BUSINESS | DOGS
Fine-tuning our elite farm athletes Muff and her dogs Fri and Juno.
Annabelle Latz Shell, Chloe, Lou, Coco, Fi, Juno, Tilly, Ziggy, Lass and Tane love running the rolling country of Kaituna Ridges, the 960-hectare steep sheep and beef property in northern Marlborough, which they call home. Day-in day-out they work the land, helping their owners Muff and Paul Newton run their 4500 predominantly Romney ewes, and 200 head of cattle – historically Angus but getting more into the Hereford side of things.
‘We put a lot of effort into ensuring all other stock on the farm have dedicated animal welfare systems, so it makes sense to do the same for our dogs.’
There is also a farm tourism business involving sheep dog demonstrations, and the organisation of the local and centre championships for dog-trialling competitions this upcoming season. The Newtons are entering their second year with Working Paws – a
Country-Wide December 2017
marketable tool designed for farmers to assess and monitor the overall health of their dogs; a crucial cog of most farming businesses. Muff says the farm visits and assessments really changed the relationship they have with their vet, who they work closely with to maximise the form of their dogs and prevent illness and injuries, rather than only work with in times of strife. “This is really a bit of a mind change for farmers; preventing rather than waiting for issues,” Muff says. These canines may not know it, but they have something big in common with the All Blacks; they are all elite athletes. Marlborough-based veterinarian Stuart Burrough is the developer of Working Paws and director of The Vet Company and The Vet Centre Marlborough. A huge advocate for quality working dog nutrition and health, Burrough likes to use the All Blacks analogy. “You wouldn’t expect the All Blacks to perform without excellent nutrition, so neither should your working dogs,” he says. The loyal heading dog and huntaway will start working as a one-year-old, and a successful career will span nearly a decade, with these hard workers running up to 30km a day at busy times of the year. With the right care and nutrition,
Paul and Chloe.
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these dogs could delay hanging up their working collars for another one or two years. “An average team is 10 dogs, which is over $30,000 worth. That is a very valuable asset,” he says. Dog coats, quality kennelling, and a focus on the right protein and fat levels in a dog’s diet are all topics now commonly chatted about among farmers and their vet. Burrough sees Working Paws as the opportunity to take the well-known and utilised annual vaccination and head-to-tail assessment a step further – to also carry out an onfarm assessment and capture all this annual data. “It’s about maintaining health and wellness, rather than waiting for problems.” Orthopaedic and dental assessments, skin health, eyes, heart, ears, abdomen, body condition score, and nutrition are all looked at, then the information is put on a template and emailed to the farmer. Monitoring kennel temperatures helps to establish the importance of coats at night. “If dogs are restless to keep warm this burns up energy.” Burrough says a lot of farmers are using these now, the nylon exterior and
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fleece-lined layers now a common sight on farms and at dog trials. He has worked closely with Massey University Associate Professor in Small Animal Medicine and Nutrition Nick Cave, and says attention to quality nutrition means fewer physical injuries. Late summer and early winter are the
Marlborough-based veterinarian Stuart Burrough, developer of Working Paws and director of The Vet Company and The Vet Centre Marlborough, says working dogs are like elite athletes, and need to be treated as such.
best times to catch up with farmers, when the job list onfarm is a little less hectic. There are two other similar working dog health programmes in New Zealand, and overall Kiwi farming is embracing ideas and issues involving their best four-legged mates. “The Hilux gets a service, so should the dogs,” Burrough says. The numbers of farmers taking up Working Paws is growing steadily. “It comes down to attitude, rather than an age thing… there is always changing attitudes towards dog health.” The 10 working dogs at Kaituna Ridges have always been very well looked after – they are worked or run every day, and at night are put to bed in their spacious, clean kennels with plenty of shade and shelter and fresh water. Sleeping mats and wearing a coat in the cooler months is a bonus that further ensures these dogs get good rest. “We were keen to be up to speed with any animal welfare issues relating to the dogs,” Paul says. A big homecoming was last year when their very good heading bitch needed two canine teeth removed, something picked up at the medical. “We were able to get her into surgery and have them removed much earlier than we would have if the vet hadn’t picked it up... We put a lot of effort into ensuring all other stock on the farm have dedicated animal welfare systems, so it makes sense to do the same for our dogs,” Muff says. “Our dogs are invaluable for the farm business, we could not run the property without them. We love our dog work and especially enjoy the early morning and evening musters on the big hill blocks,” Paul says.
Country-Wide December 2017
BUSINESS | DOG’S FOOD
GRUB’S UP Getting the right food for a farm’s working dogs is vitally important for optimum performance. In the annual round-up, the Country-Wide team present the dog food guide reviewing data, claims and manufacturers’ assertions. The latest dog tucker product specs provided by manufacturers are presented in three tables; general information, nutrtional data, and ration/cost data. The basics of farm dog nutrition, as presented in Country-Wide, each year remain unchanged.
