Vitamins? Supplements?

[Guest GreyGary91806]

I was going to put Gary on a raw diet but doing research and such i am just going to stick to a good kibble. With saying that I want to add supplements that could be beneficial to his health. Ive heard of fish oil that we take but I dont know the proper Mg's. Any help or info would be awesome.......THANKS

[Guest Swifthounds]

I would tend to stick to the fish oil prepared to be human quality. Too many of the dog versions have significant levels of murcury and other metals. I get mine from Puritan's Pride and have had great results. You want a fish body oil (salmon, herring, anchovy, mackerel, etc.), not a cod liver oil or an olive oil or other plant-based oils. Plant based oils contain too much omega 6 and 9. Dogs have no use for omega 9 and they require omega 3 supplementation to balance out the excess omega 6 in their diets, so adding more 6s is counter-productive.

 

A maintenance dose of Omega 3s (the ones you're looking to add) would be 300 mg (combined total EPA & DHA) per 30 lbs. of dog and the theraputic dose of Omega 3s (the ones you're looking to add) would be 300 mg (combined total EPA & DHA) per 10 lbs. of dog. Unless your dog is sensitive to soy, which is in many processed oils and need not be listed on the label, the numbers are what you need to know.

 

The mgs (usually 1000 or 1200) listed on the front of the bottle is them mg amount of the oil, not the concentration of EPA/DHA. Flip the bottle over and look for those two numbers. Also, be sure to check the "dosage" - some bottles will list the amount as 1 pill and some will list the EPA/DHA per two capsules. It's how you can compare "less expensive" and "more expensive" fish oils to see what actually gets you the most bang for the buck.

 

The only other supplements I give hounds other than for specific health conditions is joint supplements, starting around age 3 or 4. I've posted about those a few times elsewhere.

 

Out of curiosity, what prompted you to stay with kibble? Just curious. You can PM me if you want so as to not derail the thread.

[kudzu]

Swifthounds has given a good run down. I use Carlson Super Omega-3 Gems Fish Oil http://www.iherb.com/Carlson-Labs-Super-Omega-3-Gems-Fish-Oil-100-30-Free-Soft-Gels/2799?at=0 (even though I hate the name ) It has a higher level of EPA & DHA than I can find in ay other fish oil caps so I end up giving 1/2 the amount of oil I'd have to give otherwise.

[Guest KennelMom]

You shouldn't need to supplement a quality kibble. If you do give fish oil, I agree that human grade is the way to go. Carlsons makes a good product...it's what I take if I am supplementing some fish oil (the liquid, not caps though).

 

You get what you pay for with fish oil. So, if it's cheap you probably aren't getting much epa/dha so you have to give a LOT more to get a dose that makes any difference.

[Guest ShanYu]

Nike gets "Missing Link" with his breakfast and a fish oil pill when I take mine.

[Guest Swifthounds]

You shouldn't need to supplement with quality kibble (what a sad oxymoron) but usually you will. Most have a terrible omega 6 to 3 ratio to begin with and then the cooking makes it worse. With some kibbles you "luck out" a bit as they spray the outside ofthe kibble with a vitamin e and omega containing oil to entice a dog into thinking the food itself tastes and smells good enough to eat. Since the spray is applied after the cooking, it can be helpful.

 

With fish oil you want to spend your dollars on better quality fish sources and better purification ratherthan concentration of DHA/EPA. Concentrating is the easy part to achieve but the most costly increase in retail price to the consumer. The number of caps needed is far less important than the purification. In fact, the added oil provides beneficial fats.

[MaryJane]

One note about fish oil (or any supplements) is that you want to make sure that you vet knows that your dog takes them. Oils like fish and flaxseed might have some aspirin like qualities (lessons clots/promotes bleeding) so you want to make sure to stop them before any surgery like dentals.

[XTRAWLD]

I throw in one tablespoon of fish oil for their breakfast every morning and have recently started to use a powder called Green Lipped Mussels, to alleviate limping issues in Ryder. (See original thread here). Figure it wouldn't hurt to give to Kasey either, so they are both on the supplement. They receive this in all their meals.

Edited November 2, 2011 by XTRAWLD

[Guest mariah]

I agree that it's not necessary to supplement quality kibble (with the exception of maybe fish oil). There are some multi-vitamins etc. out there for dogs eating kibble that are purported to cover the "gaps" in the diet, but of course each type of kibble has more or less of certain things, so at best you'd be over-supplementing, and at worst not making much of a difference anyway.

 

We don't feed kibble personally, but I know some folks that do like to switch brands or formulas every few months to make up for possible imbalances. Doing something like this might give you peace of mind that your guy is getting everything he needs, if this is something you're worried about.

Edited November 2, 2011 by mariah

[seeh2o]

I give my two Omega 3 fish oil soft gels from Costco, Kirkland brand. Each cap contains exactly what Swifthounds wrote about, 300mg EPA + DHA per each cap. They are made for humans, so I feel good about the quality, come 400 caps to a bottle and are often on sale, so I buy 2 - 3 bottles at a time. They contain sardine and anchovy oils.

[Guest Swifthounds]

One note about fish oil (or any supplements) is that you want to make sure that you vet knows that your dog takes them. Oils like fish and flaxseed might have some aspirin like qualities (lessons clots/promotes bleeding) so you want to make sure to stop them before any surgery like dentals.

