[FrenchieBourdeaux]

Hey,

I was wondering what are good supplements for large breed puppies that are a must I have a 6 month old Dogue De Bordeaux Mastiff and wanted to make sure he gets all the supplements he is needed especially sense his grandfather was an impressive 210 pounds. And also is it okay to start adding goats milk to his food? I currently have him on the Fromm game bird and boiled rice and chicken rotation every other day.

Thanks for any help. Just want the best for my little guy.

[Kellye P]

It’s been a month since my first post so here’s an update. Duffy had his semi-annual bloodwork done. I don’t have copies of the results yet but my vet said:
Heartworm – negative
Thyroid – normal
Fructosamine – good control
CBC – no abnormal results
She sent his blood to the lab instead of using her own equipment. She wanted to make sure they tested for everything and using the lab allowed her to ask the various specialists questions. She explained that the concern is his weight.
(Sidenote: Duffy is her only underweight client!)
The specialist suggested we test for Cushing’s. I did not want to do that. We have tested him many times before and he always tests normal. However, the specialist said cortisol could play a role in his inability to gain weight. I thought too much cortisol caused weight gain, but I gave in and took him back for the test.
Result: normal
We did a urine culture which was negative. Nothing grew. My vet said that never happens. As I said before, Duffy is the healthiest “deathly ill” dog in the world.

Back when he was at UT Knoxville vet school for an exam, he was put on melatonin and flax lignin. He was not super skinny at that time. I asked my vet if I should go back to giving him those supplements. The idea at the time was to control non-Cushing’s cortisol, even though we could never prove that he had any problems in that area.
I don’t know if it ever worked but he was two pounds heavier.
So we’re back on melatonin and flax lignin.

I have the special enzymes too. I have not used them much since he doesn’t like wet food or kibble soaked in liquid.
Which leads me to my final update — I found a dry food that he loves. It’s made in Ohio so not far from us and it’s delivered fresh to Lexington. The company is called Pet Wants.

Duffy had gained 5 oz in the past ten days. I am beyond thrilled. My goal is 8 lbs and he is now at 6 lbs 7 oz.
Fingers crossed!!!!

[Dori]

I am one of the regulars that feeds a rotational diet. The more quality foods that you can incorporate in your dogs diet the better they will be for it. None of us would eat the same food day in day out ourselves, not a healthy diet. Canines, like us, need variety. I feed many different brands and many different proteins within each brand. I rotate brands and proteins with each meal my three girls eat. I feed twice a day. I also rotate supplements and treats. The treats I feed for the most part are organic fresh fruits and veggies. No store bought treats. Too many recalls for my liking.

[Hildie V]

Hi Susan they do sound alike 🙂

She does best on food I make myself. Also, NRG raw dehydrated, but unfortunately she’s developed a wheat allergy in these wheat germ in NRG so I can’t use anymore.

I’m going to try a ground turkey, beef liver, beef heart, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and potato next. I supplement with eggshell calcium because I don’t feed her bones. I also give Simon oil, vitamin E, digestive enzymes, probiotic, and a multivitamin and mineral specifically designed for dogs by a holistic vet.

I would suppose just as in humans certain things trigger acid reflux but it can be different in every person and also in every dog. I suppose there’s also an underlying reason why acid reflex is there to start with which is what I really want to get to the bottom of. That is, assuming she actually does have acid reflux and this isn’t something to do with something else because no one seems to know 🙂

I think finding foods that work for the dog is specific to each dog and it’s trial and error. Kibble can be a lot harder for them to break down than fresh food. Fresh food is highly digestible, and usually easier to digest. I would not touch a vet prescribed food with a 10 foot pole… But that’s not saying it doesn’t work for some people and their dogs, is just disgusting to me 🙂

If you want to make your own homemade food but are scared that you might not do it right you can buy a cookbook called Hillary’s Complete and Balanced and you can buy her supplements to go with it and then follow her recipes for homemade food. Her cookbook is only available through veterinarian offices in Canada and off her website in the USA. My girl did great on her venison and potato limited ingredient diet for five months until I couldn’t find the venison anymore at an affordable price :-). That is when I switched her to NRG…

Nothing I have done is a fix for sure, my dog is still having problems, and I like reading about what other people do to try and help myself as well 🙂

[Dog_Obsessed]

I saw some “calorie boost” supplements at the pet store today, maybe those would help?

[Karen J]

Great information, I’m calming down. I’ll still stay grain free, and filtered water- supplements like cranberry and Vit C and be given hidden in a treat separately.

Last year I lost a dog (a senior) but he was so sick and went through so much I just want to be cautious.

Thank you.

