505-792-2846

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Samoyeds are 12 times more likely than any other breed to develop canine diabetes and is a growing problem for the breed. The typical onset of diabetes is middle age, from 7 to 9 years old, often triggered by some health issue or oral steroids like prednisone. Symptoms include rapid and dramatic weight loss with no loss or increase of appetite, excessive water consumption, urination and bed wetting, weakness of the hind legs, and in acute cases, ketoacidosis (the presence of ketones in the urine). If you suspect your dog of diabetes, consult a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Diabetes has no cure, but it is not a death sentence. Treatment involves patience in determining the correct insulin dosage balanced by food intake and exercise. Your veterinarian should have a preliminary treatment plan for you and your dog which includes a recommended starting insulin dosage based on your dog’s weight, training on how to administer the insulin injections, usually twice a day, and weekly checkups till your dog’s blood glucose level is in an acceptable range (between 100s and 200s), dietary considerations and detecting hypoglycemia (dangerously low blood glucose levels which can lead to seizures, coma and death).

Your dog must be fed before you can administer the insulin. Meal time and administration of insulin must be at the same times every day. Exercise must also be consistent, in both the time of day as well as the amount of exercise.

The best approach to giving your diabetic dog quality of life is to arm yourself with knowledge. Join a diabetic news group for support and general information. For more information, visit http://www.caninediabetes.org/maillists.html.

Know the types of medication your dog is on, and the side effects. There are several types of insulin. Vetsulin and caninsulin are made specifically for animals and can only be obtained from your vet. You also have a choice of human insulin NPH and PZI. For canines, insulin NPH is recommended for several reasons. Canines generally do much better with insulin NPH than those made specifically for animals. Insulin NPH is also available at pharmacies and in most states, does not require a prescription. If you run out of or break a vial, you can always go to a local pharmacy to buy another bottle. We recommend that you always keep two vials of insulin in case you break a vial or run out. Inspect the insulin every time you take it out of the refrigerator. If the insulin does not re-suspend, do not use it.

Insulin should be stored in the refrigerator, not the freezer. It is effective till the expiration date. Never shake the insulin and always take it out of the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before administering. Cold insulin hurts.

The type of insulin chosen for your dog and the dosage determine the type of syringes you need to purchase. Syringes have four properties: U-number, volume, needle length and needle diameter. The U-number tells you the concentration of insulin the syringe is calibrated for. Canine insulin requires U-40 syringes whereas human insulin require U-100 syringes. The volume tells you the maximum amount of insulin the syringe will deliver. For example, a 3/10 CC syringe can deliver 0-30 units of insulin. A 1/2 CC syringe can deliver 0-50 units of insulin. Needle length is commonly 1/2 inch, but shorter ones are also available. For a Samoyed with a thick double coat, 1/2 inch works will as shots are delivered subcutaneously (into the skin). Needle diameter is measured in gauge. The smaller the gauge, the thicker the needle. For less discomfort, select 30 or greater gauge syringes. Most states require prescriptions for syringes so make sure you never run out of syringes.

Be aware of factors that can affect your dog’s blood glucose level. Oral and topical steroids play havoc with blood glucose levels, often raising them. Sugar also affects blood glucose levels. Check your dog’s treats to make sure they are sugar free and are low in simple carbohydrates. High fat and high carb diets should be avoided. If you decide to home cook for your dog, you must add a canine multi-vitamin the diet.

An unregulated diabetic can experience all sorts of health issues, most notably cataracts and possible vision loss. Check your dog’s eyes every day. If you see any signs of cloudiness, contact your veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist as soon as possible. Of course, the best scenario is getting your dog regulated as quickly as possible to prevent further damage to his health.

Diabetes is a horrible and complicated disease to manage. Many veterinarians recommend using urine strips, which you can purchase at your local pharmacy in the diabetic section, to test your dog’s urine for the presence of glucose. There are two types of urine test strips. One type tests for the presence of glucose only. The other type tests for both glucose and ketones. It is better to use the type that tests for both glucose and ketones. If your dog has any trace of ketones in the urine, he will need immediate medical attention. Urine testing is done before meal and injection, but only indicates the blood glucose level hours before. For accurate and immediate blood glucose level results, many owners have learned how to blood test with a glucometer at home. For more information on glucometers, please see http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Glucometer.

The book “Dogs, Diet, and Disease – An Owner’s Guide to Diabetes Mellitus, Pancreatitis, Cushing’s Disease, & More” by Caroline D. Levin is a comprehensive and very informative book, especially for complicated cases.

If your Sammy is diabetic, you can help by contributing a DNA sample to a study by Doctor Rebecka Hess at the University of Pennsylvania. All expenses will be at no cost to the owner. For more information, please see http://www.mirage-samoyeds.com/diabetesstudy.htm. For Samoyed specific health issues, please see http://www.mirage-samoyeds.com/health.htm.

1. Submit an Adoption Application, or call ADRTC at 505-792-2846.

Applications are available online. You can also call the ADRTC phone number from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. any day, and either leave a message, or talk to one of us. We generally return all calls in 48 hours, and most often in 2-4 hours. If you should not hear back from us, please try again, as sometimes numbers are not left accurately (remember the area code), or clearly enough to understand.

2. Complete an interview with a Placement Specialist.

This interview offers the Placement Specialist the opportunity to learn your needs, and the circumstances in which a dog will be living. This helps the Placement Specialist to understand what characteristics you will require a dog to have, and learn about your preferences. Your previous experience with dogs, other pets, and planned activities that are important, along with information in regard to your family, physical living area, and time to spend with a dog.

3. The Placement Specialist will make recommendations as to which dog(s) you should consider, and help to arrange an appointment for you to meet the dog(s) that are recommended as best meeting your needs. You *must* be able to visit us to meet the dog. We only adopt dogs to people who can come to visit and meet the dog at the foster home.

