Their unique set of nutritional requirements have been passed on from generation to generation just like the breed's unique coat, body size and temperament. We have found that we can not change the genetic makeup of the animals we are feeding just by exposing them to a different diet for a small amount of time (1,000 to 2,000 years) any more than we can change any of their other genetically predetermined characteristics by taking them to a different climate. Therefore, I suggest that Miniature Schnauzer owners try to feed their present companion pets with foods that contain what this breed requires. The food should contain: (#1) nutrient sources that are similar to those found in the native environment of the breed's ancestors (sources which are not foreign to the digestive and glandular systems of today's Miniature Schnauzer and which are easy for them to assimilate) and (#2) the proper balance of protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals that match the breed specific nutritional requirements - those which have been passed on by their ancestors.
Pet owners who feed their companion pets correctly can save a lot of money. Many dogs are taken to the vet, suffering from nutritionally related problems, and the vet bills can be huge. i.e. dry/itchy/flaky skin, hot spots, yeast infections in the ear, thyroid - liver - kidney problems, just to name a few, cost the average dog owner hundreds of dollars every year. That is why I recommend that pet owners learn about the nutritional needs of the animal they are feeding before deciding on what they are going to feed their dog. When we first learn what our companion pet needs and then choose a diet that is correct for the animal being fed, it is a win-win situation: the dogs are healthier and the owners save money.
PLEASE DO NOT E-MAIL ME AND ASK . . .There is NO commercial all-breed, any-breed dog food on the market today that I would recommend feeding to any Miniature Schnauzer. The reasons why are MANY and explained in full in the articles at this web site.
I personally believe that the best diet for a Miniature Schnauzer is one that the owner makes fresh, using quality ingredients, without preservatives. It only takes about one to two hours a week to cook for a Miniature Schnauzer so that both #1 & #2 are met and preparing home cooked meals for a dog can be less expensive than buying the average all-breed, any-breed commercial pet food. I hope that you will consider using this option to feed your companion pets correctly.
In my books (published in 1990 and 1997) on breed specific canine nutrition, I listed food sources to use and food sources to avoid when feeding a Miniature Schnauzer. The idea was to provide pet owners (both those who wanted to cook for their companion pets or those who wanted to buy an all-breed/any-breed preservative filled food for their pets) information about food sources to use or avoid. So that you can have that same information, below is the text from the page "Miniature Schnauzer" that was in one of my books on canine nutrition.
MINIATURE SCHNAUZER
Weight Standards: m/f 14 to 17 lbs.
Height Standards: m/f 12 to 14 inches
Coat: hard & wiry in solid black or salt & pepper or black & silver
Common Ailments: cataracts, kidney problems
The Miniature Schnauzer developed in the farmlands of Germany. It was bred down to its present size by selectively breeding a larger variety of Schnauzer with other smaller German breeds. Which breeds these were has been the topic of many a lively debate amongst Miniature Schnauzer fanciers. Whatever these breeds were, today's Miniature Schnauzer has been in existence since the 15th century. It retained the Schnauzer appearance, with the abundant whiskers and leg furnishings, but developed its own charming personality. This combination of good looks and personality made it one of the most popular miniature breeds.
There are very few breeds of dog that do not shed their coat. The Miniature Schnauzer is one of these rare nonshedders. This feature makes it an ideal pet for people with allergies and also gives it different dietary requirement for hair production than those breeds that are shedders.
Native food supplies found in this breed's homeland would have been beet pulp, wheat, potatoes, cabbage, and meats from rodents and beef cattle. Therefore, for the Miniature Schnauzer I recommend foods that have a blend of pork with beef, potato, wheat, and beet pulp. However, I also feel you should avoid feeding a Miniature Schnauzer any soy bean products, avocado, ocean fish, white rice, or brown rice.
At this web site I have already documented how it has been PROVEN that one breed can require ten times what a different breed requires - PER KILOGRAM OF BODY WEIGHT - of fat soluble vitamin "D" and thus a product formulated for the breed with the higher requirements would be toxic to the breed with lower requirements.
I am also providing you with information about which sources of vitamins and minerals are best for a Miniature Schnauzer because it has also been proven that different breeds will assimilate different sources of vitamins and minerals in different ways. i.e. There are over 170 different molecular forms of the mineral "calcium." The source of the mineral calcium that a Miniature Schnauzer can easily assimilate can be hard for a different breed to assimilate and thus that other breed can develop kidney stones on the best source of calcium for a Miniature Schnauzer. The reverse of this is also true. Below you will find a list of the best sources of vitamins and minerals for the dietary requirements of a Miniature Schnauzer. The balance or amounts are not listed because each individual animal can have different requirements depending on: the sex of the animal; the age (a puppy will have different needs than an adolescent, who even though it may be the same size as an adult will have different requirements than an adult); the activity level (if a dog is very active the dog will need more of the B complex than a couch potato of the same breed); stress levels; medical conditions; and other dietary factors (i.e. does the water supply contain high amounts of minerals). There are many factors come into play when considering the proper amount of each nutrient in an individual dogs diet.
