[2dogmom]

Scott is great about returning emails too. He explained so much to me, I’m confident I made the right choice in picking Nature’s Logic for my new puppy.

Don’t feed added supplements and watch any other foods you introduce into their diets. It’s that combination along with combining certain minerals that throw off the chemical balance that cause levels to spike or exceed “standards”. I am glad there is no added D3 in NL which as stated above could result in over absorption. I get it.

Thanks everyone.

[RescueDaneMom]

I think any incorporation of raw or fresh foods is a good thing. I’ve just started adding raw to my dog’s diet. I think it’d be easier for you if you stick with the 20% rule. You can add up to 20% (by volume I think) of additional fresh foods without throwing off the balance of nutrients in commercial kibble. That way you don’t have to worry about adding extra supplements and such to make the food complete and balanced. I think it has also been said that you can feed one meal of raw and one meal of kibble and still be ok with vitamins/minerals.

I add the following things to my dog’s food (not all at the same time): lightly cooked eggs (over easy), cottage cheese, kefir, canned sardines in water, and canned pink salmon. I will also add some canned tripe by Tripett.

I also add commercial raw, either Primal or Stella and Chewy’s. Lately I’ve been using the Primal grinds (muscle meat, organs, and bone) which are not complete and balanced. If you used more than 20% of this in a meal than you would need to balance it. You can get Primal from an independent pet store. See primalpetfoods.com for more info. Also a bonus, the bones in the grinds are ground up so small that there is no hazard of choking!

If you are interested in learning more about raw food there are two books that are always recommended: “Real food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Taylor & Becker and “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown. They have recipes for raw and cooked foods. I have made one batch of raw using Taylor & Becker’s recipe. I wasn’t too difficult but I had to go to two different stores to get what I needed. It is easier for me right now to use the Primal grinds instead of making my own raw food.

In my opinion, commercial raw food is a good compromise if you don’t want to go full raw. Yes it is still processed, but very minimally and much less than kibble. It is also convenient for those that are busy or simply don’t have or want to take the time to source raw meats and make their own raw food meals from scratch.

These are just my opinions. There are others here that have way more experience than I do such as HoundDogMom, Pattyvaughn, and pugmomsandy. They may have more feedback for you.

[Oceans11]

Your Pugs are adorable! I thank you and appreciate your comments. I made the mistake of going in and reading the comments on supplements – too much information for now! If I feed our puppy Raw Instinct Bites and alternate with an all meat kibble (Fromm perhaps??) and give him a bone every 3 days or so, won’t this be enough for a happy healthy pup? Doesn’t the Raw Instinct and kibble have the right mix of all the nutrients they need?

Also, have you any experience with using Diatamacious Earth as a preventive for ear mites?

[pacer1978]

I’m sorry if these questions were already asked. There are so many posts, that I feel it may just be faster to ask instead of reading through every topic on the forum. I am mostly a kibble type since that is convenient and fast, though I do feed my dogs premium kibble: NV, NP, Earthborn Holistic, and Fromm for instance.

Here are my questions. If I do incorporate raw into their diet, how do I go about doing that? Where do you purchase this from? Is there a butcher you go through? How much does it cost typically? I have stayed away from raw thinking it would be unsanitary and very expensive. Plus, I try not to give my dogs bones since they inhale their food and seem to cough and gag a lot after eating one. My thought is that it gets stuck in their throat. Not to mention, I will come home to a pile of bile with sharp bones in the mix and that freaks me out. I’m afraid the sharp bones will do damage to them. Sometimes I will purchase the NV raw patties and freeze dried food and sprinkle or chop that up into their food, but probably don’t do it often for it to make any difference. I’m sure that their raw food is not the same anyway since it is probably still processed in some way.
I know many of you here believe 100% in the raw diet, but I remember when I first investigated it, I had read articles that didn’t support it. One lady explained how she switched to raw and her dog ended up extremely sick with contamination. Any ideas on that? I feel right now with supplements, treats, and premium kibble I am spending so much on their food as it is. I want the best for my dogs, however. I feel you shouldn’t take them on if you can’t provide for them the best you can. Who knows…maybe the raw is cheaper than what I’m spending right now. On the other hand, I’m the main person that handles the feedings in my house. I doubt on the nights I’m at school my husband will have the patients or agreeableness to feed and deal with raw food. Anyway, just looking for your thoughts on some of these questions. I always thought raw was too difficult to feed since there really isn’t a place for me to purchase this other than my grocery store. For some reason, I figured most people purchased it another way. Thanks for anyone reading!