[Karen J]

I’m hearing vitamin C and Cranberry. What safe delivery device for Vit C – 500mg? Cheese, cottage cheese or? I used boiled chicken today.

I saw these on Amazon: Cranberry Comfort Soft Chews, are they good?

Also I saw on Amazon strips to measure ph balance of her urine…she hasn’t developed an infection or stones as yet and I’d like to prevent it.

I’ve been getting overwhelming advice to stay away from fish but eHow recommends it – I think I’ll stay away from it.

Karen for Trixie

[Dog_Obsessed]

Just found this thread, and I just wanted to say THANK YOU for taking in a senior pup! I have volunteered with a local senior dog rescue, and I just love the oldies. There is also a great Facebook page called Susie’s Senior Dogs, that posts senior dogs up for adoption along with success stories and resources: https://www.facebook.com/susiesseniordogs

One question for Dori about the glucosamine supplements, I give the stage 1 version to Lily for mild luxuriating patella. I did not know that it was good not to give it with food, is that only for advanced care? Thanks!

[Kristin C]

Hi Kari-I feed both my dogs raw and have found making my own food to be the most economical, although I estimate it’s still almost twice the cost of high end kibble. Buying commercial raw or freeze dried raw is probably 3-4 times more than the kibble. My husband and I agree we’d rather spend the money on real food for them versus vet bills and potential illness. Sounds like you have a lot going on as it is, but you can probably start by making small changes. The book See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way might be a good start. I’ve started using the SSLL Dinner Mix to ensure my homemade meals are AAFCO compliant. There are other supplements and base mixes you can use as well and just add meat. Hope that helps some.

[Kari L]

Hi, I am considering doing a raw food diet with my two dogs. They are old and have no real health problems but do have big lumps forming on their skin for the past 1-2 years. Fatty tumors I am guessing. I haven’t taken them to a vet in a very long time.
My daughter has autism and is obviously my priority. We eat 90% organic diet as a family and spend most of our money doing so among many of her supplements.
I am kind of sick of buying crappy dog food for them. I buy them a grain free dry dog food now which is mostly meat then followed by sweet potato which I know they don’t need.
I am not so worried about these two ( I love them but realize they are on there way out of this world and the damage of their teeth wont be repaired) but when they go would like to ditch the crappy dog food for sure.
So sorry for the long introduction but my question is how much does this all cost and how much preparation is involved? I have been buying what I thought was raw dog food at Whole Foods lately but realized it was lightly pasteurized. It was lamb and many lamb organs with many synthetic vitamins/minerals.
Do most people use synthetic vitamins/minerals on this diet? Again total newbie but do love nutrition.
BTW my dogs now are 11 and are 10 and 15 pounds. My next dog I plan will be bigger like a golden retriever.
Thank you much!

[Bobby dog]

Thanks so much for taking the time to write your experience with these products. The beets caught my eye a few months back. I have a healthy pup at this time, but was checking it out for his skin and coat. A year ago his skin and coat was a mess. I have since resolved his issues with diet changes and other supplements, but I am always on the lookout for any natural supplement.

What a time you have had with your guys! Nice to read you had the patience and knowledge to find a diet that works for your IBS dog, that’s half the battle. Your Sr. fellow sounds like he has benefitted from your care as well! 🙂

[Jude s]

Hey! I was going to make a thread on this topic, but I saw this one….I hope it’s ok if I can ask my question on here 🙂
My 2 month old puppy has really soft stool, foul smelling, some mucus, and always seems to push kind of hard. He doesn’t whimper, he still eats and plays just fine.
I checked for worms, or any white specs, but he’s clear. I’m thinking he’s just having some irritation. I was thinking on putting him on some digestive enzyme supplements, I saw the suggested ones above, but not sure if those are ok for my puppy. I also saw the honest kitchen had supplements as well (Perfect Form & Pro Bloom).
Also if this helps he is a pitbull/chihuahua mix and about 7.5 lbs. He is eating Wellness puppy kibble, but I will be introducing raw foods sometime this month.

[pugmomsandy]

Kathleen,

Have you tried giving some probiotic/digestive enzyme supplement with meals? My pup used to have such baaaaaad gas but after giving the supplements for a while, the gas is gone no matter what kind of food they eat. I used to give it everyday, but now just a couple times a week.

[Jude s]

Wow, Thanks everyone! I’m going to try SSLL dinner mix 🙂 I’ll experiment with different meats, and the sardines little by little. Also I was thinking of adding enzyme pro-biotic supplements , one of my pups is having really soft stool, and a lot of it. I’m going to be taking them both to the vet, but I’m hoping the supplements will work.

