what can i do to stop by bullie from shedding?

[Lindathedogsmaid]

with the gel caps -- you may do fine until one day-something in that particular cap, (mass production being what it is ) your dog could react --and you would not realize why or what. that's all I am saying---it is the outside..--------what brand of liquid did you try her on before that was a pump bottle ?

 

[anatess]

Daily brushing is the best I have found to combat shedding, bullies are sheeders so keep that brush handy. I found this interesting article about fruits and veggies in dogs.

By Moira Clune, eHow Contributor

• Benefits
  • Dr. Debbie Knapp, a veterinary medical oncologist and researcher in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Perdue Cancer Center studies invasive urinary bladder cancer (invasive urothelial carcinoma or InvUC) in dogs. Among her findings was the "...reduction in InvUC risk attributed to ingestion of vegetables. In fact, dogs in the study who consumed vegetables at least 3 times per week had a 70 percent reduction in bladder cancer risk."
  Dangers
  • There are some fruits and vegetables that are unsuitable and even toxic to dogs. Corn is a common allergen and can cause stomach upset. Grapes, avocados and onions can cause more serious conditions. The ASPCA has advised against feeding grapes because "although the toxic substance within grapes and raisins is unknown, these fruits can cause kidney failure." and points out that "The leaves, fruit, seeds and bark of avocados contain Persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs." Onions, the site states "can cause gastrointestinal irritation and could lead to red blood cell damage.
  Choose Quality
  • Whenever possible, opt for organic. If the cost of an all-organic diet is prohibitive, consider avoiding the produce on the "dirty dozen" list and going for the "clean 15". The "dirty dozen" fruits and vegetables have been found to be the most contaminated by pesticide residues. According to the Environmental Working Group, pets and "people can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 80 percent by avoiding the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead."
  Preparation
  • Dogs have a short digestive tract and lack the type of teeth needed to effectively grind food. Dr. Christina Chambreau, a homeopathic veterinarian and holistic educator, suggests pureeing fruits and vegetables in a juicer or food processor to aid nutrient absorption. Very fibrous vegetables can be cooked for 10 to 15 minutes to break them down enough the digest more easily.
  Variety
  • Feed a broad variety of fruits and vegetables in a wide range of colors for the best possible nutrition. Some of the most dog-friendly vegetables are peas, carrots, squash, green beans and sweet potatoes. Fruits may require a little more encouragement, but many dogs like melon, bananas, apples, peaches and pears.
  Strictly Vegetarian?
  • Dogs are omnivores, not carnivores, and can survive and thrive on a well-crafted vegetarian diet. Care must be taken to provide adequate protein, vitamin D, calcium and essential amino acids. There are commercial vegetarian dogs foods available that are complete and balanced. If you choose to home prepare a vegetarian diet, speak with a veterinary nutritionist for the best outcome for your dog.

​

Here's some night-time reading for ya:

Myth: DOGS ARE OMNIVORES.

This is false. Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores. Dogs ARE very adaptable, but just because they can survive on an omnivorous diet does not mean it is the best diet for them. The assumption that dogs are natural omnivores remains to be proven, whereas the truth about dogs being natural carnivores is very well-supported by the evidence available to us.


1.) Dentition

Look into your dog or cat's mouth. Those huge impressive teeth (or tiny needle sharp teeth) are designed for grabbing, ripping, tearing, shredding, and shearing meat (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pg 258.). They are not equipped with large flat molars for grinding up plant matter. Their molars are pointed and situated in a scissors bite (along with the rest of their teeth) that powerfully disposes of meat, bone, and hide. Carnivores are equipped with a peculiar set of teeth that includes the presence of carnassial teeth: the fourth upper premolar and first lower molar.

This is the skull of a weasel (also in Order Carnivora), courtesy of Centennial Museum. The carnassial teeth are marked with black arrows. You can find these same teeth in the mouth of your dog or cat or ferret.
​

Contrast this with your own teeth or the teeth of a black bear. A black bear is a true omnivore, as are we. We have nice, large, flat molars that can grind up veggies. Black bears, while having impressive canine teeth, also have large flat molars in the back of their mouth to assist in grinding up plant matter. Dogs and most canids lack these kinds of molars. Why? Because they don't eat plant matter. Teeth are highly specialized and are structured specifically for the diet the animal eats, and the difference between a bear's teeth and a dog's teeth (both species are in Order Carnivora) demonstrates how this can be (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pgs 260.). To see a visual comparison of the teeth of a dog to the teeth of a black bear, please click here. One can logically ask: If a dog (or cat or ferret) has the dentition of a carnivorous animal, why do we feed it pelleted, grain-based food?

