[mah4angel]

Do you think Dr. Harvey’s would be the best of both worlds as far as supplementation? It has both vitamins and super foods, whereas as the Young Again has more vitamins and the Daily Greens has more super foods.
Because I’ll be adding green tripe into his diet (within the next week, hopefully), it seems that he won’t really need the added probiotics, enzymes, or fiber that the Young Again product offers.
The Daily Greens is essentially what I was looking for but now I’m wondering if that’ll all be enough or if I would also need to add a multivitamin or something. AH idk 🙁

[pugmomsandy]

Here is a raw food supplement. Comes with calcium or without.

http://youngagainpetfood.com/10browse.asp?category=raws&ProductCode=92220

And I use this green product sometimes:

Natural Dog Supplements & Vitamins

and also Dr. Harvey’s http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Dr-Harveys-MultiVitamin-Mineral-Herbal-Supplement/269030.aspx

Stevia being plant derived would be ok in moderation of course, just like using honey.

[Shihtzumom20]

Hi Hound Dog Mom,
Thanks for replying! The ingredients for the Green’s Multi are:

Ingredients per serving (16.9g): Medicinal Ingredients – Vitamin A (palmitate), Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, ascorbates), Vitamin B1 (thiamine mononitrate), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (niacinamide), Vitamin D (cholecalciferol), Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopheryl acetate), Vitamin B5 (d-pantothenic acid), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamine), Folic acid, Biotin, Calcium (citrate), Magnesium (citrate), Zinc (proteinate), Chromium (proteinate), Selenium (proteinate), Manganese (proteinate), Iodine (proteinate), Vanadium (HVP chelate), Molybdenum (proteinate), Lipotropic factor – Inositol. Also contains naturally occurring – Beta Carotene, Iron, Choline. In a base of greens+ – Natural fresh fruit flavour blend with stevia, Phosphatide complex (26% phosphatidyl choline from 97% oil-free lecithin), Organic alfalfa, barley, wheat grass & red beet powders, Spirulina, Apple pectin, Japanese Chlorella (cracked cell), Organic soy sprouts, Organic whole brown rice powder, Seven non-dary bacterial cultures containing Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria (2.5 billion per serving) in a special base of fructo-oligosaccharides, Malic acid, Royal jelly (5% 10-HDA), Bee pollen, Licorice root extract standardized to 10% glycyrrhizin, Acerola berry juice powder, Siberian ginseng extract standardized to 0.8% eleutherosides, Milk thistle extract standardized to 80% silymarin, Citric acid, Organic Nova Scotia dulse powder, Ginkgo biloba extract standardized to 24% ginkgo flavonglycosides and 6% terpene lactones, Japanese green tea extract standardized to 90% polyphenols, European bilberry extract standardized to 25% anthocyanidins, Full spectrum grape extract standardized to 95% procyanidolic value and 500ppm Resveratrol

Would this be ok? If so how much would he get? If not is there a multi-vitamin you would recommend? Or could I make up your whole food supplement and that would provide all he needs?
Could I use the glandular supplement as well? How often would he get that? I still will try with the veggies for sure, maybe “hidden” in raw meat he will gobble them down!
Thanks for your help!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi mah4angel –

I use capsules and poke a hole using a thumbtack and squirt on the food. It’s generally recommended to give enough fish oil to provide 400 – 600 mg. combined EPA and DHA per 20 lbs. of body weight (most fish oil capsules have around 300 mg. per capsule).

If you plan on feeding fruits and vegetables and you’re feeding RMB’s, a fiber supplement shouldn’t be necessary. I’d also say probiotics and enzymes aren’t necessary if you’re feeding raw green tripe regularly.

For vegetables, just pick some out at the grocery store (no onions!) cook and puree them. I give my dogs about 1/2 C. per day (they’re both around 70 lbs.). Good green “super food” supplements include: kelp, alfalfa, spirulina, chlorella, wheat grass, etc. etc. I make a homemade super food supplement mixing equal parts kelp, alfalfa, wheat grass, spirulina and bee pollen (I switch up the ingredients occasionally). I give my girls 2 tsp. each – I’d say around 1/2 tsp. per 15 – 20 lbs. would be a good dose.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi shihtzumom –

Unfortunately I can’t seem to find an ingredient list for the “Greens Multi.” Some human multi’s (especiall those with added whole foods) can contain herbs or fruits/vegetables that are unsafe for dogs so it’s important to know that all the ingredients are safe prior to feeding.

