Just a thought for those that are rethinking their food choices. As with many of you, I too go through this process on occasion but have not (yet) strayed from Nutro. Started with NC LB Puppy, and now onto NC Adult Lamb and Rice.

(For the record, my dog is currently 10 months old, lean and healthy.)

It's not that I think Nutro is perfect, its just that I can't convince myself that my other options are that much better when you get right down to it. However, I have found that the use of supplements clearly enhances the results.

I use both an Omega 3-6-9 liquid and a Glucosamine/Chondroitin powder. The Omega does wonders for the skin and coat (no dandruff, great shine, thick, etc.), and I consider the G/C to be a worthwhile insurance premium against the possibility of future joint problems.

In addition, he gets a banana and a raw egg (no shell) every day, and a tablespoon of yogurt 3x per week.

He is very regular, with firm stools (most of the time anyway), good teeth and acceptable breath. Don't know what more to ask for.

I was encouraged a while back by an experienced breeder to save the real high end foods like Cal Natural as an insurance policy in case your dog develops an allergy to a Nutro quality type brand. The theory goes that Cal Natural will almost always work as an alternative, but if a dog is on Cal Natural from the get go and develops an aversion over time (as often happens with any food), there is nowhere else to turn. I don't agree completely, but understand the theory and wouldn't hesitate to switch to Cal Natural if the Nutro NC Adult Lamb and Rice started to cause problems.

But I've got to admit that I have become a real propopent of the Omega and G/C supplements. (I'm talking about the Omega 3-6-9 liquid, and not the gel caps!) There are other supplements worth considering, but I think supplements are the more precise way to fine tune things rather than switching foods all the time.

Pick a food that is of above average quality, and then add the supplements as needed. Makes a lot more sense to me.

I would be interested in hearing what other supplements some of you are using, and why. (Please provide exact brand names for those that you really like. I may try them out!)

tasman

Thanks Tasman

I've been thinking about adding some supplements. Misty gets an egg every few days and I had heard about bananas. Where do you get the Omega 3-6-9? Is it human supplements or is there a special pet variety? If I remember correctly, we live in the same part of the world... is it the regular supplements you get at any health food store or Capers? If it is intended for human use, do you adjust the quantity added to the food?

Is it safe to give your dog a raw egg? Is it oj to give one every few days to a 10 week old puppy? and what does it do for them? thanks for the info I am new to the nutrition thing for Bailey and I want the best for him.

Congrats on Nutro working for you, if I were you, I wouldn't change a thing! I tend to agree re the holding off on California Natural etc. Often just a minor diet change is needed. I didn't try the Nutro Lamb and Rice but tried the Chicken and Rice.

We are currently eating Diamond Lamb and Rice (Nutro, even with supplement made baby boy flakey). He gets 2-3 fish oil capsules a day from Sam's club, and he gets two glyco-flelx 2 just as a preventative. I think when we are done with the Sam's capsules, we will try salmon oil instead, although it is my understanding that with salmon oil, that you need to give vitamin e capsules as well.

In addition to his kibblers, he gets half a can of greener beans, and sometimes he gets pumpkin. For treats he gets baby pup biscuits, baby carrots and apples.

Suzie

The brand name is OmegaPet (with lignans), and it is made by Omega Nutrition. (Check out www.omeganutrition.com)

I am reading this off the bottle and just realized it is made in Bellingham WA (just south of the border from me here in Vancouver, BC). I get it at a small, independent pet supply place in New West (a suburb of Vancovuer), but I suspect other manufacturers make a similar product.

The ingredients are: high oleic sunflower oil, unrefined pumpkin oil, unrefined flax seed oil and powder, cod live oil, rosemary extract (organic).

The info reads... OmegaPet Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) Supplement for dogs promotes a healthy immune system, and a lustrous shiny coat. This specially formulated blend of human grade oils is rich in EFAs (omega 3-6) and omega 9, plus natural sources of EPA and DHA, Vitamins A, D and E.

It was recommended by the owner of the store, who is a real proponent of natural foods for pets. All I know is that it works.