Farm life is unpredictable. With the right food, you can rely on your dogs every day. Grant McMaster has been a farmer for over 40 years. He knows only too well how uncertain farm life can be. Black Hawk® Working Dog has been developed specifically for New Zealand working dogs. Packed with 32% real meat proteins and 22% high quality fats, the formula promotes strong lean muscles and provides sustainable energy throughout the day. Since Grant has been feeding Black Hawk Working Dog to his dogs he’s noticed a very real difference – “you can see them improving in their muscling, their coats are shinier and they have more energy.”
Grant McMaster – General Manager, Closeburn Station
Available at your rural vet clinic. ® Black Hawk and other associated trademarks are registered trademarks of Masterpet Australia Pty Ltd.
Country-Wide December 2017 workingfarmdogs.co.nz
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Dog tips
t an Dog kennel be dding. Gea cafe m empty coffee sack froor belly d tte co th wi fill d an rm over wo ol. It keeps dogs wa re duce to lps he ich winter wh ritis. (Fill the likeliho od of arth s an d llie be pillowcases with he d an d pieces fro m the wo olskennels – g do r fo sew them up is worth it’s not like the wo ol well be as t anything so it migh warm!) keeping yo ur dogs
NOTES FOR TABLE 1 • AAFCO status: “Approved” indicates the dog food has passed independent AAFCO testing, is considered non-toxic and is a complete and balanced diet. “Formulated” indicates good intent to meet AAFCO standards but does not include AAFCO testing. “FEDIAF” indicates the product complies with the European
In w inter h ose the mu d off th e dogs. After they have a shake th ey ’re virtually dr y – it beats them go ing to be d cold , wet an d mu ddy .
Federation of Pet Food Manufacturers’ (FEDIAF) standards. “Exceed” indicates the product exceeds AAFCO standards. • Ingredients list: Ingredients are listed in order of proportion, with the highest listed first. Only the first three ingredients are listed in this table – in general, where the first is a high-quality ingredient, the shorter the full list, the higher the food quality. • Mighty Mix recommends feeding their frozen concentrate with Mighty Mix Large Dog Formula, either together or alternately. • All products listed are claimed to be “complete and balanced” diets.
Table 1: Summary of general information provided by dog food suppliers Product name
Type
AAFCO status
Ingredients list (first three only). Listed In order of proportion (highest listed first).
Refrigeration needed?
Made in
Acana Sport and Agility
Kibble
Formulated
Chicken Meat (16%), Chicken Meal (16%), Turkey Meal (14%)
No
Canada
BlackHawk Working Dog Adult Formula
Kibble
Exceeds
Lamb meat meal, Beef meat meal, Oats
No
Australia
Champ Max Biscuits
Biscuit
Formulated
Wheat, meat and bone derived from beef and lamb, animal fat.
No
NZ
Chunky Pet Food; Original
Pet Roll
Formulated
Beef, Lamb, Selected Cereals
Once opened
NZ
CopRice Working Dog Food
Kibble
Formulated
Animal protein meals & by-products (poultry, beef), Cereal grains, Rice bran
No
Australia
Country Mile Vitality Biscuit
Biscuit
Formulated
Cereal & cereal by-products; Meat and meat-meal; Animal fat.
No
NZ
Country Mile Vitality Kibble
Kibble
Formulated
Cereals & cereal meals; Meat and meat by-product meals; Animal fat
No
Australia
Eukanuba Premium Performance
Kibble
Approved
Chicken, Chicken By-product meal, Corn Meal
No
Nth America
Hills™ Science Diet™ Adult Active
Kibble
Approved
Corn, Chicken by product meal, Animal fat
No
USA
K9 Natural Frozen Beef Feast
Frozen Raw
Exceeds
Beef, Beef Liver, Beef Tripe
Yes
NZ
Mighty Mix Large Dog Formula
Biscuit
Formulated
Cereal; Meat Products and Fats (Beef and mutton);Honey
No
NZ
Mighty Mix Frozen Concentrate
Frozen Concentrate
No
Fats, meats and products derived from meat (beef, mutton, pork) salmon, cereal
Yes
NZ
Nutrience Performance 30/20 Formula
Kibble
Approved
Chicken meal; Oatmeal, Chicken fat.
