Thoughts on Supplements?

Bob the Nailer said:

Hi. I give the cranberry pills because of UTI issues. She's had a couple. Like KCFilley said, I want to give enzymes or Antioxidants just so I am doing a little something extra. Unfortunately, I feed Pro Plan, because when my girl was younger, she couldn't handle taste of the wild. Feeding pro plan does not provide vital nutrients, Im sure, as no kibble (i would suspect) does. A little extra to help is all I am trying to do.

Additionally, I am thinking about feeding BLUE. I am wondering if she has "grown up enough" to handle that now.

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I think if you want cranberry for therapeutic purposes, you'd be better of with the CranActin (one or two a day). If you did not spay prior to your girl's first season and if the UTI's occurred before her first season, you might not need to use anything... often, immature bitches will self-correct the structural predisposition to UTI's with their first heat cycle.

The other supplement won't hurt anything, but I don't know how beneficial it will be, either. If you can afford it and it makes you feel better...

I know a lot of people like ProPlan, but I am not a huge fan of kibble, at all, and think you could do better. Just because a food is an excellent kibble does not mean that it is the best kibble for every dog. Had it been me and had TOTW not worked well, I would have kept trying other foods. I have recommended Blue Wilderness for multitudes of large and small, baby and older puppies... most of them do great, and the occasional one does not. It is a better food than ProPlan (unless your particular dog has a flax issue), so I would give it a try. If it isn't the right food for your dog, try another of the super-premiums.

Lots of dogs, specifically those who have been deemed to be "sensitive," tend to be strictly kept on the one thing that hasn't caused them a problem. Lack of variety results in dietary inflexibility which can make switching foods sometimes difficult. I think that this is not so much a problem with the dog, but a problem with the strict adherance to very little or no variety in the diet. If you think about it, it is not normal or natural for a dog to consume the same food each and every day.

If you are worried about dietary "holes" due to feeding kibble, I think a good plan is to rotate often (daily is fine) between several different very good foods... different manufacturers, different primary proteins, etc. In most cases, this means spending more since you will want to buy smaller quantities. It is best if you have freezer space if you are going to have a kibble open for more than three weeks to a month.

My male had dilute urine, a UTI and a pH > 8.0. He went on ab and it cleared up. My alternative vet said to feed him 1 tablespoon of orange peel daily. He said I can reduce it to 1/2 that amount now.

What I do is I peel I orange cut in quarters. I then cut each peel section in half and put it in a small container in the fridge.

Each morning, I take one piece and cut it into strips about 1/4" wide. I gather the strips into a single pile and using a sharp knife, I thinly slice it quickly and throw it in his food (rice and chicken mince). He likes it. The first day he poked at it but I learned to slice it thinner. Now he eats any bit that gets dropped. He no longer has any UTI issues or weak looking urine - haven't had him checked in a couple of months. He no longer has accidents either. I don't know if just the outer part was wanted, but I do know that the best part of the orange is in the pith (antioxidants) so that's why I use the whole skin.

Supplements:
Each dog gets 1 B100 daily, plus 2 x 1000mg fish oil capsules twice a day. The one that is allergic to soy gets Salmon Oil capsules since it doesn't contain soy products like the fish oil capsules do. The oldies get glucosamine from Costco - 2 twice daily.

If you havent read the thread, Sardines, Good for Allergies, please do. I dont think you can give anything with more benefits in one package than the sardine. There is a link posted on the last page or two to an article by a canine nutritionest about all the benefits sardines have. I have cut back to one or two sardines a day, depending on size. I also give mornings after meals, 1200 mgs fish oil, 500 mgs vit C(antioxidant, builds cartilage) 250 mgs magnesium, 200 mgs Co Q10(both for heart health, fish oil, too) 1 1/2 pills glucosamine chrondrotin w/MSM. After evening meal I give two 1200 mgs fish oil, 400 iu vit E(antioxidant, must be given when supplimenting w/fish oil), 500 mgs vit C, 1 glucosamine chrondrotin/MSM. Now that I have started these, I am incapable of stopping. My vet did say I was taking very good care of Parker and particularly liked the magnesium, dont remember if she said other suppliment or not. I give most all for heart health and "I" feel better for it. Take most myself, too.