[theBCnut]

As growing puppies, large and giant breeds have very specific calcium requirements, which most large breed puppy foods don’t even meet, but once they are grown, you can feed them whatever. Just concentrate on feeding a correct amount of good quality food so that they don’t become overweight and more prone to joint issues. You may also want to add a joint supplement to help ward off damage to joints.

Some large breed formulas have joint supplements added in, but they are never actually at a therapeutic dose unless you over feed by quite a lot. Some restrict one nutrient or another based on old outdated research.

[Kristin C]

USA-what supplements do you use?

[USA]

Hi cindy q,

I feed my guys a homemade diet of fresh pasture-raised meats, free-range poultry and wild-caught fish. I do not feed them any foods that contain ground bone because I lightly cook everything. Their diet is about 80% meats and 20% vegetables. They occasionally get organs and fruits. I lightly cook everything and I use supplements to make sure their diet is balanced and complete.

[Dori]

I have never seen any bone or bone pieces in the food. I agree with cindy q on the issue of bones.

USA and anyone else interested. I just spoke to someone at Big Dog Natural. They air dry their food at 80 – 100 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours.

I decided that instead of guessing, I would just pick up the phone and call. My call was returned within 20 minutes. I have never once been given the run around with any question I have asked. They have been nothing but forthcoming with me. I choose to have the food in rotation with my three dogs everyone else can make up their own minds. As I have said often in the past…..these issues that are being questioned back and forth may very well not sit well with some if this is the ONLY food you are going to feed your dogs. Most of us on DFA rotate foods, supplements, within the brands and different brands. Anyway, my dogs love the food and they have absolutely no issues with the food. No diarrhea, gas, no constipation, no itchiness, no bad breath, no tear stains, no gurgling stomachs, their poops are exactly the way they should be for dogs that eat raw-small well formed not too hard don’t stick to the ground no smell whatsoever.

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

[Liz S]

Been using Dinovite on and off for almost 10 years. Did wonders on my pug. And chihuahuas. The only treats our dogs get is their freeze dried beef treats. Have been getting the treats for many years but when certain health problems arose we did find the supplements helpful.

[theBCnut]

From my understanding, there is no harm, but you can just give them a couple time a week. Some probiotics come with a prebiotic in with them. If you need to stick with one food, I would add the prebiotics too, just in case the food is not supporting them well enough. Fiber supplements that contain inulin are a good cheap prebiotic and a little goes a long way.

[DogFoodie]

Hi SunnyD,

Looks like the NVI raw duck bites are a good choice with sodium at .27%.

The product also includes heart, which is excellent glandular therapy.

Here’s a couple of threads you might also be interested in:
/forums/topic/food-and-supplements-for-my-cavi-with-heart-murmur/; /forums/topic/dry-dog-food-with-low-salt-and-low-fat/

[SunnyD]

I have 2 yorkies that are 11 years old. Last fall my female yorkie was diagnosed with a heart murmur and Congestive Heart Failure. At the time both dogs were eating Nature’s Variety Raw duck bites. The vet had me switch her to a low sodium diet of prescription HD wet food. I hate the corn and other fillers in the prescription food. Currently, she is on enalapril, furosemide and vetmedin. I have to give her her pills twice per day (all in one Allergy formula Pill Pocket). She gobbles it right up. I try to give her as little of the pill pocket as possible because I have no idea how much sodium they have. I would love to switch her back to the Nature’s Variety Raw duck bites. Is that a safe low sodium diet for CHF? Any supplements she should be taking? Or other recommendations? Thanks.

[theBCnut]

WHOA!!!!! EVERYONE!!!!!

A dog that has been starved will have its system completely overwhelmed just by getting regular food. PLEASE!!! Slow down!!

Start with something bland like chicken and rice and only feed about half of what you think she should be getting, for about 3 days. Feel free to add probiotics and digestive enzymes at this time and keep feeding them until all her issues are worked out. After a few days, increase her food to about 3/4 of what she should be getting and then a few days after that increase it to the full amount. Then after a few more days, start adding in some quality dog food, just 1/4 of a meal or less at first. Slowly transition her to full dog food. After that, if you find she still needs different supplements then add them in one at a time every few days.

Your poor girl cannot physically handle all the good things you are trying to do for her. Her body has to have time to adjust to just getting regular meals.

[Bobby dog]

The supplements the Vet suggested should help with her anemia, poor thing.