No
Canada
Pedigree Working Dog Formula
Kibble
Formulated
Meat and meat by-products (Poultry, Beef &/or Lamb), Wheat, Wheat bran
No
Australia
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Country-Wide December 2017
Product name
Type
AAFCO status
PROPLAN All Sizes All Ages Performance with OPTIPOWER
Kibble
Approved
Possyum
Pet Roll
Formulated
Royal Canin Endurance 4800
Kibble
FEDIAF
Ingredients list (first three only). Listed In order of proportion (highest listed first). Chicken, Wheat and Animal Fat
Possum Meat,Lamb and/or Beef, selected cereals Dehydrated poultry protein, Animal fats, Rice
Refrigeration needed?
Made in
No
Australia
Once opened
NZ
No
France
Royal Canin Trail 4300
Kibble
FEDIAF
Dehydrated poultry protein, Rice, Maize flour
No
France
Tux Energy
Biscuit
Approved
Cereals &/or cereal by-products, Meat & animal by products & fats derived from Beef/Sheep/Poultry/ Goat or Venison
No
NZ
Tux Energy Nuts
Biscuit
Approved
Cereals & cereal &/or vegetable by products; Meat & meat by-products &/or poultry by-products, Tallow
No
Australia
Ultra Active Working Dog
Kibble
Exceeds
Beef meal, Ground corn, Dried blood
No
NZ
Wag Original
Dog Roll
Formulated
Chicken, Beef, Lamb
Yes
NZ
Wag Garlic and Rice
Dog Roll
Formulated
Chicken, Lamb, Rice
Yes
NZ
Brush dogs t o remo ve w inte r un der/coat; it re duces them licking coat a nd ingesting hair .
It’s all abo ut bree ding. M uch like race horses yo u might get t he o dd mongrel th at’s a star but go o d b ree ding is a must.
ba d Don’t let o p evel habits d rage – disco u sirable. the un de
t. akfas e r b a dogs peo ple go Fee d many no fo o d? How h rk w it tter to wo work be all Dogs ving a sm in ha its after dog biscu f . cup o e morning h t
� � � � �
NZ Made Natural Ingredients Cost Effective Premium Nutrition Urban / Rural Delivery
MIGHTY MIX DOG FOOD LTD 0800 MIGHTY MIX (0800 644 489) WWW.MIGHTYMIX.CO.NZ Country-Wide December 2017
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When buying a new dog get a detaile d run down of all your new dog’s com mands. Always try to copy com mands use d by the previo us owner when working your new dog – this wil l help the dog adapt to the cha nge over.
Table 2: Summary of nutritional information provided by dog food suppliers Product
the ut fro m Sort o boss. e o’s th h w t r sta ans n d hu m Dogs (a tter) lo ve t ma for tha cause ries, be bo un da at if now th they k in them ay w ith e. they st be saf they ’ll
Fat (%)
Protein (%)
Fibre (%)
Carbohydrates (%)
Moisture (%)
M Energy kcal/kg
Acana Sport and Agility
22
35
5
18
12
3725
BlackHawk Working Dog Adult Formula
22
32
3
23
10
4090
Champ Max Biscuits
15
20
2
40
10
3200
Chunky Pet Food; Original*
10 min
21 min
1.1 max
62
No data
4000
CopRice Working Dog Food
15
25
4
30.0
8
3870
Country Mile Vitality Biscuit
18
18
4
Not tested
5.0
Not tested
Country Mile Dog Kibble
15
20
4
No data
No data
Not tested
Eukanuba Premium Performance
20 min
30 min
4 crude max
31.3
10 max
3912
Hills™ Science Diet™ Adult Active
24.4
28
1.7
33.1
7.5
4211
K9 Natural Frozen Beef Feast
37 min
35 min
2.6
3.7
8 max
5269
Mighty Mix Large Dog Formula
12
23
1.9
42.3
11
3729
Mighty Mix Frozen Concentrate
53.0
25
5.1
11.7
31.1
5800
Nutrience Performance 30/20 Formula
20 min
30 min
3.0 max
23
10 max
3920
Pedigree Working Dog Formula
15
24
2.5
45
9
3600
PRO PLAN All Size All Ages Performance with OPTIPOWER
21
30
4 max
27
12
3860
8 min
21.5 min
1.09 max
65
No data
4000
Royal Canin Endurance 4800
30
32
6
15.9
8 max
4549
Royal Canin Trail 4300
21
28
7.1
28.3
8 max
4085
Tux Energy
18
20
1.7
46.4
8.7
3750
Tux Energy Nuts
16
24
4.5 max
40
7.9
3570
15 min
30 min
4 max
No data
10 max
3187
Wag Original
28
39
3.7
18
Dry Basis
4350
Wag Garlic and Rice
28
39
3.7
17
Dry Basis
4400
Possyum*
Ultra Active Working Dog
NOTES FOR TABLE 2 Suppliers describe the content of fat, protein and other ingredients in various ways. These may be specific like “20%”; or quite vague such as “at least 20%”, “up to 20%” or “20% maximum”. • Fat content: Fat provides the energy for endurance work. Guidelines provided by the Veterinary Enterprises Group (VetEnt) indicate dog tucker for hardworking farm dogs should have at least 20% animal fat.