Sometimes, we don’t have a dog that will fit your needs at the time you are applying. Most times, we have dogs in foster care that will meet the needs of most families who apply to have a dog. We set up an appointment for your family to meet the candidate dog at the home of the fostering family. If the meeting goes well, and you desire to adopt the dog, and the Placement Specialist feels this is a good match, then a simple Adoption Contract is completed for the dog you will be adopting.

The Adoption Contract provides for the return of the adoption fee should the dog not work out in your home during the first 14 days. This is provided to all ADRTC dogs. While we never like to have dogs returned as a result of an unsuccessful match, we understand that this will happen–and should, as we would rather make an error by providing a family the chance to adopt a dog, than exclude a family from a potentially successful adoption because we are too careful. Our staff can never know all the circumstances of an adopting family, and dogs will react differently in a new situation than when living with a fostering family.

Our interest is in obtaining the best home for any dog that we rescue, and providing the ongoing support necessary to making the relationship as successful as we know how. We too, learn from every dog, and every new situation, and enjoy sharing our knowledge with others with the same interests. Thus, we offer lifetime counselling and support for every dog we place.

We welcome your questions at any time, before applying, during the process, and at anytime after you have adopted a dog. We also enjoy hearing about your adventures with your ADRTC dog.

While ADRTC is nonprofit, and in fact has only a volunteer staff–no staff members are paid, ADRTC does have costs. Every dog is spayed/neutered, and all vaccinations are given that are needed.

All dogs receive an Alaskan Collar with an identification tag from ADRTC that stays with them when they are placed. Many dogs also come with an additional training collar to make it easier to handle them.

Some dogs have additional medical needs from simple worming medication to the treatment of infections or injuries they sustained before rescue. Some dogs require bathing, as they arrive so dirty and often smelly that they cannot be adopted to anyone, or even brought into a foster home.

ADRTC attempts to use all public channels for advertising that we can identify and find useful in the task of locating good homes for dogs being fostered. This has never been sufficient, so ads are placed in local papers to inform more people of our services. These classified ads increase our costs substantially. Advertising costs can be averaged over a large number of dogs to provide an average cost, but no specific cost can truly be attached to an individual dog. Generally, 20% of the fees from adoption are paid to advertisers.

ADRTC retains a reserve fund for unexpected medical costs in the event of a dog becoming severely ill while in fostering, and to cover additional expenses incurred in running ADRTC. Some funds are used for specific items, such as reproducing forms and materials for Adoption Information. Other funds are kept as a reserve for future contingencies brought about by changing responsibilities and demands.

At least once a year, we endeavor to take on a “project dog”. These dogs are highly deserving of rescue, but may have a medical issue that requires a large outlay of funds to resolve. We hope to continue rescuing the special dogs that require us to have faith in people and their willingness to see another fine dog rescued that has exceptional expenses associated with the rescue, fostering, and placement, but a reserve fund is a good business practice that guarantees the dogs get good care while we are also raising funds through other means. We believe the public does care about special needs dogs, and will continue to support our work through generous donations, as well as through adopting other fine dogs we offer all year long.

Even if ADRTC were a well endowed foundation, it is likely that an adoption would still require the adopting party to demonstrate a financial commitment to the dog. Since an adopting party has to pay for future veterinary care–vaccinations, and regular checks–and quite possibly other medical care, we believe that each adopting family should be prepared to provide an assurance that they value the addition to their family by reimbursing ADRTC for the costs already incurred in rescuing the dog. If a family cannot afford to adopt the dog, then it may be best not to do so, as the dog has real costs in food and medical care at a minimum.

Unfortunately, northern breed dogs often do have additional costs in their own housing and maintenance. They do require a secure yard, bedding or crate, bathing and grooming, licensing, and protection from fleas and infection.

In general, a family should expect to pay $300-$700 a year for good dog food, and $300 a year in medical costs for a dog. Since most ADRTC dogs are between the ages of 1 and 3 years, they have an average of 10 additional years of life. The average adoption cost of $200 is a very minor cost when viewed as a percentage of the lifetime costs of the dog–and this analysis is a very positive one, as it assumes the dog never becomes ill and has additional medical costs.

The minimum lifetime costs for a dog should be viewed as an $8000-$10,000 commitment, and anyone signing an adoption contract must understand they are agreeing to make that as a minimum commitment. If there is any uncertainty as to the ability of a family to absorb these costs, then a dog is not necessarily a good addition to this family.

One of the most tragic calls we get all too regularly is the one that begins, “I need to have my dog go to rescue…” It usually continues with, “He/she is 8 years old, and we just can’t keep her/him…”

Such a northern dog is most likely to be killed sooner, rather than later. We have too many fine young dogs needing homes, and just cannot take on dogs that are older, as the public just does not call us or take an interest in older dogs. There are no retirement homes for older dogs, so when adopting a dog, consider the long term welfare of the dog, and be certain that the entire family is prepared to make the commitment to the dog that it expects to make to any other family member.

The Arctic Dog Rescue and Training Center, ADRTC, can not exist without foster homes. Currently, there are too few foster homes, as we only have one primary facility., Optimally, it is better if we only have 3 dogs being fostered in our home. This is a small number, and certainly not likely to be enough for the entire ABQ area.

Additional foster homes are highly desirable as new members helping in the fostering process make it possible for existing homes to “take a break”, and tend to other necessities of life. Our numerous volunteers also contribute to the easing of responsibility on foster home members, and volunteers are highly valued for this support. If you can volunteer even a few hours a month, your efforts are appreciated at ADRTC.

Since ADRTC is a small organization, just beginning its first year of existence, the process for becoming a foster home is relatively uncomplicated. We naturally prefer families who have a stable living situation and a fenced yard. Because we do handle a wide variety of northern dogs, we can selectively assign dogs to accommodate a range of housing/neighborhood situations.

Previous experience with northern dogs is highly desirable, but not essential if a love of dogs motivates the home to learn the breed habits and behaviors of the northern breeds. A desire to learn is as important as the desire to have dogs around all the time. A prospective member(s) should be prepared to always be learning and expanding their knowledge along with their experience.

