Other Dr John Grain Free Chicken & Potato 2kg, clear

Product Information

Most experienced dog owners would agree that spring or summer are the best seasons to bring a puppy into your household. Puppies are mostly born in the spring anyway – as with most baby animals, nature has decided that this is a good time! Plus these are ideal months because it doesn’t rain as much which is important for house training, and both you and the pup will naturally enjoy walks and outings more in good weather. Another common complication is false pregnancy. This can occur soon after the heat cycle and mimic all the signs of pregnancy. Typically symptoms will last for a month or so before subsiding naturally. Getting a vet’s diagnosis can be helpful in ruling out other possible causes. Firstly more energy: working or sporting dogs are likely to need either a higher energy diet like Dr. John Titanium or a good active maintenance diet like Dr. John Gold, with enough energy for activity, protein for growth, maintenance and repair of tissues and essential fats for condition and additional energy. Start by feeding towards the upper end of the recommended feeding requirements to get the right level to maintain condition in your dog. Feeding twice a day is ideal for most dogs, however, it needs to be at appropriate times for a working dog so they rest after eating to encourage good digestion before starting a period of work. Dr John also makes food specifically designed for working dogs and has a great range of different foods for different breeds. Dr John has been an established brand for quite some time. Their products are designed with quality in mind and their recipes have been specifically formulated to provide dogs with the maximum nutrition possible.

Yucca Extract, providing natural sources of vitamins and minerals and helping to reduce stool odours All puppies will develop slightly differently to each other depending on their environment and genetics but they all will go through the same stages during the first 12 weeks from birth. All dogs will vary in their nutritional requirements, and although estimates can be made for average breed size, individuals may require more or less than these guidelines. Factors to consider are whether your dog is smaller or larger than the standard for the breed, how active they are, their energy levels, their age and appetite. Then, start with the recommended feeding amount and adjust to as many of these factors as possible – never going more than 50% over or under the starting amount (exceptions for puppies and during breeding). Always remember to subtract a small amount for treats if using these as behavioural rewards. The resulting amount is your starting point. Immediate signs of overfeeding are struggling to finish the food in one sitting and loose stools or diarrhoea; a more long term effect is weight gain. If you under feed, some obvious signs are that your dog will be ravenously hungry and constantly asking for food even after finishing the meal and in the longer term, weight loss will result. Weigh your dog regularly and keep a careful eye on their shape to maintain a good level of condition. You should see a nice covering on your dog but the ribs should be felt once you press lightly. How you measure the food is important, the best way is to weigh the food out each time as this avoids inaccuracies gradually being built up over time. Alternatively a measuring cup or marked scoop can be used, but with this method it is worth weighing out the amount you are measuring every now and again, to make sure that the amount still matches the weight you are expecting. NEW PUPPY? Our Dr John dog food review is totally non-biased, so please do take a read over our clear sections in your own time. If you are thinking of making the switch to Dr John dog food, then you have come to the right place. We can help you to make your decision! At the other end of the spectrum, the racing Greyhound has been designed for immense speed, sprinting over short distances and extraordinary concentration on the lure but then followed by collapsing on the sofa at the end of the day. Racing Greyhounds need small biscuit based diets to suit their mouth size (like Dr John Grain Free) and the diet must be low bulk, high digestibility and high fat and with a good level of protein (24-25%) as this improves race times and prevents the development of anaemia which they are prone to. The mineral content of the diet is particularly important for greyhounds as they need up to 2-3 times the normal levels of a sedentary dog, to cope with the stress of racing. A supplement during race season may be needed to keep the Greyhound in good health.With their wide range of available foods, you can be sure to find something to suit your pooch, whether you have a fluffy little pup, or a really old doggie, there is certainly something for you in the Dr John Dog Food range. For this reason we've calculated the approximate 'as fed' percentages for the main ingredient categories in the finished product. Recovering from operations, or long term illnesses should also be taken into account when considering diet, even in the case of standard operations like neutering or dental treatments. Assess how your dog is coping; whether there are problems with chewing after dental work (in which case soak the food for longer in warm water to soften it). If activity has to be restricted, then consider changing diet to a lighter, highly digestible food, as your dog will still want to have normal sized meals but won’t be using the same amount of energy as before. Joint supplements may be useful, for instance, an active ingredient in NZ green lipped mussel has been found to have an anti-inflammatory effect, and other ingredients are present that benefit joint health (We use a joint complex in many of our diets, ( Gilpa Kennel for instance). In some dogs, neutering can have a long term effect on metabolism slowing it so these dogs are prone to weight gain and will need to be fed a lighter or low fat diet. (try Dr. John Silver). Carb-rich ingredients: includes all ingredients derived from grains, pseudo-grains, potatoes and other starchy root vegetables, sweet potato and legumes (except whole peas which are categorised under fruit and veg) except for isolated protein and extracted oils. Also includes fibre supplements.