I use both the glandular and fruit complex – they add an extra immune system “boost” but would not take the place of a multivitamin.

You can use sardines or krill oil. If you’re using krill oil give enough to provide about 400 – 600 mg. combines EPA and DHA per day per 20 lbs. body weight. If you’re feeding sardines give 1/4 can per 5 lbs., 1/2 can per 15 lbs. or 5/8 can per 25 lbs. per week.

I feel that vegetables provide important antioxidant benefits, however if your dog won’t eat them they aren’t essential. I would however be sure to add a green superfood supplements (kelp, alfalfa, spirulina, chlorella, wheat grass, etc.). Depending on whether or not you’re feeding bone, you may also need to add some supplemental fiber (such as psyllium) if you aren’t feeding any vegetables.

[mah4angel]

I also had questions about supplementation with vegetables and with fish oil!
Costco has Wild Alaskan Salmon oil pills (not in the pump like they have at Pet Smart), would these be okay? Coated or uncoated? Do I poke a hole in them and squeeze out the oil? How many mg’s of omega-3’s and 6’s does he need (what should I look for on the label as far as levels are concerned with a supplement like this)?
I also found some Herbacil Artichoke Dietary Supplement at Target, it’s in a little bottle/vile thingy in liquid form, I guess, and it contains artichoke, grapefruit, fennel, prickly pear, apple cider vinegar, and L-Carnitine. What fruit/vegetable supplements would you guys recommend? I just sort of didn’t feel right about the Herbacil (idk, I guess I was looking for something with more superfoods?), and it was a little pricey. I also had no idea how much I should be adding to his food. Maybe a powdered supplement would be better?

Right now, here’s what I’m doing for Louie:
1/2 cup raw whole chicken grind
1/2 tablespoon of golden flax (for fiber and a little extra omega-3’s and 6’s)
1/2 tablespoon of low fat plain yogurt (enzymes/probiotics)
1/2 cup of Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural (I’ve kept this in so far because I have yet to figure out my supplementation and this formula has omega-3 sources (fish) very high up on the ingredient list as well as fruits and vegetables… Also, it wasn’t cheap to buy and I still have quite a bit left)

I’m hoping to get here:
1/2 cup raw whole grind (alternating between chicken, beef, pork, etc.)
1/2 cup XKALIBER green tripe grind (greentripe.com)
Some sort of fruit/vegetable supplement (for antioxidants and vitamins)
Some sort of omega-3 supplement (fish oil, whole fish, etc.)
RMB’s: I was giving him pork necks (which were GREAT, he LOVED them!!) but then my mother-in-law cooked them -___________- So now I’ll have to go out and somehow find pork necks for him and freeze them for 3 weeks before I can start giving them to him again, or find some chicken necks or something comparable for his size (he’s a little silky; 10 pounds)
I believe everyone said that I wouldn’t need to add any fiber, enzymes or probiotics because of the green tripe, but I’d like to be sure. Also, any fruit/vegetable supplement should contain fiber, anyway.

Your advice, as always, is much appreciated!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by mah4angel.

[Hound Dog Mom]

What? I’m not familiar with either of these Facebook groups (I actually don’t have a Facebook) but I can’t understand why someone wouldn’t be in support of natural supplements for an elderly dog with arthritis? Many glucosamine and chondroitin supplements are actually animal-derived (usually shellfish, shark or bovine or chicken cartilage). There are also many “animal” based supplements such as green lipped mussel, sea cucumber and velvet antler that have been proven effective. I still don’t, however, see why any one would be opposed to a plant-derived supplement either. It’s true that raw diets are high in naturally occurring GAG’s but some dogs with orthopedic issues need more than that and anti-inflammatories can help a lot in many cases.

