Last hike at Cathedral Hills

Today Conker and I went on our last hike at Cathedral Hills. We took along my two youngest siblings.

 Conker and my youngest brother rode in the back, and made dumb boy faces.

 My siblings and Conker explored a lot of old logs and trees.

My sister kept climbing into trees and I took pictures of her (attempting to get a good one for her Senior picture) so Conker did his own thing most of the time.

Occasionally he'd come visit us when we made enough noise.

The hike was a lot of fun. My sister wants to start hiking regularly now, and since I allowed him to climb the trees my brother had more fun than he thought he would.

Next update will be from Alaska!

Travel day looms near

I gave almost all of my meat away today. It's kinda sad, I have no more meat for my dogs (sparing some treats I'd made and a couple meals for the Girls) and thus feeding the dogs has suddenly become really boring. But those people I gave the meat to looked like they really could have used some free meat, so it's all good. (Everything they got was human-grade stuff.)

Conker still hates the crate, I don't think he'll ever actually like it.

I am just about packed for Alaska and only have a few things left to do. The freezer is defrosting, the trailer is almost cleaned out (needs a good vacuuming), I cleaned my stuff out of Leo (my Jeep), and I am just about packed. Only a few odd things left to do here and there.

Oh, I found something out recently.
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you might know about something Conker creates I call Deathfarts. Well, I have found a culprit! Raw lamb. I have been adding lamb to his food for the past few days and the Deathfarts have been about overwhelming. When I remove the lamb, the Deathfarts go away. So, no more raw lamb for Conker.

Anyways, I am excited to go to Alaska, but not looking forwards to traveling. I really hate airports, they ruin the fun of flying (if there aren't a million people in the plane) and stress the crap out of me. The fact that I'm going to have a dog, my dog, with me on this trip is even worse. I already stress enough about him, so this should be oh so interesting.


I'm probably not going to have internet access (actually I will, but I most likely won't be blogging) for a short while after I get to Alaska, so the blog won't update for a little bit after Thursday.

It's Monday!

Nothing special really.

Today I gave the Girls some raw turkey yumms, since I am attempting to clear out my freezer before I leave.

Necks, gizzards, hearts, livers, and some pork meat. I took this hasty picture then promptly smashed the everloving shit out of those necks.

Then I took Conker to the vet to get a health certificate so he can fly.

He was NOT happy to be there. He was weighed (25.3 pounds! The heaviest he's ever been.) and examined. I also picked up some Frontline since the racing kennel is concerned about me bringing fleas up on Conker, so I got the preventive just to be sure. The vet also advised me to give him a really good and soapy bath before I put on the Frontline. But I really doubt there are any fleas, I've been flea-combing him every day since I landed this gig and haven't found any yet.
He's already been wormed with Panacur and got a heartworm pill today so he's good on those too.

Then, we walked home (since we walked there) and I fed Conker some Honest Kitchen (not sure what it was, I think Keen and Verve) with some random assortment of ground meats, which he loved.

I've been feeding him in this plastic kennel so he'll get used to being in one, but of course he hates it and if I close the door he starts to bitch about it. And instead of standing normally like any other dog, he curls himself up in the doorway so he's in the least amount of the kennel as possible.
He's such a dork.

Chicken, it's eeevil

Conker has decided that most chicken is EVIL. I don't know why, but for many months now he just will not eat bone-in chicken happily, or at all in most cases. So I have decided to only feed him chicken that is both bone-free and skin-free, since chicken skin is eeevil too. Flat yellow things are eeevil as well. Strange dog.
Oh, he also isn't very fond of the crate. Which he needs to get used to, because the both of us are going to Alaska.

Yep, Conker and I are going to Alaska. Soon. On Thursday.

WHY, you might be wondering, are Conker and I going to Alaska, of all places, right before winter? Well, I got a job as a dog handler for a sprint racing kennel. That's right! A sprint racing kennel! How random is that?

Best search term so far

So what IS Losech? I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Broth puck treats

I made some strange treats for the dogs the other week. I made some beef bone broth with a couple ribs in the slow cooker (overnight), then added a bit of ground beef to the rib meat and pulverized it all in the cuisinart. I poured the meaty broth mixture into cupcake pans then stuck them into the freezer. I made enough for two dozen 1 inch thick pucks. The dogs think they are great!

Look at how leggy my Shiba is.

Conker, like usual, takes the longest, and Sasha the shortest, to eat their pucks. The pucks are good since they offer some resistance so they do aid in cleaning the teeth, but they are soft enough that the dogs can easily break them up. (No broken teeth!) They don't have a ton of calories either so I can feed them often without the dogs getting fat.


