[Donna L]

If there are any wholesome, balanced cooked food recipes out there, I’d love to see them. I’m sure there needs to be a calcium and multi supplement.

[Susan D]

I have a 5 yr old black lab (Jake). In the last year or so he has been constantly licking and chewing his feet. We tried allergy shots (depomedrol) and it didn’t help at all. He is eating a chicken based dry dog food that has not wheat or corn. We add canned food and also cook chicken thighs and add that meat. We also have 3 other dogs, 2 german shepherds and a mixed breed. The others do not have this problem. I bought a natural formula supplement for dogs and he has been on it for about 3 weeks but I don’t see any results yet.

Any suggestions? My husband and I are retired so cost of food is an issue (of sorts).

[TheNaturalDog]

I do not recall if this formula is manufactured by Diamond, or not, but it’s an option.

Solid Gold Holistique Blendz
Protein, Min 18%
Fat, Min 6%
Fiber, Max 4%
Moisture, Max 10%
Calories per cup, 340

Oatmeal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Peas, Ocean Fish Meal, Potatoes, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Dried Eggs, Dicalcium Phosphate, Flaxseed, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Salt, dl-methionine, Choline Chloride, Salmon Oil (source of DHA), Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, Parsley Flakes, Spearmint, Almond Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Sesame Oil (preserved by mixed tocopherols), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Kelp, Thyme, Blueberries, Cranberries, Apples, Lentils, Quinoa, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Panthothenate, Riboflavin, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Carbonate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Rosemary Extract

[Angela H]

Sounds to me like Kennel sores.. Whenever a dog is lying, they are putting a lot of pressure on certain points of their body such as elbows etc. The hair tends to fall out on such areas. Sounds to me that you are doing the right thing by making your own food, which is what I also do. But I would suggest removing all grains from your home cooked food and supplement them with lentils and beans for fibre. Also purchase coconut oil and rub it daily on the areas of your GSD that is rough. Coconut oil is also great to add to your home cooked dog food. If anyone is interested in my recipe, I’d be glad to share it with you all.

[Laurie B]

My vet also made the recommendation of Royal Canin SO, but after looking at the ingredients, there was no way I was going to feed that! So I switched to a kibble with a higher protein, gave a vitamin C supplement, and D-Mannose. My dog’s urine pH went down to normal levels within a week. The kind of levels where the crystals won’t form (about 5.5.) a friend switched her dog to raw for the same reason, high pH and struvites. Crystals gone, pH normal, within two weeks. Neither case had a UTI present.

[Adina S]

Hello,

Does anyone have any experience with the use of this supplement and/or just thoughts on using bovine colostrum for healthy puppy weaning? I’m finding varying information – and not much of it.

Thank you,
Adina Silberstein
Canine Nutritional Counselor
Philadelphia, PA

[mandy d]

I’m not sure if this actually exists…

My five year old mini schnauzer has periodic bouts of colitis after having an intestinal blockage&surgery a few years ago and a low fat, high fiber food helps. However she also has a poultry allergy and basically all the foods that are significantly lower in fat and higher in fiber than her current food have chicken or turkey as the protein source. We currently feed her Wellness Core, alternating between the ocean and lamb flavors, but she still has the occasional bouts and just had the worst one yet. At one point we tried the Wellness Core reduced fat version, and the fat/fiber content worked really well for her but it is turkey based and this confirmed that it was poultry in general that she was allergic too, not just chicken. I’ve done A LOT of searching in the last year here and on other websites, but I’m hoping maybe I’m just missing something and the perfect food is actually out there. I was originally looking for a kibble, but at this point I am totally open to canned or raw food, it would just be best if I did not have to prepare her food myself. Any suggestions?

Right now I’m leaning towards trying her on Addiction canned foods or the OC Raw dog goat&produce formula. Although I am a little hesitant to try her on raw food when she is so sensitive.

I also think it would also be nice for it to have things like omega 3s or other healthy oils, added nutrients for joint health (she has early signs of degenerative disc disease), and maybe something low-carb to prevent any other future health problems. But of course, I can always supplement the omegas and joint health. I can also always add more fiber too, so a low-fat, low-carb food with average fiber would be ok.