[DieselJunki]

Sorry I had to rant. I just get sick of it sometimes. Did I mention that after my post was deleted that one of the moderators mentioned Dog Gone Pain that has the exact same anti-inflammatory supplements I had mentioned! Good Lord!!!!!!!!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by DieselJunki.

[KarenC]

It was Deana. She’s fine now. Cut her back to 1/2 a tablespoon and that fixed it. Everyone is doing wonderfully! I’m not usually the type to buy into the “cure-all” hype, but my 9 year old, who has had arthritis since he came to me at 2 (old injury) is running and hopping like a pup. Everyone’s poo is NORMAL! I have one that I’ve battled runny poo off and on forever (and we’ve exhausted all medical reasons). Never diarrhea, never solid–regardless of food, eliminated foods, medicines, supplements, etc.

Good luck on that treadmill. A trainer friend of mine (she rehabs former fighting pitties, actually) relies heavily on her treadmill and swears by it. Never can get any of mine to use it. Well, Grammer does. He rides it like a carnival ride. Run run run WHEEE! Fling off the end into the side of the couch. Run Run Run WHEEEE!

[Mom2Vader]

My beautiful Standard Schnauzer Vader was recently diagnosed with Lymphangiectasia, a form of IBD. The vet says that he needs a low fat diet of about 3%. I’ve never heard of such a low fat amount and it certainly goes against my somewhat limited knowledge of biology that the brain has to have fat to function.

Vader couldn’t keep down any amount of Wellness Core kibble so I decided to give him my vet’s prescription of canned Science Diet i/d and lowfat. It wasn’t my first choice, but he was still losing weight, so I give him that and supplement with cooked chicken breast, defatted chicken stock, and some sweet potato. He’s since gained most of the weight he lost but I’m not sure whether that was the Science Diet or if it was the chicken stock, chicken, and sweet potatoes that did the trick.

Now that I have Vader stabilized, I’m looking at long term diet changes. I’ve had my dogs on 4 different kibbles in the last 10 years and every one has failed me after 2-4 years. All of the canned food on DFA contain carrageenan or tomato or guar gum or even flaxseed (they get rancid pretty fast so I’m not convinced that it’s such a good thing). So now I’m down to cooking for my dogs or going raw. Raw seems a little high in fat for Vader so I’m wondering what I can do to lower the fat intake for Vader and still have high enough for my other dog.

I’m waiting on a few books to get here next week but I thought maybe someone on here could offer advice from personal experience.

[Hound Dog Mom]

If you’re looking for quality/budget friendly supplements I’d highly recommend checking out Swanson’s. I started ordering all my supplements and my dog’s supplements there. They have a wonderful selection and the prices are unbelievable. I’ve been able to cut my costs for my dogs’ meals (I feed homemade raw) by so much – paying top dollar for supplements really adds up.

[dogmom2]

I hear you about the cost of the supplements. I bought a small jar of coconut oil at the local coop just to see if I liked it. Fortunately Costco carries a giant tub of organic extra virgin for 20$ so we will be getting it there in the future.

[Mom2Cavs]

HDM….Wholistic Pet is of my favorite supplements, too. I used to use their Joint Health for my Shih-Poo, Desi, who had both rear luxating patellas. I also swear by Springtime, Inc.’s Joint Health chews. He never had to have surgery, though he died younger than he should’ve from other things 🙁

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I’ve used Wholistic Pet Organics products in the past – as far as pet supplements go, I think they’re about as high quality as it gets. They’re very pricey though, you could get a human product for much cheaper.

