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ForumsGerman Shepherd Dog > Best supplement for raw diet (31 replies)
Best supplement for raw diet by McClane on 28 March 2012 - 20:15 |
| Hi everyone! I am new to PDB... We have an 8 1/2 week old German Shepherd puppy...he eats Kirkland and Orijen large breed puppy food 50/50. We want to switch him over to a RAW diet at 12 weeks of age due to the horrible way they make dog kibble these days( Iams and P&G on youtube, I love animals and do not support animal testing!)Just my personal feeling... PLEASE UNDERSTAND. I did come across www.knowbetterpetfood.com, which has a supplement that you add to your dogs meat and it gives them everything they need apparently. I was just wondering if anyone knows of another product out there that is similar or even better. Thanks to everyone that will reply! |
by melba on 28 March 2012 - 20:25 |
| We feed Nupro silver, and have started all litters with it in their puppy gruel. I love this stuff :) http://www.nuprosupplements.com Melissa |
melba by SitasMom on 28 March 2012 - 20:56 |
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/products/preference/ this is a balancer for raw diets....... |
by McClane on 28 March 2012 - 21:15 |
| Thanks so much for the info, I really appreciate it! |
by uvw on 28 March 2012 - 21:44 |
| a healthy dog does not need any supplements or balancers when fed a raw diet as long as you provide a variety of meats, organs, and bones. "balance" isn't acheived from supplements or at every meal. it is acheived long term through variety. they only supplement i would recommend is fish oil for omega 3. |
uvw by Nans gsd on 28 March 2012 - 21:52 |
| I have to agree with uvw; I don't supplement except for Salmon oil/Vit E. The honest kitchen preference is great, I do use it for my AM feeding with raw ground meat. It DOES have all the vit/minerals needed which makes my raw feeding a bit easier and takes the guess work out of it. PM meal is raw chicken, or pork necks, or some other type meat with bone. Best of luck Nan I have not found a vitamin/mineral supplement I would trust; and am very very careful NOT to over vitaminize puppies, can make them grow too fast. You want them to grow as slow as possible to form those joints without stressing the puppy. I think raw would be great for your new puppy as the protein/fat is lower and they get some great calcium with the boney parts of chicken/beef/or turkey, etc. Nan |
by TingiesandTails on 29 March 2012 - 01:04 |
| Same as uvw and Nans gsd here - fed my puppy with raw only - sometimes a teaspoon of Salmon Oil added - not on a regular base though. |
TingiesandTails by Juno11 on 29 March 2012 - 02:24 |
| Good to hear you're switching to raw. I feed a variety of meats, including organ meat, bones, veggies, and dairy. I have found good sources from local farmers and butchers. The only supplements I add are 1/4 tsp of ground kelp 5 times a week. For vitamin B's I add brewers yeast 1 tsp a few times a week. Salmon oil and cod liver oil are also good to add a few times a week. 1 tbsp of cold pressed safflower or flax oil per day 1 tbsp ground flax or 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or cooked squash if the dog gets constipated. Personally I have more confidence in human grade vitamins and I give magnesium (100 mg) a few times a week to help absorb calcium or a calcium magnesium supplement a few times a week. Juno11 |
by Bhaugh on 30 March 2012 - 01:40 |
| I really like Tech Mix and throw some in a few times a week. I don't agree that dogs don't need supplimentation to their diet. If you fed a wide variety of different foods then maybe you wouldn't need to. I just don't think meat provides all that is necessary for a super healthy dog. JMO however. |
Bhaugh by McClane on 30 March 2012 - 10:27 |
| Thanks for all the replies! We want to give him meat from the butcher... that is why I am wondering if he needs anything else added. He scratches like crazy sometimes, think it might be the kirkland puppy food. thanks again! |
by darylehret on 30 March 2012 - 12:14 |
Along with Grizzly salmon oil, Five Star Nutrition's Total* K-9 is what I use, when feeding either kibble or raw. This powder supplement includes Vitamin E, Amino acids, Diatomaceous earth, and Probiotics. The diatomaceous earth serves as a natural dewormer, shredding parasites with it's microscopic glasslike structure. The Grizzly salmon oil brand also contains rosemary extract, which serves as a preservative for the oil, but is also used in other products as nature's most effective parasite repellant. |
darylehret by Mcap on 30 March 2012 - 13:01 |
