# Fish oil, cottage cheese...?



## AthenaClimbs (Aug 19, 2011)

Hello,
We are currently feeding our 5 month old female Naturo Natural Balance for puppies but will be switching to Orijen for puppies once that bag runs out (for puppies).

I would like to add a few things to her and would like your advice.

Fish Oil - is a tablespoon a week enough? I am considering getting the Omega Cure. Is there anything I should know to avoid/not do/etc

Cottage Cheese - a tablespoon mixed with food 2x a week. I'm giving her the fatfree lactose free kind. Again, any thoughts on this?

Plain fatfree yogurt - tablespoon a week, same with cottage cheese. Should I choose one over the other.

Also, I know dogs love string cheese and I'm planning to start using them as treats. Are mozzarella string cheeses okay or something else? Also, how much or little should I give?

Thanks.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I dont see anything wrong with what you want to add to her kibble, my friend added those items to her puppies' food too without any issues.

I will say that when you make the switch from Naturo Natural Balance to Orijen, make sure you make the switch slowly. GSDs can get upset stomachs and have runny poo if you change kibble too quickly. Add a little Orijen to her food each day and add a little more each time. The transition to the new food should take you at least 7 days.


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## AthenaClimbs (Aug 19, 2011)

Thank you so much. Very helpful!


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

I'd add the fish oil more often than that. Fish oil is a great daily supplement for us and our pets because of all the wonderful benefits it has.  (Besides skin and coat health, it also reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, joint inflammation, the DHA in it supports your puppies growing brain, improves vision, ect!) And being in NY and it being cold out, fish oil can help prevent the skin from drying out too much. I prefer to use the pills sold for humans rather than liquid which tends to go rancid quicker. I'd start with 1000mg a day (or at least 3-4x a week) and if you want to up it later you can.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/b-r-f-raw-feeding/151910-salmon-oil-dosage.html

^ That is an average recommendation for dosage though a little more or less wont hurt either. Many people just give 1000mg a day to large breeds, imo, anything is better than nothing.

Just make sure you supplement with vitamin E (400 IU) when you give fish oil because the E helps to process it in the body and prevent spoilage before it's benefits can be put to use. Without supplementing the E with the oil, it can cause a deficiency over a long period of time because the body will use what is already stored to process the oils. When you get the vitamin E, look on the back and make sure it says d-Alpha rather than dl-Alpha. d-Alpha is natural and easier to process, dl-Alpha is synthetic.


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## AthenaClimbs (Aug 19, 2011)

Thank you. I've decided to go with a 1000mg of fish oil gelcap along with a vitamin E 400 i.u. gelcap for EVERY meal. 

question 1) is it okay to drop the gelcaps right into their food or better in liquid form right away?

question 2) any preference to salmon oil vs fish oil?


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

My vet calculated for me that my dog needs 3 capsules per day. But I don't remember the capsule size. I bought a large jug of it and all my dogs get about a tablespoon per meal. (My vet is holistic.)


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## AthenaClimbs (Aug 19, 2011)

Is it okay if i feed them the fish oil/vitamin E in their kibble in gel cap form? and simultaneously?


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## jm513 (Oct 9, 2011)

I have a question about this too! I was about to order salmon oil when I saw this post and the mention of vitamin E as well. Should I give salmon oil on its own and a seperate vitamin E, or something like this? 

http://www.petco.com/product/105707/Petco-Omega-3-Gel-Caps.aspx?Ntt=vitamin%20E&OneResultRedirect=1

I was looking through GNC and they have a salmon oil, but I couldn't find anything that was just a vitamin E supplement, this one I found at Petco. and it looks to be a combination, but I don't know anything about these so figured I'd check before ordering anything. Thanks!

hrrm - on edit, it doesn't say anything about this being a salmon oil, and from what I understand that is the best thing to give them. So, maybe not this. I'll just have to go to GNC and ask rather than dealing with the website.


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

AthenaClimbs said:


> Thank you. I've decided to go with a 1000mg of fish oil gelcap along with a vitamin E 400 i.u. gelcap for EVERY meal.
> 
> question 1) is it okay to drop the gelcaps right into their food or better in liquid form right away?
> 
> question 2) any preference to salmon oil vs fish oil?


That food you are switching to has over 1% Omega 3's and 18% fat.

Why in the world would you want to add anything after spending so darn much money on it? Why throw off all the fat ratios?

As for cottage cheese???? No dairy other than goat's milk yogurt. Goat not cow!!

But frankly, there isn't a need to add anything.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

sable123 said:


> As for cottage cheese???? No dairy other than goat's milk yogurt. Goat not cow!!


Why not? I know l plenty of folks that feed cottage cheese and/or yogurt to their dogs on a regular basis with no ill effects. And that is COW not goat.


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

True, but many people do lots of things that they shouldn't. The protein in bovine milk is not easily digestible, if at all, and along with the common animal proteins and eggs, responsible for over 70% of all food allergies.

Goat milk protein is totally different and is much easier to digest. It is also only available in in whole milk yogurt which is good because the fat in goat's milk is far easier to digest, medium chain. The lactose also seems to be easily digested as well.

It is just much better for the dog. Goats milk is often used as a replacement for mother's milk for dogs as well many many other animals, big and small, wild and domesticated.

You can even give uncultured goats milk to a dog without issue. If you can get raw goats milk it is quite easy to make your own yogurt.


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## AthenaClimbs (Aug 19, 2011)

Sable- the cottage cheese is lactaid brand, fatfree and dairy free. And she absolutely loved it.

As for the puppy food and supplements. Most puppy food are not that rich in fish oil/salmon oil. Adding a supplement would only benefit the dog. I think most other posters would agree


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

AthenaClimbs said:


> Sable- the cottage cheese is lactaid brand, fatfree and dairy free. And she absolutely loved it.
> 
> As for the puppy food and supplements. Most puppy food are not that rich in fish oil/salmon oil. Adding a supplement would only benefit the dog. I think most other posters would agree


100% wrong on the comment about fish oil. Orijen is 1.1% Omega 3 at a 3:1 ratio with Omega 6. I don't think Orijen is worth the money and I wouldn't buy it but that is a level and ratio the dog will thrive on. If you add fish oil you will likely get to 1:1. Orijen like a few other foods probably has more Omega 3 than needed but at the right ratio its ok. 

Explain what you mean by "not that rich" in fish oil. How could you possibly know?

She likes the lactaid product because it is sweet and any dog would. For less money you could buy goats milk yogurt and not feed the dog maltodextrin and whatever else in that product.


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