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Heres the beef
In 2007 an estimated 17,000 reports were received by the FDA of pets becoming sick by eating contaminated pet food. It makes one ponder what is in pet food and if it is the best choice for the diet of your miniature bull terrier. While visiting a breeder in Australia to bring back some new mini bulls to our family we noted he had his dogs on a raw diet. He provided us with an article written by Matt Rivet called Feeding Real Food. Below is an outline of that article and information we learned from the breeder on his methods of feeding a raw diet. We have since kept our dogs primarily on a raw diet and have tried other alternatives to the bagged, dog chow found in pet stores. One benefit we have found is that the mini bulls eat physically less on the raw diet and poop less as there is very little in the way of fillers to pass through a mini bull terrier’s digestive system. As always check with your vet to see what they think.
What is commercial pet food?
All living creatures thrive on real food. Generations of dogs lived on real food until pet food companies came along around the 1930’s. Big cereal companies needed to do something with their rejected grain, wheat, corn and soybeans that failed USDA inspections due to mold, rancidity and contamination. The meat industry faced the same dilemma. This product was deemed not fit for human consumption and represented a loss of sales. The idea of mixing this rejected food together was invented and the idea of pet food was born.
Marketing firms were hired to invent a marketing plan that was and is today’s pet food. But it’s actually rejected human food. It is a processed, artificial diet made up of the stuff that would go unused in human food.
The result is that commercial pet food is heavy on the grain. The problem is that dogs are carnivores. Dogs have a large stomach and a straight, but short, digestive tract that is required to digest meat. An animal that eats grain has a long and winding tract for that type of food. Cows have several stomachs to handle fibrous grains.
By putting corn or soybeans in commercial dog food it allows the manufacture to claim these as proteins. Much of the protein in these cannot be digested by dogs because it can’t be digested properly. Many dogs and bullterriers are no exception, are allergic or intolerant to corn, soy and wheat. This intolerance can present itself in loose stools, spitting up or excessive gassiness. It can also cause itchy skin, foot licking or face rubbing, rashes, hot spots, dandruff and excessive shedding.
The quality of the grain is suspect, as the good grain is reserved for human consumption. Pet food contains slaughterhouse waste, toxic products from spoiled food stuffs, heavy metal contaminants, pesticides, herbicides, storage drum residues, sugar, artificial color, flavor and preservatives. Grain is hard to digest and encourages alkaline to form in the stomach instead of healthy acid that kills parasites and bacteria. They cause allergies and skin problems.
According to DR. Richard Pitcairn D.M.V. “The whole concept of Insta-Meal for humans is repulsive. Most people would soon be climbing the walls in frustration desperate for a salad or some fruit…- anything whole, fresh or just different. Perhaps the thought of eating kibbles for the rest of your life drives home the pure boredom of a bagged dog food diet.
Both sides agree, raw meat is what the entire canine family was designed to eat. Cooked meat on the other hand is semi-digested which is not the same as it doesn’t exercise the stomach. Raw meat is packed with vitamins, living enzymes and antioxidants. Cooking this meat kills the enzymes and destroys the nutrients. Once the enzymes are destroyed it causes your bullterrier’s pancreas to work harder.
So what is the raw diet and why is it better?
Our Australian, breeder friend feeds with a basis of raw, ground, chicken necks and back. The ground bone provides many nutrients that the bullies need for growth and the bone is digested in the gut just fine. Besides this protein we also prefer chicken, turkey and beef raised without antibiotics and that is hormone free. Lamb is good but expensive and pork is too fatty. Ostrich, deer and rabbit are good if you can get it.
We augment the raw meat with fresh vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, yogurt and cottage & dairy cheese. We also cook fresh brown rice on occasion and feed that to our bullies as well. If you do offer grain make sure it is not more than ¼ of the whole diet. The best grain is oats, brown rice, barley, couscous and quinoa while avoiding corn, wheat, sorghum and soybeans.
Fresh vegetables and fruits are added in too. When wolves kill they eat the stomach, so these materials are predigested plants. Feed the veggies raw but cut up or pulverize in a food processor. The skin has a wall of cellulose that a dog can’t digest. Carrots, broccoli zucchini, squash, sweet potato are some good choices. Avoid grapes, raisins, deli meats, salt and sugar. We do not feed rawhide pigs ears or chews, cow hooves, corn starch bones, or smoked meats because of the nitrates.
One processed product we occasionally use as flavoring is Honest Kitchen’s “Force.” which is a human grade, dog food that is combined with a liquid to reconstitute. This works well for traveling but is pretty expensive.
