day) 1/4 cup chopped carrots Co-enzyme Q-10 (30 mg) Evening Snack Marrow beef bone (frozen, then microwaved for 1 minute) Bedtime 2 oz. Essiac Tea Notes: This diet was developed for a 120 lb. dog. Portions will need to be altered according to your dog's weight. If your dog won't drink the Essiac tea straight, try pouring 2 oz. on a plate and soak it up with whole wheat bread. My dog loved it! We offer online shopping for some of the more specialized supplements on Beanny's diet through Amazon.com.  Cardiac Diseases:
Dr. John D. Bonagura, D.V.M., M.S., Dr. Kate Meurs, D.V.M., Ph. D., Dr. Virginia Luis Fuentes, D.V. M. Diseases of the heart can be subdivided into cardiac malformations (birth defects of the heart or major blood vessels) and acquired diseases of the heart. Malformations – also called congenital heart defects - are present at birth. Most congenital defects are believed to be genetically predisposed. Acquired heart disease refers to a problem that is not present at birth, but is "acquired" during life. Many acquired diseases have a genetic basis, but the actual condition is not evident until the dog grows or is fully mature. Doberman pinschers are particularly prone to an acquired heart disease that affects the heart muscle. This condition is properly called dilated cardiomyopathy, and is often referred to by breeders by the nonspecific abbreviation "cardio." Normal Heart Function The normal canine heart consists of four chambers covered by a thin membrane (the pericardium). Blood returns to the heart via veins, emptying into blood reservoirs (the left atrium and right atrium). Two muscular chambers pump blood to the body (left ventricle) and to the lungs (the right ventricle). The filling and pumping of the heart are coordinated by an electrical system that begins in the cardiac pacemaker (the sinus node) located in the right atrium. Current spreads systematically across the atrial chambers, is delayed slightly in the atrioventricular node, and then rapidly spreads downward across the muscle of the ventricles. Electrical activation of heart muscle cells stimulates contraction of the cell and the entire heart chamber. Coordinated contraction and relaxation of the heart is responsible for the development of blood pressure in the arteries and the circulation of blood throughout the body. Blood is kept moving in one direction within the heart chambers by a series of heart valves. There are four valves. One is located between the left atrium and left ventricle (mitral valve) and another is between the right atrium and right ventricle (tricuspid valve). There are two additional valves located at the outlets of the two ventricles. These are named for the great vessel connected at that site, the aortic valve and the pulmonic valve. Heart disease involves one or more of these structural components: the pericardium (pericardial diseases), the heart muscle (myocardial diseases), the heart valves (valvular disease), the electrical system (arrhythmias), or the blood vessels (vascular diseases). Congenital Heart Disease Congenital heart disease (CHD) includes a number of specific malformations of the heart and of the great vessels exiting the heart (aorta, pulmonary artery). Though congenital heart defects are not common in the Doberman pinscher when compared to other breeds, a number of malformations have been observed by veterinary cardiologists over the years. Examples of congenital heart defects include the following: _ Malformation (dysplasia) of the atrioventricular valves (mitral valve, tricuspid valve) _ Malformations of ventricular outflow tracts leading to obstruction of blood flow (aortic stenosis, pulmonic stenosis) _ Defects of the cardiac septa (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect) _ Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) _ Abnormal development of the great vessels or other vascular structures (such as persistent right aortic arch) _ Complex, multiple, or other congenital disorders of the heart, pericardium, or blood vessels (such as the tetralogy of Fallot) Detection - Virtually all congenital heart defects can be identified by veterinarians through careful use of the stethoscope (cardiac auscultation). This is very important, especially during the veterinary examinations conducted between seven and 16 weeks of age. The hallmark feature of CHD is a heart murmur. It is rare for a CHD to be present without a murmur. Infrequently, a murmur is present at birth but escapes detection during the initial examinations. The greatest difficulty arises in distinguishing a soft innocent (or puppy) murmur from that caused by CHD. Most innocent heart murmurs become softer and are no longer evident by the time the pup is 4 months of age. Should a heart murmur persist, a veterinary cardiologist should be consulted if possible. Hereditary basis - There is no doubt than many, if not most cases of CHD have a genetic basis. The work of Dr. D. Patterson in the 1960’s and 1970’s established clearly the genetic basis of CHD in a number of breeds (the Doberman pinscher has never been systematically studied for CHD). The mode of inheritance is rarely straightforward, and it may be difficult to determine if the sire, dam, or both are at fault. Currently there are no blood or tissue tests for determining carrier states. If CHD is detected in a dog, that dog should never be bred, even if the defect can be corrected surgically or by a cardiac catheterization. A veterinary cardiologist or specialist in congenital heart diseases should be consulted if possible. There are both breed and organizational systems of registry for CHD in dogs. Some breed organizations informally register dogs by requiring a letter describing the results of a cardiologist’s physical +/- Doppler echocardiographic examination. In the OFA system,dogs can be provisionally approved as puppies, but must be 12 months of age or older to receive final certification as "free from congenital heart disease." Specific forms are used by some registry organizations. Examinations can vary from a simple auscultation of the heart with a stethoscope to more detailed studies such as echocardiography or ambulatory electrocardiography (Holter ECG). Congenital vs. genetic? It is crucial to distinguish a congenital heart defect – a disorder present at birth – with an acquired heart disease. While an acquired heart disease condition, such as dilated cardiomyopathy, can most certainly have an underlying genetic basis, the disease is not considered a congenital heart defect. For this reason, registry organizations, such as the OFA, do not list cardiomyopathy under congenital heart diseases. Some organizations establish separate registries for congenital and for acquired heart diseases. Acquired Heart Diseases – General Considerations Acquired heart diseases include a variety of disorders. These can be summarized as diseases of the: _ Pericardium (the lining around the exterior of the heart) _ Heart valves (degeneration of the valves, infection of the valves or endocarditis) _ Myocardium (disease of the heart muscle) _ Impulse forming and conduction system of the heart (abnormal electrical activity of the heart, also called cardiac arrhythmias) _ Blood vessels (for example, heartworm infection injures the heart by damaging the blood vessels in the pulmonary arteries) Heart disease can also develop secondary to a problem elsewhere in the body, for example: _ Moderate to severe anemia can lead to heart enlargement and can precipitate heart failure in a dog with underlying heart disease (such as cardiomyopathy) _ Systemic hypertension (high blood pressure) from chronic kidney disease can cause the heart muscle to thicken (hypertrophy) _ Severe hypothyroidism (emphasis: very severe, not the usual forms) can decrease heart muscle function. However, there is no evidence that cardiomyopathy is caused by hypothyroidism. _ Excessive administration of thyroid hormone can increase the demand for heart work, enlarge the heart, and cause fast or irregular heart rhythms. Dogs at greatest risk are those taking relatively high doses (doses exceeding 0.75 mg twice daily). This condition can be detected by having the blood concentration of thyroid checked periodically (once a stable dose of thyroid supplementation has been initiated). Many Doberman pinschers receive thyroid supplementation, and this condition may be more common than realized. _ Tumors of the chest can press on the heat and impair heart function. The clinical signs of the above conditions are quite variable and a complete review of each disorder is beyond the scope of this discussion. Dogs with mild disease may appear completely normal. Common signs of heart disease include tiring or exercise intolerance, difficulty breathing or respiratory distress, inability to be comfortable when lying down, coughing, fainting, or collapse. NONE of these symptoms is specific for heart disease, but cardiac conditions must be considered. Diagnosis of the above conditions can be made by a combination of physical examination, x-rays, ultrasound examination of the heart (echocardiogram), electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests (usually blood tests). The acquired disease of primary importance to the Doberman pinscher breed is dilated cardiomyopathy, which is addressed below. Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Doberman Pinchers Definition - Cardiomyopathy in the Doberman pinscher is a genetically predisposed disease of the heart muscle. This heart muscle disease is "primary" and cannot be explained by another medical or cardiac problem. For example, cardiomyopathy in the Doberman pinscher is not caused by an endocrine (hormone) disorder, by diet, by narrowing of the coronary arteries, or by a heart valve problem. Many breeders refer to this heart condition by the abbreviation "cardio." Though this "word" is well entrenched among breeders and dog owners, it is neither an accepted name nor abbreviation for any disease (it is a prefix meaning "heart"). "Cardiomyopathy" (meaning heart muscle disease) is less ambiguous and is a preferable word. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most precise term for advanced cardiomyopathy associated with a failing heart muscle. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) occurs in many different species of animals as well as in people. The essential abnormality of DCM is inability of the heart muscle cell to contract normally. Furthermore, the heart chambers dilate increasing heart size. The best way to identify this reduced muscle contractility is with an echocardiogram (ultrasound examination of the heart). The precise trigger for this failure of muscle contraction is unknown, but is most certainly related to the presence of certain genes (alleles). Other factors (for example, sex, age, or specific breed line) probably influence the onset, development, or severity of DCM. These factors, while not completely understood, may explain some of the variation observed in this disease. The mode of inheritance has not been conclusively determined, nor is there currently a blood or tissue test available to identify affected individuals or carriers. The entire situation is very frustrating to breeders and veterinarians alike. The disease can develop at almost any age (from less than 6 months to greater than 10 years). There is no simple method to identify mildly affected dogs. Many dogs with otherwise excellent traits go on to develop this condition (often after successfully breeding for many years). There are two major clinical features of cardiomyopathy in Doberman pinschers. The first is reduced heart muscle contraction that can lead to heart failure (classic DCM). The second is electrical instability of the heart (arrhythmia) that leads to a heart rhythm that is too fast, too slow, or too erratic. These electrical disturbances often begin in the lower chambers of the heart, the ventricles. In their most malignant form, these arrhythmias can cause fainting or sudden cardiac death. Electrical disturbances can develop as an isolated problem (sometimes-called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy), or in association with obvious DCM. C. Calvert and M. O’Grady, two veterinary cardiologists who have worked extensively with this disease, have both suggested that isolated ventricular rhythm disturbances are quite common as an early sign of cardiomyopathy that will eventually progress to DCM. Occult Dilated Cardiomyopathy - Very subtle decreases in heart muscle contraction are not likely to be detectable by any clinical method, and these dogs represent "carriers" for the disease of DCM. Mild heart muscle failure may be detectable by sophisticated examinations, such as echocardiography, but may not be evident by other routine methods (stethoscope examination of the heart, x-rays, routine electrocardiogram). Both of these situations represent what has been called occult DCM (occult = something that is obscure or hidden from view). Occult cardiomyopathy usually refers to the following situation: an apparently healthy Doberman pinscher with echocardiographic evidence of reduced heart muscle contraction. The practice of screening for occult DCM with echocardiography is popular, but has caused some concern among veterinary cardiologists and breeders alike. There is no doubt that moderate to advanced DCM can reliably be detected by echocardiography. However, the situation is more difficult in "occult" disease. Most echo studies of the left ventricle depend on only two measurements to calculate the heart function (these are the left ventricular minor dimensions in diastole – the filling phase of the ventricle – and the ventricular dimension at end systole – after contraction of the ventricle). Dogs of most other breeds have a shortening fraction (value in diastole, minus the value in systole, divided by the value in diastole) of >25%. For example, if the diastolic dimension is 40 mm and the systolic dimension is 30 mm, the shortening fraction is 10/40 or 25%. Values of less than 25% are often considered abnormal. In fact, some laboratories use values as high as 28% to 30% as lower limits of normal. This has caused great consternation because hundreds (if not thousands) of long lived Doberman pinschers have a left ventricular shortening fraction of <25%. In fact, in a recent UDC screening (Luis Fuentes, Bonagura, Meurs, Hitchcock; unpublished data of May 1997), the average shortening fraction of dogs examined was approximately 26% using the short axis imaging approach, and only 22.5% using the long axis approach. Many of these apparently healthy dogs had a SF of <25%. These echocardiographic data have been interpreted in two ways. To some, it indicates that a large percentage of healthy Doberman pinschers have occult DCM. To others, it suggests that the normal values used for other breeds may not be applicable to the Doberman pinscher. This situation is also observed in some other larger canine breeds wherein normal values for shortening fraction often average 22 – 25% in healthy dogs. Another concern about current practices is the use of a single dimension to characterize the contraction of a three-dimensional structure. When other echo models of left ventricular function are used to characterize heart contraction, some dogs with "low" shortening fractions become normal. These issues have sparked some debate among cardiologists, and there is not a definitive study published in the scientific literature to answer this question. Thus, in the "healthy" dog with a low shortening fraction (say 18%) and relatively frequent ventricular arrhythmias, most cardiologists would have little reluctance indicating that the dog has occult disease. However, in the dog with a normal heart rhythm, normal chamber dimensions, and a ventricular shortening fraction in the 20 – 25% range, one may wish to exert some caution before labeling the dog occult DCM. This is especially true if follow up examinations (6 to 12 months later) show no obvious progression of any disease. The issue of the heart rhythm and the electrocardiogram is also important. There is evidence that ventricular arrhythmias may be the earliest sign of cardiomyopathy in some dogs. It is likely that many cases of sudden cardiac death in apparently healthy Doberman pinschers are due to asystole or ventricular fibrillation, the two lethal heart arrhythmias often associated with cardiomyopathy. In other words, the dog with ventricular arrhythmias may have occult cardiomyopathy despite a normal echocardiogram. These dogs may appear completely normal with the exception of an irregular heart rhythm. It may be difficult to detect sporadic arrhythmias, and for that reason, a routine electrocardiogram (EKG) is not likely to be an effective screening tool for occult cardiomyopathy. Despite suggestions that an EKG is a good screening test, there is no reported evidence that the typical 30 – 60 second EKG is useful for this purpose. Prolonged auscultation of the heart using a stethoscope (4 or 5 minutes) may be helpful, but even normal dogs can have some irregularity of the rhythm. Because of these limitations, the 24-hour, ambulatory ECG (Holter ECG) has been recommended to screen for cardiac arrhythmias and "arrhythmogenic" cardiomyopathy. These studies are best interpreted by a specialist in cardiac care. Unfortunately, such a screen is neither simple nor inexpensive. Moreover, normal results do not guarantee that DCM will not develop in the future. If occult DCM is diagnosed, then what is the best course of action? Firstly, one must consider the degree of confidence in the diagnosis. If relatively certain, then any future breeding is not advised. Initiation of treatment in otherwise healthy dogs also requires careful consideration. The issue of "prophylactic" therapy with an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (e.g., Enacard brand of enalapril; benazepril; lisinopril) i unresolved. These drugs can potentially slow the progression of heart muscle disease. There appears to be sufficient laboratory research to recommend such therapy in clear -cut cases of occult DCM. The use of medication to control irregular heart rhythms is much more complicated and controversial and is best determined after consultation with a veterinary specialist. There are no studies reporting the long-term benefits of therapy in Doberman pinschers with occult cardiomyopathy. Congestive Heart Failure - With moderate to severe heart muscle disease, the ability of the heart to pump can be compromised sufficiently to cause "symptoms" of heart failure. These signs can include exercise intolerance or development of edema fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema). Fluid accumulation in the lungs or in the abdomen (ascites) are clinical signs of congestive heart failure, a most serious condition. Cardiac arrhythmias may be present as well, including ventricular arrhythmias or atrial fibrillation. Diagnosis is usually straightforward, although the signs may resemble those caused by pneumonia or other respiratory diseases. However, a thorough clinical examination, chest x-rays,and an echocardiogram will permit an accurate diagnosis. Treatment of congestive heart failure typically includes diuretics (furosemide),angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (e.g., enalapril), and often digoxin. If cardiac arrhythmias are present, other treatments may be prescribed. Dietary restriction of sodium and supplementation with nutriceuticals (e.g., L-carnitine) or omega fatty acids is sometimes recommended; however, these treatments are more controversial and should be discussed with a veterinarian. The development