Polish Lowland Sheepdog Information

 

 

Flinkbein kennel

taija@flinkbein.fi

 

 

 
 

Is your PON gluten intolerant ?

 

Have you noticed these symptoms in your PONS ?

• IBS and severe diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Skin rashes
• Allergies
• Joint pain
• Low energy
• Autoimmune thyroid disease
• Autoimmune adrenal disorder
• Eating grass

Perhaps owners with celiac disease don’t munch on grass (not marijuana), but many humans with gluten intolerance will relate to some of the above symptoms. The increasing popularity of gluten free diets among people have raised questions about the impact of gluten on canine health. These are some points for owners to consider:

It is inaccurate to state that the canine natural diet did not include any gluten. A dog in the wild was known to consume the stomach content of it's’ prey containing some gluten in the process. It is more accurate to describe a dogs’ natural diet as very low gluten. 

Commercial kibble is excessively high in gluten. Read the ingredients’ list of various products. You will notice grain high on the list of ingredients. This indicates that the majority (typically 60%) of a  PON's diet is grain based (usually wheat, oats, corn or barley).

 There is increasing evidence that very high gluten diets (as found in most commercial dog foods) are not good for canines. High gluten may be related to development of skin allergies and joint disease. Unfortunately, these modern conditions are extremely common among most dog breeds. The Yahoo group (Canine Allergies Solutions) consists of owners of a wide range of dog breeds.

How can PON owners protect the health of their beloved family members ? Home cooking with a grain component below 20% may help. Protein sources should be varied and include proteins which have not been tried previously. This may include bison, ostrich, fish, etc. Another option is doing a raw diet. Help with this may be found on Yahoo lists or among national club members. Always avoid garlic, onions, grapes and chocolate. There are new types of grain free commercial kibble on the market, but these need to be closely researched. Consult your family veterinarian for advice.  Please keep us updated. Good luck !

 

 

Sample Home cooked Diet:

If you are concerned about the health and well being of your dog and are afraid of  the latest dog food recall  with stories of contaminated beef , have had it with high vet bills because of food allergies and just plain want to have a healthy PON, then you might like to consider cooking for your favorite canine ! The net is filled with sites which list recipes without giving a thought to the age, weight, general health of your PON.. In the same way that not all humans can eat the same food, not all dogs can follow the same diet ! It all depends on the individual PON and it's needs ! This month, I will formulate a home cooked diet for a 45 pound mature adult PON.  

 Consider these options as well: sweet peas, string beans, turnip greens,
black eyed beans (fresh frozen is best, if using cans, check and see that
there is no sugar or salt). If you use potatoes, add no more than 15 % of your PON's diet or risk having
your dog become constipated. Bananas make a very nice addition as well ! Most PONS love them.

Monthly Menu

First week of the month:

Two meals a day which consist of: wild rice (not truly a rice grain, but actually a type of grass) - high in fiber, lots of omegas, B vitamins - about one cup per meal, combined with ground buffalo meat - about 1/4th-1/2 cup of a cup, and 1/4 cup of collard greens,green beans and 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin and yogurt -pulp your veggies and supplement with wild salmon oil. Collard greens are high in calcium. Okra and bok choy are also high in calcium.

Second week of the month:

Two meals a day which consist of 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup of salmon or other wild fish , about one cup of pulped squash, carrots, pumpkin, bok choy (high in calcium) and a dab of kefir and supplement with spirulina if possible because of high levels of omegas. Consider adding some bananas !

Third week of the month:

Two meals a day which consist of 1/4- 1/2 cup of boiled chicken, about one cup of a mixture of chickpeas (Use dried chickpeas as the canned type has too much salt), mustard greens, collard greens, peas, few carrots, a dab of yogurt or kefir and supplement with salmon oil. Remember to pulp your veggie mixture
Consider adding bananas to your PON's diet as they are high in vitamins and minerals and add fiber to his diet.

Last week of the month:

Two meals a day which consist of 1/4 cup of ground turkey, about one cup of a mixture of wild rice and veggies (pulp your veggies), a dab of kefir and supplement with salmon oil or spirulina.

Note: Use kefir/yogurt only if your PON is not lactose intolerant

You will notice that we are using small amounts of protein because PONS do well with smaller amounts of protein levels, however this varies according to individual breeds. Some breeds may not be interested in veggies and you may have to find alternative solutions, such as supplementing with powdered greens, etc. Remember that all dogs are individuals and have varying nutritional requirements according to breed, age, health condition and life style. Some dogs may not digest certain veggies as well as other veggies and you need to do trials in order to find a diet which totally agrees with your individual PON.