[Lisa]

After about 4 months of various symptoms my 18 month old male GSD was down to 64 lbs(normal weight was 80-85 lbs) we finally got a the EPI diagnoses from our vet. He was originally on Eagle Pack, then Taste of the Wild eventually we tried to Go!Sensitive and Shine and Grandma Lucy’s Goat. With these 2 foods he improved a little and gained about 5 lbs in 2 weeks. The vet prescribed enzymes but after doing some research we decided to try raw food including raw beef pancreas. We ordered beef pancreas and green tripe from http://www.hare-today.com and from the very first feeding we saw results. Green tripe is totally gross but Reggie absolutely loves it!
It took about 3 weeks for him to completely stabilize, he went from 3 meals a day to 2, his poops are perfect and he goes about 3 times a day, no gas or stomach rumbling, he sleeps through the night again. Now he is about 100 lbs and is full of energy he probably runs/walks about 5-7 miles a day, barely sheds and his coat super soft and shining.
We are been able to reduce the amount of beef pancreas per feeding so a 16 oz tube will last a few days and his diet is probably about 70% raw he likes ground meat,organ,bone mixed with Taste of the Wild kibble or Grandma Lucy’s with a occasional egg. We switch the type of protein(fish,chicken,beef, turkey, goat, even llama) he eats every few days and their is no change in his bowel movements. He gets coconut oil as a supplement as well as 8 Gentleman Chinese herbs. We got the Chinese herb from a local holistic equine vet, we believe it was a key component in his recovery.
I love to watch him eat RMBs he throughly enjoys laying in the grass and slow tearing into the meat and savoring every bite, just like his ancestors did..this is the way canines are supposed to eat!
Raw feeding takes a little extra work but it is definitely worth it. We have a freezer in the basement and we have a small refrigerator where we keep the raw food separate from our food. I know every dog’s situation is different but this solution saved Reggie’s life.

[DogsAreMyLife]

I mentioned to someone that I supplement my dogs’ meals with Grizzly Salmon Oil, and give them vitamin E a few times per week. This person acted like I was the worst person ever, and told me I’d end up with 3 dogs with mercury poisoning! Is there any truth behind that?

[Audrey C]

Hi Andrew. Are you using salmon oil from the health food store–the same you would use for yourself as a supplement? How much does your dog weigh and how much do you mix into his/her food? Thanks, Audrey

[DogFoodie]

Hi Lori,

He’s reacting to something and until you figure out what that is, simply changing foods won’t help – assuming you end up switch to something that also happens to contain his triggers.

It takes a lot of work and diligence to figure out what those triggers are. What you need to do right now is start keeping a detailed list of everything you feed him and the ingredients of those foods (save the labels if you can as ingredients change often). Make a note of how he reacts to each and every food you feed and remember that treats and supplements contain triggers also.

Figuring things out will be a bit easier if you feed him a simpler diet of foods that contain single proteins and binders.

It’s very frustrating, I’ve been there too! Had I simply fed my dog one of Wellpet foods listed above, my dog would be a mess, since he has a fish intolerance. Don’t get me wrong, I love Wellness foods in particular, I use them all the time for one of my dogs and wish I could for the other. My pup hasn’t had an ear infection in many months since I’ve identified his intolerance issues.

[Brenda E]

Thanks for checking back! We went camping this weekend and he got diarrhea pretty bad; I woke up every two hours with my poor pup. Being fed up, I stopped feeding him Blue, he’s been eating boiled chicken with some pumpkin and an herbal supplement from The Honest Kitchen for two days and his poop is great. We have two samples of The Honest Kitchen and I bought him a small bag of Wellness brand puppy food. Hopefully his poop improves, but I’m still doing my research on food.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Weimdad-
One of my cats urine samples recently showed some Struvite crystals. The vet recommended that I give him some cosequin for cats. This is a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin. She explained why it helped, but I can’t remember exactly how. Something about it protecting the lining of the bladder. I bought some, but it is difficult giving cats any kind of medicine or supplement. Do some research and see what you think. It probably would help with your guys joints as well! Take care. 🙂

[Jason A]

“If you are not satisfied with Dinovite Supplements we will gladly refund your purchase price. This means we will stand behind your initial purchase of product and refund your purchase price if you are not happy with the results. You are responsible for the cost of shipping. We do not refund shipping or pay to have returns shipped back to Dinovite, Inc.”