We also offer rain water and avoid 100% tap water. As a result of this diet we feel we have had very little problems with our miniature bull terrier’s having to deal with allergies, itching, fur loss etc.
New Note: Check out raw4bullies on Yahoo. This is a forum for bully owners looking for more info about diet.
Little girl, big boy; size of a Mini bull & Standard Bullterrier
From A Small Female MBT, To A Large Male Bull Terrier…It Can Be a Big Leap.
We get a lot of questions regarding the difference between the MBT and the standard bull terriers all the time. The biggest difference is the size, and according to the written standard set forth by the AKC and the MBTCA, this should be essentially the only difference. Both types of dogs can vary quite a bit even amongst their breed. Within the MBT breed and you can find mini bulls that look like small standards and also small standard bull terriers that look like mini bulls. Of course much of this has to do with the lineage and what parent size is. Our experience has been that mini bull terriers don’t breed as true to the parents size primarily because of interbreeding that was done with standard bull terriers to dilute the gene pool. Additionally as a breed they have not been around as long as the standard bullies which have had more time to work the kinks out.
While the size does vary we find our mini bull females to be around 28 pounds and the males about 35 pounds. The standard male in the photo above ran around 65 pounds while the female is about 28 pounds. The male was a rather difficult lift. We have seen standard bull terrriers as large as 90 pounds of pure muscle.
Much of the bullies weight is muscle so the height and length tend to be small for the mass of weight. We have had a 28 pound female miniature bull terrier stand beside a Parsons Russell Terrier (similar to a Jack Russell) and the height & length is the same while the weight is vastly different.
Photograph of a typical staph infection in a dog
A friends Miniature Bull Terrier was having severe “allergy problems” that went undiagnosed correctly for 6 months. It ended up that the bully actually had a staph infection all over his little body and in his ears. The friend was rushing one morning and went to put ointment in his ears, the MBT gave warning, but she didn’t pay any attention. Then he latched onto her hand, tearing off a huge piece of skin which he then swallowed. She didn’t know until later when he threw up on a blanket which had been washed and dried. When it came out of the dryer, she heard something hit the floor. There was her skin – tanned and ready to be made into a saddle. Anyway, the emergency room doctor sewed up the hand. Luckily she then went to a hand doctor the next day; but a staph infection had already spread to above her wrist. The hand doctor hospitalized her immediately and for three days the doctors used aggressive medicines which they believe saved the hand, arm and possibly her life.
A friend complained to the vet about the misdiagnosis of the mini bulls “skin allergies” which prompted the dog to be in for testing and low and behold he did have a staph infection which was then passed on when the MBT bit the owner’s hand. The bully was put on the same meds as the owner and both healed properly with no residual effects. The owner swears the MBT got the staph when they did surgery to neuter him. While there is no proof of this it makes sense.
It is interesting to note that we have heard of staph being diagnosed as skin allergies before. Staph can look like ring worm with rather large round, reddish, raw areas on the belly. It can also look like tiny pimples or little white pustules on patchy pink skin which appear all over the body looking very similar to a simple skin rash. Needless to say when infected the dog doesn’t feel well and can have personality changes, such as the intolerance of being poked at.
Staph infections are caused by bacteria and can affect the outer skin as well as the hair follicles. The infection is normally opportunistic in nature, and occurs due to a compromised immune system or some other condition such as open wounds. Allergies and reactions to household cleansers and other products have also been known to provide a breeding ground for staphylococcus, as can demodex. Many healthy dogs also show traces of the bacteria, but it is only a dog that has a compromising health condition or allergic reaction that can contract the actual infection and corresponding lesions.
Antibiotics are the main method for treating the infection, as they kill bacteria and help the dog’s immune system fight them off. Medicated shampoos and ointments can also help relieve the symptoms of the lesions, as the dog may be uncomfortable or itchy because of them. In the case of a suspected staph infection, a trip to the veterinarian is in order for testing.
Keeping a High Energy Miniature Bull Terrier Busy Can Help Burn Off Destructive Steam.