[RescueDaneMom]

Soprano1-

I am by no means an expert. I would suggest checking out the dogaware website at dogaware.com/health/kidney.html. I haven’t figured out how to post links yet so bear with me.

According to my research on dogaware, dogs with early stage kidney disease only need slight diet modifications. The following text is copied from the website:
“Early Renal Insufficiency: In general, creatinine values up to about 2.0 (177 µmol/L) are indicative of mild, or early stage, kidney disease (or early renal insufficiency, as my vet terms it). In cases like these, it may still help to make dietary modifications to reduce phosphorus if blood phosphorus level is above 4.5, but these reductions do not need to be as drastic as when the values are higher, and it is probably not necessary to do other treatments at this stage, such as sub-q fluids (unless your dog is drinking so much that she is having trouble staying hydrated, such as getting up during the night to drink). Adding calcium to each meal if you are feeding a home made diet (to act as a phosphorus binder) would be advisable, and possibly antacids, particularly if your dog is showing any signs of inappetence or gastric problems. I would also give fish oil supplements (body oil, NOT liver oil), at the rate of 1,000 mg (300 mg combined DHA and EPA) per 10 lbs of body weight, along with Vitamin E (50, 100 or 200 IU for small, medium and large dogs), and discontinue any Vitamin A and D supplements (including cod liver oil) added to commercial foods. Additional recommended supplements include a B-complex vitamin and CoQ10, which may be beneficial for dogs with kidney disease.”

There is a table on the website for commercial foods with phosphorous amounts listed. There is only one blue buffalo food on there and it has too much phosphorous. See dogaware.com/health/kidneynonprescription.html

I looked up your previous food (Purina NF) on the same site. It says that food is for Late Stage Kidney Disease. The protein content is 15.9% on a dry matter basis. There are prescription diets that are better suited to Early Stage Kidney Disease. I don’t know why your vet wouldn’t have put your dog on one of those. I think Patty was right and the food was doing more harm than good in your case.

You report that your dog is doing well on Blue right now and you have a recheck in November. If it were me, I would continue to feed Blue and see what her values are at the recheck. If her creatinine and BUN are slightly elevated, I would consider switching to one of the foods on the list of non-prescription foods. My choice would be the Wellness Complete Health Super5Mix Chicken Recipe and/or Wellness Complete Health Super5Mix Whitefish & Sweet Potato.

I hope this is helpful. Again, I would really recommend checking out the dogaware site. There is so much information available. I would read through it before going to your recheck in November so you can be prepared.

[Dfwgolden]

I have a 16 week old purebred Border Collie puppy out of working stock lines.
He’s an amazing pup in every way, intelligent, lively, loving, and very social.

However….

Ricky has since I got him had very loose stools. We have three other dogs two Golden Retrievers and a Chihuahua (Shh, don’t tell him I called him a dog!)
None of our other three ever had loose stools, Ricky also poops a lot!
Not like 4-5 times like some puppies do but like 8-10 times a day.

His potty training has been an extreme difficulty and is not progressing as it should.
We’ve tried changing foods and adding supplements.
He just has show no signs of improvement.

I am a big fan of the raw diet but am not currently able to feed that with my finances.
He is currently on Diamond Lamb and Rice Large breed puppy.
My other dogs eat Diamond with no problems what so ever, they have a nice shiny coat and have never been in better health.

What do I do about this? I just am all over the board here and don;t understand why he poops SO MUCH and why it is so loose.
He is 100% healthy (had a blood panel done and everything) he is on Revolution for fleas and HW.
He gets feed in the afternoon around 12:00pm and at night around 6:00pm
Then gets a small snack of food before I leave for school around 7:00am of so.

