Vitamin Supplement

[Kaffy Magee]

I feed my dogs barf. I have read "give your dog a bone" by Billinghurst. Ive gone and bought some vitamins etc to add to the meals but the other i just felt stupid doing it. Here i am with cod liver capsules, vitamin e capsules,vitamin c tablets, kelp granules and brewers yeast(b group vitamins) mixing it in to the dogs food quietly so my husband didnt notice and think i'd gone nuts(more than he already thinks LOL). Anyway can anybody tell me is there an alternative? A multi vitamin/oil supplement? Even if it was in liquid form would be better. Anyone?

[oakway]

I put Feramo Greyhound on my dogs chicken mince.

They also have a small quantity of dry food.

[oakway]

Ooops double post

Edited July 19, 2007 by oakway

[mack_truck]

"My Beau" is an excellent vitamin & oil supplement when feeding a BARF diet. Its a oily paste that you mix in with their food. It contains canola oil, brewers yeast, vitamin E -- basically all the vitamins etc reccommended by Billinghurst.

I was using it for awhile, with excellent results. However it did work out more expensive with my 2 rotts -- so I've gone back to the zillion individual vitamins etc :rolleyes:

http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/product.ph...=103&page=1

[Staranais]

Wow, that's lots of supplements. I just add salmon oil (since I don't feed much nervous tissue the dogs need to get their omegas from somewhere) and occasionally vitamin E (plus arthritis supplements).

[poodlefan]

I use the general nutitional supplement from Greenpet.

They are online at www.greenpet.com.au

[Diva]

Thanks Mack Truck, I've been considering that product and it's good to hear it worked for you

(sorry for hikjacking your post KM)

[mack_truck]

No worries Divia -- I do highly reccommend that product :rolleyes:

Amhailte, are you feeding a complete BARF diet? Dr Ian Billinghurst's book is my little bible at the moment and he reccommends that if you are feeding a mostly raw diet that it is essential that you supply two supplements on a regualr basis: brewer's yeast and kelp.

I also add garlic, vitamin C, apple cider vinegar, linseed, millet, honey and egg. Plus the vegies and some rolled oats.

But at the end of the day, everyone has their own opinions to what to give their dogs. If your dog is healthy, stick to what you usually give them.

[Staranais]

Amhailte, are you feeding a complete BARF diet? Dr Ian Billinghurst's book is my little bible at the moment and he reccommends that if you are feeding a mostly raw diet that it is essential that you supply two supplements on a regualr basis: brewer's yeast and kelp.

We do half "Butch Blue Label" dog roll & half raw, with table scraps. Raw including lamb ribs, lamb flaps, chicken carcasses, chicken necks, beef bits, beef and lamb organs, pig trotters, eggs, fruit.

Why does Billinghurst recommend adding those two supplements? Does he give a reason? Seems to me that wolves wouldn't exactly have access to those things, so unless they're replacing things found in parts of the carcass that we don't often feed our dogs, they shouldn't be necessary?

[Hazz]

You need to watch your kelp supplementation, as too muh iodine can be toxic.

[mack_truck]

Amhailte, are you feeding a complete BARF diet? Dr Ian Billinghurst's book is my little bible at the moment and he reccommends that if you are feeding a mostly raw diet that it is essential that you supply two supplements on a regualr basis: brewer's yeast and kelp.

We do half "Butch Blue Label" dog roll & half raw, with table scraps. Raw including lamb ribs, lamb flaps, chicken carcasses, chicken necks, beef bits, beef and lamb organs, pig trotters, eggs, fruit.

Why does Billinghurst recommend adding those two supplements? Does he give a reason? Seems to me that wolves wouldn't exactly have access to those things, so unless they're replacing things found in parts of the carcass that we don't often feed our dogs, they shouldn't be necessary?

Quotes from Billinghurst's book:

The overrriding reason (brewers yeast) is added to your dogs diet is a source of the B complex group of vitamins.

It is one of the richest, most concentrated sources of nutrients known. By supplying your dog with brewers yeast on a regular basis, you go a long way towards providing him or her with many nutrients dogs in the wild obtain by eating faeces, plus some other benefits besides.

Kelp is a valuable source of a number of minerals, but most particularly iodine. Kelp is good for the functioning of the throyid gland -- a well nourished thyroid ensures your dog's metabolism ticks over at the right speed.