[SandyandMila]

Good to know, thanks. I found this at a pet store, is this ok? http://www.thewholisticpet.com/products/canine-product-line/health-care-supplements/wholistic-bee-powertm.html

[Hound Dog Mom]

Quercetin is a flavonoid. You can’t really overdose on flavonoids, excess flavonoids are just excreted in the urine. I would say the only risk with “overdosing” would be with green tea derived flavonoids which could get excessively high in caffeine (but this wouldn’t be what’s present in a supplement intended for dogs). I’m sure she’s already getting what she needs, as far as flavonoids, if they’re present in her C-Complex though so it wouldn’t really be necessary to add more.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi SanDnMila –

Bee Pollen is great! I frequently include it in my homemade whole food supplement blends for the dogs and take it myself. 🙂

Bee Pollen comes in granular and powder forms. You can also buy capsules. I currently have Honey Bunny Organic powdered bee pollen in my dog’s supplement mix (all my other ingredients are powdered so I find the powder easier to incorporate than the granular). I’ve also used Y.S. Eco Bee Farm and Springtime Inc’s C-Complex supplement (bee pollen base with vitamin c, bioflavanoids, hesperidin, rutin and carrot powder). If you purchase a supplement intended for dogs there should be dosing instructions on package, if you go with a human supplement cut the recommended dose in half.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Hound Dog Mom]

That’s wonderful that you’re considering starting half raw – you may very well find he isn’t as sensitive to certain ingredients when they’re served raw. The enzymes are great, in addition to enzymes (if you aren’t already) you may want to consider supplementing with a high quality, multi-strain probiotic supplement. Probiotics help to strengthen the gut and, ultimately, the immune system and there’s some evidence suggesting that they can help with food intolerances.

[Boerboel Daddy]

Hi

I’m not sure if you have answered a similar question before as i haven’t read through the entire thread.. but here it goes

I have a 2,5 yr old Boerboel ( South African Breed similar to a English Mastiff) who has just mated a week ago. I am currently feeding Eathborn Primitive natural (2.4% Calcium). I will natural feed the pups one of the other Eathborn Foods you have already recommended due to the lower calcium content… (thanks for that info by the way)
.Other articles I’ve read warned against feeding too high levels of calcium to pregnant dogs and recommend switching to a puppy food of a quality dog food. (it had something to do with the contraction of the Uterus)

Finally the Question…: can I keep her on Earthborn Primitive natural (2.4% calcium) or should I switch to another Earthborn product (1.2 – 1.3% calcium) until after she has given birth and continue with primitive natural then?
also if I give her a calcium ascorbate supplement, does this affect the amount of calcium in the diet?

Any advice give will be appreciated, My girl Jordan and I thank you in advance

[Mom2Cavs]

somebodysme….just an fyi, the Instinct LID foods have coconut oil included in their formulas. I’m using the Turkey, but have a small bag of the Duck and the Lamb to rotate with later. Laverne is doing well, but I think she really needs more fiber (those dreaded anal glands) so I’m adding it in. I have several different kinds…Metamucil Clear and Natural, THK’s Perfect Form, some Fruitable’s pumpkin and a supplement called Glandex that has quercetin in it. I’ve been using either the Glandex or Perfect Form. Too early to tell if it’s gonna help. The dogs have only been on the food goin on 2 weeks. They love it! If adding fiber is all I have to do, then fine lol. I have also been adding canned foods and trying to stick to Turkey as the protein atm. I haven’t added in any omegas as of yet.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[theBCnut]

I’m not HDM, but yes, the chicken formula has too much calcium. You should consider changing to the LID Turkey or the Rabbit. Don’t bother with the Raw Boost, there isn’t enough of it in there to matter.

There are a number of reasons the stools could be runny. First, get a fresh sample to the vet to rule out parasites. Then consider adding a digestive supplement that has both probiotics and enzymes in it to his meals. You probably won’t have to add it long term, but some people do.

[GizmoMom]

Anyone heard of this brand? http://www.tuckersraw.com/

Saw them at my local pet supply store and bought a bag of pork-bison-pumpkin. I’ve been searching for reviews and haven’t found any on the site.