I would buy their products if the guarantee included the shipping cost.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Jason A.

[mountainhound]

For those who feed freeze-dried/dehydrated. New line by Bravo. Similar to Sojos in consistency but higher protein and contains organs in addition to meat and veggies. Comes in 3 flavors, turkey, beef and pork and 2 sizes, 2 and 6 lbs.

http://www.newbravopetfood.com/homestyle_complete_family.html

Beef, beef liver, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, beef hearts, beef kidney, beef spleen, green beans, cranberries, dried eggs, tricalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, dried kelp, turmeric, rosemary, parsley, thyme, oregano, salt, mixed tocopherols, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, rosemary extract.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Tom,
First, thanks for adopting this senior gal! I would not feed that food. No offense to your vet but they get very little nutrition education.
Years back, we adopted a senior dog who was obese. She should have weighed about 25lbs but was 43.7. We used Wellness Core reduced fat & she lost the weight. For snacks, you can use some of her kibble from her daily ration, fresh green beans, we use The Honest kitchen quickies but they’re costly.ni think Buddy biscuit itty Bitties and Charlee Bear treats are low calorie.
What supplements are you using? I’ve used Joint Mobility Plus (from SwansonVitamins.com), green lipped mussel, salmon oil, Liquid Gold K9 and salmon oil for ours with bad joints.

[Tom L]

We recently acquired an overweight (78#) 12 year old Labrador with severe joint disease who can have limited walks and exercise due to bones rubbing on bones. This is a loving female who loves to eat and likes snacks and treats. Our vet recommended feeding her Science Diet Senior Food 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup at night along with supplements.
She hasn’t lost any weight and is always looking for snacks. We are concerned that this is the correct food for our overweight dog. Ideally, we would like to give her 3 small servings a day. Tom L.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Patricia-
Did your vet put your pup on the low residue food due to the gas? Is it a veterinarian prescription food? I give my dogs a digestive enzyme with their meals that seems to help with that issue. I rotate them. Right now im giving them a Vetri-Pro BD tablet with their meals. It contains digestive enzymes, probiotics and soothing intestinal supplemts. It is made by Vetri-Science and I buy it through Amazon or Healthy Pets. I think it is a good idea to rotate kibble and toppers for your dogs. Other supplements that may help with the switch are Fruitables canned digestive support and Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form. I hope you find something that works!

[Patricia O]

Thank u so much for your responses ! Yes i know I am the problem ! 🙂
He is sooo spoiled !
However now he has been eating this raw chicken drumstick all by himself without problems :)- however i am concerned he is not getting a balanced diet . So my question to u is what supplements should i give him so he gets a balanced diet 🙂
I am adding so organ meat like giblets and liver …. Thank u guys !

[texasniteowl]

I thought I would come back with a brief update since it has been a while!

After the Orijen we went to Acana Singles…the Lamb and Apple and he did very well on that. We finished the 13lb medium bag. Now we are still on Acana but trying the Duck flavor and we are still doing well. We did a cold turkey switch from Lamb to Duck with no problem.

I am still not giving him a powder supplement, but he is getting “active culture” greek yogurt. His poo overall has been good…mostly normal…except for the day after obedience class usually when he gets a few more treats than normal!

I want to identify 1 or 2 more foods that he does OK with so that I have a 3-4 food rotation. We may try a bag of Nature’s Variety Instinct LID next as an option. Then not sure on a 4th. I may try the Orijen Adult again just to confirm whether it was the food or just the timing that caused him to not do really great on it. But we may just stick with foods in the 30-35% protein range.

[Cyndi]

Here is the ingredient list for Good Friends dog food:
Wheat middlings, ground yellow corn, soybean meal, meat and bone meal, animal fat, salt, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, niacin, copper sulfate, vitamin A supplement, biotin, managanous oxide, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, menadione sodium bisulfate coplex, riboflavin supplement, sodium selenite, calcium lodate, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, cobalt carbonate.

