We have several exciting events coming up and we hope everyone will be able to attend.

Fun Day is a new event we have decided to implement and think it will be fun as well as helpful to socialize your babies. Our first fun day is being held at the home of Paula Ayers on November 7th, starting at 1:00 pm. This new event will be held once every quarter and we hope other members will be able to host a future party.

One of the favorite events we have every year is our Christmas party. Good food, fun white cavalier exchange and a chance to help our shelter friends with a donation of food, crates, bleach, litter, or anything else you feel could help the Pickens County Rescue in caring for these precious cats and dogs. Our party this year is at the Five Paces Inn on December 13th. We would like to thank Michelle Hamilton for arranging the use of her workplace for our event. Hope we will see you there.

CKCSCGA would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Maureen Miles for her 20 years of dedicated services as the Sunshine Committee Chair. She has decided to step down as our Sunshine chair and we want her to know just how much joy her work has brought so many of our members over the years. If anyone would like to try and fill her shoes as our Sunshine committee chair please let me know.

Looking forward to our upcoming events and hope to see everyone that can come there.

Sincerely,

Linda Whitmire

President

The 2021 membership renewal packet was mailed out via USPS on October 1. It contained information on the Holiday party, Member of the Year, November Puppy Party, Trophy Donations, and 2021 membership renewals. Please be sure to return your renewals by 12/31/2020.

You can also renew online at https://ckcscatlanta.org/2021-membership-renewal

Our judges will be Cesar Cortes (Londoncor UK) and Marilyn Mayfield (Mayfield US).

Our Sweeps judge for Puppy and Veterans will be Pat Mixon (Tudorose US).

Marilyn Mayfield will also be judging Junior Showmanship and Beginner Puppy competition on Sunday.

Make plans to join us in February 2021!

Our host hotel will once again be the Drury Inn and the booking line for special rates can be found on our website: www.ckcscatlanta.org.

On Saturday evening the club will have a social at the host hotel with beverages, roast pork & beef, buns, ice, plates, utensils, etc. We ask members to bring a side to share! Come and just relax after the show and enjoy a bite to eat and socialize with friends we have not seen in a long time due to the pandemic. Be sure to bring your mask!

In lieu of a ringside silent auction, which would not be feasible with COVID 19 guidelines, we will have a Chinese auction where tickets may be purchased to place in bags next to 6 to 7 prewrapped baskets. We will draw the winning tickets on Saturday after the Specialty. Thank you to the following members for committing to put together and donate the following baskets:

Almeara Cavaliers – White wine basket

Dr. Barbara Magera – Red wine basket

Monticello Cavaliers – A “Fried Green Tomatoes” themed basket

Mark Fitchpatrick – Homemade Dessert basket

Finnickyskye Cavaliers – Beer and “man snacks” basket

Brookhaven Cavaliers – TBA

Susan Kent – Apple House basket

Also, Hannah Dingman has donated a handmade spaniel water bowl and matching food bowl set.

If you would like to donate a basket – please let Linda Whitmire know

We also need help during the Specialty! Help will be needed selling raffle tickets, selling catalogs, keeping watch over the basket table, and helping at the Saturday evening social with set up and clean up!

There’s nothing like a healthy home-cooked meal. This is true not only for the human members of your family but for your dog as well. Cooking for your canine companion has many benefits, including fewer preservatives and additives, more varied and potentially better ingredients, and, of course, more interest for the canine palate.

Homemade meals may even make it possible to feed your dog well for less. A 15- pound bag of high-end dry dog food costs approximately $42, and a 5.5 oz. can of high-end wet food runs approximately $2. Feeding a medium-sized dog two cans of wet mixed with two cups of dry food costs about $5 per day. That doesn’t include the treats, bones, and tidbits that inevitably make their way into her tummy! Compare that with four cups of Puppy Stew at $2.25 per day. Add the cost of a vitamin/ mineral supplement and calcium, and it is still less than the cost of feeding high-end commercial food.* (You can also combine homemade meals with commercially available dry dog food. This will, of course, change the nutritional calculations as well as the price, but your pup will still be pleased.)

As both able hunters and scavengers, dogs ate from a diverse menu when they began accompanying humans. An omnivorous diet of protein, carbohydrate, and fat sources suits them; dogs in good health can also handle the fat in their diet more effectively than you can— their bodies use it for energy and then efficiently clear it from the bloodstream.