I have a healthy, younger pup and supplement with MSM daily, kefir for probiotics, garlic 3x/wk, fish oil capsules 3x/wk when I don’t feed sardines, coconut oil 3x/wk, and vit E 1x/wk. For fresh foods I feed some vegies, fruit, lightly cooked fresh meats (he does not have a taste for raw), and a 1 minute poached egg 1-2x/week which helps keep his skin and coat beautiful. I know their are some wonderful commercial supplements out there that would help with healing her immune system, but I don’t have any suggestions for a dog with her health issues. I do recommend looking into digestive enzymes and probiotics for starters. Some probiotics recommended by regular posters are Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic, Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms (I believe this might also contain digestive enzymes, not sure), and Mercola complete. Here is a link to Dogaware for a starting point that might help you find info on supplements for her and some other topics as well.
http://dogaware.com/diet/supplements.html

Info on kefir and coco oil:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-oil-is-good-for-your-dogs.html

I will throw this out to you which may or may not interest/help you to improve her kibble diet if that is what you are going to continue to feed her. I follow Steve Brown’s “ABC Diet.” It is an easy menu plan that helps you improve any quality of kibble following a simple menu and according to the dog’s weight with fresh foods (raw or lightly cooked meat) you can buy at the grocery store.
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

[Robyn H]

My bad, the vet did blood work and Dr says’ she’s anemic and wants to put her on an iron supplement and a fatty acid supplement as well. I’m going to put her on a green tripe diet for the time being and see how that works. Any suggestions on the supplements?

[Bobby dog]

Hi Victoria W:
I understand your budget constraints and hopefully I can offer some more suggestions in addition to the ones you have received. You are very kind to give your relative’s dogs the extra attention they need!

It is surprising they would continue to pay for office visits and medication without trying a new diet as well. However, it sounds like she has an infection and needs antibiotics at this time.

Buying a 50 lbs. bag of food is convenient for large dog owners. Throw in a price of about 45 cents/lb. and it’s hard to talk someone out of buying it. In the future, if you are able to convince them to try another food they should expect to pay at least $1/lb. for a food with more meat protein; about $10 – $15 more per bag. If they would agree to this price point you could find some decent kibbles for them in 40-50 lbs bags.

If you decide to add a new food or supplement be sure to add slowly and in small portions building up to the desired amounts.

If your relatives will only shop at Wal-Mart for dog food and are adamant about feeding Ol’ Roy, maybe you could suggest they try adding other brands to their dogs’ diet along with Ol’ Roy. Here‘s a thread with kibble & canned foods available at Wal-Mart with decent ratings:
/forums/search/Wal-Mart/

There is a PDF download from Steve Brown, “See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way.” It will help you improve any quality of kibble with the addition of fresh foods (eggs, tinned fish, fresh meat, vegetables) you can get at the grocery store. There is a menu that walks you through the amounts of each food to add according to the quality of kibble being fed and the size of the dog. I feed anything from a 3 to 5 star kibble and this download helps me to improve my dog’s diet very easily and affordably. I add the fresh food over several meals rather than feeding it in one day.
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

I don’t always have sardines on hand for my dog and when I don’t I supplement his diet with CVS drug store 1000 mg fish oil capsules 3x/week. I also supplement vitamin E once a week regardless if I feed sardines or CVS fish oil. Here’s a link to more info on supplements, it’s also a great site with lots of other info:
http://dogaware.com/diet/supplements.html

As far as mercury or chemical contamination, smaller fish are not usually high in contaminates due to their short life span and the depth of water they live in. Herring, menhaden, and sardines are some smaller species. Here’s a site with some more info on contamination in fish and a link to a wallet card with a list of fish and the degree of contamination they may have:
http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/

I think adding some probiotics to her diet would really help with her skin issues; it helped tremendously with healing my cat’s skin. This would also help keep the antibiotics from destroying the friendly bacteria in her digestive system. An affordable way to do this is to feed unflavored kefir; most grocery stores sell kefir and it has a very long shelf life. I add it to my cat and dog’s food daily. Here’s some info:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html

Other probiotics recommended by regular posters are Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic, Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms, and Mercola complete.

Coconut oil would be another food that would help with her skin. I add it to my dog’s food 3x/week, more if he has skin issues. I also apply it directly to his skin when it’s irritated. Unfortunately, he loves it so much I have to be sure I have time to supervise him so he doesn’t lick it off before it’s absorbed. Only use unrefined organic. The best price I have found for it was at BJ’s or Costco; Wal-Mart also has a good price just in a smaller jar. Here’s some info on the benefits and dosage:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-oil-is-good-for-your-dogs.html

After a bad experience with my cat and steroids when my dog developed a skin infection I was more than willing to put in the work I needed to help him heal. Bathing with medicated shampoo and applying antibiotic cream regularly was integral in healing his infection. The active ingredients in Malasab shampoo is 2% Miconazole Nitrate and 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate. There are some generic alternatives that might be more budget friendly. Look for my post on page 3 from June 9, 2014 at 6:40 pm for info on some alternatives and for some ingredients to look for in medicated shampoos.
/forums/topic/maybe-its-time-for-a-diet-change/page/3/

