Food and Feeding at Cinnstar

At Cinnstar we believe that nutrition is a key, not just to all around health and vigor but to performance and reproduction as well. We believe at the base should be a reliable, nutritious food source. Like so many breeders we searched for this in a commercial dog food, and found each lacking.

Dog food companies like Eukanuba (we supported them for many years until P&G took over), Iams, Science, Purina (all the large companies) use animals that are not fit for human consumption. This is termed the 5 D's: dead, diseased, disabled, drugged or dying prior to slaughter. These animals have to be preserved by substances that are not allowed for human consumption, and they are not listed on the label. The chemicals are not good for your dogs health. Plus sick animals are given all kinds of antibiotics and other treatments. This gets fed to your dogs as well. These brands use grains that are not fit for human consumption. They are floor sweepings, moldy and have a tremendous insect content. It is not just that there are insects, but what the insect has died from, insecticides, that is the real culprit. We looked for a Super Premium Dog food that contained NO By Products (a very interesting product in itself), No preservatives other then Vit C and E, No corn, No soy, No wheat, No fillers, and No added salt or flavorings. NO Gluten from ANY source. Corn, wheat and soy are common allergens for dogs, why feed it? We also wanted a food that was manufactured in the USA or Canada using only ingredients grown/produced in the USA, Canada, and Australia.

We have been offered lucrative deals on dog food by several manufacturers and promoted some in the past, but that never influenced our food choice decisions.

Thus we decided on Taste Of The Wild Bison and Venison. Then yet another dog food recall! And TOTW was on the list as well as several other “High End” kibbles. Not the facility that we have here in Texas, but still very scary. That was the straw that broke this camels back.

Something one should consider in retrospect with the huge pet food recalls, and some big name brands that it is affecting is because of corporate greed and purchasing cheep inferior products from China where there is little or no oversight, rather then American made products.

There is an excellent website devoted to dog food called The Dog Food Project and I recommend reading it. Very factual and interesting.

Let’s face it, even at its best, all dry dog food is a highly processed product, and so much nutrition is lost in this processing. Dogs are carnivores and they should eat a diet that reflects this. Just as we humans do better on a diet of fresh wholesome food, so do our canine companions. Therefore we feel there is validation and benefit to feeding fresh meats (meat/bone/organs) with a small amount of fruits and vegetables.

More and more we began to realize that we would not find what we were searching for in a commercial dog food. So when we moved to Sulphur Springs in July of 2012, I made the promise to the dogs to switch them to completely raw or BARF (bones and raw food). I had been feeding “semi raw” for several years prior to that. Because of the number of dogs I had it was a HUGE transition and dedication for us to switch to completely raw. It required the purchase of a huge freezer and the purchase of a new family refrigerator so that I could have the older side by side. There are three wonderful Toller people that act as my mentors and support system: Nancy Tucker, Deena Mottola, and Til Niquidet. If I have a question they are right there with advice and support. I am very fortunate to live very close to the major supplier for raw dog food for the Dallas area, Texas Tripe in Detroit Texas. That and joining the DFW Raw/Barf Yahoo group has really helped me make the change. I practice correct nutrition over time. That is not every meal is perfectly balanced (like a kibble is supposed to be), but over a month period they get everything they require. More how we as humans eat. I try to very the protein source, but like so many raw feeders, my main source if protein is chicken. My mainstay is Texas Tripe free-range chicken frames. I mix this up with beef, pork/hog and venison ribs when I can get them. I also get chicken leg quarters to increase the amount of protein the dogs get, and feed chicken livers and heart. I feed green tripe and whole Mackerel type fish once a week. I am always on the look out for meat specials. I am not a real fan of supplements that I can feed in a piece of fresh food. I feed Mackerel like fish instead of fish oil, though on occasion I do give fish oil if I can’t get into Dallas to get the fish. I also like giving pro and prebiotics. After looking at coyote scat on our property, and reading what they and wolves eat, I feel that a small amount of veggies and fruit is proper for a dog. More as a supplement then as a meal. I also am a fan of Berties “Green Blend Supplement” . It has different kinds of sea greens for micronutrients. I also like to add eggs (shell and all), and organic plain yoghurt to my dogs diet.