2.) Musculature and external anatomy

Dogs (and cats) are equipped with powerful jaw muscles and neck muscles that assist in pulling down prey and chewing meat, bone, and hide. Their jaws hinge open widely, allowing them to gulp large chunks of meat and bone. Their skulls are heavy, and are shaped to prevent lateral movement of the lower jaw when captured prey struggles (the mandibular fossa is deep and C-shaped); this shape permits only an up-and-down crushing motion, whereas herbivores and omnivores have flatter mandibular fossa that allows for the lateral motion necessary to grind plant matter (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pgs 258-259.). Consider this quote from the previously-cited Mammology text:
"Canids, felids, and mustelids subsist mainly on freshly killed prey. These families show correspondingly greater development in 'tooth and claw'; they also have greater carnassial development and cursorial locomotion." (pg 260)

This translates to a simple fact: everything about a dog or cat's body design says they were designed for a carnivorous, hunting lifestyle geared toward killing prey. However, humans have done some major tinkering with this body design (resulting in varying sizes and conformations), but we have done nothing to change the internal anatomy and physiology of our carnivorous canines.

3.) Internal anatomy and physiology

Dogs and cats have the internal anatomy and physiology of a carnivore (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pg 260.). They have a highly elastic stomach designed to hold large quantities of meat, bone, organs, and hide. Their stomachs are simple, with an undeveloped caecum (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pg 260.). They have a relatively short foregut and a short, smooth, unsacculated colon. This means food passes through quickly. Vegetable and plant matter, however, needs time to sit and ferment. This equates to longer, sacculated colons, larger and longer small intestines, and occasionally the presence of a caecum. Dogs have none of these, but have the shorter foregut and hindgut consistent with carnivorous animals. This explains why plant matter comes out the same way it came in; there was no time for it to be broken down and digested (among other things). People know this; this is why they tell you that vegetables and grains have to be preprocessed for your dog to get anything out of them. But even then, feeding vegetables and grains to a carnivorous animal is a questionable practice.
Dogs do not normally produce the necessary enzymes in their saliva (amylase, for example) to start the break-down of carbohydrates and starches; amylase in saliva is something omnivorous and herbivorous animals possess, but not carnivorous animals. This places the burden entirely on the pancreas, forcing it to produce large amounts of amylase to deal with the starch, cellulose, and carbohydrates in plant matter. Thus, feeding dogs as though they were omnivores taxes the pancreas and places extra strain on it, as it must work harder for the dog to digest the starchy, carbohydrate-filled food instead of just producing normal amounts of the enzymes needed to digest proteins and fats (which, when fed raw, begin to "self-digest" when the cells are crushed through chewing and tearing and their enzymes are released).
Nor do dogs have the kinds of friendly bacteria that break down cellulose and starch for them. As a result, most of the nutrients contained in plant matter—even preprocessed plant matter—are unavailable to dogs. This is why dog food manufacturers have to add such high amounts of synthetic vitamins and minerals (the fact that cooking destroys all the vitamins and minerals and thus creates the need for supplementation aside) to their dog foods. If a dog can only digest 40-60% of its grain-based food, then it will only be receiving 40-60% (ideally!) of the vitamins and minerals it needs. To compensate for this, the manufacturer must add a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals than the dog actually needs.

Is the dog an omnivore? Its dentition, internal and external anatomy, and physiology say it is not. Even its evolutionary history says the dog is a carnivore. They are descended from the carnivorous wolves. So when people tell you the dog is an omnivore, ask: "What about this animal makes you think it is an omnivore?" Make them explain their position to you before you explain yours. Chances are they'll cite as "proof" another myth about wolves eating the stomach contents of their omnivorous prey. They may eat stomach contents but not on purpose - they eat a bit of it in the process of eating the stomach wall.

So why do our dogs eat fruits and vegetables now? That's because in the process of domesticating the dog, we, the humans, feed the dog fruits and veggies. Basically, we made them omnivores.