He is very active and shows know underlying issues what so ever. His coat is beautiful! No smelly breath, or itching ect.

I just am baffled.

[RescueDaneMom]

I rescued my Dane when he was 2 as well. He was only slightly underweight. He was 140 and now weighs 160 at 7 years old. Max is my first Dane and I followed the advice of The Great Dane Lady at first. I like the supplements that she recommends. I use the “Filling in the Wholes” and Nzymes granular supplements which can be purchased from firstchoicenaturals.com. You can also get probiotics and digestive enzymes from them. My mom’s rottweiler that is undergoing chemo treatment is on the 4 in 1 probiotics.

When I first got Max, I put him on a diet of high quality kibble (one of Great Dane Lady’s suggested) and used The Honest Kitchen as a topper. He loved it. It was also a great improvement over the Diamond food he was being fed. I have to agree that she suggests too many kibbles with grain that have high carbs. I would also agree that the licking and chewing at his butt and hips could be a food intolerance. Chicken is the most widely fed protein so it might be worth it to try a different protein. My Dane loves turkey and duck. Earthborn Holistic has affordable priced grain-free foods.

I wish you the very best of luck with Bauer. Great Danes are awesome, quirky dogs with so much personality. I think you will really fall in love with the breed. Keep us updated on his progress!

[Katie]

Thanks for all the advice y’all. I appreciate all the feedback.

As far as the chewing goes – I have been trying to distract him whenever I catch him chewing his nails or licking/chewing his legs, hips, or butt with chew toys, rawhides, bones. Bauer doesn’t really care for toys – but man on man he absolutely loves bones and antlers. If I am holding it for him, he would chew and chew on them for hours. He gives up faster if he’s having to hold them between his paws on his own. They have really helped clean his teeth a bunch too. His teeth were HORRIBLE when I first got him. I have been trying to brush them, but nothing has worked as well as the antlers have in cleaning those back teeth up. The plaque/tartar build up was disgusting and black when I first got him. It’s so much better now. As far as the bones/antlers go – the redirect seems to work whenever I catch him in the act of licking/chewing to switch out for the bone or antler. But it’s when I am not home during the day and can’t reprimand and redirect – that’s when it’s the worst. I come home and he’s got a new raw spot, or the one he had is now even worse. I try to not let him be home alone for more than 4 hours at a time, but I do believe that some of it is just boredom. I take him on a long walk in the morning to try and wear out some of his energy too. I think I am going to have to diaper him if he doesn’t leave his back legs and butt alone.

As far as his weight issues go, I have another vet appointment on Tuesday so I am going to ask her to do a lab work up on him. It worries me that he hasn’t gained weight. I am definitely going to be switching to a grain free dog food (I know Sor recommended Halo) and I am going to the meat store in a bit to pick up ingredients for Satin balls. I have been giving Bauer fish oil supplements as well as glucosamine/chondroitin pills just bc my goldens always needed it for hip/joint issues and I figure that even though he’s severely underweight and still young right now – hopefully he will eventually gain weight and he won’t always be young – so preventative measures are always best.

Katie

[pugmomsandy]

It depends on the cuts of meat you’re using for the homemade raw and if it’s regular, free range, grass fed, antibiotic free, etc. You probably don’t want the regular chickens that have been injected but rather get some that are less processed, no antibiotics. You can find discount prices when the sell-by dates are coming up. At the health food store, I can get a package of turkey neck with giblets for around $1.49/lb. But duck necks are about $2.69/lb. Ground beef 80/20 is less than $1/lb and containers of heart and gizzard are under $2/lb. I guess it also depends on your area of the country. There is an initial investment of freezer space and a meat/bone grinder but they are well worth it. Or you can use boneless meats and supplement with bone meal or other source of calcium. The recipe book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Karen Becker/Beth Taylor has simple recipes with and without bone. I would say my average (guessing) would be $2.20 a pound and my dog would eat 6 oz per day = 11.25 lbs per month = $24.75 per month PLUS supplements. Kibble would be $15.60 per month for me ($79 for 100 cups). I don’t ever use the $0.39/lb bag of chicken thighs!! But yes, you can get homemade to be real cheap. Let’s say a combo of ground beef 80/20 or 70/30 and chicken heart/gizzard and some supplements would be cheap, in rotation with the Core. I think it would work out. You can also join a local raw feeding group and order in bulk with them. I like to buy tripe which is $2/lb for me. I also feed raw sardines which I bought on sale for $1.19/lb. You can also add up to 20% of unbalanced raw food to his diet without having to worry about extra vit/min supplementation. Maybe give him a chicken wing, a heart and piece of gizzard a couple times a week.