The caveats? Dogs have different nutrient requirements than people. For example, they need high-quality protein, more calcium, and more minerals for their proportional body size. Calcium is particularly critical. In The Complete Holistic Dog Book, co-author Katy Sommers, DVM, notes that “calcium is perhaps the single most important supplement for a successful home-cooked diet. Even if you’re feeding a variety of foods, you’ll need to supply an extra source of calcium.” She recommends giving one 600 mg calcium carbonate tablet (or 1⁄2 teaspoon of the powder form) for each 10 to 15 pounds of body weight daily for most adult dogs. (She also points out that, if you’re mixing homemade and commercial foods, you don’t need to supplement as heavily, as commercial foods contain adequate or possibly even excessive amounts of calcium and phosphorus.) More good advice on this subject can be found in Dr. Pitcairn’sComplete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn, DVM, Ph.D., and Susan Hubble Pitcairn.

There are some human foods that dogs should never be given, including macadamia nuts, chocolate, tea, coffee, raisins, grapes, onions, or excessive amounts of garlic. And, of course, check with your veterinarian before making big changes to your dog’s diet, particularly if she has any preexisting health conditions. Once you get the green light, make the changes gradually to avoid digestive upsets; introduce new foods slowly, substituting a small proportion of the new food for the old over time. Finally, be careful not to provide too many overall calories (energy), as obesity is just as unhealthy for dogs as it is for humans; your vet can help you determine how much your dog should be eating.

Food safety is also an issue. While dogs have many defenses against bacteria, parasites, and other foodborne pathogens, they are not immune to them. Be sure to keep utensils clean, perishables refrigerated and ingredients cooked to appropriate internal temperatures to kill off any unwanted bugs. This is particularly important for puppies, old dogs, or those with a health condition that makes them vulnerable.

In general, your homemade recipes should contain a high-value protein source (muscle meat, eggs, fish, liver), a fat source (safflower, olive, canola, or fish oil; the best and most easily available fish oils are salmon and cod), a fiber-containing carbohydrate (brown rice, sweet potato, oats, barley), and a phytochemical source (fruits, vegetables, herbs). Substitutions can be made; for example, if you know your dog likes whole-grain pasta, substitute pasta for barley as a carbohydrate source. Some dogs, like some kids, hate veggies but will eat fruit, so use fruit instead; fruit can complement meats just as readily as vegetables can. Yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, and tofu can occasionally be used as protein sources, but keep in mind that not all dogs can tolerate dairy products, beans, or soy and may become flatulent or experience other gastrointestinal “issues”; test tolerance with small quantities.

When you cook a batch of homemade food, let it cool, and—if you make more than your dog can eat within a couple of days—portion it into reusable, washable containers, then freeze and defrost as needed. You can safely keep cooked food in the refrigerator for three days; after that, spoilage becomes a concern.

By adhering to the basic guidelines, you can be creative, provide great homemade meals, and know that the ingredients are wholesome. You might even try serving some of these recipes to your human family so they can feel special too.

These recipes are calculated for a healthy adult medium-sized dog (approximately 35 to 40 pounds) who’s moderately active. The ingredients listed are standard (not organic) and can be purchased at any supermarket. Dogs of this general description require approximately 1,800 mg of calcium daily, according to Sommers, et al. If your dog is smaller or larger, her total calcium requirements can be calculated using 600 mg for every 12.5 pounds. (If your dog is a senior, still growing, or has health issues, please consult your veterinarian— we really can’t say this often enough!) For a veterinary nutritionist– developed canine vitamin/mineral (calcium- inclusive) supplement, check out BalanceIT® powder.

Important: Many veterinarians, while acknowledging that pet food recalls and the poor quality of some pet foods are causes for concern, still feel that homemade diets, when fed exclusively, may result in nutritional imbalances and vitamin/mineral deficiencies that may pose threats to canine health. Therefore, if you choose to feed your dog a homemade diet, it is important that you understand and provide what your dog needs to stay healthy; veterinary nutritionists can assist in developing suitable homemade diets. While caution was taken to give safe recommendations and accurate instructions in this article, it is impossible to predict an individual dog’s reaction to any food or ingredient. Readers should consult their vets and use personal judgment when applying this information to their own dogs’ diets.

*The cost of feeding homemade will vary according to the size, activity level, and health of your dog. Dogs who are pregnant or lactating, growing pups, and those who perform endurance activities require much more nutrition (calories, protein, fatty acids) and have other special nutritional needs.

By

Roschelle Heuberger, PhD