In other news...

I am taking care of the neighbor's dogs again. Indie is still as handsome as ever.

Those joints

As you may or may not know, Conker has Luxating Patella. I've known about it since he was about 8 months old or so, and I have tried a couple joint things and was generally pleased with them.
Well, the joint slippage has been just an occasional thing for a while, but when I started testing out various kibbles I stopped giving Conker "therapeutic" doses of fish oil (sometimes completely cutting it out) and instead just giving a "maintenance" dose, and I cut any joint things I was giving him at the time as well. With the exception of when he was being stupid about food, Conker has remained a pretty active dog.
So, what's the purpose of this writing?
I have noticed an increase in Conker's knee slippage, especially the right knee. It's bugging me with how frequently they slip, and how they don't go back in right away on their own. I have also noticed him biting at his knees, usually after one of them has slipped. I'm not exactly glad to see this, and I asked around about it, so I am going to restart the joint supplements and increase his fish oil. I will also be doing a few back leg strengthening exercise things to build the muscles up a bit more.

A trend I have noticed is that when Conker is on lower protein foods, he loses muscle mass and gains fat. So, I will either cut out all lower protein (below 30%) foods from the trials or mix meats and eggs into them to boost the protein. I am less concerned about how Conker does on the food (without mixins) and more concerned about his joint health, so I will be "sacrificing" some results because of that.
Which is a bit funny, since I'd feed the food with mixins if he were on it long-term anyways so... Yeah.

Like usual, nothing of interest is going on

So I have a video of Conker derping around in the yard for you to enjoy.

We do this 2 or 3 or 5 or 20 times a day, depending on what else we might have done/will be doing that day.

Money spent in September

August's total is over here.

I once again misplaced my list of stuff I bought (it's on the computer, you'd think I can't lose something on the computer but yes, it's possible) but I've got a pretty good idea of what I spent this month.


September 2012

• Food: $84.60
• Vet/Medical: $10
• Treats/Chews: $2.50
• Etc.: $50

Total: $147.10


So... Here goes the breakdown.

Food.
I bought several things, most of which were completely unexpected. I got a bag of EVO Red Meat for cheaper than normal, a can of EVO Beef, some trials (Taste of the Wild Southwest Canyon and some Canidae canned fish thing), and some samples of various things like The Honest Kitchen stuff, Zuke's, and Fromm.
I also got some ground beef, beef ribs (Which Sasha broke another tooth on, so no more beef ribs for the dogs), some turkey misc, and a lamb neck.

Vet/Medical.
Conker hasn't been "properly" wormed since I got him, if you don't count heartworm meds, and I wanted to do that just to be sure he wasn't carrying anything that Heartguard doesn't kill.

Treats/Chews.
Conker got a small bully stick for passing the CGC and some treats from the Farmer's Market.

Etc.
I bought a freezer, and a timer thing for it.

Taste of the Wild

The Girls have been eating Taste of the Wild for over a year now. The company that owns/manufactures the brand isn't really the best out there (that recent recall dealt a big blow to Diamond and associates) but for a relatively high-quality food for a good price, I can't really not feed them Taste of the Wild just because I may not like the owner/manufacturer or some such business. The family Matriarch doesn't want to spend more than $40 for a 30 pound bag, and since she's the one dishing out the cash, she makes the rules. So Taste of the Wild it is, except when I can find another high-quality brand on sale.

Anywho, I figured now was a good enough time to write up a review of this food.

High Prairie

Ingredients:
Bison, lamb meal, chicken meal, egg product, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, canola oil, roasted bison, roasted venison, natural flavor, tomato pomace, ocean fish meal, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product,dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 32% Minimum, Fat: 18% Minimum
Calcium: 2.1%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.4%, as-fed
Calories: 3,719 kcal/kg (370 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

I like the protein level and ingredients in this formula. I like how there are several named meat sources before any plant ones. I don't really care about the "exotic" meats, and fortunately that is not reflected in the price of these foods as it is with some other brands.

I started the Girls on Taste of the Wild in early May of last year. Right off the bat I began to notice differences when I switched the Girls off Pedicrap. Within two weeks their goats began to de-grease, they didn't stink or shed as much, and their breath got a little better. Poops shrank considerably and became almost odorless. Even their teeth looked slightly better.

