# What Supplements do you add to your dog's food?



## ticman (Feb 3, 2008)

Curious as to what forum members add in the way of supplements to their dog's regular food ie. omega 3 oils, probiotics, Missing Link, Solid Gold SeaMeal, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. etc. etc.

As I read more and more on supplementation, I get more and more confused. I also assume it is possible to over supplement.

Comments and discussion is always interesting on this forum

thanks all,

Mike


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## Dogluvr (Feb 14, 2008)

I feed my baby Royal Canine without any supplements. I'll give her a bite of yogurt when I eat some, but I don't regularly suplement with it. I've thought about trying something, but haven't yet.


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## TripleD (Jan 10, 2008)

We give a microbial/probiotic daily. Yogurt does not do any good, there are not enough live cultures in it. We also give 2 of our dogs a supplement for their joints and one gets an adult supplement (doggie vitamins).


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## Inga (Jun 16, 2007)

I have spoke to a few canine nutritional vets and they have always told me to feed a good quality food. Add plain nonfat yogurt in small amounts and that was it. It has worked for my dogs. They are very shiny, good weight and seem to be doing quite well.


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## ticman (Feb 3, 2008)

Triple D,

what type or brand of microbial/probiotic do you use?

thanks

I am surprise more people haven't posted to this thread as I would have thought that many would add supplements to their dog's food. LOL Guess I might have been wrong.


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## Dutchie (Apr 18, 2007)

Nuvet Plus, Nuvet joint, salmon oil, and vitamin E


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## CAHeather (Feb 18, 2008)

Hi,

My first post here so bear with me. I've "lurked" as a guest and am so blown away by the information that so many caring people are giving.

I need to say that I found Vetraceuticals through this site. I am so so glad I did. I've used Vetraceuticals for about 4 months. My 4 year old Nitro (a Husky Mix) had E.P.I. (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency) and had been considered un-treatable. 

Nitro has NO symptoms any more. My Vet said that he will give Vetraceuticals to any dog with EPI or any digestive issues.

I don't validate anything lightly, but I recommend you at least check out Vetraceuticals canine supplement.

With Love,

Heather


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## OC_Spirit (Feb 6, 2007)

I supplement with Fish Oil Capsules and Glucosomine tablets. I'm also considering starting to add some Kefir but we shall see...


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

directly to the food, some yogurt sometimes, and some pumpkin if the booty blowout happens to sneak up. if i change foods, i use Probios. other than that, all my supplements go into the homemade treats. all my treats get a supplement of nutritional yeast, bone meal, and kelp. i put enough into the dough that it benefits my dogs, but i dont put too much in that would cause over supplementation if they ate a lot of treats in one day. since the treats are low fat, low allergen, low sodium, and healthy, i dont have to really limit how many my girls have a day. they get them when they are good. unlike a lot of treats that have no nutritional value, and they also have to be limited (it even says on the box) to how many they can have a day. plus i have special treats for special functions, like the pumpkin ones when the booty blowout arrives, or the tuna when they could need some extra shine. things like that.


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## LMH (Jan 2, 2008)

I give daily California Nat.Coat Supp. It has omega's and other good stuff. Also a probiotic that helps with his gas.Beef broth. I also add sardines or mackeral, raw or soft boiled egg,shredded carrots and apples, pumkins, greentea as well as some raw beef or cooked chicken that I flavor with herbs. I give these things a few times a week and not all at the same time of course-haha.He also loves steamed veggies and occasionaly shares some of my husbands steak.


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

ticman said:


> As I read more and more on supplementation, I get more and more confused. I also assume it is possible to over supplement.


Yes, it's quite possible to over supplement. Be careful!

I use to give vitamins etc. But since I feed a top quality food, I've stopped a lot of supplementing. 

I now give Grizzly Salmon Oil, a little plain yogurt and sometimes pure pumpkin for more fiber. The Dachshunds get Vetri-Disc for their backs. 

That's it!


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

You usually can't go wrong with the food-based supplements (fish oil, yogurt, pumpkin, etc.), because it's hard for an animal to overdose on the vitamins and minerals in food. But you do have to be careful with vitamin and mineral supplements, as the proper vitamin/mineral balance can be thrown all out of whack. If you feed a high-quality dog food, vitamin/mineral supplements should not be necessary.