Generally, the process of becoming a foster home comes about with the interested family calling ADRTC and expressing an interest. A telephone interview helps to establish an understanding of expectations on the part of the family, and ADRTC. While ADRTC is new to New Mexico and Albuquerque, we, the founders, have more than 10 years of experience with more than 400 dogs that we have personally rescued, fostered in our home, and trained before placing them in good homes.

We plan for a current foster home member to visit the new prospective foster home to survey the home and yard, and make any notes or recommendations which might prove helpful, or even essential in fostering a northern breed dog. At this visit, the visiting member can determine the needs and requirements that the foster home may have for equipment, training, or support. We believe in assisting each volunteer in learning as much as they can about these wonderful dogs.

The visiting member of ADRTC makes recommendations back to our Fostering Committee, which currently consists of 3 people. These recommendations help us to plan as to how to meet the needs of the prospective foster home. Provided we can meet all needs, and we feel that the foster home is equal to the challenges imposed in fostering northern breed dogs, we discuss participation with the family members of the new home, and determine the type of dogs that will best help them to begin the fostering experience.

At ADRTC, we consider it vital that all new foster homes receive *extensive* mentoring and training. We never leave the fostering of a dog to chance. Foster home members must be willing to communicate frequently and openly about all aspects of the fostering process. The fostering of a northern breed dog in ADRTC is not for the self-contained individualist, as it is a team effort with an emphasis on shared interdependence at all stages of the process.

At ADRTC, we believe the strength of the organization, and the success of the fostering experience requires sharing our strengths whenever, and wherever possible. This philosophy has in the past, enabled us to recruit numerous volunteers who assist the fostering process through their efforts, though they themselves do not foster dogs in their homes. This integration of abilities and talents requires an ability on the part of all members to function in a climate of mutual respect, open communication, and a sense of excellence in what we do together–the rescuing, fostering, training, and successful adoption of dogs to qualified families.

Since the organization of ADRTC depends on shared values rather than set regulations and rules, we mutually agree on the participation of members, and we are all used to working with considerable flexibility. New members who wish to foster will have the opportunity to have “easy” fosters while they learn more about what they themselves can and cannot contribute, and while they expand their knowledge of the northern breeds by having a variety of four pawed instructors marching through their homes. Instructors will vary from the older strong silent type, to young and brash firebrands who think they know everything about life, and who have enthusiasm far in excess of their judgment or socialization.

All foster homes start with only one dog at a time, and only take on an additional dog when they volunteer to do so, which may be never. Some foster homes will already have their own dogs, and find that they can only take in a limited number or type of dog and keep harmony in their home and neighborhood.

While a dog is being fostered, a foster home has the responsibility of increasing the dog’s assets. This may meaning additional training for the dog, improving the health status, or the emotional status of a dog. At ADRTC, dogs will not be simply “kept” until they are placed. Our ability to know the dog thoroughly, and enhance the value of each dog is what establishes ADRTC as a viable rescue organization.

All foster homes are expected to contribute to “marketing” of the dogs they foster, and act as the primary avenue of placement and follow up for the dogs placed by them. This requires a willingness and an ability to work well with many kinds of people with diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. All foster homes and volunteers must adhere to the ADRTC mission statement: To rescue, foster, train and successfully adopt out northern breed dogs to qualified families in a climate of mutual respect, open communication, and a sense of excellence.

Other Poisonous Plants

Teach your dog to chew *only* his/her toys.

Watch what your dog eats in the garden; even be careful of the stick you pick up to throw for the dog while in the woods.

Symptoms: (may include some or all) trembling, abdominal pain (may be evident by hunch back, rigid stance with whining), rapid breathing, vomiting, convulsions, depression and coma.

These may occur rapidly or over a period of many hours, depending on the cause. If poisoning is suspected, induce vomiting *AT ONCE*. A most effective method is to administer about a teaspoon per 5 pounds of body weight, of HYDROGEN PEROXIDE by mouth. If vomiting does not occur within 5 to 10 minutes, the dose may be repeated at least 2 more times.

Example: A husky may require 3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide, if the husky weighs 50 pounds.

CALL YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY.

Also check with your veterinarian about what common wild flowers are in your area. If you suspect toxic plant poisoning, take the plant and your dog to your vet so that she/he might have a better chance in selecting the right antidote.

Some other common poisonous substances for your dog are grapes, raisins, and chocolate. Remember to put presents containing chocolate out of the reach of dogs! Often a dog will smell the chocolate in a present under a Christmas tree, open it, and eat all the chocolate. Even wrapping chocolate does not hide it from your dog.

Dogs like grapes and raisins, because the sugar attracts them. These are poisonous to your dog, so please make sure your dog has no opportunity to eat them. Onions also are in this category, and they are especially attractive to your dog when fried.

ASPCA Pet Poison Hotline
The ASPCA has a new poison control hotline phone number for pets. This is the only dedicated animal poison control hotline in the world manned by veterinarians, not telephone operators. The number is staffed 24/7 at 888-4ANI-HELP or 888-426-4435.

Many people have not owned a dog or cat before, and are not aware of the vaccinations that should be given to every puppy and dog during its life. We get asked about what shots should be given to a dog. The following is one possible program that will protect your dog. Your own veterinarian may have a different program. This particular program attempts to balance protecting the dog with reducing the stress on the dog’s immune system. Too many vaccinations can stress the immune system, and there have been reports of dogs having immune system failures that may be linked to over-vaccination. While this remains unproven, it is still a valid concern of any dog owner.

Remember! Many states have laws stating that a puppy must be at least 8 weeks old before it may be sold. When you adopt a puppy, ask about what vaccinations, have been given before you adopt it. Typically, at least one vaccination should have been given. This is desirable, as puppies can get parvo and die very quickly. Many breeders will give the second vaccination as the pup is being adopted. Get proof that the pup did get vaccinated, and know what vaccine was given. Your vet will want that information.