Large & giant breed puppies will need to be fed a growth diet for much longer than a toy or small breeds, whilst a terrier pup will finish its growth by 6 months of age, a giant breed like a Newfoundland will still be growing at 18 months. It’s particularly important that growth in these larger dogs is evenly spread over this period and the nutrient levels are appropriate. Our growth diets, as with all our diets, require no supplementation as they are complete foods with all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for growth in the right proportions. In fact supplementing with additional minerals or vitamins can create a nutrient imbalance which can affect coat, appetite and even bones. There is some evidence to suggest mineral imbalance can cause bones to become enlarged yet with lower bone density which could have detrimental consequences in later life (osteochondrosis, osteoarthritis). WHY CAN’T I FEED MY PUPPY ADULT FOOD? Symptoms of hunger, shivering in the cold and fatigue can be early signs that your dog needs a higher energy formula. It may be that you have been feeding a light diet to prevent your dog gaining weight, cutting out treats to prevent bad behaviour, or perhaps started keeping your dog cooler to improve coat condition. All these minor changes can have an effect on your dog’s metabolic rate and nutritional requirements. Providing a suitable environment for a dog, a warm quiet place for them to sleep, room to play and a fenced in, secure garden that they can treat as their own. Days 42- 49: The developing puppies continue to grow. The mother will start shedding her stomach hair. The most important thing is to recognise when these symptoms and factors appear. This can vary greatly between breeds, breed size and even individually as well, so it is often difficult to predict when a different diet will be required. The situation is further complicated as some symptoms may disappear as the dog ages. A recent study that showed that some 30% of dogs presented to vets were overweight at 6-8 years of age, but by 12 years of age a similar sample showed only 5% to fit this category while 16% were underweight. So, not all senior dogs should be fed a light diet.Green Lipped Mussel, supporting healthy joints and active mobility by providing natural sources of chondroitin and glucosamine Day 49- 57: When the mother is resting you will be able on occasion to see and feel the pups moving. Pups can be born at any time now, but keeping them in for another week is much healthier, so avoid rough play. Some dams can get milk (colostrum) as early as day 45, but normally it is later on.

Like we have mentioned above, it’s pretty hard to find any negatives in this product. The only thing we can say is that it isn’t cheap. So, if you are looking for an inexpensive product, Dr John is not the place to look. There are reports of a couple of owners that have had issues, but in comparison to some of the other brands we have reviewed, these are very few and far between. We understand that all dogs are different, and we know that not Dr John might not work for every dog out there. Generally, after the age of seven most dogs will start to show some signs of aging. They may just be a little slower on their walks, sleep a little deeper at night and need more reassurance and affection from you, but it can also be the start of some debilitating illnesses like arthritis, diabetes and kidney disease.Treats are an area of concern, often dog treats are often high in fat, sugar and salt, so restrict feeding these. Giving human food as treats is also not advisable, obvious pitfalls are feeding from the fridge, the table and allowing guests to feed your dog their food, all of these can cause bad behavioural habits as well as making it very difficult to assess your dog’s daily intake. There are a number of human foods which are unsuitable or even poisonous for dogs too, so it is better to keep your dog on a strict planned diet with weighed amounts of dog food. The duration of pregnancy in dogs can range from anything between 57 – 69 days. Feeding well throughout this period should ensure a successful outcome and healthy well-fed pups. For the first 35 days there is no need to increase the amount to feed, simply feed as normal and monitor appetite, digestion and condition. You may notice that during week 4 and 5 of pregnancy she loses her appetite, which in most cases is entirely normal and indicative of pregnancy. However, in the last third of the pregnancy period she will need to have her food increased by approximately 10% a week so that when she is ready to give birth she is having 1.5 times her maintenance amount. As the pups increase in size in her, her stomach capacity is reduced so feed her little and often or through free choice feeding. FEEDING FOR LACTATION It’s worth getting your vet to advise you on the birth process with puppies and what might go wrong if this is the first litter you have overseen. Reference books can also provide additional information and reassurance on the day. Finally, research whelping kits (ID collar bands, UV lamps, heat pads and bitch milk replacer for instance) early on to ensure you have everything to hand when needed. WHAT TO FEED DURING PREGNANCY