| I was giving our 2 puppies Enzyme Pro Plus and our vet (holistic) suggested that we not supplement with anything that has calcium right now. We are feeding Bravo Balanced right now, but I plan on transtioning them to more of a Barf diet as they get a little older. She suggested that we only supplenet with Slamon oil. It is very confusing because everyone has an opinion :) Mike |
Mcap by Markobytes on 31 March 2012 - 01:31 |
CPN has a product called puppy structure that can be added to raw. Switching to raw can be very easy, switching back to kibble can lead to problems. I feed and recommend K9Kravings, it is USDA inspected and passes as a product fit for human consumption it is also very economical, some of these prepared diets can be quite pricey. |
Markobytes by TingiesandTails on 01 April 2012 - 00:40 |
| listen to your vet if you want to go holistic! Dogs don't need human grade meat, which is cleaned and sometimes bleached. If you feed green tripe, for example, your dog gets the good bovine enzymes plus grass residue left in the stomach (tripe is one of the cow's stomach). This way, you don't need to supplement. Additional vitamins and minerals are unnessessary, especially if you switch meats every now and then, they only harm your dogs kidney. If you feed puppy food, additional calcium will harm the pups kidneys too. Stay with your holistic vet. Vets can make a lot of money selling specialized food and food supplements! |
by djc on 01 April 2012 - 01:43 |
| I disagree about not needing supplements when feeding a raw diet. Just meat and bones does not give all the vitamins and minerals they need. I use Hokamix. Its all herbal and natural. I get it at http://dogtownusa.net You can also Google it to find other places that sell it. If you are feeding a kibble supplements can be harmful and you can make the nutritional balance get all out of whack. Debby |
djc by SitasMom on 01 April 2012 - 04:31 |
| Hokamix is good stuff. |
by McClane on 01 April 2012 - 11:05 |
| Thank you for all the replies! I am looking for a holistic vet in West Palm Beach,Fl...There is one,however their website is down so I will call tomorrow, there is no reviews on them either:( I was looking at http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/products/preference/ and it seems like the best option. What do you guys think of it? the lady at honest kitchen said that I could also add fish oil. Does anyone here have or would recommend a Holistic vet that I could call about RAW diet options? Thanks again! |
by TingiesandTails on 01 April 2012 - 15:19 |
| Check out the holistic vet association: http://www.holisticvetlist.com/ Dr Bernstein in your area is recommended by Dr Pitcairn, one of the forrunners on the field: http://www.drpitcairn.com/referrals/anhc-referrals/ All the best! |
by uvw on 02 April 2012 - 17:53 |
| i would just like to add...a raw diet is not "just meat" or "just meat and bones". a raw diet is meat, bones, ORGANS (which are very nutrient dense), and variety. supplementing by adding synthetic vitamins and minerals can do more harm than good, they do not necessarily perform the same way their natural counterparts to, and they are taxing on your internal filtering organs like kidneys, etc. additionally, please do your research when looking for vets. use peoples' experiences, references, and word of mouth...not an internet list on someone's website. there are just as many holistic 'quacks' as there are conventional 'quacks'. while i was doing my own research on vets, i found one of the vets on dr. pitcarin's list has either been suspended or had his veterinary license revoked (which you may not even need to practice holistic...someone please correct me if i'm wrong), and yet is still practicing after "repeated acts of gross negligence, gross malpractice, gross incompetence, professional misconduct, patient records violations, and professional misconduct by employing two unlicensed persons as assistant veterinarians" which was found on the state website under consumer affairs. i obviously don't know the whole story and what actually transpired, but it gives me a better idea. please check the division of consumer affairs in your state. |
by Juno11 on 02 April 2012 - 18:10 |
| Hi again, I just want to add that the supplements I give are for a full grown dog. I didn't start feeding raw until my last GSD was almost full grown. Its good to go to a naturopathic vet to help with the diet. One of my vets suggested a book by Monica Segal (might be called Optimal Nutrition) to use as a guide. She also has a website. Once you get the puppy started on the raw diet you might consider having a blood panel done by the naturopathic vet to make sure he's getting everything he needs. Juno11 |
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