Information on Saint Bernards / West Wind Saints

Please know and be aware that there are many puppy mills and breeders that lack the knowledge or compassion to properly care about the puppies they raise, they sell them cheap to make a buck, as a result, youend up with a pup that has health issues ( sometimes extremely severe) a lot of these puppies also have genetic problems. I, myself, once fell prey to that type of person---I was unfortunate enough years ago to buy a dog with a heart problem that only lived a few months. This was not only heartbreaking and expensive but was also a good lesson learned. As a result I have carefully started studying pedigrees and have learned what bloodlines to stay away from. I am asking anyone that purchases a puppy to not only please educate yourself about the breed of dog you choose, but choose your breeder carefully, its well worth the time and money to gain a healthy companion that will be with you for many years.

The Saint Bernard projects confidence and strength. and the Saint Bernard is a trainable breed that loves spending time with its owner. They are gentle giants and have a loving affectionate nature; Although they are large, they make a great playmate for older children, saints are very loyal, caring and docile. In most cases the saint is easily trained and extremely intelligent.    However, a Saint Bernard is not for everyone, they are cute when they are small but grow very large, sometimes the males can get up to 200 lbs.
Saint Bernards do not eat according to size because they don't expend a lot of energy but it can get expensive at the veterinarians due to the cost of medications given by weight of the dog.
There is no such thing as a "dry mouth" Saint Bernard, some do drool more than others. All drool after a drink. The drool is caused by the "flews", the hanging part of the jaw.
All breeds of dogs large and small have certain health problems that they can be prone to; some problems that can occur with saint bernards are cardiac problems, epilepsy, hip dysplasia and bloat. Some can be genetic so beware of some bloodlines, some are due to poor diet and improper exercise. Most people that want to own a big dog worry about Hip Dysplasia. New studies have shown it is more environmental than genetic. Meaning ,if you have a puppy predisposed to joint problems from parents that don't have hip screenings, it doesn't necessarily mean the pup will ever have dysplasia, while some dogs that are not predisposed to it can get it if they are not raised properly.   You only have one chance to turn a puppy into a dog, so how you raise them and what you feed them is very important.
Especially with large breeds, diet is very important to insure they grow at the proper rate, if they grow too fast you will have problems with their joints.
They must have a premium quality food, they cannot be raised on cheap bargain brand dog food. For some interesting reading about joint problems and how to prevent them ( Vitamin C )

click here --   JOINT

Even though saint bernards grow huge their digestive system is half the size of a small dog. Many brands of dog food are "open formulas" since most companies use corn, wheat, beet pulp and other products for fillers, they then don't have to add as much meat product, so they can keep the cost down, however , the reason they are called open formulas is because they can vary the amount of the ingredients, so if corn is cheaper to buy at that time then you may get more corn, or if beet pulp is cheaper then you may get more of that; it is all determined by the harvest / market price, which can vary with bad weather crops, drought, poor yield quantities, etc. More fillers only cause more poop.
Do your homework on foods, you want quality at a fair price, cheap foods are no bargain, premium foods usually have better quality ingredients and the label should have a good amount of meat, as dogs are not vegetarians. Please do not skimp on food, if you have a problem you can't turn the clock back to when the pup was a few months old and start over.
There are some foods labeled as super premium, these have an impressive ingredient label but they are usually too "rich" for a saint, watch the ratio of protein and fat; there is one food in particular that comes to mind that lists thirty three per cent protein and saints can't have that much protein it is hard on their joints.
We have raised many Saints to live long healthy lives; they can live to be 10 to 12 years with proper care.

Large breed dogs are prone to bloat because they are deep chested; bloat is an extremely dangerous problem. Bloat is a type of twisting of the stomach; When the actual torsion occurs, the esophagus is closed off, limiting the dog's ability to get any releif by vomiting or belching. Often the spleen becomes entrapped as well, and the blood supply is cut off. Then a long chain of things can happen; the end being shock and then peritonitis (poisoning of the blood). Although, bloat can be caused by many different reasons- -I have notated just a couple; Never let your dog run and play after eating. My dogs usually play then are fed, then take a nap after they eat; It can also be caused from drinking excessive amounts of water AFTER eating.
New research suggests that a certain enzyme in the body may trigger bloat; I pray that maybe bloat will not be a problem for this breed, if that proves to be true.

I have had this breed since 1980 and never had a case of bloat, until now.
Dec. 2013 We lost our beloved Daisy, because her stomach twisted, sad thing is she didn't fit the "normal" bloat conditions, she didn't gulp her food,or drink huge amounts of water, and when they did surgery , they found she did not have any food and water in her stomach; how can a large healthy girl, with an empty stomach, have it twist and kill her? Only thing we can figure is she did it to herself, she loved to roll and twist on her back, whether she was playing or sleeping; and I found her on her bed in distress so we rushed her to the vet , she only lived about 15 minutes after the surgery. Even when you try to do everything right, things still happen.