Most good breeders give the first vaccination at 5 weeks, and a second at 8 weeks. These are 6 in 1 or 7 in 1 vaccines. It is a DHLPP/C booster. DHLPP/C means Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospira, Parainfluenza, canine Parvo, and corona virus vaccines.

The next shot is due at 12 weeks. This is because puppies are well protected from disease by the immune system for the mother until a few weeks after birth. As that immunity decreases with time, it is essential to protect the pup against disease by boosting its own immune system. The vaccines given at short intervals help to do this.

This shot is repeated at 16 weeks, without the canine corona vaccine. It is simply a DHLPP.

The DHLPP/C is repeated at 20 weeks when a rabies shot may be given. Rabies injections cannot be given before this time, and the first rabies shot is only a 1 year vaccine. It must be repeated the next year along with the DHLPP/C. The DHLPP/C must be repeated every year for the life of the dog for best protection. There are schools that question this, as the DHLPP has been shown to last 3 to 5 years in a few studies. While optimal protection will come with an annual vaccination, some vets may choose to skip a year, or even 2 years in an older dog–especially if that older dog has other health issues, and has had an excellent vaccination record in younger years.

Bordetella is given to prevent kennel cough. It is best given again at 20 weeks, and repeated at least annually. It may be given as a nasal inhalant rather than a shot. The Bordetella is *very important*, and most often skipped by too many people. It helps to protect your dog against Kennel Cough.

DHLPP/C, and Bordetella can be purchased at many feed stores, pet stores, and ordered by mail from pet supply firms. They can be given by anyone able to manage giving shots. Rabies shots can only be given by a vet, because rabies vaccines are a live vaccine.

These vaccinations are also given at low cost vaccine clinics. These are best used by people with dogs that have an established vaccination history. Sometimes, although not often, a dog can have an allergic reaction to the vaccination and require emergency treatment. We recommend that young dogs get their shots when your vet is available to see your dog should there be an unusual reaction to the vaccination. For older dogs–2 years and older who have had at least one annual booster previously, it is unlikely for the dog to have an allergic reaction.

Rabies vaccinations come in 1 year to 3 year dosages. If your dog is1 year old or less, or has an unknown vaccination history, your veterinarian will probably give a 1 year vaccination the first time. Older dogs who have had a vaccination previously will generally get a 3 year vaccination.

A rabies vaccination is required for a dog license. Be sure you get a certificate of rabies vaccination for your dog, and keep it with your dog’s important records! The rabies certification and the spay-neuter certification will be required when you license your dog, or you will have to see your bet again to obtain them. Most areas do license dogs. If you do not know about a dog license, call your county/city Animal Control Office to find out how to license your dog, and what copies of certifications they will require with the fee for the license.

Remember! *A rabies tag is insufficient proof of a rabies vaccination*. Anyone can put a rabies tag on a dog, and it may be difficult to prove that the dog wearing the tag had the vaccination. The paperwork is the actual legal proof of your dog having had a current rabies vaccination.

Animal Control does not care if your dog has a DHLPP or Bordetella, but you should. One of the most tragic events that can occur in your family is to have your dog become deathly ill with any of the illnesses these injections prevent. Bordetella is not usually deadly, except to pups and older dogs; there is a chance of a complication with pneumonia for any dog having kennel cough, which Bordetella inhibits.

If your dog is being boarded with other dogs, or is around other dogs in public, as when going to the dog park or beach, or when being groomed in a public dog grooming establishment, you should consider administering Bordetella at intervals of 12 months.

We have often seen vaccination clinic lines where the person giving the vaccinations is asking people if their dog is ever boarded. Most answer no, and do not realize that the question was being asked to see if the dog needed a Bordetella vaccination. We object to that practice, as the public generally does not understand the issues. It is best for the public if Bordetella vaccinations were given to all dogs, even if they are not currently expected to be boarded. Kennel cough can be spread through public encounters with other dogs, and not just at a dog pound.

Dog vaccinations are regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture–not the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates human medications. The importance of this is that there has never been a federal requirement for the manufacturers of these vaccines to demonstrate how long a vaccination provides protection. It is likely that young dogs, like young children, need vaccinations according to this recommended schedule, but a dog that has had all vaccinations for the first 3 or 4 years may be protected up to 3 years by a DHLPP. Before skipping shots, consult your own veterinarian, and determine what is best for your dog in your situation. We have seen through experiences in Rescue, that Bordetella does only last a year or so. Some strains of kennel cough can even effect a vaccinated dog.

Most dogs tolerate shots well if they are kept calm and are used to being handled. It is important to socialize your dog to accept examination by you and other people, so it will tolerate treatment and vaccinations when necessary. Sometimes combining an outing with a visit to the vet is a good idea. Taking your dog to the vet, and then on a short outing to a pet store, the beach, or some other dog friendly place can help your dog accept the idea of a vet visit more readily.

We have also found that if you have 2 dogs, that taking both to the vet even when only one needs treatment is a good idea. The dog not treated gets a vet visit that has no negative events to bring back memories later, and will often be more calm at the vet’s office when it is his/her turn another time.

Copyright© 1999, 2007 by Gary Wynn Kelly. Please respect the copyright, and contact ADRTC.ORG for permission to reprint or distribute this article. Thank you!

One activity that requires so little time out of your dog’s day is one of the most important to and for your dog–feeding time. While your dog may demolish that meal with gusto in a surprisingly small amount of time, unless it is a picky Siberian Husky, it should require a substantial amount of your time to plan and choose the right diet for your dog, and become informed on what dogs need to eat, and how they need to eat it.

If you own a dog of the arctic breeds, or are thinking of adopting one, you may be wondering what to feed the dog, how much should it eat, and what to expect. There is much more to know about feeding dogs of the northern breeds than the typical dog in American homes. These dogs range from the super chow hound, to the Siberian Husky who is many times so picky that it drives owners to distraction.

The first fact to learn is that northern dogs have extremely efficient metabolisms. This is a requirement for arctic living. Food is precious, and each meal needs to last. Northern dogs have such metabolisms in part, because of their coats.

