Supplementing

[gooeydog]

I'm just wondering what supplements (if any) everyone here gives their dogs. Anything from joint supplements to diet additions, the whole nine yards :lol:

I give Annie and Goo (the only 2 of the 5 dogs that I feed) flax seed oil and salmon oil, usually salmon oil one night a week and flax seed oil a few days later, so they get each once a week. I had a hard time finding guidelines on how much should be given, so I've been splitting a 1000mg gelcap at a 1:5 ratio between Annie and Goo (Annie is around 13 lbs, Goo is around 55 lbs) and mixing it with their food the nights they get it. Since then I've read that you can give up to 1000mg per 10 lbs of body weight, but that seems like a lot?

I'm also looking into starting Haley (have to talk to my mom first about that, since she's the one who pays the vet bills and buys food, reason for putting her on it... she's only got 3 legs, and recent x-rays showed her hips aren't the best, so hopefully an ounce of prevention...), Goo (who's in decent shape, but getting up in years, again, preventive measure), and possibly Annie (who's had no problems, but with her being so active and Dachshunds being prone to back problems) on joint supplements at some point in the near future, leaning right now towards MSM. Most of the diabetes resources I've read advise that Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements can cause spikes in blood glucose levels (from the glucosamine), and should only be used when there is no other alternative. We had a hard time getting Hale's sugar/insulin levels straightened out in the first place, the last thing I want to do is have to start all over again. I did try Goo on a low amount of MSM last fall (500mg, 1/4 the dose they prescribe for a person) for a couple months, and she seemed to have a bit higher energy, etc, though I also switched her to a better food around the same time, so that could easily have been the cause (I took her off it because she was due to have a dentistry done- which still hasn't been done yet due to the vet having some other issues; it wasn't an emergency situation, so we'd rather wait until he can do it than go to someone else- and I was worried about any possible complications the MSM could cause).

Basically I'm just looking to see what anyone else gives their dogs, but would also appreciate any resources that detail exactly what different supplements can be used for and at what amounts (books, websites, anything).

[imported_Cassie]

I some times will use shark cartilage in place of Glucosamine/Chondroitin...you might want to research shark cartilage??

For my dogs I give:
Athena..Rottweiler with HD (5 years) & Dilon - Newf with elbow dysplasia: Glucosamine/Chondroitin, MSM with Boswellia (not daily), Yucca root (every other day) Yucca is an anti inflammatory which has worked well on my Rottie.
Cassie-Newfoundland 8 years: Glucosamine/Chondroitin, Dandelion root.

For all of my dogs I give them the occasional home made meal with spinach or sweet potatoe etc. and other fresh organic veggies with organic meats. I also give my dogs canned sardines packed in water twice daily ( I have heard some bad things about fish oil supplements), I also give them canned wild salmon twice weekly (I never feed them farmed salmon), I also add ground flax seeds a few times a week to their meals...this is much cheaper than buying the oil...at least I find it cheaper :wink: I bought myself a coffee bean grinder to use to grind my own flax seeds...I only buy organic flax seeds...and some times I give them ground pumpkin seeds which also have omega 6 fatty acids and vitamin E...some people even say that pumpkin seeds can combat and prevent intestinal parasites, especially tapeworms...for this I have no proof :-? but, at least I can say that my dogs fecal exams also come out parasite free.

I get alot of my information from the whole dog journal. Here is the site in case you would like to order the subscription.
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/

Here is a really good forum regarding holistic dog care which I have got alot of info.
http://forums.drweil.com/drwHolisticPet/

I hope this helps you :wink:

[imported_Cassie]

I meant to say I give my dogs canned sardines twice weekly...not twice daily :lol: :wink:

Here is another web site with loads of information...you can check out each herb and the use for each one.

http://www.peteducation.com/category_summary.cfm?cls=0&cat=1448

[drjeffrock]

Poor Dex suffers from allergies. Sometimes his hair follicles get infected. I am giving him a once a day supplement called DermCaps ES. It is a concentrated fatty acid supplement. The ingredients contain Fish oil, safflower oil, borage seed oil, vitaman E and a couple other things.