I give 1 teaspoon of each a day to my rotts

[cavNrott]

I feed my dogs barf. I have read "give your dog a bone" by Billinghurst. Ive gone and bought some vitamins etc to add to the meals but the other i just felt stupid doing it. Here i am with cod liver capsules, vitamin e capsules,vitamin c tablets, kelp granules and brewers yeast(b group vitamins) mixing it in to the dogs food quietly so my husband didnt notice and think i'd gone nuts(more than he already thinks LOL). Anyway can anybody tell me is there an alternative? A multi vitamin/oil supplement? Even if it was in liquid form would be better. Anyone?

I do the same as you with the only difference being I add Flaxseed oil (from the refrigerated section) rather than Cod Liver oil. I also add in Cranberry tablets for my girls.

[Staranais]

The overrriding reason (brewers yeast) is added to your dogs diet is a source of the B complex group of vitamins.

It is one of the richest, most concentrated sources of nutrients known. By supplying your dog with brewers yeast on a regular basis, you go a long way towards providing him or her with many nutrients dogs in the wild obtain by eating faeces, plus some other benefits besides.

Does he mean faeces from large herbivores - horses etc? Or their own faeces? :p

Kelp is a valuable source of a number of minerals, but most particularly iodine. Kelp is good for the functioning of the throyid gland -- a well nourished thyroid ensures your dog's metabolism ticks over at the right speed.

So where do wolves get their iodine from - they don't often have access to kelp, do they? And if wolves are quite happy and healthy without kelp in their diet, wouldn't we expect that dogs would be too?

Thanks for your help, Mack Truck! I'm not trying to pick apart your advice, just trying to figure out why Billinghurt says that a diet that is supposedly based on what dogs "evolved" to eat apparently needs to include all sorts of artificial supplements.

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

I don't give brewer's yeast as I have one dog with allergy problems. Brewer's yeast can inflame the allergic dog.

I don't give many supplements at all. However, Lilly the greyhound is on glucosamine and cod liver oil for her joints (she has a slipped disc in her neck) and a few injuries that play up from time to time.

I give the others cod liver oil when I feel they need it, as it's good for skin and coat plus it's anti-inflammatory properties are well-documented. It's the least expensive oil available and it has a broad effect in the dog's system. :p

I think we can go overboard with supplements. I try to give the dogs only what they need when they need it. Offal is a rich source of many of the substances that supplements are purported to supply - I'd rather feed offal than tablets.

[Red Mal]

I would suggest STOP giving Cod Liver Oil, providing you are only giving LESS than 5ml per week for a Large breed dog. Too much can cause untold damage to bones/structure etc. :p

With regard to Wolves, they arent that healthy sometimes, and the reason people like Billinghurst implement so much more into the diet, is so that our dogs are healthier and live longer than your average wolf in the wild

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

I would suggest STOP giving Cod Liver Oil, providing you are only giving LESS than 5ml per week for a Large breed dog. Too much can cause untold damage to bones/structure etc. :p

With regard to Wolves, they arent that healthy sometimes, and the reason people like Billinghurst implement so much more into the diet, is so that our dogs are healthier and live longer than your average wolf in the wild

My vet disagrees with you there on the cod liver oil. In fact many vets strongly suggest CLO in the inflamed dog (whether it be skin inflammation or joint inflammation). I give my greyhound the recommended dosage and I give it in capsule form.

When you say, "untold damage to bones/structure etc" perhaps you could explain what you mean?

[Rappie]

I think the sentiment regarding omega oils and the effect on the inflammatory cascade is shared - however the specific concern with large doses of cod liver oil (compared to fish oil) is the potential for overdosing Vitamin A (which is fat soluble). Hypervitaminosis A is a classic cause of ankylosing spondylitis.

[Kaffy Magee]

Thankyou for the replies everyone!

RE: the cod liver oil, they only get that once a week

Will be sure to checkout "my beau" and the nutritional supplement from greenpet, thank you.

;) KM

[MonElite]

I give my dogs Missing Link and fish oil capsules. Occasionally a multi vitamin tablet.

[laffi]

I think the sentiment regarding omega oils and the effect on the inflammatory cascade is shared - however the specific concern with large doses of cod liver oil (compared to fish oil) is the potential for overdosing Vitamin A (which is fat soluble). Hypervitaminosis A is a classic cause of ankylosing spondylitis.

Does it mean that it's easier to overdose cod liver oil compared to fish oil?

I have been giving my dogs 1-2 capsules of fish oil/day (they are both around 20kg), would that be considered as a high dose?