I don’t have any experience with a dog that has hip dysplasia, but I think you are on the right track with a glucosamine supplement. Here are two threads that might be helpful:
/forums/topic/joint-health/
/forums/topic/budget-friendly-supplements-for-14-year-old-dachshund/

And here’s a coupon thread that might help with your pet food budget. The first page is an intro and the last page has the most current info posted.
Page 1:
/forums/topic/coupons/
Current page:
/forums/topic/coupons/page/15/

[Bobby dog]

Very nice update! So glad you got her in for an exam and to care for her teeth. You really should give brushing her teeth a try. Sometimes it’s easier than you think it would be. I used to brush this grumpy old Chi mix’s teeth for a friend of mine because she was afraid of being bitten. You would imagine she would bite your hand off as grumpy as she was, but it was just the opposite she would just try her best to taste every bit of the paste.

When my JRT reached her senior years I just gave her some of my horses joint supplement. Joint supplements are expensive and it’s cheaper that way when you have a zoo. I use mostly Uckele and the Natural Vet products, some Vita-Flex and Select the Best also. My favorite supplement for my entire zoo is MSM. Pure MSM is very cheap to buy at tack shops or feed stores. I would look for a supplement with glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid (HA). Devils claw and yucca is good too.
http://equine.uckele.com/Canine/joint

Here’s a brief article on herbs for animal arthritis:
http://www.animalwellnessmagazine.com/articles/top-5-herbs-for-arthritis/

[Akari_32]

Just giving you guys a little update.

I took Ginger to the vet with me this morning and we did a urinalysis on her, and the vet did an over all general exam. Despite her nasty teeth, and the good 10 or so fatty tumors, she’s in good health. We did what we could through a make-sift muzzle with her teeth (we used a bit of gauze tied around her mouth as a muzzle so we could get at her teeth with out her biting, and “cracked” off what tartar build up we could), and her pee came out looking good. The tech said one day, when I’m rich and famous, I should get her teeth done for real, but we both know thats pretty unlikely lol

I was concerned with a kidney problem because she had pee’d just straight water last week on the floor, and I can’t ever see how it looks in the grass obviously, but the tech didn’t find anything suspicious in there today, and I’m not going to pay for blood work if we don’t need to do it. If it persists, then I’ll worry about it, but she seems fine, and going off what I’ve told them, they don’t seem worried about it either.

When we were doing her teeth, she started on one of her canines, and said it was too loose for her to feel comfortable with doing much to, and that it would likely fall out some time soon. And poor Ginger just cried and cried when we were done with her teeth. Hopefully getting some of that junk off her teeth will make her mouth feel better, though. I’ll give her all canned food tonight so she doesn’t have to crunch on the kibbles.

Anyways, she’s as healthy as she’s going to get at the moment, which is good. I’m looking into some joint supplements, and hopefully that’ll help with her biting when getting picked up, once those start to kick in, and help relieve some of that pain, as well. The vet sent me home with a script for chewable amoxicillin to help with her mouth situation, and gave me two refills for when its starts getting bad again. Free antibiotics is the best I can do for her teeth and mouth at the moment and he knows it. If we were to do anything beyond that, it’d be knocking her and pulling all her teeth (or at least a good majority of them), which I can’t afford, and would like to avoid if possible, anyways lol At this point, he’s just happy to see her in a home thats caring for her, and I’m sure Ginger feels the same way.

[Mom2Cavs]

Hi, Cav lover! I have 3 and all 3 of mine have murmurs. Hazel has a grade 2 that was early onset and hasn’t changed in 5 years. She’s 7 now. She is on no meds at this time. Laverne is 9 and was diagnosed with a grade 3/4 about a year ago. She is on no meds at this time. Rupert is 7 and was just diagnosed this past April with a grade 5 and MVD. 🙁 He is doing fine, atm, and is on enalapril. I do give supplements like coq10 and fish oil. I have used others in the past, in supplements like Bio-Cardio by Thorne and Cardio Strength from Vetri Science. My vet likes to use Standard Process glandular supps. and I’ve used the Cardiac care one. I do know that homecooked or raw would probably be best but I do as good as I can for them. I am feeding a rotation of base kibbles, Wellness Simple Small Breed, Fromm Salmon Tunalini. I add canned foods like Fromm 4Star, Wellness 95% or Stews, Simply Nourish and also Fresh Pet Vital. They are great eaters! You can also find tons of info. at this site: cavalierhealth.org. Good luck with your pup, they are a special kind of breed!

