Are supplements the way to go?????? - Page 1

Hi I was thinking about putting my dogs on to supplements nd I was thin about MVP k9 supplements. 1.) why or why not is it a good idea? 2.) do you truely see a differences when using supplements? 3.) which supplements do ya recommend?

A year and a half ago the young man who started the MVP company gave me two bottles of the B.I.S., to try out on my 9 year old chow mix, who was starting to show her age.

We went through two 90 tablet bottles and I did not see any difference in her energy, coat condition or stiffness, so I quit using it. Luckily I did not have to pay for those bottles.

I changed her diet from Wellness Senior to Orijen Senior and she is a new dog.

She now has the energy of a four year old, no stiffness and her coat is thick and soft.

IMO, as long as you feed a good quality kibble or a well balanced raw diet you really shouldn't have to feed supplements, other than maybe glucosamine, chondrointin and Salmon oil with Vit. E.

C

 

This is a LONG post but I am very thorough, I decided to post pretty much everything on here that I had on my website including all
of the chemical preservatives good kibble...etc, www.vonharasymtzuk.com

I firmly believe in supplementing, from personal experience I have seen amazing results. Ever since I got into animal nutrition, I haven't had a stillborn pup, my dogs are healthier, my puppies are raised on them as well. Below is a list of supplements I use daily and why. I copied it from my website, there is more information on it you may want to read about health. Kibble even premium is lacking in nutrients because it is processed, when heated the live organisms that are extremely important to a dogs immune and digestive system.  Don't waste your time on expensive multi vitamins.  I have looked into it and nothing ever has enough nutrients in it.  The supplements I have listed below, sure the initial purchase will be a tad costly but it lasts a very long time even if you have many dogs.

First make sure you are using a premium kibble, I don't know how much you know about kibble so I posted information about that along with chemical preservatives in some brands.

Supplements

Probiotics: The best I have found so far is Probios -Probiotic powder which can be found at  www.jefferspet.com  
This is a very cost efficient and is an extremely beneficial supplement, not only does it give back the good bacteria your puppy/dog may be losing from processed kibble but also promotes a healthy digestive system allowing your puppy to absorb the nutrition in his/her kibble much easier, resistance diseases in the gastrointestinal tract, antioxidants, helps with diarrhea, improved ability to handle stress, skin health, reducing or eliminating allergic reactions, stronger immune system allowing your dog to fight off viruses and rebuilds the good bacteria after the administration of antibiotics and fights disease.
(Note: Probios at Jeffers IS the cheapest, $33 for 5 lbs, it says freight charges apply but it does not, add in message.)

Enzymes: Enzymes are "organic catalysts". They either initiate or speed up chemical reactions in the body, from digestion to tissue repair, and from hormone function to energy production, they are present in every cell in both plants and animals. There are two ways to obtain enzymes, food enzymes, and digestive enzymes. For example if you eat raw vegetable you are getting live enzymes that support your digestive system, if you cook the carrot, you lose the enzymes. The same thing applies to kibble that is cooked. Benefits: Supports a healthy digestive system, helps to prevent bloat, good for dogs with allergies, stress/anxiety (which is great for some working dogs) Hypothyroidism, yeast infections and overall health. Can be found at K9 Power Digest All For enzymes you can also get Prozyme at JeffersPet (cont'd

Vitamin C: Highly recommended supplement for growing puppies and adults as no kibble provides enough Vitamin C, supplementing Vitamin C is a vital antioxidant, aids in tissue repair, fights off infection and although studies are still being done it is believed that Vitamin C can reduce the chances of your puppy becoming dysplastic. For a puppy only use a very small amount, just a tiny pinch with Azmira‘s brand (250mg until 6 months, 500-1000mg after 6 months), if your puppy develops diarrhea, (s)he is receiving too much. You purchase Azmira’s Super C from Allisons All Natural.

Salmon Oil: Both Omega 3 and 6 belong to a group of polyunsaturated fats labeled “essential” because they are. Omega 3 has anti-inflammatory benefits, lowers risk of heart disease and overall heart health, Omega 6 lowers cholesterol and maintains a healthy skin and coat. Lack or imbalance of omega 3 and 6 can cause a dull, flaky coat and/or inflamed joints. K9 Power Wholistic Salmon Oil 16oz Other sizes are available, this is by far the best salmon oil supplement I have found that wont empty your wallet most dogs require a half a teaspoon to a full teaspoon per day!

Vitamin C: Highly recommended supplement for growing puppies and adults as no kibble provides enough Vitamin C, supplementing Vitamin C is a vital antioxidant, aids in tissue repair, fights off infection and although studies are still being done it is believed that Vitamin C can reduce the chances of your puppy becoming dysplastic. For a puppy only use a very small amount, just a tiny pinch with Azmira‘s brand (250mg until 6 months, 500-1000mg after 6 months), if your puppy develops diarrhea, (s)he is receiving too much. You purchase Azmira’s Super C from Allisons All Natural.

Chemical Preservatives in some kibble.