of congestive heart failure in a Doberman pinscher is a very poor prognostic sign, and the likelihood of survival beyond 6 months, even with good medical therapy and home care, is probably < 25%. The arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, is a particularly ominous finding in this breed. Overall , congestive heart failure in the Doberman pinscher dog is a discouraging condition. Often this problem ends in sudden death or in euthanasia to prevent suffering from intractable heart failure. Resource: Doberman Information Page  10 Lbs quality hamburger meat with high fat content 1 jar wheat germ 1 lg box of old fashioned oatmeal (uncooked) 1 1/4 Cup coconut oil 10 eggs shells and all 10 sm pkgs unflavored gelatin 1 1/4 Cup unflavored molasses A pinch of sea salt 1 lg box Total cereal (2lb's) (You may also add a pinch of garlic powder to add flavor) Mix all ingredients together well with your hands, much like a meatloaf....roll into meatball sized balls and place on cookie sheet to freeze, thawing out as needed. It puts weight on in a very short time, not to mention the gloss in their coat. You can use it every day when they have a show to do and it does not produce diarrhea. It can be fed alone or with kibble. Satin Balls are also a great way to get medications into your dog as pills are easily hidden inside. BETTY LEWIS' SATIN BALLS 1 lb ground beef 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese 1 jar all natural peanut butter 1 jar (smaller of the sizes) wheat germ 1 doz egg yolks 1 cup or so of flaked oats soaked in heavy cream Mix up, form balls, freeze, feed as treats or food supplement. Marge Paszeks Fat Balls WEIGHT GAIN 1 lb hamburger 1 package cream cheese 1 dozen egg yolks 1 jar all natural peanut butter about 1 cup rolled oats soaked in milk 1 jar wheat germ Mix up, measure out, feed as needed. You'll need to mix it with your hands. It's hard to mix and messy. I usually make this with more hamburger (like, 2 or 3lbs) and freeze what I'm not using that day or the next. Fatten 'Em Up Quick Meatloaf!! 1 doz. Hard Boiled eggs, chopped 10 lbs of inexpensive hamburger meat 20 oz Jar of Wheat Germ 1 canister of Knox Gelatin, joint complex, (unflavored) 1 lg box of Total breakfast cereal 2 - 1 lb boxes of Quaker oatmeal, (the kind you cook) 1 1/2 cups Coconut Oil 12 oz jar of unsulfered Molasses 1/4 tsp salt 1 heaping tsp minced Garlic, (jarred variety or fresh, NOT dried) Box of 1qt Freezer bags Just dump all into huge pot and dig in. It takes some effort, and you will be up to your elbows, but you want to mix thoroughly. Separate into 14 freezer bags, gently squeezing out the air before sealing. Flatten out the bags, (this will allow for a quicker thaw period), and lay flat on a freezer shelf. Feed one packet each day, 1/2 in morning, half in evening. Breaking up into chunks, or rolling into meatballs. You can place one in the fridge each evening to thaw for the next day. OR a smaller batch, that you can flavor for variety.  Louise's Fedemma's Fat Balls WEIGHT GAIN Small heavy cream 1 doz eggs 2 blocks of cream cheese (room temp) 5 lbs ground beef -- (I get the 27% fat) 1 sm box TOTAL cereal (crunch up Total into small crumbs) 1 cup wheat germ mix dry ingredients Add heavy cream Add cream cheese MIX TOGETHER Add ground beef MIX TOGETHER Roll into balls -- I put them on cookie sheets and freeze, makes a lot --  1 to 1-1/2 # fatty raw hamburger 1/2 C wheat germ oil or wheat germ 1 pkg knox gelatin 4-1/2 tsp molasses or Karo dark syrup 3 egg yokes 4-1/2 tsp vegetable oil 3 C uncooked oatmeal Form into meatballs, place on cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen put in containers. To serve - microwave each meatball abot 30 seconds per meatball depending on size. Give 2-3 per day along with regular diet. 1 1/2 lbs hamburger 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped 1/2 cup wheat germ 1 envelope Knox Gelatin Joint complex, (unflavored) 5 tsp molasses 5 tsp Canola vegetable oil 2 1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal I cup Total breakfast cereal To the above you may add ONE of the following to add flavor and give variety! 1/2 lb Cooked and pureed beef liver OR 1 small can of tomato sauce/ 1 cup of cooked rice or pasta OR 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter OR 4 oz package of cream cheese Form into balls, layer in plastic freezer bags, freeze---remove several at a time to thaw, and feed as in between meal treats. Fattening Treats Doggie Peanut Cheese Balls 1 dozen hard boiled eggs, chopped 1 lb jar crunchy peanut butter 1 container of Quaker Oatmeal 2 cups of evaporated milk, (Don't dilute!!) 1 jar wheat germ 1 lb hamburger 8 oz. pkg cream cheese envelope Knox Gelatin Joint Complex, (unflavored) In one bowl, pour the evaporated milk over the oatmeal and put aside. Go have a cup of coffee, while you wait for oats to absorb the liquid! In a second Large Bowl, place all the other ingredients. Start mixing together, hands work best. Add the oatmeal and evaporated milk mixture, and mix again. When thoroughly blended, form into meatball sized treats, layering in a plastic freezer container. Freeze until needed. Remove a few at a time, allow to thaw, and feed as fattening snacks! FAT BALLS
1 dozen egg yolks 1 lb jar crunchy peanut butter 1 small container oats 1 jar wheat germ 1 lb hamburger 1 package cream cheese *Some versions of this recipe say to soak the oats in milk or cream first. Put the stuff in a big bowl and mix w/your hands. Roll into 3" torpedos and put in ziplock bags and freeze until needed. Feed one or two a day Home Prepared Diets for Canine Heart Disease
If your veterinarian has just given you the heartbreaking news that your beloved Doberman has DCM, here are a few suggestions from caninehearthealth.com that you may find valuable. Diet: As mentioned many times before, a home prepared diet is a must for your dog if you want him to heal from heart disease. Simply put it is part of the program, if you are not willing to prepare your dog’s meals, you might as well not do the program. I am not being harsh but that is the simple truth. The medical community is just catching up to what natural healers have known for a very long time. Many doctors are now reversing human heart disease, which was considered incurable not too long ago, with food as their medicine. Medical Doctors like Dr. Dean Ornish are curing people of heart disease without drugs or surgery, but by simply changing their diet. Dr. Gabriel Cousens of Arizona is curing people of Diabetes with… you guessed it, Whole Live Foods. Diet is the foundation of any true healing. Herbs are foods and many people forget that, they are actually super concentrated foods that hold God given properties that can help your dog heal itself of disease. Amounts to feed will vary according to the metabolism and activity level of each individual dog. Let your dog’s appetite and weight be the ultimate gauge, remember a dog on the leaner side is always healthier than an overweight dog especially when dealing with heart disease. Smaller meals fed often are easier on your dog’s system than large meals. While a healthy dog can easily be fed once daily, you may want to divide your dog’s daily amount of food into two or more smaller meals. Chicken and Rice This diet is broken down below into 10 pound increments. Find your dog’s weight below and the recipe will be a TWO day supply of food for your dog’s weight. 10 Pounds 1 1/2 Cups Cubed cooked boneless skinless chicken breast 1 1/3 Cups Cooked long-grain brown rice 1/2 Cup Pureed fruit and vegetables (minimum, please feel free to increase fruits and veg) 2 Teaspoons *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 20 Pounds 2 1/2 Cups Cubed cooked boneless skinless chicken breast 1 3/4 Cups Cooked long-grain brown rice 1 1/3 Cups Pureed fruit and vegetables (minimum, please feel free to increase fruits and veg) 1 1/2 Tablespoons *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 30 Pounds 3 1/4 Cups Cubed cooked boneless skinless chicken breast 2 1/2 Cups Cooked long-grain brown rice 1 2/3 Cups Pureed fruit and vegetables (minimum, please feel free to increase fruits and veg) 1 3/4 Tablespoons *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 40 Pounds 4 Cups Cubed cooked boneless skinless chicken breast 3 Cups Cooked long-grain brown rice 2 1/4 Cups Pureed fruit and vegetables (minimum, please feel free to increase fruits and veg) 2 Tablespoons *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 50 Pounds 5 Cups Cubed cooked boneless skinless chicken breast 3 1/2 Cups Cooked long-grain brown rice 2 3/4 Cups Pureed fruit and vegetables (minimum, please feel free to increase fruits and veg) 2 1/2 Tablespoons *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 60 Pounds 5 1/2 Cups Cubed cooked boneless skinless chicken breast 4 Cups Cooked long-grain brown rice 3 1/4 Cups Pureed fruit and vegetables (minimum, please feel free to increase fruits and veg) 3 Tablespoons *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 70 Pounds 6 1/4 Cups Cubed cooked boneless skinless chicken breast 4 1/2 Cups Cooked long-grain brown rice 3 3/4 Cups Pureed fruit and vegetables (minimum, please feel free to increase fruits and veg) 3 Tablespoons *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 80 Pounds 7 Cups Cubed cooked boneless skinless chicken breast 5 Cups Cooked long-grain brown rice 4 Cups Pureed fruit and vegetables (minimum, please feel free to increase fruits and veg) 3 1/2 Tablespoons *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. *any organic plant based oil blend that says 3-6-9 omegas preferably with DHA, UDO’s makes a very nice one. So, after lengthy visits in person, emails, phone calls or all of the above you have been selected by Unique Dobermans as a valued member of the Unique Doberman Parent Group.