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## reynosa_k9's (Dec 14, 2007)

Mine eat raw and I'll supplement with Omega 3 and I give them garlic as well. 

Jihad
and the pound puppy crew.


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## Billiie (Jan 16, 2008)

I feed a good food, but I also supplement in Vitamin E and Olive Oil sometimes.. not everyday, but a couple times a week. I find the Vitamin E really makes their coats shiney and soft.

I used to always put a raw egg in Owen's meal once a week, but stopped that.. not for any particular reason, just wanted something different for him.

And when they have bad gas (like right now lol) I give low fat plain yogurt--works wonders LOL


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## crazydays (Jul 24, 2007)

Solid Gold Seameal Supplement
Glucosamide/Chondriton
probiotic yogurt 1Xdaily 1 spoonful


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## cascabel (Sep 25, 2007)

on a daily basis:
-cold processed fish oil with vitamin E
-either a probiotic pill or plain yogurt
-organic, virgin coconut oil
-vitamin C in the form of crushed fruit (whatever I have on hand)

There are also a few other things that I give from time to time as needed (like milk thistle for example).


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## Equestiana (Aug 8, 2007)

We started adding some plain yoghurt to our guys feed everyday about a month ago. It has helped their gas tremendously (we have 3 pups, they could clear out a room) and they love it


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## SMoore (Nov 9, 2007)

I feed a high quality food but I still add in missing link to my dogs food. I don't do it daily maybe every other day or so.


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

I supplement with fish oil capsules and glucosamine tablets, every day. About every other day they will get about 2 or 3 teaspoonfuls of lowfat, unflavoured yoghurt frozen in or on their chew toys.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

In terms of supplements, I give Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil. In terms of supplementing their dog food (EVO), I give them fresh meats (poached), along with steamed vegetables, fresh berries and other fruits, sardines, organic eggs, live culture plain yogurt, and low fat cottage cheese. In addition, raw meaty bones.


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

reynosa_k9's said:


> Mine eat raw and I'll supplement with Omega 3 and I give them garlic as well.
> 
> Jihad
> and the pound puppy crew.


im not sure if you are aware that garlic is not good for dogs...


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## Brandismom (Jun 25, 2006)

I home cook for my dogs so they get an array of supplements. I feed Nupro, olive oil (in place of fish oil) calcium +D and on occasion they receive acidophilus.


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## cascabel (Sep 25, 2007)

GreatDaneMom said:


> im not sure if you are aware that garlic is not good for dogs...


Sure it is...in proper amounts. It can be harmful in large quantities (unlike onion which is toxic in much smaller amounts and should never be given), but can be very beneficial when given properly as a supplement. It's even an ingredient in some of the premium dog foods available and I know Dr. Pitcairn makes use of it in some of his recipes. 




Brandismom said:


> I home cook for my dogs so they get an array of supplements. I feed Nupro, olive oil (in place of fish oil) calcium +D and on occasion they receive acidophilus.


You may use olive oil in place of fish oil, but it isn't considered a _replacement_. Olive oil contains nearly all omega 6 fatty acids (inflammatory) whereas fish oil contains omega 3s (anti-inflammatory).


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## CAHeather (Feb 18, 2008)

Isn't the problem with garlic that some dogs are more likely to suffer problems from it than others? Kind of like humans and their tolerance for alcohol.

I read that garlic can cause hemolytic anemia and be fatal. It may be that some dogs have a high tolerance so small doses won't matter, but some may find it fatal even in small amounts. I don't feel it worth the risk to add garlic.

I also used to give Missing Link until I found that it isn't very good. Flax oil is not good for dogs and it's full of sugars from molasses.

Heather


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

CAHeather said:


> I also used to give Missing Link until I found that it isn't very good. Flax oil is not good for dogs and it's full of sugars from molasses.
> 
> Heather


Hi Heather, 

I am really interested. Would you please tell me more about this statetment. Where did you get the info that says Missing Link & Flax oil are not good for dogs? I know people who give this to their pets and I would like to alert them. Thanks in advance.


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## CAHeather (Feb 18, 2008)

Patt said:


> Hi Heather,
> 
> I am really interested. Would you please tell me more about this statetment. Where did you get the info that says Missing Link & Flax oil are not good for dogs? I know people who give this to their pets and I would like to alert them. Thanks in advance.