Crude protein: %18 Crude fat: %6 Crude Fiber: %6 Moisture: %12

Definitely NOT a good dog food!!

[Marilyn E]

I’ve been feeding Darwin’s for 2 years and am very pleased with the quality. (darwinspet.com). I have a standing monthly order, and it arrives by UPS. They send return labels so you can ship the boxes back, which is Eco friendly. If I don’t get around to taking them to UPS, I just leave them out on the next delivery day and the driver takes them. Darwin’s has 2 lines of food, one is free range, no hormones or antibiotics; the other is human grade, USDA inspected. Darwin’s is an complete diet–includes veggies, organ meats, ground bone.
To answer the other part of your question: I supplement the raw with probiotics, coconut oil, omega 3s, and Spirulina-Astizanthan (Mercola Healthy Pets online). I do feed treats cuz I don’t know how you train without it, but if I don’t use meat leftovers, I use high quality treats, such as freeze-dried liver, Real Meat brand dog treats, or ZiwiPeak dehydrated raw food.

[crazy4cats]

Yes, I would definitely feed it for a few days and SLOWLY add back in his dog food. Even, take 3 or 4 days to do the transition back. Now, would be a great time to try a new food as well! BTW, I’ve also used the Fruitables Digestive Supplement brand of canned pumpkin when I was having issues. It is more expensive than regular plain pumpkin, but I think it works a little better for your situation.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Brenda E-
Well, sounds like a stressful situation. Have you tried feeding small meals of boiled chicken or burger with rice and pumpkin to rest and calm down his intestines? Then slowly start adding kibble back in. My pups had diarrhea when we got them, but they did have parasites. Both Giardia and Coccidia. Hopefully your vet sent a fecal to the lab to test specifically for these. Yes, a probiotic would be good to try. I use Vetri-pro BD by Vetri-Science. I order it from either Amazon.com or healthy pets.com. It contains probiotics, digestive enzymes and some supplements that help soothe the intestines.
Your large breed pup needs a puppy or all life stages food that is appropriate for his size. It is recommended to keep the calcium levels down for the growing stage for large breeds. There is more information and a spreadsheet of recommended foods created by Hound Dog Mom on the large breed thread of this forum.
You will need to keep his growth slow and steady to avoid joint issues. Also limited exercise is important.
Check out http://www.dogaware.com for a lot of information on digestive orders. Good luck!

[Barbara]

I was curious what anyone thought of Dogswell Happy Hips Duck Breast, Salmon or Chicken Breast Dog Treats?? They appear to have only the protein ingredient plus Vitamin E Supplement, Glucosamine Hydrochloride & Chondroitin Sulfate. I saw them on Chewy.com. Thanks for any input.

I just noticed I cannot tell the country of origin of these proteins and the packaging does not state made in the USA so I am now skeptical of the source.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Barbara.

[lmnordrum]

Wellness Core Puppy is entirely grain free and suitable for all life stages and is on HDMs list as suitable. My dog loves it and does very well on it. I only added in the Fromm later because its good to have them eat more than one thing should your food be recalled. (Although Wellness has never had a recall and is made in the USA in small batches.)

My dog also receives cooked meat as a topper. I buy inexpensive beef (chuck, round or even something on clearance) and cook it, and I also give her chicken. She’s had leftover pork too. The meat I add is just used as a topper–and a way for me to clean out the fridge. I’ll also boil eggs and give them to her if I have some older eggs. So basically my dog gets about 90% kibble and 10% of leftover meat from the fridge. Last week she had chicken parmigiana without stuff on the meat: I just scraped it off and rinsed the meat, and chopped it in the food processor. I’ll grind up my leftover meat, put it in plastic bags, and place in the freezer. Makes it easy to dump on the kibble and she’ll eat her entire meal.

I can’t bear to deal with the thought of raw food in my house or her bowl and am terrified by the thought of salmonella or listeria. When we were trying to find a second kibble I got some Instinct Rabbit which gave her loose stool. So it doesn’t seem like rabbit was a good protein for this particular animal. Plenty of people feed that Instinct Rabbit with no problems. The loose stool was why I settled on the Fromm as a backup food and part of her dinner mix.

