To supplement or not to supplement.

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

THAT is the question...

Okay, seriously, my store has so many great looking supplements, all promising to give good teeth, or great skin, or good digestion.

My question is this. If your dog is on a good quality food, is it worth it to supplement? Take Acana/Orijen for example. They HAVE kelp and alfalfa in them if I'm not mistaken. So would it be wise to use a kelp supplement for my dog? I ask this not just because we got a new kelp supplement with added glucosamine for joints or flax for skin. But because back when my boys were on homemade raw, I bought a big bag of alfalfa and a big bag of kelp. Now, assuming they haven't gone bad yet, would it be of any benefit to add some fresh to their food, or could it actually be harmful since they already get it in their food?

Next let's take flaxseed oil for example. Total waste of money in my opinion. The omega 3's your dog will actually get out of it are minimal compared to an animal source like salmon oil. Which goes for around the same price.

We've also got probiotic supplements, which my belief is that they are worth the money because the probiotics in food may be damaged from extrusion or simply not fresh anymore.

Then there are fiber supplements, and vitamin supplements. But really, shouldn't your dog's food have the proper amount of fiber and a proper amount and balance of vitamins and minerals?

So, in a healthy dog, with no known issues, on a good quality diet, are there any supplements worth spending money on?

In a dog WITH known issues, is it worth supplementing or would the money better be spent switching foods?

Do you supplement your dogs with anything? What does your vet recommend?

I give canned pumpkin as needed. Probiotics when I remember, and I try to supplement both my boy's diets with fresh raw meaty bones or sometimes a can of tripe. This is because Cowboy's activity varies greatly from one day to another, and he sometimes gets bouts of diarrhea. Plus, Rascal has bad teeth, and Cowboy's have gotten bad again. Rascal also gets plaque off and a herbal medication for his kidneys. I also tried a natural "dewormer" on him rather than do a fecal since fecals tests do not pick up all types of worms and vets will usually want to put him on a parasite medication regardless of results.  

[Vanilla eXee]

I give Lazy (I know, I know, she's not a dog) a supplement that is basically a bunch of ground up plants and flowers. I don't really know if it helps, but it doesn't hurt. She also gets calcium.  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

Vanilla eXee

I give Lazy (I know, I know, she's not a dog) a supplement that is basically a bunch of ground up plants and flowers. I don't really know if it helps, but it doesn't hurt. She also gets calcium.

oh yeah, I give cowboy fresh veggies whenever I have. Eating the same boring dried kibble day in and out can't be very interesting. I like to give him as much variety as possible. I wish I could make my own food but full time student life is one of poverty. And champion pet foods gives me free Acana every month which is just about the best kibble on the market. So it just makes sense for now.  

[SmoothSavage]

With a good quality food, I never worry too much about supplementing. I do believe fish oils and probiotics are never out of line though, since heat destroys the effectiveness of both and kibble is cooked. Enzymes never hurt to add either, since kibble does not have any.  

[pompoennetje]

Fish oil is the only thing they get through their food so now and then. One of my cats is very picky if it's about food.  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

Dianda Panda

Fish oil is the only thing they get through their food so now and then. One of my cats is very picky if it's about food.

You mean don't get through food? That was confusing.

@Savage. Do you add kelp and or alfalfa to your home made meals? Cause I really need to know wether mine is still good or if I should just toss it. It's like...2-3yrs old. sweatdrop  

[Krissim Klaw]

Fish oil is the only thing off the bat I would consider adding to an otherwise healthy animal. If you do I have heard it is also good to add some vitamin E too since that can decrease in dogs' systems during the breaking down of the fish oil.  

[SmoothSavage]

Gabrielle_AnimalLuver

Dianda Panda

Fish oil is the only thing they get through their food so now and then. One of my cats is very picky if it's about food.

You mean don't get through food? That was confusing.

@Savage. Do you add kelp and or alfalfa to your home made meals? Cause I really need to know wether mine is still good or if I should just toss it. It's like...2-3yrs old. sweatdrop

Even if the expiration date said it was still good, I would not feed 2-3 year old kelp or alfalfa, lol. Waaaaay too paranoid!

I add kelp every so often to Melon's meals, and alfalfa for both dogs. I don't do kelp for Riddle. Over time, lots of kelp can depress thyroid function, and so can cruciferous vegetables. Riddle gets lots of cruciferous veggies thanks to her mast cell tumor, so I don't want to add kelp to throw fuel on the fire.  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

Savage Destiny

Gabrielle_AnimalLuver

Dianda Panda

Fish oil is the only thing they get through their food so now and then. One of my cats is very picky if it's about food.

You mean don't get through food? That was confusing.

@Savage. Do you add kelp and or alfalfa to your home made meals? Cause I really need to know wether mine is still good or if I should just toss it. It's like...2-3yrs old. sweatdrop

Even if the expiration date said it was still good, I would not feed 2-3 year old kelp or alfalfa, lol. Waaaaay too paranoid!

I add kelp every so often to Melon's meals, and alfalfa for both dogs. I don't do kelp for Riddle. Over time, lots of kelp can depress thyroid function, and so can cruciferous vegetables. Riddle gets lots of cruciferous veggies thanks to her mast cell tumor, so I don't want to add kelp to throw fuel on the fire.

I didn't really think it'd be harmful, since it's a powder. I even had some myself with a smoothie sweatdrop but I just figured after all that time, there can't be any nutrients left. So I tossed em sad  

[pompoennetje]

Gabrielle_AnimalLuver

Dianda Panda

Fish oil is the only thing they get through their food so now and then. One of my cats is very picky if it's about food.

You mean don't get through food? That was confusing.

@Savage. Do you add kelp and or alfalfa to your home made meals? Cause I really need to know wether mine is still good or if I should just toss it. It's like...2-3yrs old. sweatdrop

My bad!

I mean that my cats get dry food. The only supplement they get, is salmon oil, that I put through their food. I have tried other things, but one of my cats is very picky.