# Which supplements should I add?



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

I am starting to shop for my much-anticipated puppy. I am planning on feeding raw, and definitely want to do this thing right. Which, if any, supplements should I add to his food? 

(This is my first puppy, and I'm a little uneducated when it comes to canine nutrition)

Thanks in advance for your help and advice!


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

I add salmon oil, a multi-vitamin, and a probiotic. I don't think you need all that as long as you feed raw correctly. So do your homework as it looks like you're doing. The only reason I started the probiotic is because the one I have also has hip and joint stuff in it. Kind of an all in one type of thing. Days I give the probiotic I don't give the vitamin or salmon oil. If giving salmon oil you need to give vitamin E. I cheat and use the mutli-vitamin as a catch all. 

I hope this helps a little. I am sure some more experienced people will reply and give you some better advice than me. Good luck


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## shell nyc (Jul 19, 2010)

Congrats on the new pup!

Keep up the research. You’ll learn lots here and from the Dogster raw feeding forum. They have a spreadsheet there that you can fill in with your planned diet and see if any deficiencies are apparent.

The only supplements I add are salmon oil for the omega 3s (because I cannot buy all grass-fed meats) and vitamin E (many people use capsules, I use fresh nuts). I glucosamine/chondroitan supplement wouldn’t be a bad idea especially if you aren’t feeding items that are cartilaginous (such as chicken feet, trachea, etc)

I’d be leery of adding a multi-vitamin to a balanced diet, particularly a formula that includes fat-soluble vitamins which can be overdone.


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## Amrit (Jun 12, 2011)

shell nyc said:


> Congrats on the new pup!
> 
> Keep up the research. You’ll learn lots here and from the Dogster raw feeding forum. They have a spreadsheet there that you can fill in with your planned diet and see if any deficiencies are apparent.
> 
> ...


Do you give human capsules of vitamin and omega oils or one intended for dog use only?


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## shell nyc (Jul 19, 2010)

Amrit said:


> Do you give human capsules of vitamin and omega oils or one intended for dog use only?


I use Grizzly Salmon Oil as the source of omega 3s, it's marketed for use in dogs. And as I said, I use fresh raw nuts as a source of vitamin E, but many people I know use human-grade capsules.


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

I do salmon oil (human capsules about 2,000 mg) vitamin E every other day 400 IU human capsule. I do Coconut oil daily vitamin C 1500 mg daily human supplement i prefer ester C I use a multi vitamin daily I prefer Nupro the silver one that has glucosamine/condroitin in it and raw apple cider vinegar the kind with the 'mother' in it. When I have probiotics I give them but I'm big on feeding raw green tripe daily so that has natural probiotics and digestive enzymes in it.


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## LindaDwyer (Apr 9, 2012)

*raw feeding*

I feed strictly raw, raw ground up chicken bones and all. (they need the bone meal for solid poop) I also give her one fish oil daily, one probiotic, one vitamin, two glucosamine and add a tablespoon of missing link to the chicken. The missing link has all the vitamins and minerals that might be missed in the food. 

Once a week I add two raw eggs, shells and all for a bit of extra calcium. Even my vet who is not an advocate of the raw diet admits she has one of the nicest coats he's ever seen. her coat feels soft like feathers and she is so shiny she glows. 

so try the raw diet, you won't be sorry


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## LindaDwyer (Apr 9, 2012)

*raw feeding*

I almost forgot, you MUST add honest kitchen to the raw food, that is dehydrated fruits and veggies for a balanced meal. Honest kitchen comes in either chicken or beef flavord


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

For a baby pup, I would not use EsterC. It has 55 grams of calcium. Instead I'd go with a natural citrus bioflavonoid or C with rosehips from a health food store. A baby pup may not be able to handle the C either(hard on the gut)so start with 500mg with a meal. 

I'd go with raw eggs(high in E) and try to use whole foods for the vitamins/minerals. Egg shells don't digest unless you pulverize them, they don't break down in the digestive system.

Raw green tripe is excellent in nutritional value and has natural digestive enzymes. I would incorporate that from the get-go. 

I don't do fruits or veggies, the tripe is the green source for my dogs. Banana is the only fruit my dogs like, and they are a bit picky w/ the ripeness.

As the Honest Kitchen is dehydrated, I'd personally rather go with fresh meat and have my pup learn to crunch softer bones as in chicken necks/other chicken parts graduating to turkey necks and young lamb. 
Pups love to chew, and teething is the only time I'd use ground bone because some go off the chewing when they are in pain.
For adult dogs, I give EsterC(2000mg daily, split between meals) 2000mg salmon oil or rotate with coconut oil, 400iu of E every few days and a B complex(all human grade) When the winter months have no sun, I do a D a couple times a week. Certain vitamins are flushed from the body, others are stored in the fat, so you don't want to give the stored ones on a daily basis. This link is great: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamins.html


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

LindaDwyer said:


> I feed strictly raw, raw ground up chicken bones and all. (they need the bone meal for solid poop) I also give her one fish oil daily, one probiotic, one vitamin, two glucosamine and add a tablespoon of missing link to the chicken. The missing link has all the vitamins and minerals that might be missed in the food.
> 
> Once a week I add two raw eggs, shells and all for a bit of extra calcium. Even my vet who is not an advocate of the raw diet admits she has one of the nicest coats he's ever seen. her coat feels soft like feathers and she is so shiny she glows.
> 
> so try the raw diet, you won't be sorry


Please tell me you are feeding more proteins then just chicken? Variety is the BIGGEST thing when it comes to a raw diet. Granted vitamins can help with some missed things in the diet but they are not going to make up for that much stuff missing in the diet. 

I'm a big raw advocate but if ANYONE is not giving variety and a balanced diet they WILL be sorry they tried it because it's not healthy for a dog. They need meat bones and organs. Look at rawdogranch.com for an outline on how to feed raw. I know this thread was specifically about supplements but I hate seeing someone tell someone to feed raw when they aren't giving a full diet because then that person feeds improperly then teaches the next person and so on and so forth.

I agree with jane with holding off on ester C until the dog is a bit older (10 months to a year maybe longer) however i did ester C with Jinx since she was a pup but I watched for other calcium sources. 

Jane any articles on B vitamins and which to give their benefits etc..? also information on D


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## LindaDwyer (Apr 9, 2012)

*raw feeding*

I don't feed just chicken. I also grind organ meats with it. Like liver, hearts and kidneys. I also feed dehydrated port kidneys, hearts and throats. and beef but beef doesn't dehydrate well, it crumbles. Plus she eats a lot of raw veggies, she loves raw potatoes, squash, string beans and carrots. For fruits she loves watermellon, plums, sometimes an apple and she gets leftover meats with me at supper. Actually I make her a plate of whatever I'm having. So that with all the suppliments she gets she is nothing going without anything and eats perfectly balanced meals. She even loves nuts. I do lamb also. and once a week she gets a pound of raw hamburg.


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## DanielleOttoMom (May 11, 2010)

Carmspack Working German Shepherds, Feed-Sentials
I use Carmspack supplements and I noticed a difference in my dogs with in days of using them. This my friend is what I recommend!  Good luck on your search.


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