One more thing…..I do know that Wellness makes a Small Breed Senior (only comes in 4lb. bags, though) that is lower, controlled sodium but it’s not grain free (if that’s a concern, may not be). Actually, pretty much all of Wellness Small Breed formulas have decent salt percentages (not outlandish).

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[theBCnut]

I use horse supplements on the dogs. I really like Cortaflex, but I add MSM separately. I order from Jefferspet dot com. They have a supplement in their dog section that I have used before and liked, but I like Cortaflex better.

[Wendy E]

Hi all,
I’m new here, so hello! Lots of good reading here! I have a 5YO Cavalier female named Willow, who was just diagnosed with a grade 3 heart murmur, which seems to have developed very quickly (our regular vet did not hear it just 6 short months ago, but the cardiologist found it this past saturday at a heart clinic). I’m trying to research what the best food and supplements are for this condition. I really prefer feeding her a dry/kibble food. The vet recommended a low-sodium food (have no idea what I should choose – nothing seems to be marketed specifically as low-sodum), and supplementation with CoQ10 and Vit E. My head is swimming with everything I’ve found in just a short amount of time researching. Are these the only supplements you’d recommend? I’ve also read quite a bit about glandular therapy for heart health and am wondering what everyone here thinks about that and what a good supplement for that would be.

I found this website when searching for glandulars. http://www.pethealthandnutritioncenter.com/natural-heart-cardiovascular-remedy-treatment-dogs-cats-pets.html wondering about the Heart Tonic product and the Daily Multi Complete (which has glandulars in it). Anyone have experience with this supplier or these products?

I’m also wondering (and these might be ultra-basic knowledge to most, but I can’t find anything that will tell me): If I do a Fish Oil like this one http://www.pethealthandnutritioncenter.com/nordic-naturals-fish-oil-supplement-for-pets.html do I also still supplement with Vit E and CoQ10?

I hate researching this stuff because there always seems to be such conflicting information out there. Any help anyone could give me would be SO appreciated! TIA!

Wendy
mom to Willow

[Akari_32]

Thanks Patty, I’ll look for something like that. Any brands you know of that would be a good starting point for my search?

Melissa, that is exactly why I brought her home in the first place. The previous owner literally came into the vets office I’m interning at and said she’s biting, and to put her down. She was obviously extremely stressed about something and in poor health, which right away caught my (relatively slight, but ever increasing) knowledge of animal behavior. She had been in about two weeks before for a bladder infection, and was given liquid amoxicillin. The owner was, and I quote, putting her in a head lock and shoving it down her throat. And guess when all this biting started? Right after the antibiotics started. Imagine that. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out a simple change in administering the medication would have solved all your problems, lady! I just wunna smack that chick… lol

So now, I’m working with her on not flinching away from contact (she used to expect every touch to hurt, but now she’s pretty good about not being so stressed about it, and loves butt scratches and ear rubs), and I’m working with her on at least accepting being picked up, because lets face it– a small dog has to be picked up at some point or another. There are places they just can’t (or won’t and need to be) get to themselves. I think once she’s on something that is helping relieve some of that pain, we will get further with getting her more comfortable with certain things. I think she may need to be on something like Previcox for the rest her life for actual pain relief, though. But before I do that, I want to see how she does on joint supplements, as it is safer in the long run for her, and easier on my budget.

One big thing I’ve noticed, after we take a decent walk, and she’s all exhausted and in a good, happy mood, and she’s too tired to care, I can pick her right up and she’s happy to let me. You can see a relief and acceptance in her eyes at being picked up when she’s in that state. So a good deal of it is certainly mental from whatever rough treatment she was subjected to before, but I have no doubt that over all, she is in some degree of pain, and it does need to be dealt with. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it is for her to be hurting all the time.

[theBCnut]

Look for a supplement that has HA in the name or hyaluronic acid in the ingredients. I also like MSM in joint supplements. It helps as a carrier for glucosamine and has biologically available sulfur, which joints need.

[Akari_32]

As you guys may know, I recently took in an old Dachshund with several health and behavioral problems, all due to lack of proper care and rough treatment.

One of her biggest problems is she’s always limping and when she hurts too much, she lashes out at almost any handling (mainly when being picked up). I know they are prone to back problems, and from what I’ve seen of her extremely limited vet records, she’s had no such problems. She does have problems with her shoulders and hips, though. Typical old dog stuff, really, but she’s learned from experience in her previous home that lashing out and biting when she’s in pain will get her left alone. I need to get her on some sort of good, but relatively cheap, joint/etc supplement (glucosamine is the first thing that comes to mind) that will help with any pain she’s having, and help prevent or slow down any further joint or bone damage and help with the arthritis I’m sure she has. I also need some tips on getting her to understand that biting is not the answer, if anyone has any.

