# Spirulina



## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

Hi,

I would like to know if any raw feeders add spirulina to their dogs' food? 

I sprinkle it onto my parrot's fresh foods daily, and she has very beautiful feathers. I noticed an improvement in the plumage, both the texture and the appearance.

It's human-grade. 

So is there any input on this? I am just curious. 

I know some who add kelp to the food. 

Thanks,
Rei


----------



## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

<<-- Googling "spirulina"

No. But now I'm interested...Look at all those vitamins! 

I'm especially interested in the study that it protects against hayfever (Journal of Medicinal Food). With my GSD and his many environmental allergies, anything that might help is worth looking at.


----------



## tracyc (Feb 23, 2005)

I do! 

Confession...

I was always intrigued by the Springtime brand of products--they look like great, high-quality stuff, and many people here vouch for them. 

So I look at the list of ingredients....hmm...these are all things I can buy as bulk nutraceuticals. Glucosamine powder, MSM, spirulina, carrot powder, chondroitin, vit. C powder, etc...

So I make my own blend, based on the recipe at Springtime. I mimic their proportions, using nutritional powders I can buy by the pound. And it does include spirulina powder. (I also added barley and wheat grass powder to my mix.) Around my house we call it "grass soup." Dogs get a teaspoon full of it mixed with their yogurt as a bedtime snack. They love it.


----------



## Maedchen (May 3, 2003)

I have used it for many years- but not on a daily basis though (it's kinda expensive!), but all the (sick) incoming shelter dogs are put on it and it really helps build up their immune system (and coat).


----------



## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: Maedchenit really helps build up their immune system (and coat).


So, Maedchen, would you say this is not something to use on dogs with allergies --whose immune systems are already too strong?


----------



## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

Interesting question, *3K9Mom*! 

Yeah, that stuff is expensive. Smells a little strange too ... 

How much should I give my pup? And how often? *Tracy*, you feed it daily. Have you seen any changes since you started using this Springtime DIY product?

She is turning 6 months next week, and weighed in at 49.5 lbs on Saturday. 

A little OT, I am giving her 4 fish oil daily with about 500 iu of vit. E. Is the proportion correct? I know for cats, I am supposed to supplement 200 iu of vit. E for every 1000 mg of salmon oil. I suppose I should have looked into that for dogs as well.


----------



## Maedchen (May 3, 2003)

No, quite the opposite. Spirulina inhibits allergic reactions. It reduces histamine and Immunoglobulin E (allergy marker).


----------



## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

Thanks so much for this piece of enlightening info! 

I am definitely gonna start sprinkling some over her dinner.


----------



## tracyc (Feb 23, 2005)

The most noticeable change I can see is that Fanny stopped licking her feet. Before grass soup, she would lick at her front paws.


----------



## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

Hmm ... do you think it's the spirulina or the combination of other supplements that are working to lessen the itching feet? 

Janka recently started chewing on her legs. I started wiping them with aloe juice that I infused with chammomile today, so it will probably be a day or two before I see if it will relief her. 

I will see if straight up spirulina will help. If not, I would like some advice regarding your grass soup. Is that just for your dogs, or could humans have it too?

Sounds pretty healthy. Totally add that into a fruit smoothie. :yum:


----------



## tracyc (Feb 23, 2005)

I don't know which ingredient(s) in the grass soup helped that particular issue. (I love how that's now the name of it! Can I get a trademark on that?) 

And I have been known to have a spoonful of it too. Tastes like lawn trimmings. 

http://www.herbalcom.com/store.php3?list...380691659229191

This is the online store where I buy bulk stuff for the dogs and myself.


----------



## balakai (Feb 9, 2005)

Tracy, would you share your recipe for "grass soup"?

Yoda has what I suspect are environmental allergies but they aren't bad enough to go through testing; I would be interested in supplementing to see if if would stop him from licking his feet.

~Kristin


----------



## tracyc (Feb 23, 2005)

Yes, with the following caveat: I'm not a vet, a nutritionist, or any other kind of expert. I'm just a guy with internet access. I cannot recommend this to you to cure or treat anything. But it is what I do. I haven't killed either dog with it yet. 

The numbers listed next to each refer to "parts" per the mix. When I made this, I bought each ingredient by the pound--so this was a batch of 15 pounds of powdered mix. Or they could be cups, or bushels--you get the idea. 


Grass Soup: 

msm - 2
glucosamine – 2
vitamin c powder - 1
chondroitin – 1/2
alfalfa powder – 1
wheat grass powder – 1
chlorella powder- 1
spirulina powder- 1
barley grass powder - 1
brewer’s yeast powder – 2
carrot powder – 2
garlic powder – 1/2


Dosage at my house: Luca (100 pound dog) gets 1 rounded teaspoon daily, mixed with plain yogurt. You could also just mix it with a little water. Fanny (30 pounds) gets a third of a teaspoon. I also take a teaspoon full, but not every day. My dogs love the taste. I think it tastes like licking a mower. 