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

[RescueDaneMom]

That happened to me with the Supplements forum. I went back to it the next day and it was fine. Very bizarre. Must have been a glitch as it has resolved itself.

[abby13]

I have an english bulldog that is 1 1/2 years old. She has spina bifida and is completely incontinent. Sometimes I have to assist her with the number 2s. Changing her diapers gives me the excellent and horrific view of her poops. Sophie has an EXTREMELY sensitive stomach. I am very well versed in dry dog food but am extremely incompetent when it comes to supplements. I have read nearly every thread on here and it seems like information overload! I currently feed Sophie Nutrisca. That is the only kibble that hasn’t made her bowels completely crazy. I work at a pet food store, so I have tried nearly everyone. Anytime I remotely try to switch her, its diarrhea, pure liquid. She gets dehydrated quickly and that scares me! She has done well on the Nutrisca, however I am interested in switching her to a commercial raw diet. Again no matter how slowly I try to transition, its pure diarrhea, liquid and I am changing diapers every 5-15 minutes. Poor baby. So the Nutrisca we have stayed on, however, now even on the Nutrisca her bowels switch from rock solid I have to help her excrete them to pure liquid. I have her own cranberry extract powder, and salmon oil. Occasionally I give her raw eggs. I am looking for a digestive enzyme or SOMETHING to help keep her number 2s more consistent. Pumpkin doesn’t work. Haven’t had much luck with yogurt. Anytime I take her to the vet (who delivered her and wouldn’t put her down when the breeder wanted him to due to the SB and who is an expert on SB and has pooled his resources all over the country for Sophie’s SB) he suggests switching her back to Science Diet which is what he had her on when she was living with him before I adopted her. Yes then her poops where normal, no problems but I absolutely refuse to put her on that and I refuse to go to another vet, not many in my area are spina bifida literate. There has to be a supplement of some kind to help her. I don’t hear a lot of tummy gurgles. Like I said she goes from being constipated to diarrhea by the day. Any suggestions for my poor baby?!

[robertdee]

Interestingly enough, my girlfriend when I just met her (now my fiance), had a Yorkie with luxating petalla. I remember spending hours walking around pet stores, talking to vets and doing research online. A friend of mine has recommended me to look into Pooch & Mutt products (really popular supplements company in UK) as they have started selling directly in the US through http://www.bestdogremedies.com

We were skeptical, but after trying everything else, we have realized that there was nothing to lose. We have ordered some Mobile Bones and Bella has gotten a new lease on life.

[EnzymesForPets]

The amount of enzymes you are giving between food and supplements will not harm your dog. Enzymes are just proteins- if they don’t have anything to act upon, they themselves will just get broken up into amino acids. Even at very high doses, there should not be any “overdose” effects from the enzymes. 🙂

[EnzymesForPets]

You are correct, animal-derived enzymes are generally active in a much narrower pH range, so they will only work in the environment with that pH. Additionally, they can become denatured and not work at all if they are in an environment which varies too much from that pH. Microbial and plant-derived enzymes tend to work under a wider range of conditions. This is why they are usually the preferred choice for digestive supplements. Especially when a supplement includes a range of enzymes, they can be active throughout the pH changes of the digestive tract. The stomach has a very low pH, but the pH in the small intestine is much higher. Many animal-derived enzymes may be active in one or the other, but will not work in both (and may get denatured in the acidity of the stomach, therefore never even being active in the small intestine).

[pugmomsandy]

I’m a proponent of using different supplements (or rather not relying on just one) so I would use it if I had it, but also rotate it with other supplements. I’ve used Dr Harveys Ortho Flex (with devils claw) but also have Actiflex 4000, cetyl-M, and tumeric. I also like plain old green lipped mussel as well. Wysong Arthegic looks good too.