The double coat keeps them warm even in extreme temperatures. This reduces the amount of calories a dog requires. Even working sled dogs can manage on far fewer calories than a human can. A working 50 pound husky, for example, can manage on 2500 calories a day, while pulling a sled, and working every day for many days on end. Most Americans eat that much or more, with far less physical activity.

The northern dog in your home, in a relatively warm climate, needs far less calories than a sled pulling dog. Few dogs ever get such a great amount of exercise while living with people as companions. Even if your dog is out of doors for hours each day, it probably uses very little energy during a day. Your Siberian Husky of 50 pounds may only use 800 calories a day.

This means that northern dogs should have measured meals. Buy a couple of measuring cups for your dog. Keep them in the storage container where you keep the dog food. Use them for every meal.

We recommend stainless steel pans for feeding your dog, or even for water. They are easily cleaned, can be run through a dishwasher safely, and do not risk your dog’s health. Aluminum is not a good choice, as small amounts of the metal get into your dog’s system. This element is suspected of causing neurological disorders, so it is best to avoid using it as a dog feeding or watering dish. Plastic bowls may absorb food odors and tastes; resulting in the dog chewing up the bowl later. The ones that are heavier and better made do not fit in a dishwasher very well.

The next item on your shopping list is the dog food itself. It is best to avoid most grocery store foods. They are uneven in nutritional value cup for cup. What this means is that 1 cup from one bag, is not nutritionally equivalent to another cup from another bag, or even a cup from a different part of the same bag. This results in an uneven diet for the dog. Also, most are formulated for more common breeds–breeds that may need more calories than a northern dog, so this can result in unexpected weight gain, obesity, and health complications for your dog.

It is best to buy your dog’s food at a pet store, a feed store, or directly from a distributor. Most dog foods that are premium brands, can be bought online, or by an 800 number. The food is then shipped directly to your home. A good diet starts with good food.

The brand of food is less important that what is in the food. A simple way to choose a food for a northern dog is to read the label of ingredients. If the ingredients look like something you might use in your kitchen, then the food is probably a good food for your dog, too. If it reads like a chemistry book, with mostly additives and chemicals, it is more likely to cause an allergic reaction in your dog.

We recommend that dog foods that are natural, have a good balance of ingredients, such as chicken and rice, turkey and rice, or fish and rice, are likely to be better than grocery store choices of dog foods. Dog foods containing high amounts of hydrogenated fats, meat byproducts, or ingredients like corn, wheat, and soy, are more likely to cause a health problem for your dog. The 3 most common ingredients that cause a food allergy are corn, wheat, and soy.

Think about the fact that northern dogs came from the arctic. They lived for hundreds and possibly thousands of years with people who had no corn, wheat, or soy. This is not a food any northern breed ever ate before modern times. Northern dogs ate mostly meats — fish being one of the preferred, but also reindeer, seal, and elk, or similar game. Northern dogs do like some vegetables, and many will willingly eat vegetables that came from your own table. These are good as supplements to the diet. It is best to avoid the ones most likely to promote an allergic reaction.

While it makes sense that a vet is a good source for diet information, we find that most have a limited knowledge of dog foods. Many recommend a diet that is less than optimal, because it is the one that is known to them, and not necessarily as good as another diet. Vets do well at helping animals that are ill or injured, but often not as well at helping your dog eat the best diet.

The best way to choose the diet for your dog is to become informed on the choices. Read labels, ask questions, review articles, and websites. The more you know about good nutrition, the better you can manage your dog’s diet.

Most premium dog foods do have feeding recommendations on the label. This is a helpful guide in figuring out how much to feed your dog. It will vary, and possibly be very different for your dog. Dogs are different, much like people are different.

Young dogs often need more food than the recommendations indicate — perhaps twice as much, especially if your dog is active. Older dogs may eat far less, and an inactive dog may eat only a small amount. In order to know precisely how much to feed your dog, it is necessary to weigh your dog regularly at first.

If your dog is young, it may still be putting on weight. Northern dogs do mature quickly. Most of them are fully grown at 1 year, and only gain a small amount of weight by age 3. After that, their weight should be stable for a lifetime. One of my male huskies weighed about 44 pounds at 1 year, and 47 at 3 years. He stayed at 46 and 47 until he died at nearly 12 years of age.

A neutered or spayed pet may have more difficulty regulating its weight. Sometimes, the hormone imbalance caused by altering the dog causes the dog to eat more, gain weight, and not be able to regulate its diet successfully. This happens in as many cases as 60% for females that are spayed, and possibly 40% of males.

Many dogs do retain their ability to regulate their weight. Many a Siberian owner has called Rescue distraught over the fact that their Siberian refuses to eat most of its meals. Siberians are notorious for this behavior. If you have one, and it is a picky eater, it must surely be a true Siberian! The answer is to not worry about it. The dog will likely regulate its diet to maintain its own weight. If it is too thin, and some are, try using one of the foods for active dogs. These foods have more calories per cup, and the dog can eat the same amount, but gain weight to reach its proper weight for its size. Our alpha female has been this way for 9 years. She still is on a higher energy diet than other dogs her age, because she will skip meals to maintain her weight.

Because northern breed dogs do eat less per meal than many regular dogs, it is important to have a premium dog food with consistent nutrition per cup of food. When a dog eats 6 cups a day, the nutrition averages out, such that the dog is getting a relatively balanced diet over time. When a dog eats only 2 cups a day, it is best to have nutrition formulated to be sure it gets the right amount of nutrition in those 2 cups to meet its needs for vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional factors besides calories.

It is possible to make your dog food yourself. There is a considerable amount of information available on the Internet, and from other sources on doing this. It takes time, costs just as much, and it is not so easily stored or transported as commercial diets, but it is a way to give your dog good nutrition, and know what your dog is eating. If you have the time, like to cook, and want to be certain your dog has an excellent diet, this is an alternative to commercial dog foods.