What do you think of the ingredients?
Muscle Meat from Pork Chops and Pork Ribs, Bison Heart, Pumpkin, Marrow and Bone, Balanced Vitamin Premix formulated to AAFCO Standards (Taurine, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement)

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min): 13%
Crude Fat (min): 8%
Crude Fiber (max):2%
Moisture (max): 65%

[Shihtzumom20]

Hello again, I have been on the site many times since my last post and was hoping to get some more help again. Since my last post I took Dawson off Big Country Raw, I wasnt impressed with there customer service, most of the time my questions were brushed off and when I would place my order they seemed annoyed. Plus I found some things in the dinners I was not impressed with. So shortly after Dawson had a “sickness” episode (he was no longer on BCR) he vomited like 20 times before noon, and it was just bile. He was extremely lethargic and wouldnt eat or drink anything, but his bloodwork was relatively normal and in 2 days he was starting to be back to himself. He started drinking water on the 3rd day then the next day his appetite was back.Im fairly certain it was the freshpet he was eating that made him sick. After that episode I was afraid to start him back on raw, so I ordered in some ziwipeak air dried which he absolutely LOVES! Then once he was feeling better, i fed him ziwipeak in them am and then canned in the pm, I wanted to give him a meal with moisture in it like his raw meals. I switched his canned out for Grandma Lucy’s Artisan which he likes, and I like some things about it but its not ideal.
he has been doing well on that, but there is an Irish Wolfhound breeder at school who feeds her (very large,lol) gang raw. When we went to visit her and her wolfhound she had at school (who Dawson loved, I guess he likes the Big Girls, lol) she gave Dawson a tripe and veggie mixture to take home and try. Well He loves that and his tummy has seemed to be ok on it, which is what I had been worried about, so I was thinking about starting him back on raw, but im still nervous. I was also thinking of continuing his ziwipeak in the am, and trying the orijen freeze dried for his pm meal, but I was wondering if that would be too much fat for him to handle? He walks 2x a day, but I worry about inducing pancreatitis in him. Plus I like that the meats are free-range, antibiotic, hormone free. For raw the best I could probably do for a while would be grocery store as I cant seem to find organic free-range around here. At least until I can find a good source of meat… I really want free-range, antibiotic free meats for his tiny body, unless its ok for him to have typical “store bought” meats? If you think raw is still the best option I would like to prepare it myself this time around.
Sorry for the extremely long post, you guys are such a wealth of knowledge and the vets at school are very pro-Hills, Iams types. I really do like ziwipeak and so does Dawson, but I also want to feed him a meal with moisture in it as I think thats important too. Any input would be greatly appreciated! If you think is current diet is really decent, or if the ziwipeak, orijen freeze dried would be excellent for him, or if raw still would be the best (perhaps for his pm meal) even with store bought meats. And if you think of anything else that might help him after hissickness`supplements, tips etc. Thanks in advance, and hope you are all enjoying the long weekend!

[GSDsForever]

Just adding — Fromm has never had a recall, 100 yrs family owned. Prices as low as about $1/lb for their classic adult formula.

Plain high quality natural yogurt should help w/gas (or any diarrhea ever); mine has several live active cultures. My organic raw greens supplement contains digestive enzymes & pro/prebiotcs and so does the food I feed, which I’d think most superpremiums *should* (but check to be sure). Does the Halo not?

Any idea what’s causing the issue in the Halo??

I feed and recommend Timberwolf — you could try either the moderate protein Classics line or the higher protein Platinum line. I recommend rotating among their formulas, which are all excellent. All are very highly digestible, more than most foods, which should also help avoid gas. I order directly from their website.

[theBCnut]

For going all raw a lot of places suggest fasting and switching cold turkey. I still feed some kibble due to the rest of the family being squeamish, so I started by using raw as a topper for kibble, then increasing the amount.

As far as supplements go, if you are feeding whole prey, head and all, everything your dog needs should be in there. Any part that is missing takes away some necessary nutrients. Even then, due to pollution and environmental factors, I still want my dog to get extra antioxidants.

[gmcbogger38]

Thanks for the advice! It is just that some raw feeders feed raw with a whole lot of supplements, some feed with less supplements and then others say no to supplements. I guess I just want to make sure I don’t over do it or under do it. I know I am probably over analyzing this, but I know that raw fed incorrectly can be detrimental to a dogs health. But since my dogs are still eating mostly kibble, should I just switch one meal per day with raw and then after a week or so switch all to raw? Or just fast one night and then start raw cold turkey?