[pugmomsandy]

The Honest Kitchen also has Perfect Form. It contains slippery elm which helps sooth the GI tract.

http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/slippery-elm/

[Mom2Cavs]

weezerweeks, THK Invigor is a whole food supplement. Other good ones, imho, are Longevity from Springtime, Inc. and Dinovite, and Missing Link, along with Nature’s Logic. Springtime has chewables that I love that are whole food based called Fresh Factors. I’ve used them for years, off and on. Oh, and I forgot another favorite of mine, Wholistic Pet Canine Complete. I order my Wholistic Pet supplements from k9power.com. They have quite a few good whole food supplements on the site.

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

[weezerweeks]

HDM is hk invigor a whole food supplement?

[pacer1978]

Can a dog overdose on enzymes? I give my dogs enzymes with each meal since I feed them kibble. I didn’t realize that some dog food already have enzymes in the food such as Nature’s Variety and Nature’s Logic. So, should I still give them enzymes with their meals when I feed them that brand? I switch brands now every few bags as recommended with the understanding that each brand may use specific nutrients, minerals, and vitamins more so than others. So, by switching the brands it ensures my dogs are getting a variety of those things. If I switch between brands, but maintain the same supplements and dosages, could I potentially overdose them on anything?
This is what they get:
Daily: Nordic Naturals Fish Oil for dogs, Swanson’s joint supplement for their hips, coconut oil, enzyme with each meal, and 1 TBS supergreens
Every other Day: Probiotic and Tart Cherry (as part of their superfood). I sometimes will give Mattie a probiotic every day depending on how her ears are…she is kind of “yeasty”.

[pugmomsandy]

One site I looked at said a 10 lb dog should have 300 mg glucosamine daily. So if you go by that, he can have the dosage on the bottle – 2 tabs for the loading period and then 1 tab per day. Cetyl-M has 250 mg glucosamine. It has bromelain in it as well. So taking this on an empty stomach allows the enzyme to work systemically rather than acting to digest food.

http://www.glucosaminefordogshq.com/glucosamine-dosage-for-dogs/

[weezerweeks]

Pugmomsandy I decided to try the cetyl m tablets. I received my bottle today. It says initial period 2 tablets per day 25 lbs. my dog weighs 7lbs. What amount should I start with and what amount to maintain. It also says on empty stomach.anybody can answer

[theBCnut]

I don’t know if HDM will see this, but I think it sounds great. The thing that a lot of them add that is a deal breaker is green tea, since it has caffeine in it. I don’t know specifically about ginko powder for dogs. I’ve never heard anything against it.

ETA: I just googled ginko supplements for dogs and got a study that showed it helped and some supplement info, so I believe it is ok.

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

[RescueDaneMom]

I tried to post this in the supplements forum but it wouldn’t acknowledge that I was logged in.

I was looking through Starwest Botanical’s products on amazon for ingredients to make HDM’s superfood supplement. I came across a “GreenPower Blend” that they make.

Ingredients:Organic Barley Grass Powder, Organic Wheat Grass Powder, Organic Spirulina, Organic Spinach Powder, Organic Alfalfa Leaf Powder, Organic Kelp Powder, Organic Dulse Leaf Powder, Organic Barley Grass Juice Powder, Organic Orange Peel Powder, Organic Beet Root Powder, Organic Dandelion Leaf Powder, Organic Lemon Peel Powder, Organic Ginkgo Leaf Powder & Organic Wheat Grass Juice Powder

Would this be an acceptable whole food/ green supplement to add to a homemade raw or cooked diet? I wasn’t sure about the ginko leaf powder. Thanks!

• This topic was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by RescueDaneMom.