15 pounds of grass soup powder has lasted a long time--year and a half, something like that. I'm just about to order enough for another batch.


----------



## CampPappy (Sep 10, 2007)

Is the mixture kept in the fridge? Or at room temperature? Shelf life?


----------



## GrandJan (Aug 11, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: The StigShe is turning 6 months next week, and weighed in at 49.5 lbs on Saturday.
> 
> A little OT, I am giving her 4 fish oil daily with about 500 iu of vit. E. Is the proportion correct? *I know for cats, **I am supposed to supplement 200 iu of vit. E for every 1000 mg of salmon oil.* I suppose I should have looked into that for dogs as well.


I think the Vitamin E dosage here is a little high for dogs. I have two 100 lb. dogs and they get 10 salmon oil gelcaps and 400 i.u. of Vitamin E each. And at 49.5 pounds, 1000 mg. of salmon oil per 10 lbs. is right for your dog. I would probably just give 200 i.u. of Vitamin E for now though.


----------



## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: Luca_stlGrass Soup:
> 
> msm - 2
> glucosamine &#150; 2
> ...


This sounds like a really interesting mix - I'll probably make some for my guys.

BUT - if your dog has allergy issues you might want to start this mix WITHOUT the Brewers YEast and Alfalfa. Both are high on the allergy trigger list.

I'd do the rest of the stuff for at least 4-6 weeks before I added one of those two items.

Only add one at a time. If you add both at once and the dog reacts - which one caused the problem?

p.s.



> Quote:I think it tastes like licking a mower.


And how do you know what licking a mower tastes like??


----------



## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

Kristin, thanks for getting to that question before me. I was gonna ask Tracy for his grass soup recipe. 

My dog has been suffering from itchy paws and legs for a while. She was also vigourously scratching her sides as well. So I recently started adding Braggs apple cider vinegar to her diet. I also apply the ACV to the itch spots on my pup's legs & thighs. The scratching has been reduced significantly, but since I wasn't very regularly with the ACV direct application, I didn't notice much improvement on leg chewing.

I just started using aloe juice infused with chammomile to replace the ACV, and works nice and smells good. I part the hair, and spray on the skin, and gently massage the area. I started yesterday, and today she hasn't been fussing those areas as much.

I keep a log on her itching & scratching behaviour. 

Seeing that there is joint support this natural mix, should I stop feeding Janka her daily msm-gluc-chon-yucca supplement when I am finally able to prepare the grass soup for her? Maybe just cut the dosage in half? 

And thanks for the input, Lauri. Will leave out the yeast & alfalfa. Maybe replace it with kelp? Or should I just not tinkle with the recipe?

Tracy, I would also like to know ... how the heck do you know how lawn trimmings taste like? O_O


----------



## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

Barley grass too? If a dog has barley allergies (and a lot of GSDs do -- including my sweet itchy bundle of fur







), barley grass would make me nervous. If you haven't tested, that's probably a good one to leave out up-front, I'm thinking...

(There I go, thinking again....







)


----------



## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

Hey Rei - where did you get your ACV and chammomile/aloe stuff from? We usually only go to the commissary.


----------



## The Stig (Oct 11, 2007)

Hi Melissa,

I bought the Braggs ACV, chammomile tea, and aloe juice at Henry's in that plaza where I bumped into you with Janka-pup. 

Just make sure it's 100% Aloe juice. 

I also bought a small bottle of water-soluble 15% teatree oil there, and added a few drops into the mix.


----------



## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

Henrys









I miss Henrys.


----------



## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: 3K9MomHenrys
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They just put a brand new one out by our house (and Rei's place too since she lives about 3 miles from me!). 

You wouldn't recognize Eastlake.


----------



## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

I used to HIKE where East Lake is. 

Me, my dogs, all that raw meat roaming around waiting to be caught...


----------



## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: 3K9MomI used to HIKE where East Lake is.


Not much left to Hike









There are a few areas still, but they are being built on so fast. I've gone around Sweetwater Resevoir (around the South end between the resevoir and H Street/Proctor Valley Road). We've seen lots of bunnies around (and of course, the coyotes).


----------



## tracyc (Feb 23, 2005)

> Quote: Is the mixture kept in the fridge? Or at room temperature? Shelf life?


Since the ingredients are all powders, I haven't bothered to refrigerate it. I keep it in an airtight canister.


----------



## JulesMichy (Feb 15, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Luca_stlI think it tastes like licking a mower.










Yup! Back when I was making my rats fresh fruit or veggie salads 2-3 times a week, I'd use Odwalla's Superfood as a quick substitute if I didn't have time to thaw stuff out. It had spirulina in it, as well as barley grass and wheat grass. To me, the whole thing tasted like how a fresh-cut law smells. The rats _loved_ it though.


----------