You have placed your deposit and returned your puppy sales contract... now you wait... and wait. But there are many things to be doing while you are awaiting the final days of picking up your bundle of joy at the airport. You have toys to buy, puppy food to select from the list we provided, harness, leashes and collars. Then you need to think about training your new best friend! 1. Begin Potty Training at the airport: Take your puppy out of his crate and put a well fitting harness on, you will have needed to pick up a harness that will fit a 15 to 20 lb dog. Attach a flexi lead to his harness and have some yummy treats for him to follow you around with. REMEMBER, your new puppy will not be leash trained so... just have him follow you around on the flexi lead and not much else until he relieves himself. It might take him a few minutes to get all of his plumbing going again so please be patient, remember he's been holding it a long time. Depending on the length of his flight and the distance he will still need to travel to get to his new home, you may decide to offer him a small meal and a bit of fresh water before you begin traveling home. Remember that within 25 - 30 min after eating and drinking you will need to stop and let him back out to go potty. Or anytime he begins to cry excessively. 2. Teaching Come: Your puppy will be very food motivated so teaching him to come when called is one of the most easiest things to train your new puppy there is. Take your puppy outside to play and relieve himself, then already have a high value treat such as a small piece of cheese, steak, chicken etc. when your puppy seems distracted in exploring his new environment call him by his new name as enthusiastically as you can all while waving the piece of food in your hand. He will put the two together incredibly fast. Only ask him to come once or twice while out playing, don't overdo it! 3. Teaching your Doberman to Sit: Once your new Doberman puppy has learned to come you may begin to teach him Sit. Ask your puppy to come, but instead of giving him the treat immediately when he comes, wait until he sits instead. Call your puppy to you, then take your treat and put it in front of his face while gently pushing his rear end down into a sit position, as soon as he sits give him the treat and tell him how smart he is! Repeat this 4 or 5 times per day and at each feeding time as well. Ask your puppy to sit while you prepare to place his food dish down, expecting him to wait patiently. Most importantly we highly recommend that you have your puppies vitamins on hand so that his vitamin regimen is not interrupted, you can use the breeders discount by clicking here: http://www.nuvet.com/69685 8/27/2017 Essential elements of the type that characterize the Dobermann breed and judgment criteriaRead NowLearning is not an event Knowledge cannot be gained through a single event; in fact, it is the result of a continuous process of learning. So it is in every field and profession. For that reason, it’s not easy to judge or to breed. To judge correctly and to breed properly requires having lived some efficacious experiences through which we can gain the right conclusions that we can revise and continually improve by study and comparison. This allows the judge and the breeder to take part in the process of selection and genetic improvement of the dobermann and to decide on it.The official zootechnical evaluations (shows, aptitude tests, work tests) are useful for choosing – according to what is available from the phenotype – the best specimens for breeding and for excluding from it the ones that are presumed to be deteriorating.
Actually, it is the judgement to influence the breeding and both them work on selection and breed improvement. The judgement in canine zoognostic is the expression of an attentive and consistent evaluation written in a concise and complete way, that must correspond to a qualification and, if there’s comparison, to a list. However we have to keep in mind that when we judge dogs, the quality of the judge’s decisions depends on the interpretation of the standard of the breed according to his ability in order to:
Anyway, this choice cannot be arbitrary but, on the contrary, it must be closely connected with the precise principles stated by the standard of the breed. The judgement is the most important aspect, since a wrong judgement brings to wrong conclusions not only as far as the aspects of the morphological-functional evaluation are concerned, but also the character. I’m talking about morphological-functional evaluation because beauty, about dobermann, is essentially functional beauty, that’s to say of adaptation. This means that the standard requires the dobermann to have all those qualities that make him able to obtain the best performance with the minimum effort in the function he has been created for. So, the characteristics that take to concept of beauty are those that have a fundamental role in order to determine the breed type. The type is the essential element and if a dog lacks it he doesn’t belong to that breed anymore and he cannot be judged. Therefore with a dog who lacks in type or scarcely typical with such a dog we cannot breed. The ZTP test for the dobermann is based upon this principle. So we must explain clearly what we mean about the type. The type is the sum of the relative qualities required by the breed standard for each region of the body, in the respect of the fundamental elements constituted by the proportions between: height-length; height-body mass; height at the withers – length of the body; height of withers – height of chest and by the notes about character and behaviour that are included in the standard. The ideal type is obtained by respecting precise zoometric, physical and aesthetic parameters and avoiding excessive reinforcements that can cause damage to the image of the breed and, above all, to its use. In fact, the characteristics of the type concern both the structure and the movement and the nature and the basic qualities of the dog. To have a good eye for judgementThe judge has almost three minutes to evaluate each dog and to choose the more typical, with well developed secondary sexual characters, medium size and the most harmonious. So it’s easy to understand that a dog who is properly showed has more chances. The first questions a judge should make himself whilst evaluating a dog are:
Many dogs have the lower line longer than the upper line. This can be caused by an anterior angle too open that makes the dog appear longer than he really is or by a thorax hardly developed in height. Other dogs appear to be exactly square, but what about their croups? And their hind angles? Some others have enough long forequarters and narrow chests, is it serious? All these questions have precise answers that every breeder or dog lover should be able to give if they think and try to reason them out . Instead, this kind of approach should belong to a judge as an expert, it should be part of his judgement criteria and of his professionalism. Thus, to a judge the first impression is the dog on the whole, I’m talking about a judge who has a good eye for dogs. That’s to say that the judge is so mentally skilled and well trained that his brain, unconsciously, can catch the global image of the dog and immediately perceive the presence or the lacking in qualities. This makes the difference between an expert and a beginner: the expert realizes immediately what the beginner can see only at the end or can perceive by chance. Having a good eye for dogs is not a gift from nature, on the contrary it’s the result of a process slowly acquired. The observation about having a good eye, that we often hear at the ring, can be interpreted as the ability to make choices agreed by the public but without knowing the reason why. However this means “consensus on the judgement”, it’s nor science nor art. It’s important to have a good eye for something that other people approve, but to know why a particular characteristic is better than another is something very different from that. The expert judge is the one who can explain his choices by giving objective, convincing and technically incontestable reasons. To do that, besides having a high competence and knowledge about the standard, the anatomy, the canine zoognostic, the genetics and the zootechnics, the mechanics and the kinematics, the judge has to know the history, the present of the breed and the objectives of breeding too. That’s to say that he must know the point we started from, the situation we are and what we want to achieve. From this point of view, it’s up to breed societies to give the measures, also by giving guide lines and criteria. The analytical evaluationIn judging the dog by standing still, it would be better to subdivide the body of the dog into three parts head, body, and limbs, that are still subdivided in regions and sub regions. Each region must be identified, localized and limited on its relations with the surrounding regions and it must be described regarding its shape, position, length, height and direction in order to infer its qualities or faults. The analytical evaluation of a dog is based upon the careful observation of each region and sub region and the relations that are involved in forming the whole of him, unique and indivisible. The harmony of the whole comes out from the harmony of the single regions and sub regions, and in every breed it corresponds to a function that justifies the standard. The concept of harmony is essential, above all in the dobermann. In fact, the evaluation of the harmony of the whole is fundamental to the criteria of judgement since it also forms the basis of the judge’s ability to recognize whether a dobermann corresponds or not to the constitutional breed type, even before starting analysing the single quality and fault. The constitutional breed type is deduced from the standard, and it’s defined by:
The dobermann, as described and requested by the standard, is a galloping breed, with an alert temperament, a very developed cleverness, proud and self confident in every situations. His general appearance is of medium size, with a correct equilibrium between strength and elegance. So he must appear strong and muscularly built, powerful and elegant (by preferably being in the medium size accepted by the standard about the two sexes: 70 cm in males, 65/66 cm in females). His body is almost square, this means that in the dobermann the length of the body measured from the tip of the shoulder (shoulder blade – humerus articulation) to the tip of the buttock (ischium) is almost equal to the height at the withers. So, regarding his structure, the dobermann is an harmonious galloper, that’s to say that every regions of his body must be well proportioned in length, height and breadth, to the height at the withers and to the body as far as the volume and must have the right direction in comparison with the reference directrix. In the dobermann, the relations among the single regions are scientifically and coherently determined by that reason that he is a medium size galloper,, harmonious in his structure. Some examples of disharmony are: short head by comparison with the height at the withers or little in proportion to the body, back not well proportioned with the front, neck too weak by comparison with the body or too short in relation to the height at the withers, too little chest or too long forequarters in relation to the height at the withers. The dobermann is also harmonious in his outlines, that must be straight, that’s to say without interruption or jolts or tooaccentuate height differences. The outlines that we must consider in the judgement are those of the head, the lips, the neck, the back, the croup, the legs, the chest and the abdomen. The dobermann’s diametrical proportions are inferable by comparing the longitude diameters with the transverse diameters; these relations must therefore be those of a medium size galloper. When the transverse diameters prevail in a visible way we have the strong meso-morph type (shorter bones, fore chest excessively large, muscles developed in high rather than in length…); on the contrary, if thelongitude diameters prevail, we have the dolicomorph type (too long limbs, light head for length and volume, narrow fore chest, little developed chest in height, short and too much sloping croup, too rampant body top line, too much tuck up under line, light bones…). We must pay great attention to all that since at the base of the dobermann genetics there are both dolicho morph and strong meso morph dogs. In particular, we can represent that same genetic base by the geometric shapes hereby represented, from which it’s easy to realize the presence of Alex von Kleinwaldheim as common ancestor of all modern who still influences greatly and negatively the background inbreeding of many of them. Prof. Giuseppe Solaro used to say that the judgement should begin from the tip of the muzzle and finishes at the tip of the tail, going through