The MBT New Prince of Bling Tethers click here to view a video of the action
Miniature Bull Terriers are a combination of Bull Dog, Dalmatian, English Terrier, (now extinct) and Jack Russell. A breeder strives for a physical balance as well as a personality balance of the traits that exemplify the breed’s background. Occasionally a MBT will exhibit an exuberance of hyperactivity as one might see in many Jack Russell Terriers. This energy can present itself in destruction of property or bad habits but it can be focused in a number of ways. Chasing a ball is a good way to blow off steam. It is a typical activity but involves the owner being present. There is a product that is called Go Dog Go that is an automatic ball launcher. This can work great provided your bully is willing to give the ball up and not chew the launcher. Another great way to burn off some of this extra energy is teaching your MBT to play tether ball. Hanging a tether from a tree at just the right height can work great. We do find we have to limit the time tethering as often a bully won’t know when to stop and can over do it. A bullie’s human can play along too with a wiffle ball bat, but keep in mind mini bulls often cheat.
A Miniature Bull Terrier that habitually runs a way can be trained to focus on the tether and run to it rather than away from it’s home. Training a MBT to come to the cry “tether ball” is an effective way to control a bully who is a runner. Of course yelling “come get a cookie” never hurts either!
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Spinning MBT’s Are Not Cute.
One of the things Miniature Bull Terriers and Bull Terriers can do is spin or chase their tail. The current thought is that it’s a genetic, neurological disorder. We have also been told that it is a mechanism used for defense in a dog fight and thus has been intentionally bred into fighting dogs of the past. Most Mini Bull Terriers do this spinning at least a little bit when excited or playing. We call these “fancy moves” at our home and they can be cute in tiny doses. These fancy moves can become a habit or get out of control very quickly and suddenly they are not cute at all. It is an obsession.
If it becomes a habit often exercise can help keep it from becoming an obsession. Correction, combined with a diversion toy can in many cases keep it from becoming a problem. If there is a trigger, such as spinning that happens in a confined space, or clapping of one’s hands, then the elimination of the trigger can be effective.
Problem spinning/tail chasing in Mini Bulls is when it is obsessive in nature. This spinning can be relentless and presents itself as a blurry whorl as the dog circles with seeming madness. They can sit and bark at their tail for hours as well. In extreme cases they will spin as if there is a post in their center rather than spinning in a circle. It can last for a few minutes to hours. At this level it is a hard habit to break if it can be broken at all. It can be so extreme some dogs have to be euthanized. Cutting off or dying the tip of the tail is not a cure because in fact they are not just chasing the tail.
We have been told by an experienced breeder that if a spinner spins in one direction it is neurological. Opposite directions is a bad habit. We do not know if this is true. While in some dogs the smallness of the space is the problem, in others having the run of the house seems to set them off. We have heard stories of a spinner being placed back in a pack environment which has stopped the spinning. Dogs in a strong pack have less anxiety so this would seem to make sense.
Another option that has worked for some is a tight fitting garment called the Thunder Shirt. This swaddles the dog much like infant swaddling to calm the nerves. The Thunder Shirt is relatively new on the market and we hear it is effectiveness. We have used it for minor anxiety, such as with fireworks, with 100% success.
When consulting with other breeders and medical pros the advice that seems to work most effectively is to catch it at an early age, or when it first starts and treat it aggressively with behavior modification and medication as soon as possible. This means putting the dog on medications such as Clomipramine, (a dog med- like Prozac) at the highest dosage for a month or two but then very, very slowly wean the dog off the meds while watching closely for the condition to reoccur. Some Bullterriers will have to be on a lifelong regimen of medication to keep the problem at bay, for others it may not work at all. For someit will resolve with therapy and age.
Behavior modification by keeping the dog close and being relentless about correction at the onset is important. Substituting a distraction for the spinning such as a marrow bone filled with peanut butter and frozen, so that it will take time to lick clean, can work. A tether ball or some other toy they can fixate on as a “new” addiction works for some dogs.
We find that relentless correction over a three day period works for a lot of bad habits. This means putting one’s own tasks aside and just plain sitting and watching for the behavior to correct. A pain in the posterior but if one is serious it is worth trying. The problem with spinning is it is hard to reward the good behavior as there really isn’t any opposite of the spinning. So this means distraction and or correction. When the spinning becomes life threatening, and nothing else has worked, one must look at all the alternatives possibly including negative correction.
In general for bad habits one of the methods we use for correction when rewarding good behavior is not possible is the use of a wiffle ball bat. This is a large diameter, plastic, hollow bat. When something hard (not the dog!) is hit with the bat it makes a big sound and startles the dog. They quickly fear the “bang” and learn to behave when the bat is in the visual plane or the bang of it is heard. Keeping the bat in a 4 x 4 fence post bracket as a holder so that it can be accessed immediately helps to correct the behavior quickly. Correction in dogs HAS to happen at the instant the dog thinks of spinning.