Ball Pythons have not been in the pet trade as long as dogs. But even then, you will see the modification humans has made in the attempt to feed the ball python. Ball Pythons are ambush predators, they are not scavengers. But, you will see that in many parts of the world, it is illegal to feed pet ball pythons live prey, therefore, they feed them dead rats as if they were scavengers. There is only a very slight nutritional difference between live prey and dead prey, a little bit more difference but not significant for frozen/thawed prey, so pet owners don't fight the ban. But, psychologically, there is a bigger difference because ball pythons hunt and constrict which is not necessary when they are fed dead food. And, interestingly, there is a certain group that is trying to create ball python "sausages". So, fast forward 15,000 years - as long as dogs have been domesticated - you might then have a debate, "Are ball pythons constrictors?"...

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Lindathedogsmaid]

thanks for the avitar compliment!!LOL!! and yes I would have saved that one too, I used to have it on my program for an e-card. then I ended up with a big male and a small female, and had my own avatar.
and as wholesale customer,, I know that's what the pet stores tell you about how they list the price point !! but it's not so . my wholesale price catalog is the same one they order out of. and I know what is on sale in it, and also see the comparison on whats on sale in the retail store. so I see the profit. they are committing robbery . so I know why they do not stock the better quality food.
each Dog digest food differently!!!and Bulldogs are different then other breeds. IN ALL WAYS--most of us bully parents , watch the BMs out in the yard, and know what is or isn't being digested. and digestion at 1 year old is different than it is at 3 yrs old. and yes some things like corn do not change in structure any where along the way in digestion.

 

[Davidh]

[MENTION=2874]anatess[/MENTION] The article that I posted the info was from Dr. Debbie Knapp, a veterinary medical oncologist and researcher in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Perdue Cancer Center. I guess you can call her and argue the point about dogs and omnivorous versus omnivores. I just pass the info on and figured she would know the nutrition of a dog better than I.

 

[Lindathedogsmaid]

Oh David - I agree with much of your content, but-- like usual most vets lump all dogs together---AND YOU CANNOT DO THAT WITH BULLDOGS

* Dogs are omnivores, not carnivores, and can survive and thrive on a well-crafted vegetarian diet--- proven =not true by most all western practicing vets say that dogs have difficulty digesting plant based things. so omega 3 and 6 ,, need to come form other sources to be utilized properly, that is why I hate to see the flax seed in pet food, (that is there to please any humans reading the label) by working with the dogs and the cooking time of the veggies,/fruit, to begin feeding it to dogs,I mix everything(some favorites -with some not so much-to slip it in )and often by adding meat broth into the veggies, the dogs will eat them fine.cooked more at first then backing off more each time till they love raw . and always leave rinds/peelings. --after washing the foods of course--(((simple washing solution ))) white vinegar/backing soda /lemon juice))) and I got my dogs used to veggies by making stew and adding the fruits to it, as well as veggies. I have no found any foods that mine do not like, some do not like bananas, and some not peaches.but hey if they are cooked in a stew they get used to eating all foods, the love asparagus anyway it comes, frozen,raw,cooked.and frozen blueberries.----
* Dogs have a short digestive tract and lack the type of teeth needed to effectively grind food. Dr. Christina Chambreau, a *****homeopathic******veterinarian and holistic educator, suggests pureeing fruits and vegetables in a juicer or food processor to aid nutrient absorption. Very fibrous vegetables can be cooked for 10 to 15 minutes to break them down enough the digest more easily. --- very good advice. to start until the dogs are older too, pups have trouble sometimes.---Corn is a common allergen) and a GM product*** genetically modified)) not true. allergen -no it is just a cheap filler, and becomes CONCRETE in the intestines,ask any one with a colostomy bag, LOL!!! it doesn't even digest in dogs of any age!!! and Gas---bulldogs are famous enough already!!! and ---organic--- that is a bandied about word--like real this year!!! use all the fruits and veggies ---just be sure to wash them with the simple cleaning solution I added here in the note.--please do not avoid fruits and veggies---just wash them well. cook a pot of stew or soup 2 x a week and the dogs will love getting a ladle of it onto the dry kibble just as you set the dish down, (so that the crunchy is still in the food)
ther are certin foods that are already GM genetically modified. CORN-WHIT RICE-REGULAR SUGAR.(NOT CANE SUGAR)COCONUT OIL-ALL THINGS SOY )) AVOID FOR DOGS BECAUSE LIKE DAVID SAID dogs systems are short and can't handle many things.---this is SO--grapes and raisins is unknown, these fruits can cause kidney failure." -- folks we can always add a bit of meat broth to any pot of food, or veggies & fruits. - but pleas know that by adding the veggies and fruit to the dogs dry kibble will help dilute the urine in dogs, ((and those dogs who tend to get stones- and it's because they don't drink enough water--need the help. keep meat broth around to get them to eat any thing they may hesitate at eating. and please know that almost ALL FLOWERS in any yard will cause either vomiting and or diarrhea and or Death in dogs- so is that flower more important than your DOG??? in my yard (the back where the dogs played))) had just grass, and all the flowers were in the front yard!
also---