all the regions of the body. Experience teaches the judge to synthesize in the judgement the positive and the negative elements that will determine the dog’s classification. I think that the real difficulty to judge correctly is that it’s easier to recognize the qualities rather than the faults in a dog. Maybe this is the difference, not even so thin, that marks the boundary between the expert judge and the profane. This should avoid seeing winning dogs with few faults but without qualities and class (style). We have already said that the judge, in the course of his job, has to comply with the standard of the breed because in it are described the normal type, that’s to say the ideal of the breed. I know well that the normal type is rare, anyway he’s the ideal to search for according to the morphological harmony and to the function. So, the best way to be useful to the breed is to try to achieve the type as described by the standard, through programs of breeding, shows and zootechnical tests. Working in a different way from this, means to make damage to the breed and also to their own breeding. I’m referring to the fact that some dog lovers, judges and breeders appear to be likely to exaggerate in the search for some characteristics of the type and do not pay the necessary attention to a correct selection of the normal and harmonious dobermann as described by the standard, promoting exaggerations of the type rather than recognize the quality in its right measure. In order to that, we must keep in mind that, in the dobermann, any deviation from the normality stated by the standard alters the harmony of the whole and or the function or a relative virtue, and, because of that, it must be considered a fault to be penalized according to its deviation from normality. Therefore, also each characteristic exceeding the type, that’s to say the hyper typical regions or sub regions are to be seen as a fault, since they alter the proportions or modify a relative virtue and don’t conform with the standard. It also happens that many people often confuse the absence of type with the hyper type. In fact, it’s wrong to classify as hyper type, for instance according to the characteristics of his head, a dobermann with a short muzzle and with a large and globular cranium. Who reasons in this way is certainly wrong, because he considers as hyper typical a head that in reality is out of type. Indeed, the hyper type, is the result of a genetic or environment forcing of a virtue, never of a fault. Hyper typical is a head 4/10 longer than the height at the withers, in which, for instance, the muzzle line is longer than the skull line, while the other relations are well kept. On the contrary it’s typical a head quite correct in proportions, axes, volume and outlines, even if longer than the height at the withers: “very good long head, parallel, shaped in the form of a blunt wedge and well proportioned, even if a little disharmonious compared with the height at the withers”. The same head with a muzzle line shorter than the skull line, or presenting another, not serious, fault in the proportions or in the lines, cannot be considered nor typical nor hyper typical; we can say that it is fairly or enough typical, but never very good or excellent. Once more, in the dobermann, we can consider hyper typical an eyelid with a tendency to bend inside to show an entropion, whereas this breed requires a thin and close lying eyelid, in a semi-lateral position in relation to the median axis of the cranium. This example, but it’s not the only one, represents also the case in which a deviation towards the hyper type can lead to disqualifying defaults. Now let’s take fore chest and chest into account. The fore chest is large, wide and muscular. Its width, measured at the upper front arms edges, must reach 25% the height at the withers. The manubrium of the breastbone must stay at shoulders point level. The chest must fall well (well developed in height), it must reach the elbow level; the ribs are long, well arched and oblique with well wide inter costal spaces. The lower edge of the fore chest, which overlaps with the lower edge of the breastbone, is long and its line makes a large chord semi circle that goes up towards the abdomen. The circumference of the chest must be almost ¼ more than the height at the withers. When the dimensions of the breast and chest are very smaller than the expectation and the whole forepart, from the ground to the tip of the funny bone is too long, that’s to say that it greatly exceeds the 51% of the height at the withers, everybody agrees that that dobermann is out of the constitutional breed type. Instead, it’s often considered as hyper type a dobermann with excessive transverse diameters, very wide chest, very large fore chest, powerful musculature and strong bones. I think this is a wrong way to reason about. In fact, if we consider the function and the speed normal dobermann must develop, I mean a dobermann corresponding to the standard, it’s easy to understand that even the dobermann who has been built to develop strength and not speed is out of the constitutional breed type, since he is slow and powerful, not rapid and full of temperament. In order to the normality and the hyper type, our late lamented dr. Valter Gorrieri wrote: “Milo, the great sculptor and harmony teacher, whilst modelling his Venus’ proportions, breast and gluteus, had the ability to limit the dosage without falling in those temptations that would have brought him to vain emphases, to form an ideal feminine beauty. Mirone followed these same principles sculpting his Discobolo. Both the artists shaped the image of a woman and of a man who, with exemplary normality, expressed an absolute virtue”. According to all that, I think that the general characteristics that define the dobermann can be summed up in a few words: “His general conformation is that of a meso morph with a perfect equilibrium between powerfulness and elegance, his body appears to be almost square, his structure and outlines are harmonious”. His principal characteristics of the type are:
The Italian school and our culture about selection and the about the morpho functional evaluation of the dobermann are essentially based upon three fundamental concepts:
In fact, 22 of the 57 regions that form the body belong to the head. So, it’s not wrong to say that the structure of the regions and sub regions that form the head marks for the great part the type of the dobermann. Naturally, the type of the head is not only due to its length and to the relation between the length of the skull and le length of the muzzle, but it’s due to the type and to the harmony of all its regions. One thing is to say “long and well in proportion”, other is to say “very typical head, parallel, well chiselled, shaped in the form of a blunt wedge, long and well in proportion and well detached from the upper edge of the neck; strong muzzle and jaw, tight lips; oval eyes in semi lateral position, dark ochre iris; correct stop, large and straight muzzle; correctly inserted nose, nostrils with large openings and mobile; flat cheeks; flat cranium; forehead furrow well visible; well contained zygomatic bone; eyebrow still visible; correct Occipital line; ear set high and well carried; thin throat…”. The dobermann ’s head is dolichocephalic; this means that its longitudinal diameter is more developed than the transverse one. Its total length (measured by the compass or then ruler from the upper front edge of the muzzle to the medium external point of the Occipital crest) reaches the 4/10 of the height at the withers; the length of the muzzle must be a half of the total length of the head, so that the one half of the total length of the head falls upon the horizontal line that links the interior angles of the eyes. The width between the two bone arches of the skull must be less than the half of the total length of the head; therefore the total head index must be more than 45. Head Index = Width x 100 / Total Length Seen from the profile and from the top, the dobermann’s head looks like a blunt wedge; seen from the side we can appreciate its upper outline that is straight like all the other outlines of the dobermann. About the head the straight profile coincides with a perfect parallelism between the axis of the skull and the upper axis of the muzzle. I want to use this occasion to give, according to scientific basis, a correct definition of these two axes or ideal planes, since it seems to me that many people still don’t know exactly how to individuate and to read in a way technically corrected the parallelism, the convergence and the divergence. I have seen recently a comment on the standard published by the American Dobermann Pinscher Club (they still call the dobermann “dobermann pinscher”…), with some drawings, very precise and very fine, but partly absolutely wrong, as wrong is the great part of the concepts that describe the salient points about the structure and the type of the breed. The head of all the dogs in the world submits to three upper outlines: straight, concave and convex. These outlines depend on the relation between the upper longitudinal axes of the skull and of the muzzle. This relation is called parallelism or convergence or divergence. The profile of the dobermann’s head is straight, like all its other outlines. This means that the upper longitudinal axes of the skull and of the muzzle are parallel. When the upper axis of the skull meets the upper longitudinal axes of the muzzle there is convergence. When the upper longitudinal ax of the muzzle meets the upper axis of the skull there is divergence. In fact, in these drawings by prof. Giuseppe Solaro, that represent the parallelism of the Setter, the mono convergence of the Pointer and the very marked divergence of the Italian Bracco, we can clearly see that the upper axis doesn’t not coincide with the upper outline of the skull, on the contrary it consists of the straight line or of the ideal plane that passes from the craniometrical point inion (corresponding to the medium external point of the occipital crest) to the craniometrical point nasion (corresponding to the point where the nasal bones meet the frontal bones). The axis of the muzzle, on the contrary, consists of the straight line or of the ideal plane that follows the upper outline of the muzzle, by linking the upper anterior extremity of the to its posterior extremity, that is at the halfway point of the transverse line that links the internal angles of the eyes. It’s often a little difficult, for those who don’t have a practised eye to catch the exact reference points, to say whether these two ideal planes or ideal lines are parallel or not, even because, looking at the dobermann’s head from side, the inion and the whole Occipital crest are invisible because hidden by the ears. In this case, a good method is to observe the upper axes while the dobermann is moving with his ears turned back. So everything will be clearer. I don’t want to give a particular attention to the faults of the head because, as I have already said, about it in Italy we have a good knowledge and good tradition that we ought to emphasize by further improve our products. However I’d like to point out the necessity of paying a particular attention not only to the proportion between the length of the skull and the length of the muzzle (many muzzles are still short) but above all to prominent noses in comparison with the front face of the muzzle and to thin and insufficient jaws often optically hidden by too developed lips rather than by a fleshy chin. These faults, partly improved during the last ten years, go together they are serious not only if considered themselves but because a pointed muzzle and a weak jaw usually denote a certain tendency towards undershot jaw. When this is absent, we often see lower incisors extremely inclined or little, in order to correct the shortness of the jaw. On the subject of tooth, it’s all right to pay attention to the alignment of the incisors during the first three years of life of the dog, but it would be more useful to pay the greatest care to the right shot between the incisors and the pre molars. In many dogs, the canines are too separated and the pre molars close badly. The judge should always notice these faults and penalize them according to their gravity. About that, we must consider that the faults concerning canines and pre molars that close badly often seriously condition the shot of the mouth and also the correct occlusion of the lower incisors with the upper ones. As far as the evaluation of the head, I only want to add two things. The first one concerns the eyes, the second is about the under orbital region. In a dog, the position of the eyes is very important because it is closely connected with the conformation of the orbits and of the skull, so it is a very important index of type. In the dobermann this position is semi lateral, even if to the minimum, according to the median axis of the skull. The eyelids