She loves to be active, and I want to keep her that way. She does limp more after walks, but she doesn’t seem to notice, and loves the stimulation. It’s like she loves to just be so tired she doesn’t want to do anything. She just looks so happy after long walks, and you can tell that she is over all calmer and less high strung (she paces all day with no good walks) . Obviously, I want to keep her happy and active, but I don’t want to cause any more damage to her joints, so we need to get her on something good before she gets much worse.

I’ve tried Pro Sense glucosamine chewables from Walmart on my other dogs, and they really didn’t do anything that I noticed. Granted, they don’t really have any problems in that department, despite being large and freakishly huge, and 10 11 years old, so there is that. I shop mostly at Pet Supermarket and PetSmart, but can also go to PetCo and look at stuff online, and I work at Publix (only one dog joint supplement there, but it’s like $20, so I’m good on that, but people supplements are always an option, too).

And she is already on fish oil and coconut oil, rotated daily, so that’s already covered. So, anything you guys have, go for it! I’d like to only spend about $10 a month, if possible, but take that loosely when giving me suggestions.

Thanks guys!

[Victoria W]

Hello All,
This is a desperate attempt to help a dog who is currently very very miserable. I am living with relatives for a short duration, and ever since I have been here with them their beautiful chocolate lab has had severe allergies. She is 4 years old this fall and suffers from seasonal allergies. She is so itchy, her fur is being chewed off on her abdomen and legs, and every few weeks she gets a horrible irritation under her neck that looks so infected! I don’t trust the vet my relatives are using, she seems more than happy to keep pushing very strong antibiotics and prednisone off on this dog. The dog will get better after about a week, but by better I mean the rash and oozing sores start to lessen, at the expense of her vibrance (when on the prescribed regimine of meds she just lays around and sleeps). They feed all 4 of their big dogs Ol’ Roy dog food, one of if not the worst dog foods out there. They wont listen to me about needing to change them over and currently I can push no more. ( I will continue to try though) Until they see reason what natural supplements can I give her on top of her food to help her out. Also, I’ve been giving their golden retriever who has hip dysplasia glucosimine tablets any suggestions there also.

[CMZ]

Crazy4cats
Sorry for the misunderstanding, he was diagnosed with hip dysplasia as a pup. 4 months old.
I agree when the first ingredient is corn!! I do keep his weight down. He is only 94-95 lbs.
They are so stoic, I can never really tell if he is having trouble. When we took him in to the vets in August, they thought he was a bit stiff, so we started him on the injectable adequin
Again, so hard to tell if its helping. I just took him off the rimadyl a couple days ago, I don’t really notice any difference. So I guess thats a good thing.
As far as the food JD is suppose to have a good amount of glucosamine for his joints. But for now I think I will keep him on his current foods and just the supplements. I don’t like the corn as the first ingredient. thanks

[pugmomsandy]

I wouldn’t feed BDN as a sole diet without supplements long term without receiving a full nutrient analysis (I’m sure those tests are expensive too). Even the recipes in “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” comes with a vitamin mix recipe and a nutrient analysis for the different recipes. There are some folks (maybe hardcore BARFers) that only feed whole prey and nothing else. Depends on which school of thought you go with and your comfort level. Back in the day dogs grew up on table scraps. Sometimes we make it more difficult than it is.

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

[Dori]

cindy q. I don’t add any supplements to is but as I have mentioned previously, I feed a rotational diet so it is not necessary in my case or anyone else that feeds rotational with great frequency (every meal and/or every other day). Keep in mind that each and every meal (I feed twice a day) you feed your dog does not have to be complete and balanced. Complete and balanced needs to be met over time but not each and every meal.

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

[Lisa M]

Does anyone have recommendations for a toy poodle who can only have venison as the sole protein in his food (no chicken meal, eggs, or proteins from other animal sources) due to allergies? We’ve been through Natural Balance (didn’t help with allergies and he didn’t like the taste of any of it), Wellness (VERY fishy and made his allergies acutely worsen), Evangers (which was discontinued). Right now we use Evo 95% wet food, which has had recalls, and California Natural dry venison (which has had recalls, and seems to be being possibly discontinued? or at least it is very hard to find). I have a source for venison ground hamburger meat with ground bone, but I also have been unable to find vitamin supplements to add to it. I’d ground up some of the dry CA Natural and called it “sprinkles”, and he would eat it that way sometimes. He’s seen 2 vets, consulted with a vet internist, and has seen a veterinary dermatologist, so yes, it is documented that it is both food allergies and skin allergies. He did not go for any of the freeze dried stuff. Thanks so much.