 

Hopefully no one's giving flax to a dog, and you are correct about the aspirin like quality, but it's not usually a concern unless you're giving high, high doses of vitamin E (as opposed to the small amount used to preserve most dog foods or oils) and the dog is otherwise a bleeding risk (either doesn't clot well or is on something like heart meds). Three or four times the high end if the therapytic dose isn't enough to cause bleeding issues in a healthy hound.

 

You should, however, always provide any vet doing surgery with a list of supplements and medications your dog takes along with asking about anesthesia and insisting on fluids. I keep a medical history file on each of my dogs and include there a lust if supplements.

[Guest HoundyGirl]

 

 

Hopefully no one's giving flax to a dog, and you are correct about the aspirin like quality, but it's not usually a concern unless you're giving high, high doses of vitamin E (as opposed to the small amount used to preserve most dog foods or oils) and the dog is otherwise a bleeding risk (either doesn't clot well or is on something like heart meds). Three or four times the high end if the therapytic dose isn't enough to cause bleeding issues in a healthy hound.

 

 

 

 

That's good to know about 3-4 times the therapeutic dose not being enough to cause bleeding issues. When I was supplementing at the therapeutic dose my grey had to have blood drawn and the vet had a hard time getting it to clot. I thought it was because of the fish oil and backed him off to 1/2 of what he was getting. It's good to know I didn't cause the problem. And good to know so for next time the vet can test for Von Willebrand's or something similar. Thanks!

[Burpdog]

And good to know so for next time the vet can test for Von Willebrand's or something similar

 

It's not unheard of but VWD is very uncommon in greyhounds. Many can bleed with no known cause. Trying to remember what Dr. Couto calls it. There is a study on it and all the vets who treat greyhounds should be aware.

[Guest GreyGary91806]

So I guess my last question would be what are some suggestions for GREAT quality kibble... I want to give him the best and healthiest food for him.

[Guest Swifthounds]

That one's for y'all!

[GeorgeofNE]

So I guess my last question would be what are some suggestions for GREAT quality kibble... I want to give him the best and healthiest food for him.

 

 

There is no right answer to that. There are hundreds of opinions, and the truth is some dogs actually do better on what people consider "junk." What works for one dog might not work for another.

 

I feed my Greyhound Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream. I used to feed Solid Gold Millenum (beef based). I think they're both excellent.

 

I also use fish oil, but no other supplements. I give him a tin of sardines from time to time, and any leftovers of what I eat that are appropriate--for variety.

[Guest greyers]

So I guess my last question would be what are some suggestions for GREAT quality kibble... I want to give him the best and healthiest food for him.

 

That is like opening a can of worms!

 

 

Ditto what George said. Every dog is different. I highly suggest The whole dog journal, or if you do not want to buy a subscription, check out the dogfoodadvisor.com website and look for 4 & 5 star rated foods. You can really learn a LOT about individual ingredients in dog food.

foods i personally like and my pups have done good on include: Taste of the Wild, Canidae grain free, Nature's Domain salmon, Stella and Chewy just to name a few. For years I also fed Timberwolf Organics too.

Edited November 3, 2011 by greyers

[Batmom]

Unless the dog has a medical condition requiring special diet, when I feed kibble I usually don't give any vitamin/mineral supplements -- already in there. I might give fish oil to sleek up the coat or if the dog has dryish skin. I usually do supplement with things like an egg or some meat several times a week, and of course RAOUL (thanks, Hubcitypam!) aka Reasonably Appropriate Use Of Leftovers -- for example, nonsalty steamed veggies that were prepared for the people meal. RAOUL is mostly small quantity (tablespoon or two), for enjoyment rather than nutrition.

 

The kibbles that have worked best here over the years usually have not been the high end foods that get top ratings on all those websites. Things like IAMS and Purina ONE have generally worked better for us.

 

 

 

[Guest GreyGary91806]

Right now he is on Purina One Beyond, he seems to be doing pretty well on it...

[Guest greyers]

Right now he is on Purina One Beyond, he seems to be doing pretty well on it...

 

If your dog does well on the current food, then you do not necessarily have to change foods. If its working, sometimes it is REALLY best not to touch it!

NOW... if you are just looking to expand your horizons to a food that some people might be a little higher quality, then the best thing to do is to start with research.

Here is the list of the ingredients for the food you feed and an explanation of each ingredient and what is good or bad in it. I would suggest starting there and seeing what you think personally of the current food you feed and then explore into some other brands, or explore this website by brands that have more stars.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/purina-one-beyond/

 

Personally I use to feed purina one many years ago. Their ingredients have really improved!

 

 

Again, if it ain't broken, don't fix it, but that said, knowledge is power! Take things as far as you wish.

Edited November 3, 2011 by greyers

[Guest KennelMom]

I agree, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I had good results with Iams/Eukanuba back when I only had two greys. Over the years we've fed just about the entire range of food...what worked best across the board for a large group of dogs was Taste of the Wild - Wild Prairie. We feed raw now and have one dog on kibble b/c of chicken allergies ( ) and she's doing great on TOTW Salmon and/or Natures Domain Salmon.