[jakes mom]

Could someone just speak generally about supplements, what they give their dog (or cats, I have both) and why? There’s so much info out there! If you’re not giving a medicine, supplement, etc for a specific problem ( and see an improvement) how do you know it’s helping and worth giving? Just believe the literature and hope it’s helping? Heartworm season is upon us, and I’ve been hearing about milk thistle after hw meds. I hear about supergreen capsules, coconut oil, fish oil, on and on. With no FDA oversight, how do I even know if it’s got what the company says it has and I’m not wasting money? I’d like to hear from people who regularly give their pets supplements, what kind and how much (per # of animal), and what companies you trust. Right now dog gets joint supplement and also RMBs and dog and cats all enjoy some coconut oil. They’re all seniors. What would you be giving them if you were me? Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

It depends on the specific problems of the individual dog. Remember supplements and food are not medication, so at best, it’s hit or miss. They don’t have to be regulated by the FDA

I like to add fish oil and glucosamine to my old guy’s water soaked kibble because he shows signs of arthritis and has dry skin, potassium citrate, because he has a history of bladder stones.

To get specific advice and dose recommendations, I would consult a homeopathic vet.
Otherwise, it’s just a guessing game, or see a veterinarian that specializes in geriatric issues, there may be prescription medication that can keep your seniors comfortable.

PS: I have never given milk thistle to my pets, I took it myself once years ago, I forget why…but I think it made me sick…

[jakes mom]

No specific problems with any of them except one cat is hyperthyroid. Dog is getting the joint supplement just because he’s getting older, thought it might be a good idea, kind of a can’t hurt, might help thing. I guess that’s one of my questions, really. If there’s no issue you’re trying to improve, do you give some supplements routinely anyway, like some people take a multivitamin every day. Using coconut oil because the hyperthyroid kitty has dry skin. Everybody else gets it just because they like it. Another case of can’t hurt them, might help!

[Anonymous]

I give the fish oil routinely, glucosamine, if I see any stiffness, maybe routinely if the dog is over 7, but it may be best to check with your vet, some of these supplements can have side effects and can interact with prescribed medication. I never tried coconut oil. If you think it helps and you can afford it, keep it up.

[Dori]

Hi jakes mom. I give all three of my girls 1/4 tsp. once a day of organic virgin coconut oil (I like the brand CocoTherapy best). I’ve seen big differences in their skin and coat with the coconut oil.

Once a week or so I split a can of sardines packed in water with no salt between the three of them. Hoping to help balance out or at least give them a little extra omega 3’s.

Hannah who will be 16 in September gets Standard Process Canine Whole Body Support, Standard Process Enteric Support, SP Canine Hepatic Support, and SP Flex Support once a day. I can’t really say that I see all the benefits from these supplements but I know at her age things may be starting to break down or at least not as efficient as they once were. The Enteric and Hepatic are for liver and kidney support.

Vitamin E soy free (Mercola). I give Hannah 200 i.u. every morning in her breakfast. Katie and Lola get 100 i.u. Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays. I pinch the capsules and squirt on their food. The vitamin E was suggested to me by one of her specialists. Figured it couldn’t hurt the other two girls to get a little three times a week now that they are 5 1/2 years old.

Hannah is also on Denamarin once a day approx. 1 – 1 1/2 hours before her dinner meal. Also for liver support. (Denamarin is a chewable and it’s a combination of SamE and Milk Thistle also prescribed by two of her vets. (In case you don’t remember Hannah has a tumor in her bladder and a mass on the lobe of one of her lungs…both inoperable not that we would have put her through it at her age anyway). Her liver levels as of last months blood work are back to normal. High end of normal but at least not sky high as they were last year.

I believe that these supplements, and most especially, her commercial raw frozen diet in rotation with brands and proteins is what has kept her symptomatic to these cancers even though she was diagnosed and confirmed by two other specialists a little over a year ago.

I also diffuse a few different essential oils in the house that are suppose to be good for tumors and cancers. Are they really working???? Don’t know. But they certainly can’t hurt her. Neither of the tumors have grown since they were diagnosed. She likes to lay near the diffusers so at least she likes the scents.

Sorry for editing so many times but I just remembered that you asked how old our dogs are. Hannah is 7.3 lbs., Katie is 6 lbs. and Lola is 5 lbs.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Dori.

[jakes mom]

Thanks, Dori. I knew Hannah had some medical issues. Glad to hear her liver enzymes are lower now. I have been giving Jake some raw food and RMBs but only 2 of the cats will eat raw. Fresh or the freeze dried. Not the frozen, brats! Julie likes raw meat, Dustin will eat freeze dried. I was just curious, as I said, if supplements were used more as treatments or preventives. You mention milk thistle for Hannah, but do you give it to everyone after a dose of Sentinel? I’ve seen a few posts lately about milk thistle after hw meds.

