What do you give your dog?

ljowen123ljowen123
edited October 2008 in Food, Nutrition, & Health
What vitamins, probiotics, additives do you give your dog and why?

I'm not wanting this as a self-diagnose post, but as a recommendation for people to do more research for their dog. For instance, I knew nothing about fish oil or melatonin before I came on this forum (other than human uses), but now Jazz takes these regularly. When I head to the vet with my dog, I ask questions on whether I should be adding anything else to her diet. Since we have so many new members & owners, I thought I's start this thread.

Jazz gets:
Fish Oil - capsule drizzled over food every night, purchased in the vitamins area of most stores

Melatonin - 300 micrograms every night - helps with anxiety. She receives an additional dosage of melatonin when we are going to the dog park, to someone's house with dogs or if there are going to be a fair number of thunderstorms going through the area, purchased in the vitamins area of most stores

Benadryl - have used when she has had a lot of itching - just to tide her over to a vet's visit, , purchased in the first aid/medicine area of most stores

Comments

  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited November -1
    Lucy and Joey both get:

    Canned pumpkin for some extra fiber in their diet.

    Probiotics (Lucy takes a pill in veggie capsules, Joey gets a powder)

    Digestive enzymes (currently using the one from Solid Gold)

    A veggy Glucosamine & Chondroiton supplement (although Lucy is still a bit unstable IBD-wise right now so she hasn't been on it)

    Joey is fed primarily a fish diet, so I don't supplement fish oil for him. Lucy can't have fish, so she gets a primrose oil supplement instead (available at GNC). Again, Lucy is currently off this, but will be back on once her IBD stabilizes.
  • brandon_wbrandon_w
    edited November -1
    Nemo is always on some form of fish oil, currently Tuna oil capsules. He also gets acidophilus everyday to help keep his GI Tract running smooth, Trader Joe's brand. Vitamin E once a week to help with proper absorption of the fish oil.

    Outside of that he rotates on Standard Process Supplements. Three different ones at a time:

    http://www.standardprocess.com/display/vetcanineform.spi

    -Brandon
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited October 2008
    I'm still looking for a multivitamin that I like.
    Until we find one, we give them Wellness Core Ocean 3x's a week as one meal for the nutrient load.

    We add these to their diet:
    -Fish Oil Capsules and oily fish for meals
    -Kelp - healthy fiber, antioxidant and promotes thyroid health
    -Steamed sweet Potatoes if their stools need some help
    -Natural light loaded Pre and Probiotics (yogurt, cottage cheese)
    -Chicken feet as a snack for joint health
    -Solid Gold Seameal
    -Raw Green Tripe (enzymes, Omegas, Skin/Coat health benefits)
    -Cold Pressed Olive Oil for the vitamin E
  • lindsaytlindsayt
    edited October 2008
    Beebe:

    Norwegian Kelp
    Solid Gold cold press Flax Oil
    Chlorpheniramine
    Interferon Alpha

    Ike:

    Missing Link (I want to do Solid Gold Seameal when this runs out)
    Solid Gold cold press Flax Oil
  • TeamLaikaTeamLaika
    edited November -1
    Dave - a question for you:
    Why give BOTH a probiotic and "digestive enzymes"?
    Does the Solid Gold product overlap the probiotic?

    just curious :)
  • RomiRomi
    edited November -1
    I give Ninja and Portia

    Naturvet Probiotics & Enzymes Powder
    Grizzly Salmon Oil
    Solid Gold Seameal Powder
  • LeonbergerLeonberger
    edited November -1
    Kuma gets 1,5g (3pills) of salmon oil a day, he takes the pills whole, no problem after I pierced the first so he would associate the yumminess (for him) of the fish oil with that pill. He goes crazy over them.
    The oil I add to his kibble (misaan's tip for bloat) has added Omega 3 too.

    And that's it, his GI is clockwork normally, so I haven't seen the need for pre/probiotics so far. Let's how he does with the Orijen transition.
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited October 2008
    Sarah: That's a great question. To be honest, I haven't looked at the labels of the particular probiotics and digestive enzymes I chose to compare (obviously I looked at them before I started giving them to my dogs, its just that I started them on probiotics months ago and the digestive enzymes recently). When I had done research on digestive enzymes vs probitics back before starting the probiotics, the ones I looked at on the internet had different active ingredients. Also, when I talked to my vet about it she was supportive of using both.

    I will double check when I get home to make sure I'm not overlapping. :-/

    edit: Good catch Sarah! I almost sh** the bed on that one. It turns out the Solid Gold d-Zymes product does overlap significantly with the probiotic Joey is on, but not Lucy's. I had been planning to change Joey's probiotic anyway, so I guess I just got some added motivation.
  • MikaAndMeMikaAndMe
    edited November -1
    Brandon_W: You mentioned acidophilus to keep their GI tract running smoothly. Mika sort of hiccups sometimes like her food doesn't digest too well. Could that be her problem? This happens quite frequently, often after she eats. I was just curious. If you or anyone else has any idea then I am all ears. Thanks.
  • sujewelsujewel
    edited November -1
    Mika and Keigo both get

    Grizzley Salmon Fish Oil
    And chewable probiotics, which I also take.

    They have been on Canned Pumpkin for runny stool
  • SangmortSangmort
    edited November -1
    Question! When you guys give fish oil, is it the same pills as the ones we humans take? If so, do you squeeze it out of the capsule, or give them the whole capsule?

    Pardon my ignorance :)~
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    I give them the capsules. They think they are treats. Miko loves to eat them.
    I also give the NaturVet probiotics and enzymes.
    Piglet is also given, Canine Dermal, Ostrophin, Manganese,Wobenzyme, BioNutirient JOT, Rescue Remedy, and Extracts of Walnut Flower and Star of Bethlehem.
  • brandon_wbrandon_w
    edited November -1
    Nathan - What brand of food are you feeding? Nemo has never had the hiccups but he has been known to rip off a good belch or two. Keeping Nemo on acidophilus actual helps keep him more "regular" and a little less soft on the back end. You could give it to Mika and see if it helps with any of your issues, it isn't going to hurt anything if you try.

    I also give Nemo "human" capsules. I just toss them in with his kibble and he eats it right up.
  • ljowen123ljowen123
    edited November -1
    I give Jazz human capsules, also
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited November -1
    Nathan, I think Brandon basically hit it. Its very common for dogs to belch after eating, especially if they are enthusiastic eaters. That's probably what you're encountering with Mika.
  • LeonbergerLeonberger
    edited November -1
    Kuma is quite the belcher, or as Nat puts it he's Homer.
  • MommyofNikoMommyofNiko
    edited November -1
    Im a bad mom.
    They are on fish food so no added supplement for that.
    Niko gets glucosomine for her LP.
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