Everyone wants to show off their new puppy but remember to take things slowly. Puppies are not like an adult dog. They need vaccination's to boost their immune system to protect them from virus's. they also have immature digestive systems so they should not be fed table scraps or people foods till they get older. At birth, puppies go from being blind, deaf, helpless, and unable to control their internal thermostst, but in just a few short weeks with an experienced person's care they rapidly turn into robust healthy puppies.
Its my job to make sure when you get them at 8 weeks, to see to it that they are better prepared to face the world, physically and psychologically. I am not a vet or claim to be an expert that knows everything, my experience comes from research, learning from vets, friends, and hands on experience.

I Made a great friend from the Detroit area ; Carrie bought a Saint Bernard From me in 2007. Carrie is a teacher for autistic children and would bring her dog to class with her everyday, it became such a success that she ended up purchasing a second saint from me to follow the footsteps of her first "class helper"-- this type of therapy for the kids is great; a warm , living, breathing companion that brings joy, smiles and love to the kids on a daily basis.
Carrie is an awesome teacher and "Bo" is her helper along with her new addition "Samson"
Carrie writes;

"Hi Diana, if you talk about Bo going to school, the children are all severely autistic. Bo is great therapy for the students. He really gets them to open up, show affection, and calms them down. He is an all around awesome dog. Samson settled in very nicely. As I write, he is sleeping under my feet. He , too, follows me around everywhere. Bo doesn't seem to mind- they actually sleep side by side ( in my bed of course ! ) this afternoon when we took a nap. The kids love him and he and Bo are my soul mates. What Great dogs !!!
Thank You again--you really have some wonderful dogs.

- I always get asked about crating a puppy, you do not want to give the puppy the freedom of the house till its housebroken but you have to limit the time in the crate to short periods; no longer than the pup can hold its urine otherwise you will have messes to clean and pup will learn nothing. You want the puppy to view his crate as his "Den" and will want to sleep there; the crate should NEVER be used as a source of punishment or time away from the family.

A lot of people tend to bash breeders and say you should not buy puppies, that you should always rescue a dog. Here again, i stress, there are good breeders and bad breeders, choose carefully, I would want someone that cares about the dog not the money. Breeders are NOT responsible for the pets in shelters, ninety five per cent of the dogs in shelters come from irresponsible owners. Breeders preserve and improve the breeds we love---Breeders keep pets in your life by giving life to your pup D. ouble click to edit

Canine Distemper ----is a contagious and

serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the

respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of

puppies and dogs.

The virus can also be found in wildlife such as foxes,

wolves, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, mink and ferrets

.Puppies and dogs most often become infected

through airborne exposure (through sneezing or

coughing) to the virus from an infected dog or wild

animal. The virus can also be transmitted by shared

food and water bowls and equipment. Infected dogs

can shed the virus for months, and mother dogs can

pass the virus through the placenta to their puppies.

A series of vaccinations is administered to

puppies to increase the likelihood of building

immunity when the immune system has not

yet fully matured.

Avoid gaps in the immunization schedule and

make sure distemper vaccinations are up to

date.

Avoid contact with infected animals and

wildlife

Use caution when socializing puppies or

unvaccinated dogs at parks, puppy classes,

obedience classes, doggy day care and other

places where dogs can congregate.

Parvovirus-- is a highly contagious virus that affects all dogs, but unvaccinated dogs and puppies less than four months of age are at the most risk to contract it. The virus attacks the gastrointestinal system and creates the loss of appetite, vomiting, fever, and often severe, bloody diarrhea. Extreme dehydration can come on rapidly and kill a dog within 48-to-72 hours, so prompt veterinary attention is crucial. There is no cure, so keeping the dog hydrated and controlling the secondary symptoms can keep him going until his immune system beats the illness.

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by infection with Leptospira bacteria. These bacteria can be found worldwide in soil and water. There are many strains of Leptospira bacteria that can cause disease. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease, which means it can be spread from animals to people. Infection in people can cause flu-like symptoms and can cause liver or kidney disease. In the United States, most cases of human leptospirosis result from recreational activities involving water. Infection resulting from contact with an infected pet is much less common, but is possible.

Heartworm

When your puppy is around 12-to-16 weeks, talk to your vet

about starting her on a heartworm preventative. Though

there is no vaccine for this condition, it is preventable with

regular medication. The name is descriptive-these worms

lodge in the right side of the heart and the pulmonary

arteries (that send blood to the lungs), though they can travel

through the rest of the body and sometimes invade the liver

and kidneys. The worms can grow to 14 inches long (ick!)

and, if clumped together, block and injure organs. A new

infection often causes no symptoms, though dogs in later

stages of the disease may cough, become lethargic, lose their

appetite or have difficulty breathing. Infected dogs may tire

after mild exercise. Unlike most of the diseases listed here,

which are passed by urine, feces, and other body fluids,

heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes. Therefore,

diagnosis is made via a blood test and not a fecal exam. lick

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Kennel Cough

Also known as infectious

tracheobronchitis, kennel

cough results from

inflammation of the upper

airways. It can be caused by

bacterial, viral, or other

infections, such as Bordetella

and canine parainfluenza, and

often involves multiple

infections simultaneously.

Usually, the disease is mild,

causing bouts of harsh, dry

coughing; sometimes it’s

severe enough to spur

retching and gagging, along

with a loss of appetite. In

rare cases it can be deadly. It

is easily spread between dogs