If your dog is having consistent problems with digesting its food — loose stools, gas, discolored stools, etc., then it is good to get the advice of your vet. It may be that your dog has a food allergy. This is rare, but it does happen. We have had about 1 dog in every hundred that had a proven food allergy that required a special diet. Fortunately, modern veterinary medicine has made it possible to help your dog easily.

It is possible to have your vet run a blood test that can determine to what foods your dog is allergic. The profile comes back with specific recommendations on what foods to use, the manufacturer, an 800 number for each, and a profile for your dog that shows the most likely causes of the allergic reaction, and the secondary foods that might also cause a minor reaction.

We had one dog in rescue, that could not eat chicken, wheat, corn, and about 3 other additives found in dog foods — sweet potatoes, peanuts, and soy.

Even then, there were foods that this dog can eat, and she is living happily in a good home that makes sure she gets her proper diet. She even gets some special treats that are formulated for her dietary needs.

Remember that treats are food, too. They must be counted as a part of your dog’s diet, if you feed treats, or table scraps. This means that extra calories are being added and consumed by your dog. It may be necessary to reduce your dog’s regular food by a small amount, or to eliminate the treats if your dog is gaining weight.

It is good to remember if an allergic reaction is suspected, that the dog may be eating substances other than food that are causing the reaction. We have seen cases where it was the treats that caused the allergy, and not the primary dog food.

Your dog will have a changing diet over the course of its life. Young dogs need more fat and calories than older dogs. It is usually necessary, or at least advisable, to change dog foods as the dog ages. Northern dogs may need a lite, or “senior” diet by age 4 or 5 if they have a tendency to gain weight due to spaying or neutering. If not, it may be advisable to change them over by age 8 or 9, to reduce the demands on the kidneys. A vet can advise you of the need to do this.

Families often have difficulty in controlling the weight of their family dog, because one or more of the family members insists on feeding the dog extra tidbits, snacks, treats, or even an extra meal. It is desirable to have the family all meet, and set out the facts. Get the dog’s current weight, the vet’s opinion on how much weight the dog should lose, and get an agreement from all the family members that all will work to see that this happens. One family member should take responsibility for *all* feeding, and begin by measuring all food given to the dog.

An obese family dog is a dog in danger. Obesity in dogs is much like obesity in people, only faster in terms of the negative impacts. A person might get away with being obese for 20 years without getting diabetes, but your dog will likely not live that long. Obesity in dogs leads to diabetes, and other complications including heart disease, high blood pressure, and the risk of a stroke or heart failure. Your family pet will suffer a loss of at least 10% of its life, if not far more. The ADRTC library has an article on obesity in dogs, and recommendations on coming to grips with the problem.

Obesity in pets follows social patterns. It is far more likely for a dog to be obese when a family member is obese. That is a truth that many readers will not want to acknowledge, and one that prevents many vets from speaking openly about the dog’s obesity.

You may not mind that your dog is obese, but you probably do mind that it may well suffer poor health, and a tragically early death with suffering, because you permitted the dog to be obese, and failed in your responsibility to provide the care for your dog that will give it the happiest and longest life.

Dogs are not happy when they are obese. They do enjoy those treats and extra food — they feel biologically compelled in many cases to eat them, but a dog that cannot play, take walks, or interact comfortably with other dogs, or enjoy the outdoors, because it is obese, is not a happy companion.

Because the readers of this paper are anonymous, we can be completely frank about this problem, and ask, on your dog’s behalf, that you help your dog. Start now by acting responsibly in the feeding and care of your dog. You may well reap the benefits in unexpected ways — taking that fat old dog out walking daily, buying less treats, and getting more exercise yourself, may make you happier, wiser, and better off financially.

If you feel that your dog gets too hungry as a result of a strict diet, then consider making sure your dog gets multiple meals a day. Even 2 meals a day can help your dog to feel less ravenous. If you can manage 3, then the benefits increase.

When a meal is eaten, it is digested. This process takes energy. The digestive system itself requires that muscles work, and that energy be expended in processing the food. It is far less efficient to get 1000 calories in 2 meals than in one. If the dog eats that same caloric intake in 2 meals and not just one, it will lose weight at a faster rate than if it ate all the food in one meal. If the same amount of calories are divided into 3 meals, then the loss is greater, and the dog will benefit even more quickly.

An excellent balance is to have even 2 meals — one at night, and one in the morning, and to make sure the dog gets walked each day in between meals. I do this with my own dogs, and find I can manage their weight easily, and do much better at managing my own, too.

When feeding your dog, it is good to make sure it does not have to compete with another dog, cat, or other animals for its food, and that it has a quiet and secure place in which to eat. Dogs develop eating disorders — such as becoming food protective, or even food aggressive, as a result of having to defend their food. This is unfortunate behavior that is hard to treat, and constitutes a danger to the humans of the household, or visitors. People can be bitten by a food aggressive dog, and often it is a child that is bitten. That usually means the end of the dog.

Crate training is one excellent way in which to provide a safe and secure place for the dog to eat. Feeding in a crate also produces positive associations for being crated, and the dog will have another skill that is valuable to the family. The ADRTC Library has an article on crate training your dog.

If a crate is not chosen as the best method of providing a secure location for feeding your dog, then consider alternatives such as a quiet room alone, the garage, or a kennel. If you own multiple dogs, then either supervise feeding to be absolutely certain that they all get a chance to have a peaceful meal, or make certain that the dogs are separated prior to feeding them, during that dinner time, and until after the last pan has been retrieved.

If dogs become insecure about eating, they can develop behaviors such as gulping their food. This can have long term impacts, as the dog will tend to overeat given a chance. This same pattern is true of people, too. People who eat slowly, talk while eating, will generally eat less than a person eating in a hurry.

There is yet one more advantage in feeding your dog regular meals of measured quantities, and skipping those treats except on very special occasions. When a dog eats, it activates an entire digestive sequence. Food is digested, and the intestinal system prepares for elimination of waste products. Eating can stimulate this process.