BHA/BHT are chemicals used to preserve the life span of dog food, it has been linked to immune deficiency syndrome, spleen, stomach and liver cancer, thyroid problems, certain types of cancer, liver disease, dry skin, allergies tumors and among many other things. A recent study done by the Department of Pathology, Nagoya City University Medical School, Japan, noted that BHA and other such antioxidants, particularly propyl gallate and ethoxyquin, showed addictive in inducing stomach hyperplasia and cytotoxicity.

BHA enhanced stomach and urinary bladder carcinogenesis. Causes squamous-cell carcinomas in stomachs. (Cancers of this type are among the most lethal and fastest acting, the swiftest effects being seen among animals with light colored fur.)

BHT promoted urinary bladder carcinogenesis. Could be a promoter of thyroid carcinogenesis. Studies have noted that BHA and other antioxidants, particularly Propyl Gallate and ethoxyquin, showed additional effects in inducing stomach hyperplasia and cytotoxicity.

Propyl Gallate Research has found the additive to be safe but recent studies have linked propyl gallate with a special group of hormone-like compounds known as xenoestrogens. Xenoestrogens have the potential to adversely affect reproductive health. In humans, they have the ability to turn a normal breast cell into a cancer cell. Propyl gallate can also affect a developing fetus… as well as decrease the sperm count in males.

Ethoxyquin is registered under the FDA as a pesticide, many so called premium brands of kibble contain these preservatives as an alternative to mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E) Dog food companies are also not required to list these chemicals in their ingredients list so it is best to contact them via e-mail and ask them for a written statement exclaiming that they do not use chemical preservatives in their formulas.

According to Dr. Wendell Belfield, DVM, practicing veterinarian for some 26 years, both BHA and BHT are known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction and are banned in some European countries. He adds that ethoxyquin is suspected of causing cancer and that propylene glycol (a pet food ingredient closely related to anti-freeze) causes destruction of red blood cells.

vom hara

I must agree with you in most parts

I know that in the USA it is very popular o probiotics and enzymes and alot of vitamin C

I give supplements to but not these because the dogs pancreas is producing the enzymes to digest the foods they eat ,it produces enzymes for what type of food your giving kibble are not the same kind of enzymes that raw  needs so the pancreas will produce what is needed

dogs can produce alot of vitamin c themeslves ,but I have read that there can be possitive reactions in giving c-vitamin

I my self give hokamix and glucosamin and somthing for there joints

abd wolles and fishoils and some other like seagreens

I give my dogs ester C, probiotics, glucosamine, and fish oil (my vet approves all of these supplements).

While dogs do produce enzymes naturally, it is usually not enough especially because of the food they are on.  The kibble is processed, thus killing the good bacteria and basically your dog's digestive system has to work harder.  Sure, my dogs appeared healthy before the usage of enzymes but there is a big difference in their health, that is my opinion and it is supported with scientific evidence.  Commercial and even premium dog food does not provide a sufficient amount of enzymes or anything else for that matter, especially poor quality kibble made up of grains instead of meat.   The enzymes make it easier for your dog to break down their meals and absorb nutrients, for example..one reason dogs will eat their own stool is because they are lacking in enzymes, the food is not breaking down and being properly digested, so pieces of the food is passing through when they have a bowel movement, although gross, it smells like food to them, so not only does it cause them to lack in enzymes but every other nutrient that is vital to a dog's health.  It is such a cheap and high quality supplement, why not use it?  It's not worth the risk, especially in deep chested breeds like a German Shepherd....bloat scares the heck out of me.

There are so many new studies coming out, even in HD/ED, a healthy diet is crucial for a growing puppy's joints they are ever so fragile as they do not fully calcify until one year of age.

I copied and pasted that information from my website, I accidentally posted Vitamin C twice.  This is what I meant to say:

Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM: Three great supplements for even dogs with the best hip rating. I recommend K9 Liquid Health  this is a bit more expensive but well worth it, again just a pinch you don’t want to give your puppy too much. Cosequin can be found at your local pet store. K9 Liquid Health 5000 is very potent and has Vitamin C in it, so do not use Vita-C while using K9 Liquid Health 5000 K9 Liquid Health Products

Vitamin E: Vitamin E is known to promote a healthy circulation, skin/coat health, pretent cataracts, and provide energy. Azmira's Vitamin E CapsulesCan be found at other places.

Kelp: Kelp is important for maintaining health and is an excellent revitalizer. It can also promote better digestion, healthy skin and coat, healing from injuries, higher resistance to infection, larger litters and easier birthing. Kelp is great for increasing appetite, resistance to parasites and is an excellent source of naturally chelated macro and micro minerals. Kelp is also an important supplement for the thyroid gland high in fibre and includes a variety of of vitamins as well as minerals. Wholistic Sea Blend

K9 Liquid 5000 is by far the BEST glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplement I have found as it also has other joint supporting ingredients but very costly.  You can buy Glucosamine and MSM powder separately.

feed meat!!