[Rthomson]

My proud Llewellin setter is 13 and having significant dry itchy smelly skin issues. I have Dinovite and their fish oil supplement in route. I’m looking for an excellent dry dog food recommendation to pair with it so my boy can enjoy his golden years! Any advice is greatly appreciated. My Vet just wants to sell me Hills Science Diet (which has less than stellar ratings on your site)

[gmcbogger38]

I talked with a co-worker of mine this morning and have decided not to go with the premixes. I found a local butcher that can order meat in bulk and it is not very expensive. He told me to feed 80% muscle, 10% bone and 10% organ. Is this a correct ratio? It’s not that I don’t believe him, but I thought I read somewhere else online to feed only 5% organ meat. Would a whole chicken (neck and insides included), a turkey neck and a whole fish be considered one single meal for a 115 pound dog? I have 2 other dogs, 60 pounds and 20 pounds, so I know I can just figure out the amounts to feed them based on how much I feed my 115 pound dog. I just don’t know how to formulate a meal. I know how much, in pounds, to feed based on the 2-3% of body weight and I know it is beneficial to fast them one day per week. I just don’t know how to plan the meals out right now and that is what is worrying me. Would I even need fish oil if I feed fresh frozen fish 2-3 times per week? Would I even need any other supplements or will the diet cover that?

[pugmomsandy]

Actually I would purchase one in an amount that could be used up in 3 months because they can become “old” with exposure to oxygen and light. My bottle of Nature’s Logic sardine oil suggests that. You would need to look at the dosages for the glucosamine and chondroitin per serving of oil to compare it to some other plain supplements and see if there would be enough. You can also alternate types of fish oils instead of using just one type. Right now I’m using krill and sardine oils.

[theBCnut]

Omega 3s are the one thing that I would definitely add to all of those. Even when a food has enough added in, they are very fragile and degrade easily and quickly.

I also add some kind of algae/seaweed for micronutrients and I like to add some kind of berry or other high antioxidant food. Sometimes I just get a human superfood supplement that has a number of those thing in it.

[gmcbogger38]

Thanks again!

[Care4Kooper]

Can anyone offer suggestions/experience/advice if vitamin or other supplements are necessary to add to a raw diet and mixed 5 star wet and 5 star kibble for a Vizsla puppy. This will be my 3rd Vizsla – want to start off doing things as best as I can this time now that I have learned more information (scared about what I didn’t know before – its no wonder the first two died of cancer). I’m all for preparing most of the raw diet recipes I’ve seen and then interchanging with some of the higher end 5 star wet and dry mixes but I don’t want to overlook any nutritional supplements that may be inadvertently left out – especially at the puppy phase.

[theBCnut]

Base it on a 100 lbs adult being a full dose. So a 50 lbs dog would be a half dose, and a 25 lbs dog would be a quarter dose.

[gmcbogger38]

I know this is old, but I have a question. How do you know how to dose human supplements for dogs?

[pugmomsandy]

If you get a big container and can’t use it up in several days then yes you can freeze but I’ve ony seen small containers of sardines and they’re gone in 2 seconds! I mix a couple sardines into their raw food when i make it with chicken and duck. You don’t need supplementation when you feed fish.

[SandyandMila]

Awesome, thanks! If I use sardines as a topper can I freeze the leftovers? Would I still need to supplement with krill if she has sardines with her meal? Mila’s only had primal freeze dried turkey and sardines. Does sardines go well with other proteins other than turkey?

[gmcbogger38]

Hey guys, sorry, I have some more questions regarding raw. I work at an upscale pet boutique and we sell commercial raw diets. I was given expired Nature’s Variety frozen raw for free because we obviously cannot sell that to the public. It expired in October of 2012. I was told it would be fine to feed because it has been frozen the entire time, but I’m a little uneasy to feed it. What opinions do y’all have about this? Also, if I decide to use a premix for raw instead of kibble will I need to add any supplements or will the premix have that covered (I’m assuming it will)? I like what I read about Nupro and wouldn’t mind using that as a supplement if needed. I will be adding probiotics and digestive enzymes. Do y’all recommend feeding fresh meats from the store or commercial raw to add to the premix? If I feed fresh from the store do I need to freeze for a few days to kill off any parasites? I’m just paranoid I’m going to screw something up, but I’m honestly tired of feeding kibble because no matter what the quality is it just doesn’t seem good enough for me.