are close lying and middle sized. They must be oval, neither round nor slit. The interior angle of the eyelid must be at the same distance between the front edge of the nose and the extreme external tip of the occipital crest. Therefore, there many dogs with eyes in sub frontal position and others in lateral position. Faults as such, fortunately not too common, are serious since they disfigure the expression of the breed. The eyes tell everything in a dobermann. His frank and direct look, expressive, ablaze and sometimes pushy, is his prerogative since it expresses the impetuous and generous being that characterizes our breed. However it’s very difficult to appreciate all that when we see a dobermann with little and deep set eyes. This absolute fault (that so is for all breeds), that we find more and more frequently in Europe, is genetically passed on and it often exceeds in microftalm that represent an out and out disease. So it’s correct that judges and breeders pay the greatest attention to this problem. According to the standard, the head of the dobermann, in each part, must not have wrinkles, the skin is thin and well close to underlying tissues, that’s to say absolutely soft and smooth, that makes you get a glimpse of the salient bones and the veins, as to emphasize its fine feature. This means that the whole head of the dobermann must be very well chiselled. In particular, the sub orbital region is strictly connected with this concept since its characteristics are determinant to exalt the dobermann’s expression and his type. The sub orbital region must be well chiselled; this means that it must have some protrusions that show a smooth and very thin skin, very little cellular tissue under the skin, muscles lightly developed. The sub orbital region includes a semicircle under the lower edge of the orbits. Its anatomic base is the upper part of the mascellar bone, part of the cheek bones and the orbits. Above all that, to be well chiselled means that the base of the cheek bone is little developed and so is the upper mascellar bone, which thinness shows the shapes of the two molars and of the sub orbital hole. All these shapes are more marked in a thin bone, as the dobermann should have, and are his particularities. Unfortunately the lack of these characters is rather common in Europe. It reveals thick skin, an exaggerate development of the under skin and muscular tissues as well as the mascellar bone and the base of the cheek bone, all that denotes scarce distinction: this fault is commonly called “kneaded head” or “not chiselled”. The dobermann ’s neck is like a blunt pyramid with the base down and a blunt top where the head is connected. The length of the neck, measured from the nape to the cranial edge of the withers, with the neck in distension, must be at least equal to the length of the head, or it must at least reach the 4/10 of the height of withers. Down, the neck must widen gradually and harmoniously toward the body: such harmony depends on the position of the shoulder blades and of withers; only high withers and well oblique shoulder blades make possible this harmonious fusion both on the sides and in high. In the dobermann, the neck must be carried erect, proudly and with nobility. The neck must be well muscled and this is very important because these muscles condition the movement of the dog (head-neck balancing) and are important for the movement of the arm and of the shoulder and for the solidity of the dorsal – lumbar region during the movement. A weak neck, fortunately rare to find in our breed, is a very bad fault in every breed; in fact, besides being disharmonious in comparison with the other regions of the body, it reveals weak physical structure and scarce endurance. The dobermann’s neck, moreover, must be well dry – it must not have any skin pleats at the lower edge; its upper outline shows a light convexity that starts just after the end of the nope and disappears while extending towards withers. Beyond the problems of flaccid skin that are diminishing in the last years, today we often see short necks, sometimes a little light, or cylindrical and a little flat, rarely weak necks, as already said. A dumpy neck gives the dobermann very ordinary features. Both a short neck and a cylindrical one are bad, that’s to say that there’s no harmony in forming a whole with the next regions, in particular shoulder, withers and back. This is always due to a short and badly sloping shoulder causing also some important faults in movement: dogs that fall ahead, problems while moving ahead the fore limbs, centre of mass moving backward, etc…. Related to the structure, we must notice that short shoulder is often connected with a short arm little sloping and with flat withers. It’s easier to see the fault about a short arm; whereas the judge avoids evaluating the length and the inclination of the shoulder because it’s more difficult to do. However we have to keep in mind that the most serious fault of the forequarters is always the shoulder, because it is more determinant than the arm in the mechanics of movement. Another important factor that influences negatively the proportion of our dobermann is the forearm that is often too long. Unfortunately, as we I have already said, this fault often is accompanied by a deviation of the type towards the greyhound. The dogs that have these faults must be penalized also in breeding since the excessive length of the forearm often alters the proportions between height and length of the dog and, therefore, the type (dogs shorter than tall with rampant upper lines). For reason of time, this can not be a complete argumentation anyway I want to announce you a forthcoming accurate treatise on this subject that I hope will arouse your interest. However, according to my objectives in writing this document, and even about the faults that nowadays characterize the dobermanns in Europe, I cannot leave out the upper outline of the body, the croup, the fundamental concepts about movement and, last but not least, the character. The upper outline of the body involves the back, the loins (kidneys) and the croup. Right now I want to say that, in every work breed, a well structured loin has one only correct outline: the convex one. In canine galloping breeds, that like the dobermann must have a very fast gallop, but also a remarkable endurance, the back outline has to be almost straight. By the dog’s anatomy we know that the function of the cervical ligament is to tense, lift up and give rigidity to the dorsal-lumbar part of the backbone. If this ligament is relaxed and weak, the spiny protuberances of the dorsal small bones converge towards their top causing the so called “saddle back”; in this case the dog has scarce endurance and is a little fast, on the contrary the “kyphotic back” is rigid and damages the flexibility of the spine causing difficult and skipping movements. Unfortunately still nowadays there are dobermanns who show weak backbones even standing still. An excessively long and/or frail kidney can make this problem worse. On the contrary, the kidney must be short, large and wrapped in muscles. If both back and kidney are weak, the problem is serious and we must pay great attention in judging and above all in breeding. Another reason to give attention is the croup. About it, even if in the last fifteen years things have improved, there still are many dogs that have a short croup excessively sloping. From a functional point of view, about the coup the slope is much more important than the length since it is fundamental for the movement. Such a consideration is not difficult to understand for anyone has elements of mechanics and animal physics of movement, even if approximate. In fact, the croup in its essential skeleton base, (Ilium and ischium) is the region through which the back push is given, therefore, if the slope is bad the dog’s gait will be seriously lacking. A croup that is too sloping will condition the back push up even if the hindquarters and the angles are correct, nor it’s worth the attention some handlers have to force the dog to move with the neck lifted by the collar. When this happens, the good judge already knows that the slope of the croup and/or the shoulder and of the arm is wrong. The evaluation of the dog while he is moving (at an ordinary walk, at a little trot and at a fast trot) is useful to verify if the harmony the dog shows standing still is real or is apparent. The main faults about the gait a judge should pay attention in the ring, are:
In order to the character, I want to tell in advance my personal belief: everybody talks about the character but just a few know its meaning. This is a big problem because, for instance, many breeders still believe to be able to judge themselves the character of their dogs, avoiding putting them to the required tests that are necessary to give an evaluation as much as possible objective. On the contrary, I believe that to understand in a correct way the character of a dog or, much better, to realize his nature in its various aspects and individual particularities is much more difficult than pick out the positive and negative notes that characterize the same dog according to the type and the structure. The character and the natural qualities of the dobermann are well described in the standard, so every judge, breeder and dobermann lover should understand and know that this evaluation cannot be disregarded and must be done in the correct way before qualifying any dog and, above all, before allowing him to reproduction. In a show the judge’s observation is objectively limited to the dog’s behaviour because the evaluation of the natural qualities and more in general of the dobermann’s qualities as a working dog are tested by the Ztp and the other sporting and training tests. So let’s see some behaviours or signals that are usual in insecure, nervous or fearful dogs. In the ring some dobermanns show a great insecurity or fear when they are measured or when we control their teeth or their testicles, or more easily when the judge goes near him. Others, especially some females, show to fear their fellows. From young class forward, dogs like those must be excluded from judgment and the same is for those dogs that show aggressiveness towards man or an excessive aggressiveness towards the other dogs. To tell the truth, in most cases it is a question of false aggressiveness or aggressiveness due to insecurity and fear. I think the judge can avoid excluding the babies and the juniors who show insecurity or fear because, at that age, the character (genetic predisposition + environmental influence) is not completely formed. Moreover also in these classes the dog’s behaviour should be described and the qualification should be visibly influenced by it. The experience in the ring should have taught to realize immediately any different expressions and insecure behaviours of the dobermann. The first information can be given by the way the dog moves when he gets into the ring. In this phase we happen to see some dogs entering insecurely, a little stiff, walking “on tiptoe” that’s to say almost grazing the ground rather than putting the limbs on it strongly, securely and in a relaxed manner. Such behaviour, after having been verified during the judgment through other signs, in most cases will demonstrate that that dog is insecure. There are other dobermanns who dilate the eyelids and lay bare the cornea as soon as the judge goes towards them and before he touches them, moving jerkily the ears laterally backwards and visibly lowering the tail, these are signs of serious insecurity or fear. The same is for those dogs who, if not called from the outside, trot holding the head high keeping the ears erect and the neck almost vertically. Unless these dogs have a serious fault of inclination of the shoulder, there are looking around with concern and are looking for protection because they feel possible dangers by being in an unknown situation. On the contrary, a secure dog that walks or trots calmly, holds his head lower with the neck in an almost horizontal position and turns his ears laterally backwards. Anyway, the behaviour of the same handler often suggests the judge the character of the dog. In all these cases above we must keep in mind that if these behaviours influence decidedly the judgment, even without exceeding, we must give evidence to the handler. It means that the handler has to be aware of the situation and understand it without the judge raging and humiliating the dog. by Pierluigi Pezzano While we most often think of heat stroke occurring to dogs left in cars, heat exhaustion and heatstroke can also happen anytime your Doberman hasn't had a chance to acclimate to the sudden and intense heat of summer such as a short spring, early and intense summers can overwhelm your Dobermans ability to deal effectively with the new surge in heat, your Doberman also may be especially vulnerable while traveling from your normally cool temperatures to a much hotter climate.
