Talk to me about supplements

[FroxerMom]

Hi all,




So....I am absolutely LOVING the results I'm seeing since starting raw feeding. We are on our second bag of duck patties and nuggets and raw goats milk (so, a total of 15 days now) and Daphne's coat is so soft, no eye boogies, no ear infections, her interdigital furuncle is FINALLY almost gone (thank GOODNESS), she's pooping only 1 to 2 times per day, no farting, is less pink...she just looks so healthy. I'm really happy. Here's my question: I know in my other thread, many people said they add coconut oil and turmeric and some other things to the food. Is that necessary for optimal results? I was looking at adding a tsp or 2 of Missing Link vitamins and minerals...is that still considered a good supplement? Is there something better? I know back when I was involved with Boxer Rescue in the late 90s and 2000s, it was a great product. My concern is, I have her exclusively on duck and she's doing so well. I am frankly afraid of adding something else that may not agree with her, even something as "good" as fish oil. Should I try it or not play with fire at this point? I would hate to have a setback with her progress.

Thanks for any info you can share

 

[Frenchie Grrrl]

I'm not familiar with that specific brand of suppliment.

As far as fish oil, I don't do it. I've read too many articles about it going rancid really quickly. I just bought some phytoplankton, for Omega 3s, but haven't tried it yet. I do coconut oil occasionally.

 

[Honeys Owners]

I give my dog all the supplements mixed with her food as follows, but I would just add one at a time of whichever ones you like and see how Daphne does:
1) Fish oil ( 300 mg DHA/EPA from an opened capsule ) in morning meal
2) Turmeric in morning and evening meals ( Don't bother adding this unless you add ground pepper or something containing bioperine, since it won't be absorbed otherwise ). I only use 1/4 tsp twice daily but you can use more if you like.
3) Flax seed oil 1000mg from a capsule or 1/2 tsp hemp seed oil with evening meal
4) Sea kelp 1/8 tsp twice daily ( if the raw food doesn't already have it mixed in ). This contains all the vitamins you need, so you don't need Missing Link.
5) Cetirizine 10 mg once daily ( or Chlorpheniramine 4mg twice daily ) for antihistamine
6) Coconut oil 1 tsp twice daily ( build up to this )
7) Natural source Vitamin E 400IU ( from opened capsule ) once weekly
8)1/8 tsp twice a day of Actif-Flex 4000 for horses ( I use 1/4 tsp twice a day since my dog is heavier )

 

[antbkny]

I feed raw and I don’t give Henry any supplements. I do give him some salmon and coconut on occasion though because he loves it.

From wefeedraw

What about supplements, probiotics, and digestive enzymes?

We aren’t against supplements, and we do use Omega 3 fatty acids, glucosamine, and probiotics occasionally. But we believe you can get all the nutrients from the raw source, rather than from supplements. For instance, raw, uncleaned green tripe is better than fish oil or Omega 3. All grass-fed red meats are high in Omega 3s. Sometimes it is more convenient to supplement, but you need to be careful not to over-supplement.. For example, if given continually, digestive enzymes can hinder the body's natural production of enzymes.

Digestive enzymes make sense for pets with long-standing digestion problems, but if your pet is generally healthy and is being fed a raw diet rich in natural food nutrients, they are probably getting everything they need from a nutrition standpoint.The only supplement that We Feed Raw recommends for healthy pets is Omega 3s. We recommend Country Life Super Omegas because it has the correct proportion of DHAs and EPAs, is human-grade, and is soy-free.If you prefer a liquid form, we recommend Grizzly Salmon Oil.

 

[FroxerMom]

Thanks Frenchie Grrrl, Honeys Owners, and antbkny for your input!

 

[Honeys Owners]

Some frozen raw commercial products do not have any fish or fish oil, or vitamins or sea kelp added. If that is the case with your product I believe that fish oil for Omega 3 and sea kelp for vitamins are highly recommended.

 

[FroxerMom]

Some frozen raw commercial products do not have any fish or fish oil, or vitamins or sea kelp added. If that is the case with your product I believe that fish oil for Omega 3 and sea kelp for vitamins are highly recommended.

Just snapped the back of my frozen raw bag. It looks like maybe she's covered...??

 

[Honeys Owners]

Looks like a great product. You don't need to supplement at all if you don't wish. Probiotics are always good, which you are getting with raw goats milk. Turmeric ( with pepper or bioperene ) is good if you want to help prevent cancer and treat arthritis.

 

[FroxerMom]

Looks like a great product. You don't need to supplement at all if you don't wish. Probiotics are always good, which you are getting with raw goats milk. Turmeric ( with pepper or bioperene ) is good if you want to help prevent cancer and treat arthritis.

I take turmeric with pepper for myself daily so not a bad idea about giving to my pets as well! Thank you!

 

[Rudi Lim]

I have been supplementing my dogs with the following depending on their needs

1. Tumeric
2. Dr Mercola antioxidant
3. Dr Mercola mushroom complex
4. Dr Mercola whole food digestive probiotics
5. Dr Mercola immune balance
6. Coconut oil
7. MSM

I have 7 dogs altogether and they each has their own combinations. The core supplements that everyone receives are tumeric and coconut oil.



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[FroxerMom]

I have been supplementing my dogs with the following depending on their needs

1. Tumeric
2. Dr Mercola antioxidant
3. Dr Mercola mushroom complex
4. Dr Mercola whole food digestive probiotics
5. Dr Mercola immune balance
6. Coconut oil
7. MSM

I have 7 dogs altogether and they each has their own combinations. The core supplements that everyone receives are tumeric and coconut oil.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sounds like coconut oil and turmeric are sure winners!

 

[antbkny]

what would be the benefit of feeding turmeric (anti-inflammatory) to a raw fed dog? Raw is anti-inflammatory as is.

 

[Honeys Owners]

what would be the benefit of feeding turmeric (anti-inflammatory) to a raw fed dog? Raw is anti-inflammatory as is.

It's not just anti-inflammatory, it's also for cancer, allergies, inflammatory bowel disease and pain. https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/turmeric-dogs/

 

[FroxerMom]

Thanks for the link, Honeys Owners. Can't wait to read it.

 

[antbkny]

It's not just anti-inflammatory, it's also for cancer, allergies, inflammatory bowel disease and pain. https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/turmeric-dogs/

All of those are caused by inflammation. The credit goes to being an anti-inflammatory, not the turmeric itself. My point is, if you are feeding raw now, there is no benefit to adding turmeric since it is an anti-inflammatory by nature., less is more. Now if you were feeding your dog kibble, then the turmeric would be advised.

 

[Honeys Owners]

Sounds like coconut oil and turmeric are sure winners!

Your dog food already has coconut oil so you are covered there. I'm feeding my dog about 2% of her weight with the frozen raw and she has been gaining weight, so I'm stopping her coconut oil for now to see if she starts to lose a bit. If not, I might have to drop her portions of frozen raw from 1/3 pound twice daily to 1/3 pound for one meal and 1/4 pound for the other.