Kentucky
Puggles
Owned & Operated By the Lamastus Family
1744 Finney Road Rockfield, Kentucky 42274
Phone 270-991-8587 (cell) or 270-843-8684 (Home)
Email: neilnk@accessky.net
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Kentucky
Owned & Operated By the Lamastus Family 1744 Finney Road Rockfield, Kentucky 42274 Phone 270-991-8587 (cell) or 270-843-8684 (Home) Email: neilnk@accessky.net
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Home
| Stallion
| 2002-2004 Foals
| Mares
| Breeding |
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Kentucky
Puggles Feeding Program Let's face it - with so many brands and formulas represented on television, choosing the right puppy & dog food can be really confusing. Some formulas are made for specific ages, sizes, active or non active, or special needs dogs. Contrary to popular belief, store brands aren't ALWAYS bad either. All store brands (even human food) are made by a major manufacturer but produced as a private label for the specific store so read the ingredients. Not all formulas and brands are created equally. Just like with humans, what goes into the mouth of your dog will greatly influence how your puppy or dog feels, looks, weighs, and how much they excrete. Many of the brands and formulas that have been selling so well or are pushed at us daily are not something you'd want your pet to eat if you knew what was in them. Some of us look at the labels on our own food but take little time to ponder what we're feeding our dogs. Most of the time we pick what is cheapest or the most eye pleasing. I won't stand on a soap box about the ingredients, but watch brands and formulas that specify corn meal as the first ingredient. It means that your dog is eating a lot and will excrete a lot. It may be less expensive but you'll have to feed 2-3 times as much (per instructions) than you would if you purchased a better quality food. Byproducts are also a bit scary. This can be either beef, chicken, lamb or veal "leftover parts". Some ingredients in your dogs food can be known allergens or hard to digest which can cause skin or stomach issues. Look at your dogs coat, skin, eyes and how your dog acts. Is he energetic and in good health? If not, it might be due to the quality of his food. Food coloring is definitely not essential for your dog - it's added to look more interesting to us. Food coloring is also a known allergen - it's not natural. For more information on dog food, visit www.dogfoodproject.com. We have chosen to feed our adults and puppies Eukanuba Lamb and Rice Puppy Formula. We have tried several brands and find that Eukanuba works well with our dogs for now. The Eukanuba formula has a base ingredient of lamb and is basically hypoallergenic. Some breeds are more prone to dry skin and beagles happen to be among them. The natural ingredients in Eukanuba give our girls (and Romeo) a smooth coat without any flaky skin. The fish oil is a good brain building nutrient for our pups, the vitamin E supports the immune system and Eukanuba's source of ingredients does not vary from batch to batch. There are other quality brands out there but we feed a quality readily available brand and formula that fits the needs of our clients and our dogs. Some other quality brands are not available locally or must be purchased online, sometimes in large quantities that is difficult to store and stay fresh. Eukanuba is recommended by our vets and we find the quality and customer support from Eukanuba to be acceptable to our program. We provide a Eukanuba puppy packet to all of our clients including a food sample bag so that you can continue feeding this to your pup or use it to help transition to a brand of your choice. For More information about the different formulas Eukanuba offers, click here. For price comparison, I buy 35 pound bags costing approximately $45 per bag. For a 20 pound NON PREGNANT dog, I feed 1 1/2 to 2 cups of dry food per day divided into two feedings. When they are burning more calories like during winter, I adjust that and they may get 1 1/2- 2 cups per meal. The dry is nutritionally complete by itself and the dogs love it. During pregnancy I do add a little "extra" into their food like beef or chicken liver. They don't need it but I admittedly spoil them. They're breeding dogs and I keep them in top condition. When Pregnant or nursing, my girls will eat up to 4 times what they would eat in a non pregnant state. Also, our dogs are fed puppy formula all year round. This keeps them in great shape, and gives them the added nutrition they need when bred. I have found that it's easier for me and their system not to alternate between puppy and adult formula as we used to do when they were not being bred. Romeo's intake is also increased as breeding males will neglect their nutrition while a female is in heat. Eating better quality food keeps them in shape, returns a weaned female back into shape quicker and supports their nutritional needs while pregnant and nursing pups. If a female is fed poorly, not only will she not have the ability to nurse and raise pups but her body condition will suffer as well which can lead to health issues. Our puppies begin eating Eukanuba puppy food at 3 weeks of age or when their teeth emerge. I begin with about a cup of soaked puppy formula in a gruel/soupy type of consistency for the first week. The pups will eat soaked puppy formula in 2-3 meals per day as well as nurse from their mother. After the pups have been eating food for about a week, we serve the food a bit harder than the day before until they're eating dry food at 6-8 weeks when they're ready to go home. Once weaned, the pups are already used to eating puppy food so the transition is easier on them and mom. By 7-8 weeks of age we reduce meals down to twice per day. It is not unusual for me to go through 10-20 cups of food per day (dry) depending on size of the litter. I allow the pups to eat all they can, all they want in a 10 minute time frame. It is normal for us to go through one 35 pound bag each week or two bags per week when we have pups. Ingredients & AnalysisEukanuba Lamb and Rice Puppy Formula Ingredients
