# Vitamins and So on



## Blitz1203 (Feb 9, 2010)

Blitz is about 6 months and besides some pumpkin and stomach problem fixers we haven't really added anything to his food. He is on Wellness LBP and not only does he like it, but his stomach is fine with. (He liked Orijen, but his stomach didn't)

I was reading about giving olive oil to dogs to help their coats and so on and I wondered what other stuff I can/should give him. I've heard fish oil, flaxseed, Vit. E, Vit.C.. etc, but not sure how much to give him and what benefits it will have for him. I'd really appreciate some suggestions!


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## boeselager (Feb 26, 2008)

I can only tell you what I give my dogs. I give them DE, fish oil capsules, showstopper. This is what I add into their food.


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## Blitz1203 (Feb 9, 2010)

What is DE?
How much fish oil do you give?

and how much showstopper per month? (Looks neat, but depending on how big a scoop is it looks like it could get expensive)


Blitz is about 70 pounds right now so I don't want to give him too much or not enough of something.

Thanks for your input


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

I don't think supplements are necessary. You feed a quality food so that should be providing all the nutrition needed. 

If he's otherwise healthy, i'd say extra vitamins aren't needed. You can supplement glucosamine if you think needed, but anything else is overdoing it in my opinion. You probably won't hurt your dog providing extra vitamins, but if he's perfectly healthy with a shiny coat, no need to supplement.


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## ZAYDA (Apr 22, 2010)

I have researched and found that giving salmon oil or perhaps another quality oil is fine also but salmon oil like Grizzly seamed to be the number 1 choice. So I give them salmon oil which then you should also supplement 400iu of vitamin D. I also give them daily 2 teaspoons full of yogurt once a day. I have read a digest enzyme is also beneficial but I have not decided which one is best as of yet. I also feed Show Stopper but I really don't feel that it is something they really need as I do with the supplements I listed prior.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

my dog gets organic salmon oil,
organic flax seed oil, extra virgin olive oil.
my GF told me this morning she gives him
coconut oil. 

my dog probably gets 2 tablespoons
a day. i don't measure it. i just pour
some over his food.

he also gets organic plain yogurt.


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

I personally do not believe any kibble is "complete and balanced". Of course there is a HUGE difference in how healthy each brand is, Pedigree, Purina, Eukanuba, Iams, Kibbles N' Bits, ect can't compare to the ingredients of Orijen, Wellness, EVO, Taste of the Wild, Instinct, Fromm, Merrick, ect but I still believe fresh foods are highly beneficial to a healthy diet. Besides the fact it's all processed (Therefore many nutrients are destroyed in the cooking process) can you imagine how BORING it would be to eat the same thing every day of your life for 10-15 years?!?! What if you were a 20+ year old Chihuahua?!!! I add all kinds of fresh foods to my dogs diet, I offer a variety of canned foods (Easier to switch up for variety more often than kibble) and I rotate kibble every bag or every other bag. (Of course this is hard to do if you have a really sensitive dog) I like to give my dogs variety and I believe rotation and a good variety of FRESH foods (This being the biggest factor in addition to at least 1 high quality kibble choice if your dog can't take rotating brands) are key to a truly healthy and complete diet.

As for supplements my dogs get garlic, fish oil, vitamin e, vitamin c/ester-c, glucosamine/chondroitin and cranberry pills. Chance is 50lb and gets 2-4 Springtime Bug Off pills, 5000mg fish oil, 400 IU vitamin E, 1000mg Ester-C, 1500mg Glucosamine, 1200mg Chondroitin and 1680mg Cranberry which also contains 100mg vitamin C and 3 IU vitamin E.

And here is why I add what I add to my dogs diet...

Garlic is for keeping fleas and ticks away. It also has several health benefits.

Fish Oil, wow where to even begin on why you should not only add it to your dogs diet but to your own as well. By adding omega 3's (Found in fish oil) to your dogs diet it balances out the high levels of omega 6's found in kibble. Studies show it reduces inflammation (While omega 6's INCREASE it which is one reason balance is needed) and it is also found to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, help with arthritis, help with depression, and help with many many other health problems. It is good for your brain, your heart, your skin (Which is your largest organ btw! And gives a nice shine to your pups coat!), your whole body. Learn more about this fantastic and cheap supplement. (Or better yet, have a serving of fish for yourself and your dog 2-3x a week!) It's an all around GREAT thing to add to a diet, for yourself and your pet.

Vitamin E is to help process the fish oil in the body so that it can work it's magic even better. Besides that vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps fight off dangerous free radicals in the body. It also benefits the skin/coat!

Vitamin C is also an antioxidant! It is well known for it's immune boosting benefits and while not well looked into, is believed to have healing effects for animals with joint problems when given in large amounts. I feed Ester-C because it's easier absorbed by the body and less likely to cause stomach upset to your pup.

Cranberry, more antioxidants!!!!! Again, fights off free radicals, it boost the immune system and in the case of cranberries, it's good for the urinary tract and helps prevent bacteria from sticking to the urinary walls and causing problems such as UTI's. 

Glucosamine/Chondroitin is for joint health. This is especially important for our breed and other breeds who are prone to joint problems such as hip dysplasia and arthritis.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

To add on to Chances' post...E is needed when giving fish oil as the dogs natural E is depleted when oils are supplemented. No more than 400iu daily of E and not synthetic, they store E. 
C also helps the dog if they have a bout of Pano, it reduces inflammation. Up to 2000mg daily for an adult and _EsterC should_ _not_ be given to growing pups as the _calcium levels are too high_. When pups are done growing then switching to EsterC instead of C helps with absorbtion and is easier on the gut.
The Wellness brand kibble has all sorts of additions so other than C,E and oils, I would not waste $ on the other supplements. Gluco/chrondroitin is fine for seniors or dogs with hip/joint issues, but healthy pups do not need it as a supplement, IMO. Vitamin D is available naturally if the dog is outside in the sunshine, no need to supplement D.
I give B complex a few times a week to my anxiety girl, it is supposed to help with this issue, but that is still a study worth looking into. The same dog gets 2000mg of citrus bioflavonoids to work as a natural antihistamine for her allergy to dust mites(this works well with C or EsterC)
Certain vitamins will be stored in fat, so daily dosage is not needed, others are "pee'd" out, and daily dosing is ok:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09315.html

Raw eggs, green tripe and probiotics are great supplements.


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## blackviolet (Jun 17, 2010)

boeselager said:


> I can only tell you what I give my dogs. I give them DE, fish oil capsules, showstopper. This is what I add into their food.


What's DE?

Can they take Show Stopper at any age? And do you think cats can take it? How old should your dog be before feeding them Super Fuel? I tried emailing the company, but they haven't replied. I figured I'd ask, in case any of you guys know!  Has anyone tried the Puppy Gold?


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## boeselager (Feb 26, 2008)

DE is short for Diatomaceous Earth. I get the food grade. There are a number of things that it can be used for. 1 for dogs is a natural wormer, along with a lot of other things. People can mix it in a glass of juice. My mom did this when she was going through cancer and it helped her hair grow back faster than the perscription shampoo that they wanted her to get. It helps hair/nail growth in people, etc. If you go on www.revivalanimal.com they sell it there if you want to read more about it, or just Google it.


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## ZAYDA (Apr 22, 2010)

What about digestive enzymes... YEA OR NAY


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## blackviolet (Jun 17, 2010)

Oh wow, I knew you could use DE on their coats to help get rid of fleas, I didn't know you could ingest it.


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