 

[anatess]

@anatess The article that I posted the info was from Dr. Debbie Knapp, a veterinary medical oncologist and researcher in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Perdue Cancer Center. I guess you can call her and argue the point about dogs and omnivorous versus omnivores. I just pass the info on and figured she would know the nutrition of a dog better than I.

Sure. An oncologist. When you got a bulldog who has an average lifespan of 8 years while a wolf has an average lifespan of 18 years, it's fine as long as the dog dies cancer-free. Then, of course, you have the high-profile vets that recommend Science Diet. And then there's the "veterinarian recommended" Iams.

The article I sent you has references to published works on scientific research on canids. Let's throw out all the physical evidence and go with Dr. Debbie Knapp, because, gasp, she's an oncologist vet researcher at Perdue.

By the way, I'm not saying dogs have to be fed Prey Model Raw. I'm saying - plant matter should not comprise close to 50% of the dog's diet. Hence, you'll see Blue Wilderness and the like having a higher rating than Wellness - more protein, lesser carbs.

 

[Sherry]

So [MENTION=2887]Jorge Rodriguez[/MENTION] does this help your shedding problem ?????

 

[Lindathedogsmaid]

Oh please don't take it wrong , and I 'm not wanting to argue about or with any one, I was just adding that the western medicine vets , and the holistic vets OFTEN don't see eye to eye. -- but the truth is that sinse 1999 --we have learned a lot, and we have manipulated wit the dog breeding so much that they do not even remotely resemble the WOLF---- that all these studies are done on, the dogs of today have nothing in common with dogs even in the 50's . we have polluted the earth, contaminated all things edible! played with breeding until dogs are designed to be the way they are.
and they love meat,
all this is true,
Dogs do not normally produce the necessary enzymes in their saliva (amylase, for example) to start the break-down of carbohydrates and starches; amylase in saliva is something omnivorous and herbivorous animals possess, but not carnivorous animals. This places the burden entirely on the pancreas, forcing it to produce large amounts of amylase to deal with the starch, cellulose, and carbohydrates in plant matter. Thus, feeding dogs as though they were omnivores taxes the pancreas and places extra strain on it, as it must work harder for the dog to digest the starchy, carbohydrate-filled food instead of just producing normal amounts of the enzymes needed to digest proteins and fats (which, when fed raw, begin to "self-digest" when the cells are crushed through chewing and tearing and their enzymes are released).
Nor do dogs have the kinds of friendly bacteria that break down cellulose and starch for them. As a result, most of the nutrients contained in plant matter—even preprocessed plant matter—are unavailable to dogs. This is why dog food manufacturers have to add such high amounts of synthetic vitamins and minerals (the fact that cooking destroys all the vitamins and minerals and thus creates the need for supplementation aside) to their dog foods. If a dog can only digest 40-60% of its grain-based food, then it will only be receiving 40-60% (ideally!) of the vitamins and minerals it needs. To compensate for this, the manufacturer must add a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals than the dog actually needs.

Is the dog an omnivore? Its dentition, internal and external anatomy, and physiology say it is not. Even its evolutionary history says the dog is a carnivore. and as I said we have designed the dogs of today- and the pat food company cooks the foods so HOT and so LONG that the food has become hydrolyzed--- this fact, and the fact that Fromm adds a live culture pre and pro biotics to their food, and they do not cook to high or to long so that the goodness in the food is still there. and the culture is a live one , and the put that fact in their guaranteed analysis--in writing so it is legally bound by law to have exactly that much in the food. --that helps the digestion and the immune system!! problems solved!!! all other companies do not go to this extent!! or guarantee that.((( you have hit the nail on the head-)))---THAT IS WHY i RECOMMEND THIS FOOD--it has all the things that our dogs need to utilize the good things in it , and they don't need to add man made vitamins.and chemicals , there is no supplements needed to add to this food . we have changed things for our animals so much--now it our responsibility to help them as much as we can. the pet food Co's aren't. 'why we are getting smarter.to ask more questions, and not just believe what the pet food companies say they have in the food.