Hope this helps.

tasman

I wll have to see if thats available here. Forgot to mention...we had started Nupro about a month ago, half a scoop, but ever since we have used it, he has been butt scooting againr, so we are going to lay off and see if its causing a problem. Most people swear by Nupro, but like anything else, it probably isn't for every dog.

Suzie

Tasman..

why dont u use the gelcap Omega 3-6-9 ...??? thats what i use, is there something bad about them...? i have not noticed a problem.....

JackLab...

I had to laugh when I read your comments.

I posted the message to which you were responding many weeks ago, and at that time I was using the OmegaPet (with lignans). Since then however, I have switched to the Omega 3-6-9 gel-caps just as you suggest, but not because I have changed my opinion. Rather, the price, difficulty of use, and intermitent availability of the OmegaPet outweighed the additional value I felt the product was providing.

Rest assured that there is clearly a difference between the gel-caps and OmegaPet, and the OmegaPet is clearly the better product. I won't bore you with the details, as you can easily check out their website and compare for yourself. But one of the big factors in favour of OmegaPet is that it is a pure liquid, and its absorption rate is very very high. Gel-caps on the other hand, much like human vitamins, are only partially absorbed into the system as they pass through the body. Simply put, gel-caps are less efficient.

That said, the OmegaPet product is more costly, needs to be kept in the fridge, needs to be well shaken before every use, comes in a bottle which does not pore well, and quite frankly is a pain to deal with. My wife generally prepares our dog's breakfast (which is when he gets his supplements) and she cursed the inevitable slimey mess and hassle inhrerent with OmegaPet. As a result, we have sacrificed a little on quality to gain a lot more practicality. Not something I am especially proud of, but then again we haven't really noticed a difference in our lab either!

What is interesting, is the company that makes OmegaPet also makes Omega products for humans. Needless to say, these products aren't sold at the same store. However, we did some research and found that the EXACT same ingredients, marketed for humans, sell for much less than they do when marketed for pets! Says a lot about what manufacturers have learned about marketing to pet owners!

My personal preference would be to go back to the OmegaPet (with lignans). It would also be to use a pure liquid gloucosumine supplement rather than a powder. Absorption rates are much much better with liquids, and thus provide a better bang for your buck, all else being equal. But I can't deny the practical benefits of gel-caps and powders, and in the overall scheme of things I reluctantly admit that the non-liquid options have their advantages. Of course, this is why these products are so popular, and why it is so hard and costly to find the liquid alternatives!

Take care.

tasman

Tasman...

I knew about the absorption factor, and about the price pet vitamins vs human vitamins.. its insane, so i choose to buy the human supplement.... I buy my Super Omega 3-6-9 at a healthfood store nearby.. not at the pet food store... its like $10.99 for a bottle of 90 softgels... 1200mg per capsule, its for adults.. which dosing is 2caps 1-3x daily with meals... Jack gets 2 per day... and also a little plain yogurt 2x weekly (1 tbsp) and sometimes a raw egg.. (very infrequently).. his coat looks amazing, and no flakes, and hardly any itching at all, which is amazing in this cold weather... we are going to start on the glucosamine soon...

i also sprinkle flax seed on every meal for him (and me)..

thanks for that advice..

good luck :)

:party:

We're giving Calvin "Missing Link". We've tried several supplements, mostly oil combination, but decided to try this and love it. There was a marked difference in his coat with this product. Plus, the Whole Dog Journal does recommend it for general health. We'll see how he does during allergy season, which is the main reaon why I'm trying supplements in the first place. We liked Missing Link so much that we put our cat on it. She is "sickly" and on a very strict diet that just made her coat look bad - now she is a "fluffy" cat again. Here are some of the ingredients:

CANINE FORMULA INGREDIENTS:
FLAX SEED, BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES, RICE BRAN, PRIMARY DRIED YEAST, SUNFLOWER SEED, FREEZE DRIED LIVER, DEHYDRATED ALFALFA, DRIED CARROT, FREEZE DRIED BONE, DRIED FISH MEAL, FREEZE DRIED OYSTER, SPROUTED GREEN BARLEY, DRIED KELP, LECITHIN, GARLIC AND YUCCA SCHIDIGERA EXTRACT.

Here is the link:

http://www.designinghealth.com/

And - if any of you have heard anything bad about this, please let me know.