Feeding Your Pointer

ByDonna February 1, 2011August 13, 2021

Feeding your Pointer a nutritious diet is essential for his long-term health and happiness. It can be as easy – or as complicated – as you want.

Easy – a diet consisting entirely of high quality, nutritionally complete kibble (dry dog food). Many different dog food manufacturers make kibble. It is widely available and can be purchased in grocery stores as well as pet stores.

Intermediate – a diet consisting of the same type of kibble but mixed with or supplemented by canned or semi-moist commercial dog food. The canned or semi-moist food is added simply to provide the additional texture and flavor that can make your Pointer’s meals more enjoyable.

Intermediate – a diet consisting entirely of high quality, nutritionally complete canned or semi-moist food. Because a soft diet like this does not provide the dental benefits your Pointer would get from crunching on hard kibble, you must give him hard biscuits or dental chews regularly in order to help remove the plaque that will accumulate on his teeth.

Complicated – a diet consisting of the same type of kibble mixed with or supplemented by home-cooked food. The home-cooked food is used to provide additional flavor and enjoyment, not for its nutritional benefits.

Very Complicated – a diet consisting entirely of nutritionally complete home-cooked food. Preparing foods that include the proper amounts, types and proportions of all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, amino acids and other nutrients your Pointer needs in his diet can be tricky. Although some people feed their dogs home-cooked foods exclusively, hardly any of them do it properly.

For example, I know a woman who clearly loves her Pointer. Unfortunately, she insists on feeding him boiled chicken and rice every day. Although that combination is filling and somewhat nutritious, it is far from being nutritionally complete. Her Pointer will probably suffer from health problems in the future because the nutrition his food provides is severely limited.

Pointer Health

Cleaning Your Pointer’s Ears

ByDonna January 14, 2011August 13, 2021

I’ve been showing Pointers for years, so I have to make sure my dogs are always perfectly groomed, including their ears. But, any dog’s ears should be cleaned on a regular basis, whether he’s a show dog or not. And that’s especially true for floppy-eared breeds like Pointers.

Pointer Health

Basic Supplies You’ll Need for a New Pointer Puppy

ByRobert July 9, 2011August 13, 2021

Of course you’ll need to buy some nutritious puppy food – that goes without saying. But beyond that, you’ll also need some basic supplies to keep your new Pointer pup both happy and healthy.

Pointer Health

Is Your Pointer Overweight?

ByDonna June 12, 2011August 13, 2021

Your Pointer is probably not overweight – in fact, there’s a great chance that your Pointer is just the right weight. If your dog is like a lot of Pointers, he’s a high-energy, active dog that pesters you for walks and other types of exercise. But, canine obesity is becoming very common, just like the “epidemic” of childhood obesity we’ve been hearing about. So, I thought I might write something quick about how you can tell whether your Pointer is overweight.

Pointer Health

What’s Eating Your Pointer?

ByKim January 4, 2011August 13, 2021

Most Pointer owners have probably run into the all-too-common problem of external parasites like fleas or ticks on their dogs. Many Pointers, especially dogs used for hunting, spend lots of time outdoors, so fleas and ticks might be more common on Pointers than some other dogs. But these pesky parasites might not be the only things using your Pointer as their source of food.

Pointer Health

Make Sure Your Pointer’s Car Rides are Safe

ByDiane March 6, 2011August 13, 2021

Countless studies show that when a car’s occupants are strapped in securely, they’re much more likely to be able to walk away if there’s an accident. By now, we’ve all had it drummed into our heads, and in fact, in most places it’s illegal to not wear seat belts. But how many of us think about this in the context of our dogs riding in our cars?

Pointer Health

Even Pointers Can be Anxious in Thunderstorms

ByRobert March 12, 2011August 13, 2021

You might not think a Pointer would be frightened by something as harmless as a thunderstorm. After all, Pointers are big, muscular, sturdy dogs. They’re not some tiny little breed that tends to start shaking with fear when they’re looked at the wrong way.

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