A dog psychologist we know recommends chaining the dog to a short (18”) chain. This seems to calm some bull terriers that spin as well as the short chain that makes the spinning almost impossible. You must take care that the MBT can not get hurt, hung, or be by something they can destroy. Also chained dogs around strangers can be a negaitive as they feel defenseless.
There is little information on this problem, and a fair amount of denial from breeders that it exists but there is a site called http://www.btneuro.org that covers the spinning issue in more detail.
Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine is doing research on this problem and you can find their contact information at the site above as well as a letter from the Doctor doing the research.
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Crock Pot Heating Tools for Miniature Bull Terrier Puppies
Any breeder learns very quickly that new mini bull terrier pups can’t get cold. Not even for a short time. Just because it may be hot weather outside don’t make the mistake that the pups don’t need an additional heat source, as well as a way to get away from that source. Many bull terrier Moms can’t be left unattended with pups because, as you may know, they just don’t have much respect for personal space. That means we need to augment the heat for the new born MBT’s.
We keep puppies on a heating pad they can get on and off of at will. But we find they like something better. In the first week or so we fill latex gloves with water. We keep these in a textile lined crock pot set on very low close by the whelp box with a stack of wash cloths on top. We continually rotate these, using 4 or so at a time depending on the litter size, along with the heating pad. We wrap the gloves egg-roll style in the wash cloths and put them around the edge of the whelp box seam side down. The pups quickly crawl and snuggle up next to the “water balloons”. We only do this for a week or two or until the pups start trying to crawl inside the wash cloth package or get to an age where they may start sucking on the fingers of the gloves which could cause breakage and drowning. We use only latex as the nitril or colored gloves can’t handle the heat and break down and break. These also work well for the trip home from the vet on their birthday, without the wash cloth wrap. We have seen vets use IV bags filled with colored water, and these work well but the small size of the gloves allow for constant rotation as we tend to the pups throughout the night.
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The tricky business of breeding Mini Bull Terrier puppies
Miniature Bull Terrier breeding can be a stressful and complicated experience trying to figure out all the timing and associated language of the practice. This blog is a short review of the process used for breeding Miniature Bull Terriers as well as other breeds. There is much more information than we have time for here such as progesterone testing, false pregnancy etc. so more information will need to be gained.
To begin generally the breeder watches for the first sign of bleeding in the female. As a wide, window, guessing point one would figure 10-20 days later the egg will be released with the day 14 being the average. Most breeders start testing progesterone levels around day 10 to watch for a 5 point increase in a 24 hour period. The physical signs the female is ready for breeding is when the rump of the female is touched, and the tail swings hard to the side, this is the time of ovulation. This is called “flagging”. Also a change in the color and flow of blood generally occurs.
From the release of eggs to the birth of pups timing varies between 62 and 64 days. This is not from the time of mating but rather ovulation. Mating can be done before, after and during the time when the egg is ripe. The window of time to introduce sperm varies around the egg release which, again, is before, during, and after the 62-64 day period. Introduced sperm can live several days and be viable for fertilization. Therefore the time between mating and birth can vary more like 56 to 63 days or more.
Most breeders will test hormone levels for ovulation if they are going to do an artificial insemination. Insemination can be done using the following methods:
Surgical insemination. Chilled, frozen or freshly collected sperm (called a side by side as the male is present) will directly be introduced through an incision in the female’s abdomen while she is under anesthesia This method closely confirms the timing of the birth, by pinpointing mating with the ovulation. Our experience, although anecdotal, is that we get more puppies and more females with this method.
Trans-cervical insemination. This is similar to surgical but is done by inserting sperm through a scope vaginally. Whereas surgical insemination is a one time delivery of sperm to the egg this method is done usually twice. Cost is approximately the same but the female does not have to be under anesthesia or have an incision. This does not pinpoint birth quite as closely because the window of sperm introduction is wider.
Artificial insemination. Again chilled, frozen or fresh sperm is used and introduced by drawing the collected sperm into a catheter, pipette, and squeeze bulb type implement then putting it into the female vaginally. This is done two or more times, usually every other day around the time of suspected or confirmed ovulation. There are drawbacks to this method such as sperm contamination or over chilling in the collection process. Timing of birth is harder to predict without progesterone testing with this method. The upside is it can be done at home by the breeder and there is virtually no cost.