Hi Patt,

I've really been into human nutrition and supplements for a while but only relatively recently been looking at supplements for my dog. The info I find has been from mostly the internet and canine nutrition books. I've tried to find as many products as I can to see what's in them, why they have those ingredients and then looking them up to see how good they are.

Flax seed oil does have benefits, the problem with it is that it oxidizes almost immediately. If a human is to take flax seed oil, it should be ground and consumed there and then or refrigerated. Good health food stores have the oil in refrigerators.

For dogs, there are two issues. First, the oil is plainly oxidized (rancid) if it is non-refrigerated so any benefit is heavily outweighed by that. Second, the omega 3 from flax is called ALA. This does have a beneficial impact on coat and skin. However, the active omega 3 fatty acids we want them to gain are called EPA and DHA. Dogs have almost no ability to convert ALA into the EPA and DHA. 

Someone gave me a visual for this. The flax oil makes a coat shiny so the dog looks great. If you took a park bench wino and shaved him gave him a haircut and put him in a suit, he'd look great but you wouldn't want his liver in a transplant.

I therefore won't use a supplement or food with flax and stopped Missing Link as soon as I researched this. It's a cheap way for a company to claim "high in Omega 3". Fish oils are way better sources of omega 3s for dogs and the oils are way more stable. They cost more money to put in products though.

As far as the molasses goes, it does contain some minerals but at the price of high sugar load. There are much better sources of minerals.

Missing Link has no digestive enzymes either which are an essential addition to a dog's diet. Probably the most important part of a supplement I think. 

I didn't mean to just bag on Missing Link by the way, as others have said there are many products out there making claims that are not true. I'm really happy to be at peace with the choice I made now as I know it's a tough thing with so much bad information and lies on labels.

Heather


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## LMH (Jan 2, 2008)

Heather- I would be interested in knowing what canine nutrition books you have read. I am always looking for those books but usually just find cook books for dogs and not really scientific books on nutrition for dogs. Also just curious what you found to work with supplementing your dogs.


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## MyCharlie (Nov 4, 2007)

When you guys give supplements, how do you give them? Specifically the fish oil - Charlie didn't like the pills so I was cutting the capsule and squirting it on his food but he didn't seem to like the taste of the food then.


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## CAHeather (Feb 18, 2008)

LMH said:


> Heather- I would be interested in knowing what canine nutrition books you have read. I am always looking for those books but usually just find cook books for dogs and not really scientific books on nutrition for dogs. Also just curious what you found to work with supplementing your dogs.


The best book I read was "The Principles Of Companion Animal Nutrition". I got it on Amazon.com

I hadn't heard of Vetraceuticals before looking at this site. It has everything I wanted to supplement and then some. They use great sources for everything and they have no junk components at all. No maltodextrin, no flax and no molasses, etc. 

I had questions about the formulas and in the same day had been contacted by Dr Christianne Schelling who spent an hour on the phone with me, not only answering my questions, but giving me so much more knowledge. I haven't experienced a Company like that either. I'm thoroughly happy with their formula and at peace that I've found the right supplement and company. It's a great feeling after a lot of head scratching!

Heather


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

MyCharlie said:


> When you guys give supplements, how do you give them? Specifically the fish oil - Charlie didn't like the pills so I was cutting the capsule and squirting it on his food but he didn't seem to like the taste of the food then.


I give Grizzly Salmon oil. It comes in a squirt bottle, 1 squirt a day on the food.


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## ticman (Feb 3, 2008)

I have been using Wellactin which I got from the vet and have also purchased online. It comes in a pump bottle and I just use one pump on Shadow's food. She really likes the stuff.


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

CAHeather said:


> The best book I read was "The Principles Of Companion Animal Nutrition". I got it on Amazon.com
> 
> I hadn't heard of Vetraceuticals before looking at this site. It has everything I wanted to supplement and then some. They use great sources for everything and they have no junk components at all. No maltodextrin, no flax and no molasses, etc.
> 
> ...



thanks for the book reference heather. im huge into nutrition as well, so im always interested in books. as far as flaxseed oil goes, i dont use it, but i do use just plain flaxseeds. i like to go all natural with my dogs, and after seeing how well they do on it, im actually thinking about changing to an all natural diet for myself as well. 

as far as the garlic goes, youre correct. its the amount. you could give 1/4 of a teaspoon to one dog and not have any problems, but another could die from it. its just not a good thing to be giving a dog with those kinds of repercussions. as far as garlic in food goes, i wont use a food that contains garlic. think about it this way... not all dog foods are good for a dog, so obviously, im not going to buy just any food. i still see foods preserved (and treats) with BHA, which has been PROVEN to have cancerous effects, so my thoughts is, these people really dont care all that much if they still use it. im big on reading an ingredient list on a food. there are a lot of things i wont buy becuase of maybe on ingredient. i dont care how far down on the list it is. garlic is one of them.... theres enough things in the world that could harm my dog as it is, i dont need their food to be one of them.