[Dori]

I give all three dogs Sentinel Spectrum once every 30 days. Hannah gets Denamarin every single day 1 – 1 1/2 hours before dinner every single day. I don’t give milk thistle separate for either of the other two. I’ve been giving all three (and other dogs I’ve had in my 66 years) heart worm medication all their lives every 30 days. I got a little negligent at one point over the winter and then I read losul’s HW with Turbo and decided to get back to their routine. Milk thistle I think is contraindicated, I THINK, from what I’ve read….maybe Shawna????, don’t remember….for a few days after because maybe it intensifies the HW?????? Don’t really remember. It was so long ago. Maybe it had something to do with milk thistle and vaccinations???? Wish I remembered so I could give you a clearer picture. My routine for my girls is Sentinel every 30 days regardless. Hannah gets Denamarin which contains milk thistle every single day. Katie and Lola never get milk thistle or Denamarin as I’ve read research that I shouldn’t give them liver support or kidney support if it’s not necessary. Anyway, this is my routine with my girls and all is going well here. I use a lot of holistic and homeopathic things in my home but I don’t experiment with the dogs. My routine has worked for them and losul’s experience with Turbo honestly scared the crap out of me. My girls are way too small to deal with HW treatments. I know a lot of people are against HW preventative, that’s not me. Vets in my area still use the arsenic cure for HW. I can’t imagine putting teeny tiny dogs through arsenic poisoning in hopes it kills the heart worms and doesn’t suffocate the dogs while the “cure” is happening. I’ve been using Sentinel Spectrum since it’s introduction a while back and no adverse reactions with any of the girls. Living in the South (Georgia) we have a lot to deal with. Fleas, ticks, worms, what have you.

[InkedMarie]

Boone is 9 with a knee problem (minor) so he gets a few joint supplement that I rotate: Liquid Gold K9 glucosamine, Swanson Vitamins joint mobility plus & green lipped mussel.

Ginger gets nothing specific.

Both get salmon oil 3x a week, eggs 2-3 times a week and Bug off Garlic daily.

[Pitlove]

Hi jake’s mom-

I don’t have any older animals (dog is 1 yr old on Monday, kitten is 7mo), but I do give them the Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form for their digestion and also because I want to get my dog’s stomach healthy enough to transition dry foods without blending.

I was highly considering giving him Dogwell’s Healthy Hip treats with Glucosamine or some type of supplement for it because of my fear of him getting hip dysplasia. He comes from a bad breeder and I know I wasn’t feeding him food with proper calcium levels and he is a large breed dog. I don’t feel like preventitives can hurt, but thats just my opinion. I’m still fairly new to proper animal care. When I was younger we always had cats but neither my mom nor I really knew anything about animal needs health wise. Now that I’ve got animals that I am soley responsible for I’m trying to do the right thing by them.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Pitlove.

[Dori]

Oh My Goodness. I forgot to mention that about a month or so ago I started giving Hannah Traumeel for her generic arthritic issues. It has truly been a Godsend for her. It’s homeopathic and it’s main ingredient is Arnica. It has worked much better for her than Tramadol or Rymadel. Someone on another FB page told me about it and then PM’d me re dosing. I bought it on Amazon but just today so it at a compounding pharmacy that I have to go to for some of my meds.

[jakes mom]

Dori you have a good memory! The conversation you remember is referenced in another topic here, milk thistle after hw. That’s what made me ask you if you used it after the Sentinel, since you’d mentioned giving it to Hannah.

[Dori]

Nice to know my memory is still good for some things. Aging I have to realize is not for the feint of heart.

[JeffreyT]

Hi Jakes Mom, the current companies in my rotation I trust are Mercola, Animal Essentials, Dr. Peter Tobias, Wholistic Pet Organics and Nature’s Farmacy. Mercola, Animal Essentials and Wholistic Pet Organics do 3rd party testing. Dr. Peter Tobias offers certified organic products and sells other companies products that do 3rd party testing. And Nature’s Farmacy has a Guaranteed Analysis label. All these companies focus on whole food supplements, use a lot of certified organic ingredients and limit gmo’s.

Nature’s Farmacy was started years ago by serious show people. They have an all in one product that combines joint support, multi vitamin, omegas, digestive enzymes and probioitcs for those who want easy. I also love their Cornucopia powder blend of organic veggies and fruits….great stuff for anti-cancer prevention, and can be given as part of the ground veggies in homemade diets or added to any pet food to increase nutrition.

I keep up with the peer reviewed studies in Mercola and Dr. Karen Becker’s newsletters..so I believe the supplements I give help prevent disease and increase vitality and energy. I think two of the most important ones are digestive enzymes and probiotics, given in most meals. Every day they get Mercola’s Ubiquinol for heart disease prevention and healthy gums and also fish oil every day..rotating bottles between Mercola Krill, Nordic Naturals Pet, Animal Essentials capsules and New Chapter.

They get a multi vitamin/mineral every other day, and on alternate days, light joint support, rotating brands.

My 5 year old maltese gets bladder support every other day because she is prone to stones.

As they get older I will add more of Mercola’s products like eye support, mushrooms and liver/kidney support, and Animal Essentials herbs like Cardiovascular support,etc….rotating them probably. I also wouldn’t hesitate to use Standard Process, Thorne or Orthomolecular Specialtes to target specific issues as they age.

I recently learned about a cleanse recommended on Dr. Peter Tobias’ website using Livton Medi-Herb…he suggests twice a year for two months…makes sense to me. His site is awesome. I learned about it on DFA…another awesome place for info.

[jakes mom]

Jeffrey, thanks for the info! Lots to think about.

[Chipy]

Thanks so much for sharing Jeffrey! That’s such an amazing list of high-quality supplements 🙂

I love Dr. Peter Dobias’ website and feel so grateful that he publicly shares his unique perspectives and medical experience with dog lovers, so we can feel more empowered and make better choices for our adored dogs.

Also highly recommend his free resources like the Recipe Maker, Natural Diet Course and Healthy Dog Tool:

https://peterdobias.com/

[Author]

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