[Zach M]

Sandy what green supplements do you use? And I have a slightly overweight lab/whippet who is also very pick lol.

[Kristin C]

Thanks for mentioning BDN Cindy. I have not heard of it and am very interested so I emailed them with a few questions. I’m afraid their pricing might be too good to be true though. I’ve been using Darwin’s for the last few months and their trial was worth it, but they’re changing their formula and not offering any samples so I cancelled after my first auto shipment. Plus their meat turns brown in the frig and that can’t be good. My homemade raw stays nice and pink unless it’s older. I see you’ve queried on BDN on another post so I’ll keep my eye out for anyone else chiming in on whether they add supplements to it. I may just try it as “supplemental” feeding.

[pugmomsandy]

The majority of the time I add some greens/joint powder and other supplements but I add those with any wet food topper I use, whether it’s BDN or other canned food. If I’m in a hurry, I don’t add anything. I have one super picky obese pug (sounds odd, right?) right now that will only eat BDN and ZiwiPeak, sheesh!!! I need to find something to transition him to, maybe the Freshpet soft kibble C4C mentioned on another thread.

[Kellye P]

USA — I am looking at the fructosamine test from March and it says the reference range is 260-358. I remember my vet saying that he was in the range that might require us to lower his insulin but she didn’t want to do that because he was doing so well. The specialist always tells me to not treat the numbers but to treat the dog. Per the explanation on the results, 260 is just above the range that might mean prolonged hypoglycemia. I am home all day so I observe his behavior. He does not drink a lot or act like he’s unhappy. He is quite content. The specialist says a happy dog is the goal so to stop worrying. (easy to say!!!) Neither vet was the least bit concerned about the 250 glucose reading when he was off insulin. They expected him to be much higher. My vet talked to the Vetsulin people and many other specialists. She calls anybody and everybody to get consultations on this little dog. He goes for his thyroid and fructosamine test in a couple weeks so I will have new numbers and will post them here. As for the thyroid, since he has been on the thyroxine, he has tested normal every time. I really hoped that was the problem but the full panel done last year showed everything was normal. In fact, the most frustrating part of this whole story is that we can’t get my dog to test positive for anything that will give us a new idea for how to treat him. He is the most abnormal “normal” dog in the world.

sue62b – I paid big bucks to two different companies that specialize in vet formulated recipes for dogs. When I saw the final results, I was a bit skeptical. The amount of food they advised was less than what I feed now and it was so amazingly healthy. Yes, that’s a good thing, but maybe not for a skinny dog??? For example, lean chicken breast – broiled, with a tiny bit of chickpeas and a dash of corn oil. It came to about .25 cup. (with a vitamin supplement added but no calories in the supplement) I don’t like corn oil due to GMOs but that’s another story.
Another recipe had lots and lots of broccoli. Does anybody have a very picky dog who would willingly eat broccoli?? And, of course, I researched every single ingredient they told me to feed him and I had a few issues with broccoli. They told me I wasn’t feeding enough to cause harm but why would I feed anything that might be dangerous? There was a study done that showed broccoli could cause problems in dogs but they told me it was not a proven fact and many dogs eat it and there are no problems at all. That’s not good enough for me. 🙂
I did try the Wellness Duck and Oatmeal. Duck is a preferred protein per my Traditional Chinese Medicine vet. Duck is “cool” so it counters the “hot” diabetes. Turkey is also “cool”. Lamb is “warm” but I may try that one too. My boy was not super crazy about the Duck and Oatmeal. It would be great if he’d eat it because there is a store that sells it right by my favorite grocery store. I am keeping Chewy.com in business with my many orders of almost every food they sell! I had good luck with ZiwiPeak canned food but only one type was considered tasty by my boy and that one became unavailable in January. It cost $5 per can, by the way. 🙂
I do use didgestive enzymes, plus coconut oil because my TCM vet said it adds calories and is another “cool” food.
He has always preferred dry kibble and right now he likes the Nulo food but he used to like Fromm and he was heavier at that time so I just ordered more Fromm. (they have a duck recipe)
Thank you for the info on K9Kitchen. I will check it out!!
Good luck with Patch. If you have access to vets who went to the Chi Institute, they have all sorts of herbal supplements that might help you. I used Liver Happy back when my boy had slightly elevated levels. His next test showed a reading of 45, as I recall, which was fantastic. Even the Chi TCM vet was amazed. Unfortunately the Chi blends for diabetes contain cinnamon and my boy will throw up cinnamon every single time. That is really a shame because that herbal remedy gets rave reviews from other parents of diabetic dogs.

Thank you both!!!!

[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.

[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.

[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 !

[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!