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• Protein content: Good-quality protein is needed for repair and recovery. VetEnt’s recommendation for hardworking farm dogs is a minimum of 30% animal protein. • Fibre content: Fibre is the indigestible carbohydrate portion and as a general rule should not be more than 10%. • Carbohydrate content: Carbohydrates are needed for sprinttype energy. • Energy: Farm dogs get most of their energy from fat. Energy may be quoted
as “energy”, “gross energy”, “digestible energy” or the most relevant, “metabolisable energy (ME)” which is the energy available to the dog. Energy requirements should consider the intensity, frequency and duration of work. The consensus of most veterinarians is that a working dog’s diet should be based on high fat and protein and “low” or “low to moderate” carbohydrate. • Nutritional data is presented on a drymatter basis.
Country-Wide December 2017
NOTES FOR TABLE 3 A dog’s nutritional requirements vary with size, age, workload, reproductive status and climatic conditions. Daily rations quoted are those recommended by suppliers and may be based on different nutritional assumptions. Monitoring body condition is the best way to fine-tune ration sizes for a particular food. It has been considered that farm dogs should ideally have a condition score of 4 on the Nestle Purina Body Condition System, “Ribs easily palpable, with minimal fat covering. Waist easily noted, viewed from above. Abdominal tuck evident”. Recommended retail prices given by suppliers may vary from those seen at retailers, and bulk purchasing and specials reduce costs. Actual prices may vary from those in this table. Prices include GST. Dog food prices can be misleading. Different bag sizes make the price for each bag irrelevant. Price per kilogram also has little relevance because daily rations vary widely between products. The calculated cost for each dog per day must be balanced against food quality, which should be the major consideration for working dogs. For hard-working farm dogs, energy is an important factor in assessing rations. A 25kg dog has a resting energy requirement (RER) of about 820kcal per day. For dogs’ mustering, it’s more likely to be three to five times their RER, equating to about 2500kcal-4000kcal. This is a wide range but then so is their workload. Knowing the ME of a specific food means a daily energy requirement (DER) can be used to determine the daily ration of a food needed to provide this energy. • Daily ration (kg) = DER (kcal) / ME (kcal/kg) For example, the daily ration of a dog food of 4000kcal/kg to provide 2500kcal DER = 2500 / 4000 = 0.625kg or 625g.
Don’t rush your dogs or put too much pressure on them as pups. Like kids if you put too much pressure on them they’ll go off it.
Country-Wide December 2017
Table 3: Summary of daily rations recommended by dog food suppliers 25kg highly-active dog required/day Product
Pack/price details
Grams of food/ day
$/day
Pack size (kg)
RRP ($) Price subject to change
Acana Sport and Agility
315
3.17
17
172
BlackHawk Working Dog Adult Formula
478
3.09
20
129
Champ Max Biscuits
510
1.33
25
64.99
Chunky Pet Food; Original
440
1.58
2.2
7.90
CopRice Working Dog Food
510
1.53
20
59.99
Country Mile Vitality Biscuit
500
1.16
25
57.99
Country Mile Dog Kibble
563
1.41
20
49.99
Eukanuba Premium Performance
355
2.29
20
129
Hills™ Science Diet™ Adult Active
297
2.62
22.67
199.95
K9 Natural Frozen Beef Feast
500
4.87
20
194.99
Mighty Mix Large Dog Formula
352
1.65
20
94
Mighty Mix Frozen Concentrate
225
0.85
25
94
Mighty Mix Frozen + Large Dog
288.5
1.25
25 + 20
94+94
422
3.62
15
129
20
79.50
Nutrience Performance 30/20 Formula Pedigree Working Dog Formula
No data given
PROPLAN All Sizes All Ages Performance with OPTIPOWER
405
3.14
20
154.90
Possyum
400
2.00
2
9.98
Royal Canin Endurance 4800
550
4.37
20
159
Royal Canin Trail 4300
450
3.76
17
142
Tux Energy
490
1.50
25
76.50
Tux Energy Nuts
450
1.68
20
74.50
Ultra Active Working Dog
200
1.25
20
125
Wag Original
1200
2.96
3
7.39
Wag Garlic and Rice
1200
2.96
3
7.39
Register dogs in the dosing program me with the vet, each month the correct dose (for the weight of each dog) simply arrives in the mail. This makes dosing easy and means they are always done on time. Record the treatments (dog name, what given, date treated) on an Excel spreadsheet. This is also good practice from an Ovis point of view, in being proactive and ensuring it does not become a problem onfarm.
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