[pugmomsandy]

I give it 3 or 4 times a week all year. But if you don’t want to do it all the time, I’d definitely recc’ at least for a week after heartworm/flea/tick meds. Some folks give milk thistle for a week after heartworm meds to detox the liver. I give supplements all the time because we live in a polluted world! Just going on walks can be somewhat toxic! Who knows what’s in other people’s yards or the dog park. Even eating kibble can be taxing on the body and certain body organs.

Her history of being on many abx suggests she needs some sort of booster as abx kill off the good and bad organisms in the gut where the immune system is. Do you give probiotics regularly? Those help seed the gut with beneficial organisms and boost the immune system.

Demodex can take a long to recover from too. Can take months even with negative scrapes. My pup was a funny looking alien for almost a year. Had demodex, hair came back, demodex again, finally got over it. This was without any kind of booster since I didn’t know about them back then.

Since giving them boosters they don’t get sick even when my fosters come in with kennel cough or other skin infection and even sarcoptic mange. And they do mingle together when it’s p/p time.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[pugmomsandy]

Those sound good. I also give astaxanthin and a supplement with Transfer Factor (currently Immunel with Transfer Factor from Swansonvitamins.com).

You also don’t want to give her or at least space them out for longer intervals (45 days) heartworm prevention and flea/tick meds because those are pesticides and add to her toxic load. Also don’t walk her in or let her play in areas that have been sprayed with pesticides. Also use a non toxic shampoo. I think good examples are Earthbath and Green Bulldog and I’m sure there are several more.

[somebodysme]

Long story short…my dog’s paws became infected after an allergic reaction to road salt over the winter. I tried everything to heal them up but ended up having to get a shot of anti-biotics and then a round of pills. Before that she had also been on antibiotics for UTI and demodex. So she’s been on lots of antibiotics and she’s only 15 months old. Her feet are healing up but there’s still a bit of dry scaly spots on them….I do not want to see them blossom back out into infection and swelling. UGH!

She also has some sort of allergies causing itching, red ears and watering eyes. She was tested for demodex but three scrapings came back negative.

My question after the brief history of her is: What supplements can I give her to help boost her immune system to counteract all the negativity of those antibiotics in her system. I’m giving her echinacea, vitamin C, B complex, A, E and cod liver oil. Also a human grade probiotic. Good? Bad? She is now on NV LID Turkey for her diet. A small amount of canned to give the pills with.

[rogerharris]

you may try all sort of supplements for stopping it. But just an additional one elemental supplement with “Zinc” is all you need to make all you anti watery stool to be in action. These are actually quiet good in maintaining turgidity of cells and avoid excessive water loss.

[Cyndi]

Hi mah4angel!

I don’t really follow any “recipes”, I kind of make it up as I go along. I’m still in the “adding new things” phase. I posted what I was feeding, at the time, a few weeks ago, in the other thread just to get HDM’s opinion on if I was doing ok. What I was feeding then, has since changed a bit because I’ve added a few more things to Bailey’s diet.

Right now, I mix up ground beef, beef organ grind & ground green tripe and I give her about 1/2lb of that in the morning along with either a cage free egg or a pouch of sardines (I do one or the other every other day) & Dr. Harvey’s Multi Vitamin Mineral & Herbal Dog Supplement , and a half of a one a day vitamin, some coconut oil and a spoonful of yogurt. I just started giving her ground whole prey rabbit, so I’ve been doing that every other morning instead of the beef, organ, tripe grind.
For dinner she gets either a half of a turkey neck or a chicken back & a chicken foot and either chicken or turkey livers, chicken gizzards and chicken hearts. I usually rotate the livers and gizzards and heart and do 2 of the 3 every day. I also fast her Sunday evenings.
I get all my grinds and the heart and livers from Hare Today. I still have yet to find a really cheap place to get things, but I’m not spending all that much. I have a local butcher that I get my turkey necks and chicken gizzards from.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by Cyndi.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi EHubbam –

Glad he’s enjoying his food with the canned!