 

[Sarah]

I gotta say I'm with [MENTION=2071]Davidh[/MENTION] on this one. I was 9 in 1999, so to me much of that research is out of date. And I know that dogs came from wolves but dogs and especially bulldogs are sooo far removed, I mean they don't even reproduce on their own.

 

[anatess]

I gotta say I'm with @Davidh on this one. I was 9 in 1999, so to me much of that research is out of date. And I know that dogs came from wolves but dogs and especially bulldogs are sooo far removed, I mean they don't even reproduce on their own.

The research in 1999? What research? Prey model dog food did not start coming out until around 1999 - that's where a lot of veterinary research pointed to TODAY's dog having carnivorous bias... and that's when you started to see a big shift in dog food ingredients to lean towards more meat, high protein.

Far removed, yes. But look at your dog. Look at its teeth. Look at its physiology. Study the biological make-up of your dog TODAY. And tell me - where in that dog you are staring at now do you see a vegetarian? What you see is a domesticated adaptable animal totally dependent on the whims of its human companion. If you feed him nothing but peas all day long, he'll eat it. Doesn't mean his physiology can support it, but he'll eat it.

But don't take my word for it. Do your research. My only request is not to get tunnel vision and look up one veterinarian from Perdue's word for it. Read as many sources as you can get your hands on and apply your logical thinking to weed out the kooks. I can't put an ounce of merit to a veterinarian researcher who thinks it's okay for dogs to be vegetarians. You got the internet. Use it.

 

[BruceP]

Let me know when the 'winner' is announced.... ROFL!!

 

[anatess]

Let me know when the 'winner' is announced.... ROFL!!

Bruce, I know you're just kidding around and I shouldn't be too serious... I guess my mother has rubbed off too much on me, I suppose. I've always thought my mother is crazy for going all-out for the welfare of dogs. All I really do is study everything for the welfare of my own pets and not everyone else's - 2 dogs, 4 birds, 2 turtles, 7 snakes, 12 fish, a colony of rats.

Unfortunately, I feel that it's not a win-or-loss for us. It's a win-or-loss for our dogs.

Okay, I really need to lighten up... [MENTION=2092]JAKEISGREAT[/MENTION]! I can always count on you to knock me off my high horse! You'll have to do it again, girl!

And since I've totally hijacked this thread... I found this great shed/lint remover thing - it's some kind of prickly material shaped like a glove that you can put your palm in and use it to wipe down furniture/clothes/etc. You rub the surface with the glove in one direction, then you rub it the opposite direction to get rid of the shed (into a trashbin or some such) so you can use it again! Pretty nifty thing and so far, it's working.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

Bruce, I know you're just kidding around and I shouldn't be too serious... I guess my mother has rubbed off too much on me, I suppose. I've always thought my mother is crazy for going all-out for the welfare of dogs. All I really do is study everything for the welfare of my own pets and not everyone else's - 2 dogs, 4 birds, 2 turtles, 7 snakes, 12 fish, a colony of rats.

Unfortunately, I feel that it's not a win-or-loss for us. It's a win-or-loss for our dogs.

Okay, I really need to lighten up... [MENTION=2092]JAKEISGREAT[/MENTION]! I can always count on you to knock me off my high horse! You'll have to do it again, girl!

And since I've totally hijacked this thread... I found this great shed/lint remover thing - it's some kind of prickly material shaped like a glove that you can put your palm in and use it to wipe down furniture/clothes/etc. You rub the surface
with the glove in one direction, then you rub it the opposite direction to get rid of the shed (into a trashbin or some
such) so you can use it again! Pretty nifty thing and so far, it's working.

I missed ALL of this! But that's a lot of sumpin'!!!!!

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

So [MENTION=2887]Jorge Rodriguez[/MENTION] does this help your shedding problem ?????

Sherry....YOU GO GIRL!!!

 

[anatess]

I missed ALL of this! But that's a lot of sumpin'!!!!!

Becky, you know you're not allowed to be absent on a thread that I get involved in! I'm counting on you to keep me from taking a dive off the deep end!