Date: Sun, 22 July 2001 13:57:19 +0200
Of: Gerald support)
On: ruth.reheuser@t online.de

Dear Mrs. Reheuser,
To your question concerning our first contact with Do Khyi: We were 1990 in a monastery in Nepal and there had the monks 2 DO Khyi, a brown and a black. Much imposant associate, but did not appear them us not complicated only reverence ordering. As it in the west one describes, that dog would have one the strange visitors to only present to etc. I these dogs did not experience. No humans presented us, were we approx. 27 students from all world, went around 10 days long on the monastery area, ran by several times daily the dogs the small stairs to the monastery library. Never sign of stranger hostileness showed.
Further I believe that those owner mostly know perhaps too little about the eating habits of the Tibetan people. To get the fact that meat is to be found only very much, very rare, meant probably for the dogs a meal based on barley flour. Or perhaps groats of the same. Then still butter is available.Did you ate already times Tsampa the Tibetan main court? It tastes fine, appears to us first strangely however roasted barley flour with buttertea and also times a few dried fruits and seasonally vegetables is staple-food of the Tibetan people. Whereby in the high country the life is naturally more meager and in the regions lain more deeply variety at fruit and vegetable can come to it. But with flour and butter the caravan pulls.

Correct feeding - the half health?

... the Do Khyi and its nutrition 

in order to understand as Europeans the simple rules of correct feeding
of the Do Khyi, one should have knowledge of the food in Tibet.

It is so simple!

Barley

Still mainly in Tibet as grain the fast maturing barley is cultivated (120 days), here a special high land barley which at values of 3700 m (!) prospers, in very favorable situations also rice, peas and different leguminous plants.
The barley covers 40 % of the carbohydrate supply in the population nevertheless.
The barley is made by means of to roast in hot sand, germ-unable and leaves themselves in such a way make durable for a very long time. The roasted final product is designated as Tsampa and consists of the whole grain including the surrounding covering. To Europeans the benefit of Tsampa is not recommended, after despite sifting the sand out nevertheless rough sand parts and small little quarry pieces remain in it, it is one would like a complete dentures reorganization to risk.

The high land barley is the protein-poorest grain places, contains not adhesive and cannot be converted thus to bread, is however much mineral material and rich in vitamins.
The Tsampa, by the each Tibetan a pouch fully with itself leads grindet and stirred into soups, Yoghurt however into buttertea in a lump is usually eaten. This happens predominantly with the fingers (agitate and eat).

Milk and milk products

A majority of the Tibetan high country is rough, unfruitable grass country, grass-quilts. Here e.g. in the Changtang or also Amdo humans live as nomads and pull with their cattle, the Tibetan goats, sheep and over 3000 m., the Yaks over the grass country. The Do Khyi is the dog of the nomadic hirten.
Primarily humans of milk products live such as yoghurt, cheese and the most important component of the milk, the butter.

A Yakcow gives straight 2 Ltr. milk on the day, which is a little similar however in its condition of the cow's milk in our degrees of latitude. The milk of the Yak is extremely fat content (up to 65% fat). Similarly to that also the fat content of sheep and goat milk, the milk production behaves is just as small however very fat content. The protein content (milk protein) is lower.
The butter of the Yakmilk becomes related burning the butter lamps, the skin care and for the buttertea of the Tibetans.
Without the high fat content in the nutrition surviving would not be possible in this rough climate.

Buttertea

The Tibetan people prefers the brick tea made of China, prefers these due to its strong taste to the Indian one. Contained very many mineral materials and also vitamine, with the tea sheets long time is cooked for this fermented tea and shifted with the greasy Yakbutter. Generally a boiler is to be found fully butter tea, this becomes with salt and soda in each tent or house. The taste reminds of cream soup (if the Yakbutter is not rancid). Buttertea contains all for the human nutrition substantial mineral materials and vitamine, together with Tsampa is it a staple food.

Meat

Despite the nomadic way of life meat is not a main part in the nutrition. The faithful Tibetan will not slaughter an animal, in addition he needs around-pulling Mohammedans. Usually only one mark is slaughtered in the year to a high holiday.
The meat is cut dried predominantly in strips and kept grindet if necessary.

The nutrition of the DO Khyi and dogs

Due to the nutrition of humans described above it becomes clearly evident that the dog is generally very protein-poor nourished with the Tibetans - like evenly humans also (Hans Foerst speaks rightfully with the human nutrition of one `Diaet`).
The dog is fed straight with the nomads well and receives Tsampa with sheep or goat milk.
This means little protein, good fat and mineral material content, as well as all necessary vitamines. This means however at the same time a high ballast material content by the admixture of grain bowls and sand.

Meat is in the nutrition of the dogs a secondary matter, if these cannot do itself such by the catch of insects or mice grab themselves. The unique meat waste gifts at battle days in the year play a supporting part.

Tibetan nutrition of the dogs convert on Europe

Traditionally our dogs in the west were nourished until before approx. 100 years likewise with little meat, for it however the more from " kitchen wastes ". The European nourished himself however always already more protein-rich than a Tibetan.
The protein portion in our nutrition rose in the today's time extremely, that during our dog nutrition also!

A Do Khyi will not in the long term stand this nutrition with up to 65% raw protein (damp fodder), its entire metabolism is to the nutrition with little protein however high in vitamines and mineral material content, with very high portion of ballast materials adapted.
In this way a quite substantial dog can develop despite such " meager Diaet ".
It applies to avoid thus high protein contents with finished fodder as also even prepared. This already with the puppy and growing up dog. Milk products are only in the " sour " preparation as yogurt, if necessary. To recommend cheese or quark, this however nevertheless moderately, after the milk protein content of the cow's milk is substantially higher

A good manufacture skirt fodder with maximally 23% raw protein, as well as a high portion of essential fatty acids and ballast materials is recommended this already with the raising of puppy. Do Khyi love alternation and are pleased quite over prepared fodder in the special from barley pellet and buckwheat with small portions of meat. Thistle or olive oil should not be missing here. To recommend would be still for this the gift of oats or wheat bran.

Consequences of error feeding

In particular the too protein contents nutrition from " puppy/young dog finished fodder Large Breed " in connection with high vitamin E and calcium content provides for a too rapidly growing skeleton, with which the young Do Khyi gets joint problems and thus pain when running.

Likewise the digesting system cannot the protein materials correctly diminish and it form " fermentation arrears " in the intestine, which damage the entire digesting system in the long term irreparably, equally suffers oneself the metabolism, in particular the organs taken part in the digesting system such as liver and kidney, as well as the skin under it.
The Do Khyi becomes thus ill and surely not particularly old thereby! It is  nourished rather simply to be nourished a Do Khyi correctly. After it is a very good fodder-worth might thus the gift one particularly on it cut fodder, which the breeder does  recommend in the long term probably also not to expensive its.

Ruth Reheuser 07/2001
Source of picture: Mustang the mysterious Kingdom of, Mira publishing house

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