If your dog is on a regular diet, eating at regular times of day, it will learn to have regular elimination periods. This means that you may benefit in one more way — your dog companion will start eliminating like clockwork. Elimination patterns will almost become so predictable that you can set your watch by them. I control my dog’s meals that way, and they stay on a regular pattern for years at a time. I have to do this, as my Siberians are guide dogs. A guide dog has to have regular elimination patterns to go out in public, and do the job of guiding without unexpected elimination patterns for which I might be unprepared. Few people realize that a few treats can throw off a dogs normal patterns so completely.

If you are in the process of trying to housebreak a dog, this is an excellent place to begin. It is far easier to do that kind of training when the dog has a biological level of cooperation.

If you elect to feed your dog table scraps, or portions of food you cook for your dog, then be sure to only *add* it to a meal. It may be desirable to subtract some of the regular commercial food when adding extra food you have prepared, unless you are trying to encourage your dog to eat and gain weight.

By making sure your dog only eats food from the dog dish, and at regular times of feeding, you will also be helping yourself. The dog will be much less likely to ever be interested in your food, or food you serve your guests. A dog that becomes a food thief, or begs for food, is a dog few people want to have around them.

Some foods people eat can be good for dogs — many vegetables are good for dogs to eat, too. I have one dog who loves tomatoes, and another who likes green beans. It is best to avoid giving your dog too much food that has fat — hamburger, steak and pork left-overs, sausage, etc. Dogs do develop pancreatitis, which can kill them. If it does not kill them, it can result in a very expensive stay in the hospital.

In planning and implementing a diet for your dog, it is good to remember that a dog is a carnivore. It is not like a human. Humans are omnivores. The difference is that a dog requires a meat diet. That is the diet that fed dogs and the ancestors of dogs for thousands and millions of years. Because you can function as a vegetarian, does not mean that your dog can successfully do so. Some people who are vegetarians try to put the family dog on a vegetarian diet. There are commercial vegetarian diets, but all responsible vets and canine nutrition experts agree that vegetarian diets must be supplemented with meat protein and vitamins. Attempting to put a dog on a purely vegetarian diet is likely to endanger the dog’s health — especially the northern breed dogs, who as members of the primitive breeds, have ben living in a more natural relationship with nature for far longer than other breeds.

It might seem desirable to put your northern dog on a commercial fish-based diet. This is attractive, but has an unfortunate downside. There is apparently a federal regulation that requires that ocean fish for animal food production be preserved with ethoxyquin. Ethoxyquin has been banned from any food that humans eat, or from livestock food that livestock will be fed, as those livestock are then eaten by humans. This prohibition is because ethoxyquin is a cancer-causing substance. It is common in many dog foods — especially those grocery store varieties. Pay attention to the additives on the label, too. If the food is preserved with natural agents, it is likely to be far safer for your dog’s health. There are excellent commercial dog foods made from farm fish, such as trout, that are free of ethoxyquin.

The federal agency that regulates human food is the Food and Drug Administration. It is this agency that forbids ethoxyquin in any human food, since 1959. The agency that regulates animal food is the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA is more interested in what livestock eat than what your family pets eat. Livestock gets eaten by humans, so it must not be contaminated with substances that can cause harm to humans. Since most animals regulated by the USDA are livestock, pets matter little in terms of political policy. It is up to you as the owner, to become educated in the dietary needs of your own pets.

Bones can help your dog’s diet, too. We have successfully used large “dinosaur” bones to occupy a dog during the day, and had the dog eat less at meals, or be content with eating less. The dog also expends energy while chewing on a large bone. Those “dinosaur” bones are usually femur bones from livestock, and while they do have some nutritional value in the marrow, they mostly take more calories to chew than the dog can possibly gain from the effort. They are excellent for young dogs that are into chewing, especially destructive chewing, as they do satisfy the need the dog has to alleviate “tingling teeth”.

Be careful when giving dogs bones on which to chew. Be sensible, and use large bones like those “dinosaur” bones. There is far less chance of an accident. They are more easily managed, too. Avoid giving the dog chicken, or pork bones — especially after cooking them, as these can result in a medical emergency, or death of the dog due to a sharp bone penetrating an intestine. Raw bones do not do this, but those are messy, and may stimulate a dog’s natural proclivities as a hunter.

Copyright© 2007, by Gary Wynn Kelly
Please respect the copyright. Contact ADRTC.ORG for permission to use or circulate this article. Thank you.

I am motivated to write about obesity in dogs because of the number of obese dogs we have seen in rescue. I have had too many grossly obese dogs come to my home for fostering in the past that should never have been permitted to become so fat.

I have had dogs coming in as fosters who weighed 90 and 100 pounds that should not have weighed over 60-65 pounds, and many weighing in at 70-75 pounds that should not have weighed in over 50 pounds. I have seen far more dogs who are not so extreme as these examples, but nonetheless, have sufficient obesity to threaten their health status and shorten their lives.

Obesity is defined as the excessive accumulation of fat in the adipose tissues of the body. By contrast, the term “overweight” generally refers to a body weight greater than some arbitrary standard for a given height and does not necessarily imply an excess of body fat. A dog can therefore be “overweight” according to its breed weight range simply because it has a marked muscular development rather than an excess of fat. The term obesity is generally preferred where the accumulation of fat leads to some degree of physiological dysfunction and a deterioration of health.

*Obesity exists when body weight exceeds the optimum for the individual pet by 15 percent or more.*

At present, obesity is the most common nutritional disorder affecting dogs in almost all countries, far exceeding other nutritional imbalances or deficiencies. While accurate data are not available, it is estimated that between 25% and 44% of dogs are obese.

Obesity is more common with advancing age and occurs more often in females than males. It also occurs more frequently in neutered pets.