PLEASE NOTE: Some breeds, because of their breed specific set of nutritional requirements, should have very low amounts of some vitamins or minerals in their diet. The amount that some breeds require may have already been exceeded by the amount that is in most all-breed/any-breed commercial foods (i.e. copper - Bedlington Terrier or zinc - Siberian Husky). This is another reason that I have not listed any amounts here - I do not want dog owners to supplement what may already be TOO MUCH in an all breed food with additional vitamins or minerals just because I listed an amount here. The list below is for SOURCE information only.
Mineral & Best Source
Calcium Bone Meal
Copper Gluconate
Iodine Sea Kelp
Iron Ferrous Fumerate
Magnesium Magnesium-Gluconate
Manganese Manganese-Gluconate
Phosphorus Bone Meal
Potassium Potassium-Gluconate
Zinc Zinc-Gluconate
Please do not feed this breed of dog any supplemental vitamin C (ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate or ascorbal palmitate) because of the kidney and liver damage it can do (see article at this web site).
Please Note: I have received many E-mails from dog owners asking if the book that is now available in book stores contains recipes or supplement charts for the average puppy, adolescent, adult or geriatric Miniature Schnauzer. It does not. It only contains one recipe and that recipe is there to show how a pet owner can take the ingredients listed on a bag of grocery store dog food and make the food cheaper, from fresh whole sources and without any harmful preservatives. I do not recommend that recipe for any one specific breed of dog (especially a Miniature Schnauzer).
I have written all-breed books showing how 152 different breeds of dogs are different NUTRITIONALLY and I am now writing a series of breed specific books which will have recipes and supplement charts based on the nutritional requirements of each specific breed of dog.
The good news is that the breed specific book THE BEST DIET FOR A MINIATURE SCHNAUZER is finished!
The book has the following chapters:
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 11 contains RECIPE AND SUPPLEMENT CHARTS FOR:
Chapter 1
HOW THE MINIATURE SCHNAUZER DEVELOPED THEIR UNIQUE SET OF NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
RELEVANT HISTORY OF THE MINIATURE SCHNAUZER
INDIVIDUAL FUNCTIONS OF THE VITAMINS & MINERALS IN THE DIET OF A MINIATURE SCHNAUZER
NUTRITIONAL TEAMWORK
WHY A MINIATURE SCHNAUZER NEEDS A SPECIAL BALANCE OF AMINO ACIDS IN ITS PROTEIN
FAT CARBOHYDRATES AND FATTY ACIDS IN THE MINIATURE SCHNAUZER'S DIET
CONTROLLING A MINIATURE SCHNAUZER'S WEIGHT WITH DIET AND EXERCISE
NUTRIENTS "GOOD FOR A HUMAN" THAT CAN HARM A MINIATURE SCHNAUZER
LIFE CYCLE CHANGES THAT CHANGE NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF A MINIATURE SCHNAUZER
A HOME HEALTH CHECK FOR SYMPTOMS OF NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS
RECIPES AND SUPPLEMENT CHARTS SO YOU CAN PREPARE HOME COOKED MEALS FOR A MINIATURE SCHNAUZER
A Miniature Schnauzer Puppy
up to 4 months of age
An Adolescent Female Miniature Schnauzer
for a Bitch from 4 months to 30 months of age
An Adolescent Male Miniature Schnauzer
for a Dog from 4 months to 32 months of age
For an Adult Female Miniature Schnauzer
Should be used for an adult female from age 30 months to 15 years living as a typical house pet & Companion Animal
For an Adult Male Miniature Schnauzer
Should be used for a Dog from age 32 months to 14 years living as a typical house pet & Companion Animal
For a Pregnant and Lactating Miniature Schnauzer Bitch
for a pregnant and lactating Bitch from the start of her third trimester of pregnancy through the end of lactation
The Geriatric Miniature Schnauzer
Can be used for either a Dog or Bitch after they are past the age recommended
for the recipe used to provide the appropriate Adult Maintenance Diet
Just Click The Button And Buy Your Copy Of This Book NOW
If you have a Miniature Schnauzer with a medical condition which would dictate the need for a special diet I can also formulate an easy to cook CUSTOM RECIPE for your specific dog. I charge a nominal fee for these. My recipes are individualized and go well beyond the dog's breed requirements and also consider the specific animal's MEDICAL HISTORY, LIVING ENVIRONMENT and more (see form below).
To have me prepare a custom recipe and supplement chart for a dog I need the following information:
Please be specific since all these can factor into the nutritional requirements of a dog. I ask that you send me as much information as possible to work with and please be patient, the average turn around time (from the time I receive what I need to formulate a custom recipe, to the time the packet is ready to be E-mailed to you) is 7 to 14 days. I formulate these recipes based on the needs of the animal that will be eating the food and do these recipes one at a time, based on the information you provide about the animal that will be eating the food.
Please E-mail the information to me.
For each recipe packet you are ordering (includes both a custom recipe and supplement chart for one dog) the fee is $100.00 in US dollars.