Natural breedingThe last method is natural breeding between the male and female. Nature takes care of the details here, and sometimes when we ’ want or need the help. If breeding is planned it is wise to insert a gloved finger into the female to check for a “tag” (a flap of skin in the vaginal canal) that will prevent the sperm from getting to the uterus or be a complication in a natural birth). Additionally pre-collecting and looking at a sperm sample under a microscope for activity and deformities is advisable. Give enough time for new sperm to develop after you do this collection, usually wait several days. Many breeders we know believe in “blowing out the pipes” by doing a pre collection, however we don’t know if this is anecdotal or not.
Generally the code of breeding ethics is that all puppies sold by a breeder remain under the breeder’s responsibility for the entire life of the dog. Typically if the new owners decide that they do not want the dog then they are required to take the dog back to the breeder . One must consider this as being a long time requirement of breeding before embarking on the adventure.
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Mini Bull Terriers playing with green on green
What color appeals to a Miniature Bull Terrier’s eye? We think it’s the politically correct color green
The anatomy of a dog’s eye consist of cones and rods just as in people. The difference is that there is an emphasis on rods, while people have an emphasis on cones. This allows for better sight in the dark, perhaps up to four times better than people. The cones on the other hand allow people to see colors in bright light. We have three cones, while dogs have only two. If you look at the colors we print with they are typically three colors mixed to make the whole range of colors. This is similar to sight. It makes sense then if a dog has 2 cones the mix of colors that are visible are more limited than what humans perceive.
The theory is that they see various shades of colors from the combined action of the cones. Our research found that it is thought they may see various shades of violet, indigo, and blue, and possibly red and it is said that they have difficulty distinguishing colors between green, yellow, orange and red. The color blue-green appears white or a shade of gray to them. We disagree. We find over and over again when we play with different colors of balls they are able to see the green balls the best. This is regardless if they are playing on sand, grass, bark dust or concrete.
This brings us to the very important topic of this post. The green jelly ball called The Everlasting Fun Ball.We don’t know the chemical composition of this ball but it is a gem and it is wildly green. If you think kongs are tough they pale in comparison to the (large size) gem of a jelly ball. Noteably this ball isn’t hard, its jelly like, and it takes a MBT a long time to tear this thing apart. We have used this ball to mitigate fixation behavior to great success. Make sure you spring for the large size because the bully can’t get it’s whole mouth into the meat of the ball to destroy it.
Everlasting Fun Ball by StarMark. Find them on the Web for about 16 bucks US or call # 877 823 7847 for a retailer near you.
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The Benefits of Acidophilus for the Care of New Born Miniature Bull Terrier Puppies
Giving New Born Mini Bull Pups Acidophilus Helps them Thrive
C Sections, infections and Care of New Born Miniature Bull Terrier Puppies
Most all Miniature Bull Terriers have C-sections to deliver their pups. Because of this surgery they are often given antibiotics to prevent infection. As we know antibiotics also kill good bacteria in the body. Since the pup’s nutrition is coming from mom the antibiotics are now part of their system as well. Because of this it is important to feed the pups a bit of acidophilus (dipped on your finger and put on their tongue) and to also give mom yogurt. If you mix the acidophilus with Esbilac or Pedialite to administer it make sure the acidophilus is not hot, but at room temperature so as not to kill the cultures. As always confer with your Vet when caring for any of your MBT’s.
For a look at some healthy, thriving puppies visit our parent Facebook Page AKC Mini Bull Terrier Puppies!
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Wasting Syndrome in Miniature Bull Terrier Puppies can be helped by a warm massage
Healthy Mini Bull Puppy at 4 days old
Over the years we have come across the odd occurrence of one or more of our new Miniature Bull Terrier pups not thriving. This generally has displayed itself when the nursing Mini Bull pup seems not to be getting any nutrition despite having the ability to suck quite hard. The growth of the bully pup doesn’t seem to keep up with it’s littermates.
We generally start to tube feed to supplement mom or completely take over the task of feeding. We have relationships with many other miniature bull terrier breeders who have helped us through this tentative time but the biggest help came from an experienced MBT breeder in Australia, Mr. David Beioley and his wife Anne. He told us to get them very warm and “rough them up”. Since then we have not lost a single pup from this wasting syndrome.
Exactly how we rough them up is to sit in front of our fireplace with the pup on a face cloth, wrapped hot water bottle and give them an outright spa type massage. We start at the front paws and work to the tip of the tail… and we aren’t too delicate in the process. Then we do it all again. We then tube feed at the appropriate time and do it all again. Relatively quickly the pup starts to gain weight; the organs start growing and nursing with success off of the mom resumes. While we are not vets or scientists we can’t help but think the blood flow gets an assist delivering the small amount of nutrition that is able to make it into the pups system, thus enabling growth and allowing the puppy to thrive.
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