Supplements - Page 3

VBK9, with our schedules they get all the supplements in the evening feeding.  Just plain dry food in the morning.  And Abe is finally eating what's put in front of him, most times.... He doesn't like carrots.   The hand feeding that baby dog got when we first got him, sitting on the floor with him in my lap.  He's the only puppy I've ever met with so little food drive.   Not a whole lot of food drive still.  But Ball drive? oh boy oh boy!

Yes please send some new pictures of Kevlar!  I'll try getting some new of Abe in the next few weeks.  I'll get a video posted of him for you when I get the pictures. His work is coming along awesome.

I still can't believe at how wonderful, and beautiful, okay handsome, Abe is and we've had him 3 years now.  Thank you once again.

I have feed my dogs meat for the past 20 yrs and never had a problem. Everyone comments on my pups coat  for the shine and it is so soft. It costs my no more then $20 a week, meat and bones. In the meat I put  Esta-c, kelp,e oil, pentivite a little calcium due to meat has crushed bones. If i don't have the time I get baby food veggies and add that, otherwise I put through a blender green leaf, carrots, pumpkin, apples and what ever else I may have, broccoli, then there is rice and pasta. My dogs live twice the age of other peoples dogs and vet bills have been a minimum.

I will give them dry food to nibble but never main diet, also canned food which they think is heaven as a treat or when time is short. The last GSD i had put down was 17.5 yrs old.  You will only get this with a meat diet and the time to do it all when worked out is shorter then you'd think, maybe 15 minute or less depending on organization.  Ena

VBK9, mine were having cow patty type after the first year, and only like two times a week and then when the pups would have good stools at 3 weeks to 5 weeks then all of a sudden loose....albon was given and worming all done and loose poop again   vet ran test for cocci and all and nothing   I thought well they are eating pineshavings and dirt when I put them outside during day....raised on wire and A/c or heat....not outside...My well is filtered  for house and the hosed to down the hill kennel and to all builfings on property are not filtered and I thought,,,,,how great to have well water and no chlorine in pups...finally a breeder in Arkansas had the same thing happen for two years and didnt notknow it was the well water.....Mine is too high in iron and other minerals...I do not drink the water,,,,Its okay for some but I bring in bottle and the pups start on bought water for several weeks then from filtered hose not the straight from well.....It may not be giardia but my vet described the same results as that, too many chemicals...human bodies digest differently than our delicate intestional german shepherd friends.....there are many things causing loose stools and I get very exhausted trying to keep everything clean and even sometimes soap gets left or a bit of anything can trigger loose stools.....mine go to the creek and drink nasty water , find an old tub overturned and sunken and drink the water after a rain , or eat anything laying around from rotten peaches to plums and toads , and junebugs....

Some people in my country give their dogs a half tablet of GNC mega teen multi vitamin. It has everything but im a little skeptical about giving it my dogs. I give my dog innova evo, minced lamb, oatmeal and spinach and i supplement that with GNC Salmon oil 1000 and Esta C. For calcium i add crushed egg shells.

Ester C*

 I have a couple of dogs on kibble (rotated among higher end brands...california natural, evo, etc) and 2 dogs on raw. All of my dogs have been getting Vetraceuticals for 6 months now and look great. You can see my post on this topic by doing messageboard search for Vetraceuticals, or see some ingredients at www.vetrapethealth.com   

It has enzymes, probiotics, Omega 3's (from fish oil), antioxidants etc (includes stuff like B-complex, Co-enzyme Q10, Bromelain (which can help digestion as well as an anti-inflammatory). Also has bovine collagen, spirulina, kelp, alfalfa and more. It's divided into 3 formulas and you feed 1 formula a month (the base product stays the same, but some of the minerals etc that should not be fed daily get rotated) which makes sense to my raw feeding mind (variety over time) and helps prevent over supplementation. It also is direct shipped to client to avoid having live enzymes sit on a shelf for who knows how long. And there's no fillers whatsoever. All fed in one scoop. My guys continue to do excellent on it, both the raw feds and the kibble feds. 

We rotate or vary supplements depending on the dog, what we are feeding; kibble, raw, dehydrated the dog's activity level, age, etc. What works for one dog may not work for another so you might have to try a few to find the best result for your dog(s) .

I would first look at the dog food first before adding supplements. Are you feeding kibble? What kind? If one dog has a problem it's metabolism may not tolorate certain ingredients. What if any training treats are you using? Could  this be a source of the cow pie stools too? I recently discovered one of my dogs was vomiting the day after our training session. This dog was sensitive to the training treat I was using. When I changed training treats the problem stopped.

Good source for natural food, treats and supplements is www.showandsport.com

Giardia falls out of the sky in bird poop, out of the trees from squirrel and raccoon feces and on the trail in Horse Pate, and you can figure out the rest. Since we humans do not lick the bottom of our shoes, we don't have to worry personally.

Panacure granules for 5-6 days, then repeat after one week and expect to do it twice and maybe again in six months. Raw feeding is instrumental in keeping them free of it even though it is in the environment.

Also, something for the secondary bacterial in their intestines. I used Golden Seal powder hidden deeply in tasty treats/food. Flagyl/Metronidazole also works. In addition, I put 1 Acidophilus Pearls by Enzymatic Therapies in the food each day-they are very teeny.

Good Luck, I hope you don't have to spend years with this "crap" before finding out that it was Giardia gone chronic all the time.

Your only hope of diagnosing it from a float is to bring a sample from 5 or six different turds or cow plops.

Michele and Pharaoh

Try fresh Yogart or canned pumpkin, not pie just regular.  Easy to add and same digestive enzymes as any additive just fresh. If it works and you want to go to a powder BNaturals has a great product with super prices.

Cat