Here in Central Oregon's high desert we just went from freezing temps at night to a sustained 100+ daytime temperature for nearly 2 weeks! Our Dobermans are lucky that they have ponds and creeks to cool themselves in, but even so we had an older Doberman show the beginning signs of heat exhaustion while outside. We quickly hosed him down with cool water until he quit panting and brought him inside into the air conditioned 75' temperature where he stayed for the rest of the day. Pay close attention to those springs where your Doberman and even horses have not had a chance to acclimate, they and you can get caught off guard by the sudden and intense heat. On an 85°F day it takes only 10 minutes for the interior of a parked car to climb to 102°F. In a half hour, it can reach 120°F. And please don't think that by leaving windows partly open that you won't heat up the inside of you vehicle. Symptoms of overheating include: Heavy panting or rapid breathing, Excessive thirst, Staggering, Weakness and collapse, Glazed eyes, Dark red or bluish colored tongue, Excessive drooling. In addition to hot vehicles other contributors to pet overheating include humid conditions, lack of drinking water, obesity, and overexertion. Some Dobermans are at higher risk for heat-related illness than others, older pets, puppies, animals that are ill or have a chronic health condition, pets not used to warm weather, and any aged Doberman that has been left outside in very hot weather (i.e. above 95'). By the time your Doberman is showing signs of heatstroke, it may be too late to save him. How to Prevent Your Doberman from Overheating; Provide plenty of fresh clean drinking water at all times. If your Doberman will be outside for any length of time in extremely hot weather, they should have access to complete shade. If you think your dog is getting overheated remember that most Dobermans love to play in the sprinkler, or can give them a cool water hose bath to quickly cool them down. Don't walk or exercise your pet on blacktop or pavement when it's hot outside! Don't take your Doberman on a strenuous jog or long walk or hike when it's above 90', stick to the shade and grassy spots when you walk your Doberman. If you think your Doberman is beginning to suffer heat stroke or exhaustion please go immediately to the nearest veterinarian office for life saving treatment. These are the two most common liquid wormers what we use here at Unique Dobermans to worm our mother dogs and puppies with.
Pyrantel Pamoate: Liquid Dosage is 50 mg per ML Double Dose is 5MG per LB of dog 1 ML per 10 Lbs of 50 mg/ml strength liquid Fenbendazole: Liquid Dosage is 100 mg/ml 23 MG per LB for 3 days in a row 10 Lb puppy needs 230 mg - 2.3 ML 20 lb 460 mg = 4.6 ml 25 lbs 575 mg = 5.75 ml 30 lbs 690 mg 6.9 ml 50 lbs 1150 mg = 11.50 ml Raw Food Diet for your Doberman
A basic rule of thumb for feeding a raw diet is to feed 2% of your dog’s body weight. So if you have a 50 pound dog, they would be fed 1 pound of raw food per day. Unless you plan on buying a heavy duty meat grinder and grinding your own chicken necks and backs, a wonderful source for a complete 100% Organic Raw Chicken Diet is a company called Nature’s Variety. Their frozen diets can be found in select Pet Food stores across the US and Canada. The company has a store locator for on their website. Should you wish to prepare raw food yourself for your canine companion, there is endless information available online as well as many books on RAW food and BARF diets for Dogs. There are many companies that prepare and sell raw meals for dogs, but one of the only ones I have found that prepare an exclusively 100% Certified Organic line is NaturesVariety.com, I am sure there are other companies out there who make organic raw food, but make sure it is just that, ORGANIC. I have seen many companies who state they use “Organic ingredients when available”, which I do not trust. Natures Variety Organic Raw chicken comes in small 1 oz medallions which are great for small breeds and is also available in 8 oz patties for larger dogs. Make sure if you decide to go with a store bought raw food you don’t forget to add more fresh raw pureed veggies and of course your Dog Greens! Transitional Diet This recipe is easily pureed so it can be syringe fed to animals whose illness has caused them to lose their appetite. While animals will instinctively fast when they are ill which is natural and can be helpful in healing, it is important not let them go without food for more than a few days. Below you will find recipes broken down into Daily Amounts based on your dog’s weight. 10 Pounds 1/5 Pound (90 grams) Organic Extra-Firm Tofu 1/2 cup Organic Bean Mixture (2 parts chick peas (garbanzo beans), 1/2 part pinto beans, 1/2 black beans) 1/2 cup organic veggies 1/2 Teaspoon soaked nuts/seeds (Raw Sunflower no shell, Raw Brazil nuts, Raw Almonds) 1 Teaspoon *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 20 Pounds 1/4 Pound (113.5 grams) Organic Extra-Firm Tofu 3/4 cup Organic Bean Mixture (2 parts chick peas (garbanzo beans), 1/2 part pinto beans, 1/2 black beans) 3/4 cup organic veggies 1 Teaspoon soaked nuts/seeds (Raw Sunflower no shell, Raw Brazil nuts, Raw Almonds) 2 Teaspoons *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 30 Pounds 1/3 Pound (150 grams) Organic Extra-Firm Tofu 1 cup Organic Bean Mixture (2 parts chick peas (garbanzo beans), 1/2 part pinto beans, 1/2 black beans) 1 cup organic veggies 1 1/2 Teaspoons soaked nuts/seeds (Raw Sunflower no shell, Raw Brazil nuts, Raw Almonds) 1 Tablespoon *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 40 Pounds 1/2 Pound (227 grams) Organic Extra-Firm Tofu 1 1/2 cups Organic Bean Mixture (2 parts chick peas (garbanzo beans), 1/2 part pinto beans, 1/2 black beans) 1 1/2 cups organic veggies 2 Teaspoons soaked nuts/seeds (Raw Sunflower no shell, Raw Brazil nuts, Raw Almonds) 1 1/4 Tablespoon *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 50 Pounds 2/3 Pound (302 grams) Organic Extra-Firm Tofu 1 1/2 cups Organic Bean Mixture (2 parts chick peas (garbanzo beans), 1/2 part pinto beans, 1/2 black beans) 1 1/2 cups organic veggies 2 Teaspoons soaked nuts/seeds (Raw Sunflower no shell, Raw Brazil nuts, Raw Almonds) 1 1/2 Tablespoon *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 60 Pounds 3/4 Pound (340.5 grams) Organic Extra-Firm Tofu 1 3/4 cups Organic Bean Mixture (2 parts chick peas (garbanzo beans), 1/2 part pinto beans, 1/2 black beans) 1 3/4 cups organic veggies 2 1/2 Teaspoons soaked nuts/seeds (Raw Sunflower no shell, Raw Brazil nuts, Raw Almonds) 1 1/2 Tablespoon *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 70 Pounds 1 Pound (454 grams) Organic Extra-Firm Tofu 2 cups Organic Bean Mixture (2 parts chick peas (garbanzo beans), 1/2 part pinto beans, 1/2 black beans) 2 cups organic veggies 1 Tablespoon soaked nuts/seeds (Raw Sunflower no shell, Raw Brazil nuts, Raw Almonds) 1 3/4 Tablespoon *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. 80 Pounds 1 1/4 Pound (567.50 grams) Organic Extra-Firm Tofu 2 1/2 Organic Bean Mixture (2 parts chick peas (garbanzo beans), 1/2 part pinto beans, 1/2 black beans) 2 1/2 cups organic veggies 1 Tablespoon soaked nuts/seeds (Raw Sunflower no shell, Raw Brazil nuts, Raw Almonds) 2 Tablespoons *Oil Blend Add a dose of Dog Greens to each meal as recommended in daily program schedule immediately before serving. Preparation Instructions: Soak beans in filtered water until re-hydrated (approx. 8 hours), soak nuts/seeds as well in a separate bowl. Both can be soaked in the refrigerator. Strain beans, get a crock pot (slow cooker) and put the beans in and cover with about an inch or two of fresh water. Turn on low and let cook overnight. In the morning when beans are fully cooked (soft) let cool, chop up some fresh organic fruit and veggies (greens, baby greens, red pepper, tomato, carrot, zucchini, sprouts, etc.) add them to the crock pot with the cooked beans along with the soaked and drained nuts or seeds then add enough water so you can blend it all up with a hand blender (immersion blender) until it is pureed. Scoop out enough for your dog’s meal based on his weight above, crumble or chop tofu and mix in along with the a dose of Dog Greens and the Oil Blend. Store the remaining bean mixture in fridge for future meal(s). Feel free to cook larger batches of the beans and freeze unused portions for later use. Beans can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, this way is very fast but you must watch carefully. You may also cook the beans in a regular stainless steel or glass pot on the stove but this takes much longer and must be monitored. *any organic plant based oil blend that says 3-6-9 omegas preferably with DHA, UDO’s makes a very nice one. BIG DOBERMANS AND CHILDREN