Feeding Guidelines
Vaccination Protocol
Although medical programs may vary per breeder or per vet's office, we follow the vaccination and de-worming schedule established by our veterinarians. Vaccination protocol changed in 2006 and pups may not be vaccinated for the first time until the age of 7 or 8 weeks of age. As we've discovered, opinions on protocol differ from breeder to breeder, vet office to vet office and region to region. Our vet recommends that pups are not vaccinated until 7-8 weeks of age for the first time since the pups are still protected from immunities they get from their mother until they are 8 weeks old. If vaccinated too early, the vaccines may not be useful and may in fact inhibit the effectiveness of future vaccines. If an adoptive family elects to take their pup home at the age of 6 weeks, the pup will have been de-wormed 3 times but will not have begun their vaccination program. There are Core or Standard vaccines that each dog should have and Non Core or Additional vaccines that may administered depending on region or lifestyle of each dog. Vaccines come in different forms such as MLV (modified Live Virus), K (killed vaccine), and KR (killed Recombinant). Killed Vaccines containing adjuvants are more likely to cause adverse reactions. There are also some vaccines (like Lepto) which should NOT be administered to a pup and can cause harmful effects or death so please consult with your veterinarian before deciding to vaccinate your own pup or dog. Do NOT at any time vaccinate a pregnant female. Kentucky Puggles Medical Program & Expenses Vaccination Schedule Our own program is a 7 way vaccination with either Duramune Max 5 cvk or Canine Spectra 7 which does NOT include the Lepto vaccine. Our adult dogs get vaccinated on schedule once a year. If regular vaccination time falls during pregnancy, our girls receive their shots prior to being bred. To ensure our puppies receive excellent immunities from their mother we prefer to vaccinate a few weeks prior to breeding. Our adults get their ears cleaned, eyes checked, nails clipped and are bathed every month on the first Saturday of the month. To help keep plaque and tartar at reduced levels, we give our dogs CET chews, and put breathalyzer plus (chlorhexidine) in their drinking water. Puppies get vaccinated at 7 1/2 weeks with Duramune max 5 cvk. Puppies that go home prior to 7 1/2 weeks of age must begin their protocol with their own veterinarian. De-worming Schedule & General Care On the first of the month, our dogs are de-wormed with Ivermectin and on the 15th-18th of every month they are de-wormed with safeguard or panacur. The ivermectin works against heartworm and the safeguard or panacur takes care of roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms and hookworms as well as provides protection against Giardiasis. Previously we used Pyrantel Pamoate until we discovered the added benefits of Safeguard. Although Safeguard must be given over a 3 day period, we feel the added benefit is well worth it. Our adults and pups are given Frontline Plus flea preventative. Frontline Plus is safe during pregnancy and we have been approved to administer two eye droplets of Frontline to the neck of our two week old pups. Puppies will need more flea prevention as they mature. Frontline kills the fleas once they bite but does not prevent the fleas from getting on the dog or pup or being consumed. Puppies are de-wormed beginning at 2 weeks and every 2 weeks of age until they go home. As an added measure, we also give our pups Albon for 10 days prior to going home to help prevent Coccidia in young pups. Coccidia bacteria are naturally present but stress (weaning, flying, new home) can increase the number of bacteria present and cause diarrhea in pups. The Albon suspension gives the pups added protection to help keep that from happening. If your pup has not completed their Albon prevention by the time they go home, we will send a bottle & syringe home with you. Kentucky Puggles Medical Expenses The prices below reflect an AVERAGE of what we can incur per puppy per litter. If all goes well and the pups only see the vet once or twice before going home, we can expect to pay the below charges. The charges below are for a NORMAL litter. Should a pup become sick, injured or a litter become orphans, the expenses can be quite extensive. Care of Pups
Care of Mother Hopefully all goes well in labor, delivery and the weeks following birth. In some cases however, veterinary intervention is needed. With birth there is risk. The mother could require a c section, x rays, experience mastitis, or many other illnesses or death. If the mother dies, the breeder must hand feed all the pups or provide another nursing female. Breeders may experience some or all of the charges below.
Supplies Needed Each breeder will need supplies for each litter. How much or how little depends on the litter size. If pups are raised in the house like ours are, also figure in the cost of running the washer/dryer each day for at least one load of puppy bedding and clean up towels. We clean our puppy areas about 5-6 times a day. That might sound like a lot to the average person but consider that a whole litter is eating, playing in and spilling food and water, playing on potty pads, wrestling, shedding hair and just all around creating a mess. Puppy areas must be kept clean. Another major "expense" is TIME. Something few people consider. Time is spent raising pups and caring for adult dogs year round but phone calls, email, newsletters, photos, travel and everything else requires TIME. Take the time a breeder spends with you and multiply that by the number of clients they have, pups they have and don't forget to add in the 10-30 emails & phone calls per day from potential & former clients and those just seeking answers & advice. Some of the supplies & expenses we regularly use or incur are:
*Please note some pictures on this website have been
digitally altered to remove people or objects so as not to distract from
the intended subject.
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