We had a brief time around 4 months when the dog has some diarrhea but I traced that back to cranberry supplements I was giving her for a UTI. It wasn’t the food because once I eliminated that cranberry extract she was perfectly fine.

I’ve been very happy with the Wellness Core, and the Fromm. Her stool is a bit more firm when she has more Wellness. I will share that too much coconut oil, like when I decided to tip the jar over her food, gave her loose stool, but I figured that would happen with too much fat.

Hopefully you just have a systemic problem due to grain. I don’t even feed corn to my family (unless it is organic) and I sure as heck am not giving it to my dog.

[Genevieve K]

I want to go completely grain-free. I have a few specialty stores around that carry the higher-end foods. Petsmart now carries Wellness but does Wellness make a grain-free puppy food? I hesitate to deviate from the Large Breed Puppy foods because I know, as a puppy, he has different needs than an adult. Yes, there are All Life Stages formulas but I’m not confident those would meet his nutritional needs.

We’ve been giving him coconut oil this week. He LOVES it. I’m also hitting the butcher today and hoping they have some rabbit – have them grind one up, bones and all. I’ve not fed him raw before but, at this point, I”m desperate. I know I shouldn’t change everything at once because that makes it harder to identify the allergen but if he’s getting mainly meat and veggies with some supplements like coconut oil and maybe some calcium (unsure about that), I’d like to think he’d do ok with more limited ingredients. (OMG, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower are the best treats on earth for my dogs.)

Again, he’s a large breed and I want to make sure he gets what he needs to be healthy and strong as an adult. This makes me so sad, especially when there is so little, yet so much, information (all conflicting) out there on large breed foods and puppy needs.

[USA]

I’m a big fan of probiotics for gut health and for overall immune system benefits. The one I use is expensive but if you calculate the cost per billion cfu’s it is the least expensive. I take one daily and I split one between my 2 dogs. Each capsule contains 100 billion cfu’s and 34 different strains of probiotics.

http://www.vitacost.com/garden-of-life-raw-probiotics-ultimate-care-30-vegetarian-capsules-2

Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Capsule
Servings per Container: 30

Replenish Blend – 100 billion CFU

ISS Bif™ Bifdobacterium lactis (SD-5219), Lactobacillus acidophilus (SD-5221), Lactobacillus paracasei (SD-5218), Bifidobacterium lactis (SD-5220), RAW Whole Food Probiotic Blend: Bulgarian Yogurt (milk) Concentrate, Eastern European Wild Kefir Culture containing Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, lacotbacillus brevis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, Lactobacillus kefirgranum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus cremoris, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacilus kefir, Lactobacillus parakefir, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis biovar diacetylactis, Leuconostoc lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc cremoris, Leuconostoc dextranicum, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Brettanomyces anomalus, Debaryomyces hansenii, Saccharomyces unisporus, Saccharomyces turicensis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharmomyces exiguus, Torulaspora delbrueckii

Protein Digesting Enzyme Blend – 50 mg
Protease, Acid Protease, Protease S

Eastern European RAW Fruit and Veggie Blend – 45 mg
Red Bell Pepper (Fruit), Green Pea (Seed), Carrot (Root), Plum (Fruit), Cherry (Fruit), Strawberry (Fruit), Raspberry (Fruit)

[Haleybop]

Hound Dog Mom – It’s funny…I’ve been contemplating the Swanson Probiotics Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 16 Strain Probiotic with FOS all day because it’s B1G1 and an additional 20% off until the end of the day with code 20PERCENT. I hesitated because of the ConcenTrace® Trace Mineral Complex (from the Great Salt Lake, 72 naturally occurring minerals, plus other minerals found in seawater). I noticed the Soil-Based Organisms has that, too. Are those ok to give my dog without knowing what they are??? I went ahead and bought them because I figured if it’s not ok for my pup, I can use them. Also, she’s only 10 months and 25 pounds. Would I give her a whole pill. I do know I would only give her one or the other, not both supplements at the same time. I needed some probiotics, too! Thank you!

