Friday, December 31, 2010

Satin Balls: Supplement for a skinny Vizsla

Bailey in "field trial" condition - December 2010

 On the Yahoo Vizsla Talk  group lately there has been much talk about the supplement called: Satin Balls.



A Skinny Bailey. 

 We make Satin Balls and feed them to Bailey during field-trial season.  He gets very thin from all the running he does.  Satin Balls help keep the energy level and weight there.

Here is some information shared on the Yahoo group lately that I am passing on:


Satin Balls - Original Recipe


Ingredients

10 pounds hamburger meat [the cheapest kind]
1 lg. box of Total cereal
1 lg. box oatmeal
1 jar of wheat germ
A 1/4 cup veg oil
A 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
10 raw eggs AND shells
10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
A pinch of salt





 10 pounds of ground beef and other ingredients ready for mixing


 After about ten minutes of mixing created this dog meatloaf





Quart-size freezer bags with 9 balls each

50 four-inch Satin Balls are made out of 10 pounds of beef

With my couple of Vizslas, clean up is easy!
Per the information received after having the Satin Balls recipe checked by several vets/labs:

Satin Balls is a total canine diet. It can be fed by itself or as a supplement, for however long you wish. My dogs have been on Satin Balls for over a year; the only time that I have fed it alone is when I had a sick dog needing to be built up or an underweight dog that I plan on showing.

The only problem with feeding it by itself is figuring out the amount. It will put weight on a dog in a few days...that's why it is so great to feed just before a show. If you have a dog that is in good weight, but you just want to build coat/endurance, you would have to figure out how much to feed (cal per kg), or you would end up with a fat dog in a very short time.

At one point, I let (my dog) eat as much as she wanted, just to see how much she would consume. I never got to that point! After a pound pack, she was still looking for more, so I stopped. I have been told a dog will stop eating when full on it, and that you can then gauge the amount needed to maintain weight!

I just find that per the pocketbook and ease, my dogs do very well on it as a supplement. I give about a 1/4 pound each night to maintain beautiful coats, energy level, and a full appetite...no picky eaters here.

Just don't try to hide it in the kibble...they will make a mess throwing out the kibble, digging for the Satin Balls!

My dogs have never gotten sick on Satin balls...not even when I am at a show and feed only that. I feed less kibble, so I saves money there. There is also less stool to pick up as the dogs are able to digest all of the Satin Balls.

I have been playing with the recipe. I now use the Knox Joint Gelatin instead of the plain Knox unflavored gelatin. Since this is high in vit C and protein, and is good for the joints, it would be good for the dogs. They don't seem to mind the added flavor.

I am also adding Flaxseed oil. They probably don't need the added oil, but so far I have not seen it hurt anything.

Fix some up and let your dogs enjoy. They will love you forever and forever!"

(Great Dane owner)

In response to a question about feeding young dogs satin balls:

Satin Balls are a supplement to a regular diet designed to add weight to under weight dogs. Satin Balls are NOT a full spectrum diet in and of themselves.

For all the thin Vizslas out there, Satin Balls do work.
But don't feed too many!  Don't want your Vizsla to be mistaken for a dachshund.

Make 2011 a safe year for your Vizsla


May you have a great year coming up in 2011. 

Bailey and Chloe have many adventures scheduled over the next 12 months.

  One of my duties is to try and keep them healthy. 

 Happy New Year.
Rod


From the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center :
Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pet:


- Alcoholic beverages

- Avocado

- Chocolate (all forms)

- Coffee (all forms)

- Fatty foods

- Macadamia nuts

- Moldy or spoiled foods

- Onions, onion powder

- Raisins and grapes

- Salt

- Yeast dough

- Garlic

- Products sweetened with xylitol

Warm Weather Hazards:

- Animal toxins—toads, insects, spiders, snakes and scorpions

- Blue-green algae in ponds

- Citronella candles

- Cocoa mulch

- Compost piles Fertilizers

- Flea products

- Outdoor plants and plant bulbs

- Swimming-pool treatment supplies

- Fly baits containing methomyl

- Slug and snail baits containing metaldehyde

Medications:

Common examples of human medications that can be potentially lethal to pets, even in small doses, include:

- Pain killers

- Cold medicines

- Anti-cancer drugs

- Antidepressants

- Vitamins

- Diet Pills

Cold Weather Hazards:

- Antifreeze

- Liquid potpourri

- Ice melting products

- Rat and mouse bait

Common Household Hazards:

- Fabric softener sheets

- Mothballs

- Post-1982 pennies (due to high concentration of zinc)

Holiday Hazards:

- Christmas tree water (may contain fertilizers and bacteria, which, if ingested, can upset the stomach.

- Electrical cords

- Ribbons or tinsel (can become lodged in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction—most often occurs with kittens!)

- Batteries

- Glass ornaments

Non-toxic Substances for Dogs and Cats:

The following substances are considered to be non-toxic, although they may cause mild gastrointestinal upset in some animals:


- Water-based paints

- Toilet bowl water

- Silica gel

- Poinsettia

- Cat litter

- Glue traps

- Glow jewelry

























Thursday, December 30, 2010

Best redbirddog pictures of 2010






























Hope you have enjoyed 2010 as much as we have.  Now for an even more interesting 2011!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Vizsla - smiles per hour

 If you own a Vizsla or two and you are not getting more than 20 smiles per hour.
 Then get out more with them. 
 Every day Bailey, Chloe and I get out for at least an hour.
 If I don't smile at least 20 times in that hour then something is wrong.
 A good day can they can give me 60 smiles an hour.
If you take the effort to give your dogs the opportunity to do what they love, then they will return the effort 10 fold in your happiness account.

Merry Christmas.
(no picture of a dressed up dog)