Bacteria found in raw meat is not a concern in dogs like it is in humans. A dog’s stomach is much more acidic and a dog’s digestive tract is much shorter then ours. That is why they can eat some of the disgusting "dead things" they find and not get sick. The one drawback in the dog is with the short digestive tract and the lack of enzymes in their saliva (humans have enzymes), dogs do not digest grains, fruits and veggies hardly at all because they can not break down the cellulose cell walls in the short time the food is in their digestive tract. Thus veggies and fruits need to be pulverized completely to break down the cellulose cell walls so the nutrients are available to the dog. A blender works well for this. I try to make up plenty of this and freeze in meal size packets.

Parasites could be a concern in meat. Freezing remedies this potential problem. I don’t feed salmon as it has a bigger problem then other fish. Originally when I first started to feed raw on an occasion, I was concerned that my dogs inhale their food; I do not want to worry or contemplate about choking or half bones tearing their insides. So originally I used a food grinder. After watching them, I began feeding the chicken backs and thighs, whole. But further, raw bones do NOT splinter like cooked ones, they are much softer, they will not tear the intestinal track. I do not feed weight bearing bones (except chicken) because they are too hard and teeth can be cracked. I do not feed chicken or turkey necks because they are exactly the right size to choke a Toller and I have witnessed this when a friend feed them.

Because we feed raw, we do not have problems with retrievers that have trouble maintaining their weight. They will gain weight on these foods so one has to monitor carefully. We also noticed that the teeth in about 6 months of feeding raw became devoid of brown tarter. A small exception was the front of the canines on some of the dogs. I scaled this and I do not believe that I will have to worry about cleaning teeth again.

For our Bitches in whelp we have had great success with what our Board Certified Reproductive Veterinarian recommends for supplementation so we present it here. We add a human: Vitamin B Complex and a Folic Acid (both as small of a dose as we can find) pill. Canine: skin supplement (like Lipiderm), and a canine multi vitamin as soon as the bitch comes into season. We DO NOT start Calcium/Phosphorous/Vitamin D supplementation at this time. Our repro vet feels that the bitch needs to be able to draw on her own body calcium for whelping, and using supplements prevents the bitch from utilizing her own. Our vet feels that there is less risk of uterine inertia without those supplements, and sometimes only a calcium shot may be required if there is this type of problem. It goes without saying that the bitch has to be in perfect health to begin with. We start the Calcium supplementation (as recommended by our repro vet) when the puppies really start to grow. Normally they are less then two weeks old. We have used this regime for many litters and feel it is successful. The general health of our bitches since we started has been nothing less then spectacular. Our litters have always been good sized typically averaging 7-9 puppies. For so many breeders, the bitch by the time they wean the pups can look a little ragged. I think most breeders feel (as I did) that it was just a fact of motherhood. In the hot summer we had problems with milk production. No more. Our bitches typically gain weight if we do not watch them carefully, and milk production is amazing, even in the summer. We wean at 5 weeks, and in two to three weeks the bitches are back in training. The training is limited a bit until their breasts are back to normal pre-litter size. While we cannot guarantee this will work for any other breeder, we are very pleased with the results.

Thus by now feeding raw, I feel my dog’s nutrition is complete.

Weaning to Raw. We have had numerous discussions on the best way to wean puppies to raw. This is Our Plan

In the past, we weaned our puppies by grinding up the dry food and mixing it with puppy milk replacement and warm water. We slowly reduced the amount of the milk replacement, and ground the kibble less and less while adding raw ground beef, chicken, eggs and cottage cheese and yogurt. Now I plan to use the prepared raw food, ground chicken and beef blend, and ground green tripe instead of the dry food. Not a whole lot different. Active pups need the high energy, so the added meat protein and fat is necessary. Before they leave, they have ate raw chicken wings and backs. As the puppy is going through their growth spurt, we like to add a Calcium/Phosphorous/Vitamin D supplement called Sure Grow, and a canine multi vitamin. We don't want the long bones to grow at a faster rate then the joints and cartilage, so we do limit the use of these supplements.

While we do not require our puppy people to feed raw, we certainly encourage it.

Cinnstar is starting to grow our own beef, pork and chicken, and also grow an extensive vegetable garden and fruit trees. Eventually some of our products will be available for purchase.

In conclusion, we feel the nutrition you feed from within will shine all the way out.


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Cinnstar Retrievers
Laura and Don White
903.335.3806
info1 at cinnstar dot com




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