At present the assessment of obesity is based on simple observation. The most practical way of evaluating your dog is to check the amount of fat over his/her rib cage. Place your hands on your dog’s rib cage with your thumbs on the back. If the ribs are easily felt, your dog is considered to be normal weight. If you can feel fat between the skin and ribs or the ribs are difficult to feel, your dog is overweight. If the ribs cannot be felt, your dog is obese. Remember, that a dog that is 70 pounds when it should be only 60, is more than 15% over the optimal weight, and therefore obese.

A large abdomen that hangs down or protrudes to the sides, indicates obesity. This judgment of your dog’s weight status should be confirmed by your veterinarian! Your veterinarian will rule out other medical conditions that might look like obesity.

There are many factors that contribute to the development of obesity, over which owners have little control. These include heredity, breed type, reproductive status, sex and age. However, there are factors owners can control, and it’s important to be aware of these.

It is generally agreed that the two most important factors leading to obesity in the dog are excess caloric intake and reduced physical activity. In other words, most obesity is caused by the dog eating more calories than are expended. That’s too much food and too little exercise or both.

Eating too much food is partly the result of the attractive taste of today’s commercial pet foods. However, the major cause is supplementation with table scraps, snacks and other foods. The obese-prone dog responds to particularly good-tasting food by eating beyond its requirements. Reduced physical activity or exercise that is not matched by reduction in the calories eaten, contributes to obesity, as does eating when bored or idle. Neutering approximately doubles the occurrence of obesity in dogs of both sexes.

Overfeeding puppies predisposes them to obesity as adults by increasing their number of fat cells. Allowing them to become obese during growth will often plague them with obesity throughout life.

Exercise may be inappropriate for pets in poor health, so be sure to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations.

Obesity reduces an animal’s life span, general enjoyment of life and the owner’s enjoyment of the animal. Mortality is 50 per cent greater in people who are 20 per cent overweight and 33 per cent greater in those that are 10 per cent overweight. Such figures are not available for dogs, but it is likely that a similar pattern exists.

The health status of your dog may be impacted by complications to obesity that increase veterinary costs before killing the dog. Obesity is linked to diabetes in dogs as well as man. The obese dog may have aggravated problems with arthritis.

The most important factor in the successful treatment of obesity is good owner compliance in implementing and following the therapeutic plan. Some owners are reluctant to admit that their pet is fat,” while others consider it a sign of good health and are reluctant to follow a weight reduction program. One of the most common reasons for this is that owners are often obese themselves. It may be time to take a frank look at your dog, and realize that you may be perpetuating your own failures at weight control on the dog. While you may beat the odds of having health issues as a result of this, your dog probably will not, as the impact of such obesity is likely to appear in a far shorter time. A dog that is obese for a period of 5 years is very likely to start having health effects.

Home Management

By far the most important part of a successful weight reduction program is that every member of the family is certain of the necessity of the weight reduction. Your total commitment to achieving the weight loss is necessary, otherwise the effort may result in frustration, wasted time, energy and resources. It is essential that everyone cooperate to reach the agreed upon goal.

Restricting daily caloric intake is perhaps the best therapeutic plan. A caloric intake is prescribed that is approximately 40 to 60 per cent of that required by the dog at its target weight. This may be achieved by either using a home-prepared diet or a commercial veterinary diet formulated for weight loss. Home-prepared diets can be time-consuming to prepare and it is often considered that unless the diet is changed completely, success will be limited. If the owner wishes to adopt this approach, numerous diets have been recommended. An example of such a diet is the one used by several of us who have to work with obese fosters. We use a high quality dog food such as Inova Diet, or Nutro Lite. For what should be a 50 pound dog, currently weighing 70 pounds, we keep the servings to 2.5-3 cups a day. In severe cases where the dog is ravenous at meal time, or stealing food at every opportunity, we split the meal into two parts; 1 cup fed in the morning meal, and 1.5 cups in the evening meal.

**It is very important to MEASURE the food. We find that most people who just estimate, or use a scoop without measuring the food, feed the dog too much.** We actually do measure the food our dogs eat for every meal.

*Stop the diet if your dog begins having loose stools, or other unusual signs of intestinal disturbance.* Consult your veterinarian.

Feeding multiple times a day also helps enormously. If it can be managed, feed your dog 3 to 4 times a day, rather than the entire amount in one meal. Even two meals a day will help as your dog will be less hungry, and gain less calories from the food by eating more meals. Remember! The total daily amount should *not* be increased if you feed your dog more than once a day–regardless of what your brown/blue eyed dog tries to tell you!

A light or medium weight dog can safely lose 1 pound a week. A large dog can lose 1.5 pounds a week. It is important to chart the loss, and stick with the diet.

In extreme cases, or long term cases with a dog that is always too hungry, and adopting behaviors such as excessive scrounging for food, eating plants and other property because it is hungry, or attempting to steal food at every opportunity, we recommend a diet we have tried in rescue for many years. This diet consists of adding up to one third of the amount of food given as rabbit food. In other words, if a dog is eating 1.5 cups in a meal, then up to a half of a cup of rabbit food can be added to the meal. This adds fiber and bulk to the diet without adding calories. It does add minerals, which are fine for the dog. Rabbit food is 95% green fiber. It is salad for your dog.

The result is that the dog will drink more water, feel that it has eaten more, and be less ravenous. The dog may have a loamy stool. This is fine. The extra fiber itself is not harmful. Some dogs do not like this as much as commercial dog food, but many adjust to it well, and eat the diet successfully for years.

Another technique we have used is to make sure the dog gets plenty of “dinosaur” bones on which to chew. This occupies the dog for hours, expends far more calories than it gains from the bone, and tends to reduce ravenous behaviors. This works well in chronic cases of ravenous behavior.

All of us fostering dogs and placing them can contribute to the health of dogs in the community by educating new owners in appropriate feeding practices. This should be done for *every* dog, and not just the obese ones. Today’s healthy dog could be an obese dog tomorrow if the new owner is unaware of proper feeding practices.

Copyright© 1999, 2007, by Gary Wynn Kelly Please respect the copyright. Contact ADRTC.ORG for permission to copy or distribute this article.