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## ticman (Feb 3, 2008)

Does anyone use Missing Link or Solid Gold's SeaMeal as a supplement?


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## crazydays (Jul 24, 2007)

Hi Ticman. I give my ESS (11month old) Seameal with every meal as directed. It comes in a powder and I just measure by spoon and put on her kibble. I trust the Solid Gold claim and have seen many testimonials about how it improved dog allergies, skin issues etc. My pup has had it since very young-given by the breeder.
She is liver and white and her coat is very shiny and very soft. The liver color is a very deep brown and it shines. The white coat shimmers almost silvery. I am a believer of this product.


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## CAHeather (Feb 18, 2008)

GreatDaneMom said:


> thanks for the book reference heather. im huge into nutrition as well, so im always interested in books. as far as flaxseed oil goes, i dont use it, but i do use just plain flaxseeds. i like to go all natural with my dogs, and after seeing how well they do on it, im actually thinking about changing to an all natural diet for myself as well.
> 
> as far as the garlic goes, youre correct. its the amount. you could give 1/4 of a teaspoon to one dog and not have any problems, but another could die from it. its just not a good thing to be giving a dog with those kinds of repercussions. as far as garlic in food goes, i wont use a food that contains garlic. think about it this way... not all dog foods are good for a dog, so obviously, im not going to buy just any food. i still see foods preserved (and treats) with BHA, which has been PROVEN to have cancerous effects, so my thoughts is, these people really dont care all that much if they still use it. im big on reading an ingredient list on a food. there are a lot of things i wont buy becuase of maybe on ingredient. i dont care how far down on the list it is. garlic is one of them.... theres enough things in the world that could harm my dog as it is, i dont need their food to be one of them.


Hi G.D.Mom,

No problem, it's a great resource and it's not like a Master's Degree language book either!

You sound like me in that I really get so so angry that companies and people make products for our animals either without research, purely for marketing or because they simply don't care. Our dogs totally rely on what we feed them and it makes me sick that companies prey on us and basically make us feed garbage to them. 

How can people with clear conscience sell supplements jammed with maltodextrin or molasses? How can they add garlic? It totally defies and annoys me.

It was for that reason that I really got into this to at least understand the labeling and sources of nutrition.

For me, like yourself I will feed nothing with garlic. I won't feed anything with flax either though. If it's just flax seeds then that is actually a great bulking agent or fiber as dogs can't crack open the flax seed for the oil. However, when it says flax seeds on an ingredient label, yes they did add whole seeds, but that was done before the food was then ground and processed. 

It's a shame as I like the ingredients otherwise in a food like Canidae, but I'm not giving my dog flax seed oil period. It also really bothers me that companies claim "high in Omega3" when it's derived from flax. I'm a great believer in integrity and when companies don't use integrity on their labeling, it's over for me with them. 

My food choice now is Kirkland Signature (though label read to see they haven't changed ingredients) with a daily scoop of Vetraceuticals. I will probably change to Innova large breed as I've had so many people tell me it's great and I like the ingredients and will also use Vetraceuticals with this food.

Heather


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

right now i feed Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy. its the ONLY brand i will feed puppy to because it has the correct protein % and the correct calcium to phosphous balance. a lot of foods dont get that right. the only other food i use is Chicken Soup at the moment. I havent really tried too many foods because those two foods work well for my girls, especially my older dane who had a growth disease as a pup. but thats not to say theres no other good foods out there! i just havent tried them yet! lol


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## ticman (Feb 3, 2008)

I have been using the Solid Gold seameal for about a week and am seeing a difference in my dog's coat. Much denser and much softer. She likes it and seems to be doing well on it. I will keep it up.
Mike


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## crazydays (Jul 24, 2007)

Glad to hear your dog is doing well on Seameal. It really is a good product.


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