for experienced barfers.......

[manydogs]

...when do you start on supplements ? straight away with pups (7wks) or is there an age before which you wouldn't give certain supplements.

I generally give ester-c, daily portion of sardines or other oily fish, cortaflex, either Green Ark supplement ( landywoods) Dorwest Kelp Dorwest Easy green......would like to know what others do and at what age?

[Lara'sYorkies]

Well I give salmon oil and vitamin e only, as far as I'm aware they can be given to puppies. However, anyone who is new to raw should get used to feeding only raw before they start fussing about supplements. I often go long periods giving no SO and VE when I'm waiting for a delivery of more. My general opinion is that as long as you are giving a varied RAW diet, supplements are not necessary. But, its down to the individual of course.

[Sassy Lassy]

I dont actually give sassy any supplements since feeding her raw. Shes just thriving off the food and is in excellent condition. Thats how i tell wether a suppliment is need or not, and she looks and feels fine how she is.

[Raiye]

I dont actually give sassy any supplements since feeding her raw. Shes just thriving off the food and is in excellent condition. Thats how i tell wether a suppliment is need or not, and she looks and feels fine how she is.

Same here. :001_smile:

[madhouse1972]

:dito::thumbup:

[Kerriebaby]

:dito:

[Denisemcleod]

:dito:

[Sunshine + Jasmine]

I give Jasmine salmon oil for her skin and its helped massively - other than Vit E, she just has the RAW diet.

[Denisemcleod]

ACtually i give sea kelp, but only when i remember.

from what I have read , unless there is a sign of something wrong supliments are unneccesary on a good varied diet.

[katy]

I give FBO when I remember

[smokeybear]

FWIW I give my dogs the following daily:

Borage (starflower oil)
Fish Body oil
Natural Vitamin E
Vitamin C with bioflavenoids
garlic
easy green (in the summer)
keepers mix (winter)
MSM
Glucosamine/chondroitin supplement
Probiotics/digestive enzymes
Vitamins/minerals/amino acids

I start them as puppies on all of the above bar the MSM/Glucosamine/chondroitin.

[Sassy Lassy]

Blimey SB! You feel the need then odviously.
Would you say thats needed because your dogs work hard in your sport?
If they were not active gundogs would you give the same?

Out of that list i do mix in garlic once or twice a week to her mince.

[Sassy Lassy]

I give FBO when I remember


?:dontknow:

[smokeybear]

My dogs are performance animals, only one is a gundog.

One of them is 7 and the other is 3 so hence the chondroprotective supplements.
Vitamin C is for stress and nobody knows if the Vit C a dog produces is sufficient or not, no danger of ODing really.
FBO is for vital Omega 3s that ALL diets are deficient in, man or beast, and great for skin, heart and brain not to mention joints,
Vitamin E because the FBO depletes the body of it
Borage Oil because of the GLA
garlic because it is antifungal, antiseptic, antibiotic, repels worms and fleas
keepers mix and easy green for full spectrum of vits and mineral
probiotics/digestive enzymes and amino acids vital for digestion and synergistic effect with foods.

I think I would probably give the same as optimum nutrition is optimum nutrition but I am deeply interested in dog health holistically.

[manydogs]

so is it not enough to have a diet high in oily fish?

[smokeybear]

It depends on what you think is "enough"?

How much DHA/EPA does one meal of oily fish contain?
How many meals of oily fish will you be feeding?
etc etc

I feed oily fish once a week, twice MAX, so I do not believe they can get the optimum amount of FBO via this method

[manydogs]

what about if you fed a small amount daily? say half a tin of sardines or do you think that is too much as I noticed you put MAX in caps does that imply you don't think they should get oily fish more often than that?

[Denisemcleod]

My dogs are performance animals, only one is a gundog.

One of them is 7 and the other is 3 so hence the chondroprotective supplements.
Vitamin C is for stress and nobody knows if the Vit C a dog produces is sufficient or not, no danger of ODing really.
FBO is for vital Omega 3s that ALL diets are deficient in, man or beast, and great for skin, heart and brain not to mention joints,
Vitamin E because the FBO depletes the body of it
Borage Oil because of the GLA
garlic because it is antifungal, antiseptic, antibiotic, repels worms and fleas
keepers mix and easy green for full spectrum of vits and mineral
probiotics/digestive enzymes and amino acids vital for digestion and synergistic effect with foods.

I think I would probably give the same as optimum nutrition is optimum nutrition but I am deeply interested in dog health holistically.

WOW!

Out of interest SB - do you suppliment your own diet with a similar list of things?

[smokeybear]

No, I do not perform..........

[kazschow]

No, I do not perform..........


what never!!!

:p:p:p:p:p

[smokeybear]

:D

[Denisemcleod]

SB. Is that a no you dont?.

If not is that because you consider your diet superior to your dogs? Or you dont care as much about yourself as your dogs? Or do you consider your dogs nutritional needs as more complex than your own?

Not being funny - just genuinely interested....

[smokeybear]

I eat junk, I know better, but that is what I do. But I have a choice, my dogs do not.

My diet is inferior to the dogs, their needs are not more complex than mine but they have to eat what they have given and as their owner it is my belief that I should provide them with optimum nutrition, healthcare, exercise and training etc.

As I have mentioned before I take a holistic approach to my dogs.

[Denisemcleod]

THanks Smokie.

Very interesting then that you consider that your dogs most important needs are everything Except looking after the one thing they need and value most. You. Odd but there ya go. Hey hp wuch are dog owners

[F3zza]

I eat junk, I know better, but that is what I do. But I have a choice, my dogs do not.

My diet is inferior to the dogs, their needs are not more complex than mine but they have to eat what they have given and as their owner it is my belief that I should provide them with optimum nutrition, healthcare, exercise and training etc.

As I have mentioned before I take a holistic approach to my dogs.

hear hear

[Sunshine + Jasmine]

Ditto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!