1. Do not allow a child however small, to tease the dog either physically or verbally. The child who shrieks and leaps incessantly beside a nervous puppy may drive him to snap out in fear OR prey drive as quickly as the child who grabs its tail or sits on it. If a child is disobedient and persistent, insist his parents remove him. Do not even once allow him to continue. 2. Do not allow a small child to pick up or carry a puppy. Puppies, like babies are afraid of falling. They will often squirm and fight to free themselves. If successful, they may break a leg or worse injure their necks. (Vet bills are not cheap.) If panicked they may even bite. Remember, in this case, it is not the puppies fault, but yours for allowing the situation to progress to the point where the puppy can no longer cope with it. Encourage the child to get down on the puppies level, ie. the floor for fun and games. They can play all they like without either one getting hurt and the puppy is free to move away when he has had enough. A child may not realize the fact that he has inadvertently cornered the pup and set in motion a series of instinctive behavior mechanisms. 3. Do not expect the pup to absorb endless punishment in the form of constant noise or teasing. He will learn to defend himself unless he has some place to go such as a crate, bed, corner, or run where he can go when he does not want to be disturbed. Make certain that everyone understands that he is not to be disturbed there, and then make sure that he is not. He will come back out when he is ready to. 4. Do not leave your dog unattended in the yard with small children no matter how trustworthy you may think your dog is. Although Dobermans enjoy children more so than many other breeds, they are not a miracle dog and must be treated the same as any other large dog when around children. A dog may not mean to hurt a child, yet it usually seems to turn out the other way. 5. Do not buy a dog until you have a fence for him outside where he can be safe from: * Teasing by small children * Dognappers & Stray dogs * Mishaps on the road *Dogs which are tied become defensive, bored and irritably aggressive. 6. Enlist the help of your child in the training of the dog; this will increase his sense of self-importance, his concern and knowledge of animal behavior. "If Max wakes up, take him outside right away so he won't make a mistake in the house. You watch, Billy, in case I don't notice, okay?" Don’t ever allow a child to wake a sleeping dog.. The old adage “Let a Sleeping Dog Lie” is very true! 7. Do insist that neighborhood children who come to play abide by the same rules that you expect of your own. "Stuart, we don't hit Max with sticks. Here, throw it for him instead. Look how happy he is now! I think he likes you." If Stuart delivers a sly kick instead, stop him. (A little knowledge of gentle collar control is useful with children, as well as dogs). Put the dog in his run or crate and see to it that Stuart leaves him alone. If Stuart is uncooperative, send him home, nicely but firmly. If you get angry, he will be angry and defiant too. When he learns that he simply cannot play at your house if he continues, he will probably stop if he feels that you basically like him and that it is only his specific action that you dislike. Here again, take two minutes to give the child and the dog something constructive to do. Let the child have the opportunity to receive a warm response from the dog and he may become your staunchest ally. "Hey Mrs Jones!, I just saw Max down the street. Someone must have left the gate open." 8. Do teach the dog to sit before he is given food or a treat, and to wait for an okay to take it. Your Doberman pup will grow quicker than your toddler. If the sit stay becomes automatic, you will find him sitting before a baby with food, hoping but never touching. Parents of visiting children are less than understanding when your 75 lbs pup grabs for a cookie and their child goes tumbling. Many fears of dogs are traced back to just such an incident. They will not only remember that it was a large dog but also that it was a DOBERMAN. Never allow a small child to take the pup's food or bone as this could create a problem later when the pup has grown into adulthood. 9. Do give your Doberman simple obedience training so that he will be spared random scolding’s and confusion. "DOWN" and "SIT" are pleasant commands to a pup if they are rewarded with a brushing or a tummy rub by their young master. 10. Don't expect the dog to be patient with your child unless you have taught him to be. He will learn to defend himself, if he realizes that you consistently rescue him before he gets hurt. Conversely you must teach the small child to be patient with the dog. Don't reinforce his fears if he inadvertently takes a tumble by telling him what a big, mean, naughty dog that is. Be matter of fact, pick him up, staunch the blood, and say, "Here, help me teach Max to be gentler." Help the child learn to cope with the situation, reinforce his confidence with small things that he can handle, and be there to handle a situation that proves to be more that he can control. 11. Do not expose an innocent passerby to your Doberman’s protective tendencies. Do not leave your Doberman and your small child outside a store and expect them to take care of each other. Some well-intentioned stranger may be bitten. Even though your dog may do exactly what you wish him to do under different circumstances, he will be the one put down at the local animal shelter while you face an expensive lawsuit. Never assume that the public understands dog behavior. The fool who puts his hands inside your car or the boy who pokes at the dog through a fence, obviously do not, but you may end up paying the doctor’s bills. 12. Do increase your childs sense of responsibility and pride of achievement by letting him help as much as he can. Do not expect him to know what to do. Guide him. "Here is Max's dish, Billy, tell him to come. That's it, now tell him to sit." (You help max sit. He is just learning that he must also obey Billy too.) "Good, now put the dish down. Tell him okay. There, see how nicely he obeyed you!" Billy will leave with the distinct impression that he is the world’s smartest dog trainer and that his dog is the smartest dog on the block.  Why Does My Puppy Has Diarrhea?
As a Breeder of World Champion bred Doberman Pinscher Puppies we are ever watchful of our puppies stools, always on the lookout for a change in consistency or color and we recommend you as a new Doberman Pinscher owner do the same throughout your Dobermans life as well. If your puppy has a loose stool, greasy sandy puddle, slimy or mucousy stool or occasional diarrhea: Common Causes:
Possible causes for Watery or bloody diarrhea:
Please remember puppies can be extremely resilient, BUT are also very fragile, if your puppy develops water diarrhea, bloody stools or vomiting, take him to the veterinarian hospital immediately! A young puppy can die within hours of starting diarrhea and vomiting due to the imbalance of electrolytes. Many bone, joint and growth problems can be averted by following a veterinarian recognized quality large breed puppy food and not allowing your Doberman puppy to get fat or grow too fast. Once your puppy leaves our home, we can not be responsible for the care it receives or for your veterinarian choices for medical proceedures. This is why we stress the importance of keeping in contact with photos, video and emails so we as the breeder can help you resolve problems and potential problems before they happen or become a chronic condition. Large breeds of dogs are prone to special and specific typs of injuries, overfeeding or feeding the wrong types of food can cause these issues to develop in an otherwise healthy and sound puppy. Does your female puppy have a discharge from her vulva? What is that?
Puppy vaginitis is simply an overproduction of mucus in female puppies. Puppy vaginitis can appear as early as six weeks of age, and if you don't bother her with harsh shampoo, douches, toxic baby wipes (yes they are toxic) it generally will resolve all on its own when your puppy begins to reach puberty. Puppy vaginitis can sometimes be confused with urinary tract infections. True puppy vaginitis is a benign condition, and should not be treated with antibiotics or douches. Puppy vaginitis is part of the maturation process of the reproductive tract. Generally this is a self limiting condition of the female reproductive tract during maturation. Sometimes puppies will lick themselves excessively, if this is the case take your Doberman puppy to your veterinarian for an evaluation. It is also common for female pups to get a true UTI (urinary tract infection) at puberty between 6 to 9 months of age. Cranberry pills wrapped in cheese 3 times a day will change the ph of her urine and will usually clear up all but the toughest UTI's. As always consult with your veterinarian before treating your puppy. http://www.uniquedobermans.com/ |
Author ~ JanI've been "Owned" by a Doberman since 1973, they are the only dog for me.. Archives
June 2019
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