Since we had discussed diets before, I wanted to share what I noticed on feeding and its effects on conformation.
The more I try good diets and compare it with lesser ones the more I am convinced it affects the body of our Brittanys.
When I go to France and look at kennels( which I try to do whenever I can) I notice sometimes a distinct lack of forechest. and condition too.
Even at shows...That is strange to me.
I had sold a puppy out of Toscane- who has a deep chest and barrel-to a field trial home.That puppy had a good chest. At one year old, he was shallow, no forechest, lanky, horrible. How could that be?
The others were fine.
When I bought my tricolour in France as a puppy, she was well rounded and ribbed. Again, at one, all that had gone. (With going back to a puppy diet or Performance, this is coming back )
I started to really wonder what was going wrong.
My suspicion is...that it is down to food. I will admit to feeding Proplan as my daughter works for Purina, but other good diets, I believe, make all the difference in a well developped puppy, without being fat or putting pressure on the joints.
Also, in a bitch who drops her coat after puppies, a good diet will keep the coat in its entirety! Something else I learnt.
So, could it be that lack of forechest is partly due to an "average" diet whilst the dog is growing???
Any thoughts?
I am looking forward to learning more about nutrition when my daughter starts her training with the Vet team and specialised diets.
She will no longer see some of you at the shows as she is getting more deeply involved in the nutrition side and vets....
doganjo
[quoteAlso, in a bitch who drops her coat after puppies, a good diet will keep the coat in its entirety![/quote]
I totally agree - Belle hasn't dropped a hair! and she seems to have more regularly spaced seasons. When I had her first she was in season every 4 months, with not a lot of coat and a little bit dull, although Joanne had put her on good food in the interim and she had apparently improved in the short time she had her back. I was worried that her general health wasn't up to the mark, so kept up the good quality food with a few extras. I put her on a good diet, and two years on she is a regular 6 months, a good shine on her coat and a very happy bunny.
How could that be?
)
Something else I learnt.