[Audrey C]

Thank you, Tabitha. That makes total sense, and finally I understand the phosphorous issue vis a vis protein content. I will look for a high quality canned food that has a moderately low level of protein and skip the dry kibbles. I’m also starting to supplement his food with Rehmannia 6, a Chinese herbal supplement containing powdered herbs that work to strengthen the kidneys that my vet sent me home with. I’m also going to research acupuncture! I look forward to visiting your website. In gratitude, Audrey

[Audrey C]

Can someone recommend a canned dog food with low phosphorous content? My dog is 12 years old and was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. Currently he’s eating Blue (Senior) dog food mixed with Blue kibbles. But I wonder if there’s a supplement I can add to slow down the kidney failure or a dog food that will slow its progression. Any advice?

[milly w]

Daily supplements for human beings are commonplace, but what about dog dietary supplements? Just as human beings require food and supplements to be strong and healthy, dogs also require good nutrition. Veterinarians, to complement the diet and maintain good health of your pet, prescribe dog nutritional supplements.

Most commercial dog foods claim to be nutritionally complete but they all provide a one-size-fits-all approach that might not necessarily suit your dog. Different things such as age, illness, pregnancy, energy levels etc can have an effect on the nutritional needs of your pet. Here are some important supplements that your dog can use.

Brewer’s Yeast – The supplement comprises of B vitamins that take care of some of the most important functions of your dog. The most well known benefit of the supplement is its ability to repel fleas. B vitamins can help metabolize carbs, proteins and fats, which in turn can help in weight loss. It also comprises chromium that can help decrease blood cholesterol levels.

MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) – MSM supplement is helpful in ensuring healthy skin, connective tissues and coat of your dog. It is also known to reduce swelling and pain caused by sprains, strains, arthritis and bursitis.

Calcium, Zinc & Iron – Calcium is good for the blood, nerves and bones of the dogs. Zinc helps promote healthy skin and coat. Iron supplements help promote healthy blood cells. Iron supplements especially formulated for dogs must be administered to pets, as human iron supplements can be poisonous for them.

Probiotic and Prebiotic Supplements – These are required to bring balance in pets when dietary changes, stress, age or prescription medicine causes an imbalance of bacteria in their intestinal tract. To get maximum digestive and health benefits, both the kinds of supplements can be used together.

Sure grow 100 – The product packs in several beneficial nutrients including vitamin A, calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous and is excellent for puppies when they are growing. It is also known to enhance growth of the teeth, muscles and bones in puppies.

Hip and Joint Supplements – Dogs are generally very active and this can take a toll on their joints, hips and other connective tissues. Incorporating these supplements in the diet of your pet can help prevent these disorders. They comprise ingredients that work to repair and protect your dog’s joints and other connective tissues.

Canine nutritional supplements are generally available in solid form and can be included in dog food. Be sure to check with your veterinarian before you pick any nutritional supplement for your pet. While pets suffering from any of the conditions mentioned above might benefit from these supplements, there may be some underlying issues too that need medical attention. While buying supplements, go for trusted brands and take care to follow the dosage instructions as mentioned on the label.

Today, dog owners are increasingly turning to nutritional supplements realizing that most dog foods do not fully meet the energy requirements of their pet. A high quality supplement can do wonders to a dog’s overall health and performance.

[Sandra R]

@crazy4cats thanks for your answer.
What supplements do you give to your dogs?

[Dori]

Thanks Marie. Really interesting article on senior canine supplements.

[Dori]

I too will keep an eye on this thread. I’ve got a 15 year old Maltese, Hannah. I know she’s lost a lot of her hearing and also night vision but I’m beginning to think she’s developing a bit of dementia. I haven’t started her on anything yet. Her vet just told me that it’s just part of the aging process. DUH????? She’s a traditional vet so she’s not going to tell me to use anything like an over the counter supplement.

Marie: I’m glad the Neutricks worked for Gemma. What do you think? Should I try it with Hannah? The only meds she takes are soloxine for her hypothyroidism and a Denamarin an hour before dinner (combination of milk thistle and Sam-e) for her high liver levels. What site do you order if from? Thanks.