[kimberley]

Mom2Cavs – Okay, the Diatomaceous earth is commonly used in cat litter, as it’s a binding agent. Dinovite also has Montmorillonite Clay (another binding agent) that can be toxic because of dioxins…. the FDA recommends it being tested before use in any animal feed, however it’s not regulated. Main issue with this is that things like oil seeds and grains can absorb this material, then the dioxin is ingested, so care is recommended when feeding something with this supplement in it. It’s frequently used in livestock feed with supplements (with no or little issues noted). The aspergillus products are a type of fungus, commonly used in Asia as sexual supplements (????), as well as for digestion in animals. Hope this answers your question. 🙂

[pugmomsandy]

The Arthroplex ingredients look good.

[NectarMom]

I just got my springtime order of joint and fresh factor chews and my dogs readily eat the Mercola joint chewables but are hesitant to eat the springtime chewables. I think they are excellent supplements from the ingredient list but I just wish mine liked them as much as Mercola products. I will keep trying though.

[weezerweeks]

Mom2Cavs and Sandy Do you know anything about Arthroplex by Thorne for joints? I have a hard time giving my Bailey supplements if he’s not having problems but I know he has the luxating patela in one leg and I don’t want to wait til it gets bad but I don’t want to give him supplements if not needed. Thanks

[pugmomsandy]

Cetyl-M, chewable, easy to break apart. Not super strong like Glycoflex 3 Chewables.

http://www.responseproducts.com/advanced-cetyl-m-joint-action-formula-for-dogs-120-tablets/

[Mom2Cavs]

One of my absolute favorite joint supplements is Joint Health Chews from http://www.springtimeinc.com. I’ve used their products for many years with great success. I used their Joint Health Chews, along with their Fresh Factors, for my now deceased Shih-Poo who had both rear luxating patellas. They were grade 3! He never had to have surgery, but his exercise was limited. Check ’em out!

[weezerweeks]

I’ve been looking at all the supplements some of you have suggested and I’m stressed out. My 7lb3oz yorkie has luxating petalla in one leg. It does not give him any trouble but I’ve noticed lately he acts stiff after we walk. We walk couple of miles a day and he’s 5 now so I want to start him on something but not real strong and powerful. I would like for it to be powder or a chewable. Someone with a small dog make the decision for me. Thanks

• This topic was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Fix Duplicate Topic Title

[Mom2Cavs]

Molzy, it does sound to me like an acid stomach problem, but I’m not a vet….
This site has some good supplements for acid stomach and digestion problems and some good articles, too. http://www.askariel.com I have a dog that has allergies and has mild occurrences of licking, swallowing. I have used these supplements when that happens with success.

[Melissaandcrew]

I have to say that I have was surprised when I did a cost analysis. Granted the farm I am going to be buying from is very reasonable-less than a $1 per lb for the items I am looking for. I based my figures on two weeks of Acana/Nutrisource Vs two weeks of homemade raw. I did not figure in supplements as I already buy Fish oil, kefir, yogurt mackerel and sardines and eggs.. I did figure in the canned, Grandma Lucy’s and premade commercial raw that I buy now. I will save for each 15 days between $221 and $277.

Hubby was a “naysayer” in attempting this(too much work, clean up, bacteria etc) but he heard that and he asked if I woud like him to order a new freezer now, or should he wait a month or two? LOL. I have to tell you, I can’t wait to start grinding something..anything..if this doesn’t work out for the dogs, I may have to take up sausage making, lol.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi jimmianne –

There’s no such thing as a single “best” food. The less processed the better – so raw would be the best option, followed by fresh cooked, then dehydrated or freeze-dried, then canned, with dry food being the worst option. With whatever you feed, variety is key – don’t stick with the same food. Rotating foods helps to strengthen your dog’s gut by fostering a diverse population of microflora, gives your dog a variety of nutrients and give you options in the event of a recall. If you’re going to feed a dry food as the bulk of your pup’s diet I would add a quality “topper” – such as raw, dehydrated, freeze-dried, canned or healthy fresh foods (i.e. eggs, lean meat, plain yogurt or kefir, cottage cheese, tinned sardines, etc.). Canidae looks good on paper but I personally wouldn’t risk feeding – the majority of Canidae’s products are manufactured by Diamond who has very poor quality control and numerous recalls. Unless you live in the same state as Canidae’s plant or in a neighboring state you’re probably getting product manufactured by Diamond.