Pacific Stream

Ingredients:
Salmon, ocean fish meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, canola oil, salmon meal, smoked salmon, potato fiber, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 25% Minimum, Fat: 15% Minimum
Calcium: 1.9%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.1%, as-fed
Calories: 3,600 kcal/kg (360 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

The protein of this formula is a bit less than I'd like. However, I like the ingredients. I prefer sweet potatoes over regular potatoes, and the sweets come before the regular, and they are followed by (canola oil) fish meals which are a concentrated source of protein. Note the probiotics. This is generally seen as a good thing to be included in pet foods, but I tend to think they are somewhat useless and do not really consider them to be a plus. I add in my own probiotics if I feel they are needed anyways.

I was not as satisfied with this formula as I was the High Prairie. The Girls are a bit less active, The muscle tone isn't as good, but their coats are very sleek and shiny. Poops are bigger and softer and a bit smellier than the higher protein formulas. The Girls really liked this formula, probably because of the strong fish smell.

Seirra Mountain

Ingredients:
Lamb, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, canola oil, pea protein, roasted lamb, tomato pomace, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, mixed tocopherols (a natural preservative and source of vitamin E), dried chicory root, taurine, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 25% Minimum, Fat: 15% Minimum
Calcium: 1.6%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.0%, as-fed
Calories: 3,611 kcal/kg (338 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

This formula is basically all lamb and potatoes with a few extra items. Not bad, but I generally like to see a bit more meat in a food. The protein level is again a bit low, as are the kcals per cup (lowest of the line.

The Girls has slightly lesser coat quality and their energy was lower (due to the lower kcals per cup) but this food has the best poop quality, oddly enough. You'd think a formula with less plant (fiber) sources over one with more would have smaller shits, but I guess that's not always the case.

Wetlands

Ingredients:
Duck, duck meal, chicken meal, egg product, sweet potatoes, peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potatoes, roasted quail, roasted duck, smoked turkey, natural flavor, tomato pomace, ocean fish meal, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product,dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 32% Minimum, Fat: 18% Minimum
Calcium: 2.1%, as-fed; Phosphorus: 1.4%, as-fed
Calories: 3,750 kcal/kg (375 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

Since Conker has never tried Taste of the Wild, I was not opposed to feeding these foods due to the chicken content in three of the formulas. (I'll test that soon, I think he's been lying to me about the cooked chicken thing.)  I like the ingredients in this formula a lot. Plenty of protein sources before a plant, which is again sweet potatoes. There are some funny things like roasted quail and smoked turkey, and natural flavor generally turns me off, but I gave the food a shot anyways.

The results are very similar to the High Prairie. I like this formula a lot, I think the Girls actually do best on this one. Coat remained shiny and mostly odor-free, poop is pretty good, They seemed to like this one a lot too.

In general, I am very satisfied with the Taste of the Wild line. I have not tried any of their canned foods, I do not feed canned often and that's usually only when Conker is being an asshat. Again, I am not a big fan of Diamond, but with me, the bottom line is: Do the dogs do good on the food, do they like it, and can I afford it? And the answer to all three of those questions are yes. Diamond may not be the greatest company in the world, but I am quite satisfied with Taste of the Wild. I think too many people get hung up on Diamond's less-than-stellar track record and ignore the fact that this is a pretty great dog food, especially for the quality and price.
Anywho, the Girls do really good on this food. Taste of the Wild helped Sasha drop 20 pounds, and Juneau got an A+ from the Vet in the "I thought you were two years old, not six!" department. (Basically, she's in really great health.) It's affordable, easily available, and the dogs love it.


Coming soon!

Southwest Canyon

Taste of the Wild is coming out with a new formula this upcoming month, this time potato-free. The ingredients really don't look as good as the others, there are two plants sources after the first meat, and one meat meal after those then a mish-mash of other ingredients, so I do not think it's going to be as good as the other formulas. However, I am going to try it anyways and see how it compares to the others.
I was able to get a trial (5lb) bag from Petflow for $2 which will arrive in a few days. Conker will be the first one to try it, and it will be his first trial of a Taste of the Wild food. I dunno when exactly I will be trying it, I do have quite a list of foods to trial, but I may bump it up after I finish this bag of EVO and the bag of Fromm I started to try but quit for various reasons. (Going to give it one more shot before I give it an F.)
Since the Girls have two 30lb bags of Nutrisource to test out, it'll be at least two months before they get to try the new formula, if there's even a place that carries it here in GP. We tend to be on the slow-side as far as getting new products in goes, so I don't know if I'll be seeing it in October or next year or never.