[Aaron P]

The Kahoots brand dog food is not made by Diamond. It is US made and US sourced(Texas). The meat content is much higher than you will find in Taste of the wild. The salmon is wild caught (tow is farm raised)and the supplementation in Kahoots brand is superior. My dogs have been on Kahoots for about four years. My lab is three now and is in beautiful condition. My beagle is nine she is now a healthy and happy senior dog thanks to the kahoots food. Prior to kahoots she was on Nutro or Wellness neither did her justice as she was tormented by itchy dry skin, irritated paws and frequent hot spots. Thank you Kahoots for making great products that allow my animals to thrive!!!

[Jenny]

InkedMarie, thank you again for your insight. It’s so relieving to hear good news, and it’s great that Gemma is better! My dog and I will keep cheering for Gemma’s health 🙂

Quick update: We went to the vet yesterday and was recommended Novifit — the SAMe based supplement that has anti-inflammatory properties + is a powerful antioxidant and may also help with arthritis, liver disease, and depression. So we’re going to try that and see how it goes before taking prescribed meds like Anipyrl (which the vet initially prescribed).

We’re also going to give her Animals’ Apawthecary Hawthorn Plus since we heard it can be good for heart murmurs as well. Fingers crossed!

I’ll update this thread if we see any improvements with the supplements we’re using. Thanks again!

[Akari_32]

I’ve not ordered from Chewy yet. They do have good prices, though. I think I have to pay taxes for Chewy though. I don’t remember lol

To me Wellness is almost like Jello, just not quite as hard lol

Applaws just came to the US. It’s a pretty expensive brand, from what I’ve seen. And the tubs I got from the contest aren’t a complete and balanced diet, they’re just for supplemental feeding. But they do make normal dog and cat food. Seems like a good brand, either way. They do a lot of charity events, and raise food donations for different non-profits every month.

[Robert R]

I supplement my 2 small poodles usual diet of Orijen kibble with Pure Balance canned from Walmart. It’s only $1 per can and I like the ingredients better. It’s rated 5 stars. Both dogs love it

[Robert R]

I used to use Canidae canned for my 2 little poodles to supplement Orijen kibble, but switched to Pure Balance canned because I liked the ingredients better and it was much cheaper — only $1 per can. It’s also better rated. They love it.

[Robert R]

What about Pure Balance canned from Walmart for $1 per can? It’s rated 5 star. I use this for my little poodles to supplement Orijen kibble and they love it. One can lasts for 2 days.

[Denise T]

When they say to just add meat, does that mean that I can add cooked ground beef/bison/chicken and that’s it, or do I have to calculate and add in organ meats as well? I’m feeding 4 small dogs so the amount of organ meat would be only a few ounces. I doubt I could find such small amounts in a grocery store. Is this necessary when using a pre-mix?
Also I was wondering if it is better to cook a whole chicken and debone it, or do people typically add boneless chicken breast? I’ve used boneless chicken in a recipe for them but only as a supplemental feeding, not as daily meals.

[Mom2Cavs]

When it first came out, Red Moon was still around….and now it’s gone. If you recall, Red Moon, was a company that did a similar thing in that you could specialize supplements, etc. I actually liked the looks of it a little better than Petbrosia. I don’t know how long Red Moon was around, and I will be interested to see how long Petbrosia stays on the scene.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Sandra R-
Congrats on the new pup. I think frenchies are adorable. I believe you are on the right track. Variety is even important for dog’s health. I have never fed Acana, but I think it’s a great kibble. Rotating kibbles would be beneficial. I also like to supplement my dog’s meals with add ins to their kibble. I use canned, dehydrated, fresh and even a little raw foods to boost up the nutrition and protein. The fresh foods are typically eggs, sardines and healthy left overs. This is the link that I downloaded a small book with tips on making kibble healthier.
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html
The author, Steve Brown, also has some books with recipes. The download is $2.95. Following this advise has made me a little more interested in feeding home made. So I bought the pre-mix from the site just recently. You just add either raw or lightly cooked meat to it to make a meal. I am very slowly and gradually improving their meals. It sounds like you might just be ready to jump right in with the home made or raw route. Which ever way you go, I wish you success!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Thomas-
I have seen supplements that you can add to their water or food which is supposed to help stop this from happening. But, honestly, I do not know what is in the supplements that helps stop the grass from turning brown. I’d be a little nervous about these. Not sure how healthy they are. I’m curious about what others have to say, so I’m “bumping” up your thread. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Jeffrey D-
I’m not sure how you feel about supplements. My dogs have sensitive tummies with intermittent loose stools. I use “Firm Up” when I add canned food to their kibble. It is dehydrated pumpkin and pectin. In my opinion, it is more convenient than adding canned pumpkin and applesauce (pectin) to their food.
I also learned about helpful supplements on http://www.dogaware.com. I have and currently rotate, Gastriplex by Thorne, Vetri-Pro BD by Vetri Science, and Perfect Form by The Honest Kitchen with great success. They all contain enzymes, probiotics and supplements such as slippery elm that help control loose stools.
My dogs have not been diagnosed with anything. But, I suspect leaky gut or IBS due to previous intestinal parasites and over use of antibiotics.
I feed Victor grain free kibble with various toppers. Such as canned, frozen raw nuggets, eggs, sardines and dehydrated.
Good luck to you!