Raw can be done cheaply or it can be done very expensively. I’ve gotten VERY savvy at cutting costs over the years and am now feeding all three of my hounds for ~$350 per month (not too shabby when you consider I’m going through around 200 lbs. of meat a month + fruits/veggies and other extras like eggs and kefir + supplements). Homemade is MUCH cheaper – I get all my meat from a wholesale supplier that supplies local restaurants and grocery stores (truck come right to my house, I order ~300 lbs. per shipment) and I order my supplements from Swanson’s (low cost human supplements).

[paige-s]

The food i would Suggest eliminates Chicken, Potato and ANY grain altogether.. its called Canine Caviar. it has venison, duck, or herring available for the grain free diets. its very similar to a raw diet but in kibble form (dehydrated raw pretty much).

this food has prebiotics and probiotics in the food so its Fantastic for allergy prone dogs, it also has Kelp which is good for fighting off any pollutants as well.

I would HIGHLY recommend this food since you would not have to add any supplements to the food at all. look the food up, its extremely limited in the ingredients and you will understand what each ingredient is which is always a benefit.
this food will help with dogs who throw up a lot, i work in a global pet foods in Ontario and ive seen this food do fantastic things for dogs with the exact same symptoms. i hope this helps.

[paige-s]

The food i would Suggest eliminates Chicken, Potato and ANY grain altogether.. its called Canine Caviar. it has venison, duck, or herring available for the grain free diets. its very similar to a raw diet but in kibble form (dehydrated raw pretty much).

this food has prebiotics and probiotics in the food so its Fantastic for allergy prone dogs, it also has Kelp which is good for fighting off any pollutants as well.

I would HIGHLY recommend this food since you would not have to add any supplements to the food at all. look the food up, its extremely limited in the ingredients and you will understand what each ingredient is which is always a benefit.

[pugmomsandy]

You can do an elimination diet. Try a single protein and single carb for 2 weeks and check for reactions. Example fish and sweet potato. Or fish and quinoa (gluten free). Be sure no treats are given unless it’s the single protein or carb. You can add in a vit/mineral supplement later as a dog can have a reaction to any ingredient including supplements and you wouldn’t know if it was the food or supplement.

You can google more on elimination diets as there are probably some variations.

[crazy4cats]

I have had the same problem with my pups with the intermittent loose stools. Recently, I made my own fruitable concoction. I mixed pure pumpkin with a little organic no sugar added applesauce and then added Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form herbal supplement to it. Mixed it all up and add a heaping table spoon to each of their meals. It has made a huge difference in their stools. They still are a little loose when out on a walk though. Like I read from another poster recently on a different thread, it can be very embarrassing and hard to clean up with one of those doggie bags. Yuck! I’m wondering if its ok to keep adding to their food for long term? Any opinions? I did buy some DE the other day and plan to incorporate into their food. Just a little nervous about it. I had never heard of it before. Of course, I had never fed pumpkin or raw bones before I started checking out this website either. Lol!

[crazy4cats]

I found that there is a lot of good information and recommendations about supplements including probiotics on dogaware dot com.

[NectarMom]

What about supplementing with krill oil or some type of oil, maybe my dogs need more omega 3 and 6 in their diets. Which oil would be best and how much of it and can I just put it on their regular kibble? Patty you could be right, guess I will find out with the NV because it does not have it in there nor does it have carrot. There is for sure something they are missing in their diet or something that is not going over well with them for all 4 to be itching like crazy. I wish it was as simple as fleas but we have not ever had fleas but I could easily fix that issue. Ugh here we go again

[Hound Dog Mom]

I’ve seen it it and checked out the website but I’ve never personally used it and don’t know anyone who has. Looking at the CJ formula it appears the ingredients beneficial for the joints are glucosamine, omega 3’s, cetyl myristoleate, MSM, boswellia and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients are all great for the joint support and inflammation however I personally wouldn’t use the product because it contains soy flour, molasses (sugar) and loads of synthetic vitamins and minerals. I’d rather purchase the ingredients individually through a human supplement provider and not have all the extra stuff.