At Cinnstar we believe that nutrition is a key, not just to all around health and vigor but to performance and reproduction as well. We believe at the base should be a reliable, nutritious food source. After over 20 years of feeding and endorsing Iams-Eukanuba we were looking for a change. Ever since Proctor and Gamble purchased The Iams Company several years ago, the quality has gone down considerably and the price has increased dramatically. Thus I felt I could no longer support the product. I was really tired of the by products, poor protein source, and incredibly high corn and other grains in all the “Big Name” products. I was not getting the performance that I require in a dog food.

After a long search, I finally found what I was looking for; Canidae Super Premium Dog Food. Canidae is made from ALL HUMAN grade ingredients. Dog food companies like Eukanuba, Iams, Science, Purina (all the large companies) use animals that are not fit for human consumption. This is termed the 5 D's: dead, diseased, disabled, druged or dying prior to slaughter. These animals have to be preserved by substances that are not allowed for human consumption, and they are not listed on the lable. These brands also use grains that are not fit for human consumption. They are floor sweepings, moldy and have a tremendous insect content. It is not just that there are insects, but what the insect has died from that is the real culprit. Canidae Super Premium Dog food contains NO By Products (a very interesting product in itself), No preservatives other then Vit C and E, No corn, No soy, No wheat, No fillers, and No added salt or flavorings. We are also very proud to note that Canidae is manufactured in the USA using only ingredients grown/produced in the USA. NO Gluten from ANY source is used in any of their products. Something one should consider in retrospect to the huge pet food recall, and some big name brands that it is affecting because of corporate greed by purchasing cheep inferior products from China where there is little or no oversight. This not in any way meant to demean our friends to the North in Canada and overseas in Europe where the standards (which reflects in increased cost) is as rigorous (if not more). There is an excellent website devoted to dog food called The Dog Food Project and I recommend reading it. Very factual and interesting.

We have tried other foods in the past, and have been offered lucrative deals on dog food by several manufacturers. We do not believe that you should have to cook up (or feed raw) to get optimal nutrition, but it can get discouraging. Allergies, sensitivity to vaccinations, immune related problems are signs that you need to take a look at your Retrievers thyroid panel, or consider that you might have other immune related issues. Most, though not all immune problems are genetically based. Small litter sizes, lack of production of milk, problems in whelping are both hereditary and/or have basis in nutrition as well. These are facets that a conscientious breeder takes into consideration. Please do not blame it ALL on commercial dog food.

For high energy working retrievers we like to feed raw once or twice a week. My butcher orders cases of chicken backs and he grinds the trimmings from our beef. I get bags of chicken thighs and legs at the store along with organ meats and fresh vegetables. I like to add extra alfalfa, kelp meal and fish oil. Since we have chickens, we add an egg every other day when they are producing. Even when out of coat, our dog's coat is never lifeless or dull. Currently we do not use any kind of commercial coat supplement.

We have engaged in some interesting conversations with the raw or BARF feeders and they do make some important points. Let’s face it, all dry dog food is a highly processed product, and some nutrition is lost in this processing. There is some loss of nutrition lost in a canned product as well. Therefore we do feel there is validation and benefit to feeding fresh fruits, vegetables and meat. Retrievers by in large love fresh fruit and veggies, they act like you have given them a treat. Many will pick the citrus off my trees and I have to fight them over the avocadoes. Bacteria found in raw meat is not as much a concern in dogs like it is in humans. A dog’s stomach is much more acidic and a dog’s digestive tract is much shorter then ours. That is why they can eat some of the disgusting “dead things” they find and not get sick. The one drawback in the dog is with the short digestive tract and the lack of enzymes in their saliva (humans have enzymes), dogs do not digest grains easily. Thus they do not derive as much of the nutrition from grains, especially corn as humans can. Parasites ARE a concern in meat. Freezing remedies this potential problem as does feeding only human grade food. Feeding human grade food also addresses concerns of high bacterial contamination. Originally I was concerned that my dogs inhale their food; I do not want to worry or contemplate about choking or half bones tearing their insides. So originally I used a food grinder. After watching them, I began feeding whole chicken legs and thighs, organ meats, and tripe still slightly frozen. The result is that they chew it up fully. But further, raw bones do NOT splinter like cooked ones, they are much softer, they will not tear the intestinal track. So now I feed raw completely thawed. I also like to add beef ribs or pork necks once a month to help keep their teeth clean. Both of these are soft for bones. I do remove the bones after they have chewed on them for a while. Feeding kelp meal and alfalfa meal is also beneficial. The conclusion by feeding raw once or twice a week, I feel my dog’s nutrition is more complete.

We wean our puppies by grinding up the dry food and mixing it with puppy milk replacement and warm water. We slowly reduce the amount of the milk replacement, and grind the kibble less and less while adding ground beef and chicken and cottage cheese and yoghurt. Active pups need the high energy, so the added meat protein and fat is necessary. As the puppy is going through their growth spurt, we like to add a Calcium/Phosphorous/Vitamin D supplement called Sure Grow, and a canine multi vitamin. We don't want the long bones to grow at a faster rate then the joints and cartilage, so we do limit the use of these supplements.

Because we use raw meats in addition to dry super premium dog food, we do not have problems with retrievers that have trouble maintaining their weight. They will gain weight on these foods so one has to monitor carefully.

For our Bitches in whelp we have had great success with what our Board Certified Reproductive Veterinarian recommends for supplementation so we present it here. We add a human: Vitamin B Complex and a Folic Acid (both as small of a dose as we can find) pill. Canine: skin supplement (like Lipiderm), and a canine multi vitamin as soon as the bitch comes into season. We DO NOT start Calcium/Phosphorous/Vitamin D supplementation at this time. Our repro vet feels that the bitch needs to be able to draw on her own body calcium for whelping, and using supplements prevents the bitch from utilizing her own. Our vet feels that there is less risk of uterine inertia without those supplements, and sometimes only a calcium shot may be required if there is this type of problem. It goes without saying that the bitch has to be in perfect health to begin with. We start the Calcium supplementation (as recommended by our repro vet) when the puppies really start to grow. Normally they are less then two weeks old. We have used this regime for five litters. The general health of our bitches since we started has been nothing less then spectacular. Our litters have always been good sized typically averaging 7-9 puppies. For so many breeders, the bitch by the time they wean the pups can look a little ragged. I think most breeders feel (as I did) that it was just a fact of motherhood. In the hot summer we had problems with milk production. No more. Our bitches typically gain weight if we do not watch them carefully, and milk production is amazing, even in the summer. We wean at 5 weeks, and in two to three weeks the bitches are back in training. The training is limited a bit until their breasts are back to normal pre-litter size. While we cannot guarantee this will work for any other breeder, we are very pleased with the results.

In conclusion, we feel the nutrition you feed from within will shine all the way out.