[Jeffrey]

Marie,

Thanks for responding. For better or for worse I am trying to stick with a holistic type food (non-gmo, protein not fed antibiotics) so I’m not sure if Nutrisource is really something I want to consider.

The dog does get probiotics, thanks. I know it is an often overlooked but beneficial dietary supplement!

I welcome continued feedback from other members,
Jeffrey

[Jenny]

Hi friends,

Has anyone tried Okinawan Happy Dogs Brain and Memory Support Food Mix or any products from Okinawan Happy Dogs?

Here’s the link to the product: http://www.okinawanhappydogs.com/products/brain-memory-support (it looks very promising and is all-natural, gluten-free, GMO-Free, and no artificial preservatives or coloring added! Too good to be true?)

The company seems fairly new so I haven’t found any consumer reviews online… from the company’s website Okinawan Happy Dogs is “a division of Everyday Wellness Corporation, a US manufacturer of dietary supplements specializing in natural herbal nutrition for humans and pets.” But other than that, zero info.

To give you some background details: My dog is a 16-year-old toy poodle who is battling CDS (Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome) as well a reappearing mammary gland tumor and also developing a slight heart murmur (she’s a fighter!). She eats Earthborn Hollistic dry food, but has been losing her appetite recently and only wags her tail for her favorite treats, Dr. Becker’s Bites Grain Free Liver Treats.

If your dog is also fighting CDS, can you please share/recommend any products that have worked effectively for your dog?

Thank you so much!
J

P.S. After reading this old post from “banditsmom,” I’m thinking of trying Novifit if I can’t find a natural alternative for my dog: /forums/topic/cognitive-dysfunction

[pugmomsandy]

He-he! That’s just one wall. The closet wall has bags of kibbles and my personal small kitchen equipment and vitamins/supplements. The the third wall has some more foods, boxes of Halo Herbal Dip, other topicals for the fosters, extra dog beds, shampoos, cases of Merrick GI Bones, Ranger Ribs and Flossies. And I keep chicken treats in there too (tubs of Mother Clucker, Chicken Crack and Cluck Yah) and I just put three 7.1 cu ft freezers in that room too to fill with the 8 cases I just ordered from greentripe.com. And here’s the dog freezer in the garage:

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/fulldogfreezer765x1024_zpsb5463b60.jpg

My personal dogs aren’t eating much kibble right now! I have 3 personal pugs and the rest are fosters. Sometimes I have up to 12 pugs total and they usually eat 1 cup of kibble per day with some toppers. Sometimes I give them a whole raw egg fresh from the coop! So to me, it really doesn’t matter too much if BDN is not aafco compliant like Neezerfan.

Here’s a picture of bath day:

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/pugs8pugs_zps0cd62c42.jpg

My awesome Weston 22 grinder:

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_5170952x1024_zpsec466d4d.jpg

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[Susan B]

I use DasquinMSM, which is made for dogs over 60 pounds. My dog is a large breed and old, so hard to tell how well the supplement works, but she has no issues with it, so I hope it helps with her joint and old age issues.