Guest blog by Dr Emmanuel Fontaine, Scientific Communications Veterinarian at Royal Canin North America
Elevating your breeding programs starts with a keen eye on puppy growth, and that's where Waltham Puppy Growth Charts come into play. These indispensable tools, developed by leading pet nutrition experts, empower you to monitor your puppies' growth accurately, ensuring their health and well-being. In this blog, we're diving into the how-to's of these charts, their profound impact on puppy health, and the ways you can integrate them into your practices. Join us on this journey of knowledge, improve your puppy care, and become a beacon of wisdom for your fellow breeders and puppy owners alike. Let's grow together, for the sake of our future champions!
Monitoring the growth of our beloved puppies is more than just a testament to their health—it's a proactive measure to predict and potentially mitigate future health risks. But navigating this crucial aspect can be daunting, especially given the wide range of breeds and sizes. Fortunately, the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition provides us a reliable compass—their scientifically formulated puppy growth charts.
Charting the Course: Mastering Puppy Growth with Waltham's Scientific Tools
With these charts, tracking puppy growth becomes a straightforward task. Breeders can effortlessly measure against the standard, identifying any departures from the norm early enough to prevent them from evolving into serious complications.
And as breeders, you understand that each puppy is unique—especially when it comes to growth. There's no universal standard; different breeds and sizes exhibit diverse growth rates and patterns. This complexity is why the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition's puppy growth charts are invaluable—they encapsulate data from 50,000 healthy young dogs, providing a robust benchmark for various breeds and sizes.
Spotting the Early Signs: How Growth Charts Aid in Proactive Puppy Care
Moreover, they serve as a foundation for developing a suitable diet and feeding schedule for your puppies, ensuring their nutritional needs are met. For effective use of these charts, select the one that aligns with your puppy's breed and size. Make sure to measure your puppies' weight and body condition score accurately and consistently to get the most out of this tool.
With these charts in hand, breeders can juxtapose their puppies' weight against breed and age-specific expectations. This process can unveil any deviations from the standard range, allowing for early detection of potential nutritional or health concerns such as overfeeding, underfeeding, parasitic infections, or even congenital defects. Early intervention not only prevents severe complications but also significantly enhances our puppies' quality of life.
Here are some actionable tips for breeders to integrate the WALTHAM™ Puppy Growth Charts into their kennels:
- Regularly weigh your puppies and annotate their weight on the charts.
- Utilize the visual guide on the charts to assess your puppies' body condition score.
- Adjust feeding volumes and frequency based on your puppies' weight and body condition score.
- Ensure the diet you provide is balanced and fulfills the nutritional requirements of growing puppies.
- Keep a watchful eye on your puppies' health and behaviour and seek veterinary advice if any signs of illness or abnormality surface.
- Empower new owners with the knowledge and tools to continue monitoring their puppies' growth until adulthood using the charts.
Your Free Gateway to Optimal Puppy Health
The WALTHAM™ Puppy Growth Charts are not just an exceptional tool for promoting puppy health—they're readily accessible and free of cost. Head over to the Waltham Petcare Science Institute website to download these scientifically backed resources. This platform serves as a fountainhead of knowledge, offering a deeper understanding of the science behind the charts and the myriad advantages of using them.
And the benefits don't stop there. The website also hosts a plethora of other tools and resources designed for pet care professionals and owners, including webinars, podcasts, publications, and newsletters.
To maximize the utility of the WALTHAM™ Puppy Growth Charts, consider these practical steps:
- Download the charts corresponding to your puppies' breed and size from the website.
- Print the charts and have them within easy reach in your kennel.
- Be a catalyst in our community by sharing these charts with fellow breeders, vets, and pet care professionals.
By implementing these steps, breeders do more than just support the growth of healthy puppies—they promote a culture of responsibility and care in our community. Share this knowledge with other breeders and inspire a shared commitment to raising healthier, happier puppies. Together, we can elevate the standard of puppy care!
E
mmanuel Fontaine graduated from the Toulouse Veterinary School in 2004, he continued his studies at the Alfort Veterinary School (Paris) as trainee Vet in the domestic carnivore unit of the Reproduction Department. From 2005 to 2011, he worked at the Centre d’Etude en Reproduction des Carnivores (CERCA) [Research Centre for Reproduction in Carnivores], a unit specializing in pet breeding assistance. Emmanuel Fontaine is also qualified at the European College for Animal Reproduction (ECAR) and completed his PhD in 2012 on the use of GnRH agonists in canines. From September 2011 to September 2018, he worked as Technical Services Veterinarian for the PRO team at Royal Canada. He then was in charge of Scientific Communication for the Americas until August 2022. He now works as Senior Scientific Communications Veterinarian for Royal Canin North America.