As far as supplements, some good supplements to consider would be probiotics, digestive enzymes, quality fish oil and whole food supplements (with “super foods” like kelp, spirulina, bee pollen, etc.).

[Hound Dog Mom]

Wow Melissa, I’m so happy to hear you’re going the homemade raw route! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in the results. 🙂

I would suggest getting as many different varieties of organ meat as possible (remember, hearts and gizzards are considered muscle meat not organ meat). Liver should only comprise 5% of the diet and 5% should be “other” organs – the more organs you can get to make up the “other” portion the better. Ask for items like kidneys, lungs, spleen, pancreas, brain, etc. If you can get gullet and trachea these are a great source of naturally occurring chondroitin (good for the seniors’ joints) – not organ meat though. Obviously if you can get green tripe go for it (muscle meat).

The Nupro would be okay to use for a trace nutrient supply but it wouldn’t completely balance the meals. You’re going to want to be sure to add a source of vitamin e and vitamin d (I use cod liver oil for vitamin d). You’re going to want to add some ground nuts/seeds for manganese (I use a combination of sprouted pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds/flax/chia). I think it’s a good idea to feed tinned oysters once in awhile as they’re a great source of trace minerals like zinc, copper and selenium. I’m also an advocate of small amounts (10% – 20%) of fruits and veggies (I most often use organic greens, butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower and berries – be sure to puree) for antioxidants and kefir or yogurt for probiotics. Cage-free eggs are a great source of omega 3’s, have a great amino acid profile and will contain some of the b vitamins, vitamin d and vitamin e – I recommend feeding eggs at least once a week. I mix in various fresh herbs like parsley, garlic and cilantro. I also add coconut oil and apple cider vinegar to every batch. The most important thing to keep in mind is that variety is key!

If you are looking for a supplement to “balance” the diets, I’d recommend Steve Brown’s See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix. It makes AAFCO compliant meals and it’s really cheap in comparison to other pre-mixes plus there’s a quantity discount when you order several bags at one. I don’t use pre-mixes too often but it’s my favorite to use when I do. He also advocates adding various fresh ingredients (up to 20%) so you have the freedom to customize a bit while being assured that the dogs are getting a balanced meal. If you want to make your own supplement – buying the ingredients separately definitely is the cheapest route. The pre-made supplements like Nupro are much more expensive. Check out Swanson’s, they sell all the ingredients you’d need and everything is super cheap and you can often get bulk packages (I use a lot of the Starwest Botanicals items in my whole food supplement).

• This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[kimberley]

My husband bought Dinovite for our Jack Russell, for her itchiness. After a month of feeding her the dinovite, there was no change, she was still itchy. (She has never lost hair, chewed or licked hair off, just had a bad case of “scratch my butt”). I have since switched to plain old fish oil, I open a capsule, pour it on her food (Blue Buffalo) and so far, no issues (3months+). And as far as ingredients, you should look pretty closely to some of them, some are big animal livestock supplements, one of them is commonly used as a cat litter filler and there is at least one of them that can be toxic if used long term. Yes, I looked up the ingredients, and while most are good things for our pets, some are certainly questionable.

[pugmomsandy]

Generally, meats are acidifying and increasing the protein in the diet can help with struvites. Try using meat treats like Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch or Kisses, Vital Essentials freeze dried nibbletts, Fresh is Best dehyrated meat treats, Pure Bites, or some safe jerky. But you also want to increase fluid intake with these dried treats and overall to flush out the bladder. A wet food diet might be better. When her UTI is gone and she’s on regular food, give her urinary tract supplements. There is one called Wysong Biotic pH- and Clear Tract or Berry Balance, etc.

http://www.wysong.net/products/ph-dog-cat-supplement.php

http://www.wysong.net/pet-health-and-nutrition/urinary-problems.php

[Pugsonraw]

I took my two pugs that have seasonal allergies off their daily Benadryl dosage. They are normally quite itchy year round despite eating a raw diet daily, immune supplements, super greens, anchovy and sardine oil, coconut oil, probiotics and digestive enzymes… etc. I really check out all products and ingredients before giving them anything new.

Decided to try to Skin-eze for them, not really expecting to get any major results and it seems to be working. They have been on it for about a week and definitely less itchy than when taking Benadryl.

I was looking to see if any of the ingredients are harmful. It appears they are all natural, but wanted to get some opinions.

Here is the link…. http://www.allergicpet.com/products/skin_eze.

[scottNY]

Hi All,

Sorry for the delayed response. To answer HDM’s question, I have been giving my puppy, who isn’t much of an eater, a daily multivitamin for the same reason I take one; it is extra insurance that, hopefully, I am getting all the nutrients I need.

I use the Vetri-Science Laboratories Chicken Canine Plus Supplement, which he likes chewing, and it has the NASC seal of approval. As I mentioned, he is not much of an eater [8-month old 65 lb pit-mix eats two cups of kibble per day or less] but he looks and acts healthy and certainly isn’t boney, so it just seems to be his way. I use a 5 star kibble from the HDM list and occasionally mix in some wet food, also a 5 star from that invaluable list. Is the multi really unnecessary? If I do want to use one, is the one I am using good? I struggle giving him human supplements because they don’t taste good to him and after awhile, I feel that disguising food for him is a bad habit. I prefer to save that for things that I need him to eat.

Any additional thoughts or ideas?

[Mom2Cavs]

Desi, my Shih-Poo, who’s now at the rainbow bridge, had both rear luxating patellas and we kept surgery at bay by using joint supplements. We tried a few before settling on Joint Health Chews from http://www.springtimeinc.com. These worked the best for him in every way. Helped his joints and didn’t upset his stomach like some others we tried. He took these chews all his life. After he passed away, I discovered Springtime had a new chew that was supposed to help with pain a little better. I keep both kinds on hand. They really did help him.

[weezerweeks]

My 5 year old yorkie has leg patella. It does not bother him but I was wondering if I should start him on a joint supplement. Does any of your dogs have this and do you supplement them with anything,if so what do you use? There’s so many supplements out there and I want to use the best one. Thanks

[theBCnut]

Done!!

[InkedMarie]

Patty,
Email me your address & I’ll get it to you next week!

[theBCnut]

Hi Marie
I had always heard 5-10 minutes and never worried about it because it takes me that long to get everything ready. I would love to see that article!!

Hi Sandy
I don’t know if pickled is as good. Shawna would know. I know that you can peel your garlic in advance and store it in olive oil.

[pugmomsandy]

Is pickled garlic just as good? Just mince and serve?

[InkedMarie]

Patty, I can’t type the whole article but the newest Dog Fancy, with NaturalnDog on the other side, has an article on garlic. I can send it to you but it says it’s best to let it sit 10-20 min before serving but don’t go over 20

[NectarMom]

Thanks Marie and Patty

[theBCnut]

Garlic is safe in small doses and it should not be given every day, only 3-4 days a week. Personally, I like to get the maximum out of my garlic, so I use fresh cloves and I mince it right before adding it to their food.

[theBCnut]

I don’t think you are being too hard on Hill’s. Let her stomach settle for 2 weeks. If your dog has trouble switching foods, I would continue with the supplements for 2 weeks after the switch, then I would give the probiotics a couple times a week forever, every day when switching foods. If your dog has trouble switching foods, give about 10% new food, 90% old for a couple days. If the stools look fine, proceed, if not keep feeding 10% until they look fine. If the stools never got loose then go right to feeding 25% new, 75% old, if they got loose only go to 20% new, 80% old. Again feed that way for a couple days watching the stool. Increase by 25% if the stools are fine, increase by 10% if the stools get soft and you have to wait for the stools to firm up again. Keep doing this until you are 100% on the new food. I cured my sensitive stomach girl by starting the switch to a new food as soon as we got her settled on a food. After about 6 switches she no longer requires any transition at all.

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

[InkedMarie]

Your dog would need to injest a huge amount of garlic for a problem. I’ve been using Bug Off Garlic for years.

[NectarMom]

I thought Garlic was not good for dogs? If this Garlic bug off is safe then I might be interested in getting some because of mosquitos in the summer time. I do not have a flea or tick problem but I do worry about mosquitos. Anyone have any idea?