Dog Fish Liver Oil

Question: is cod liver, or fish oil better for dogs? I have a GSD,110 lbs, very dry skin- vet recommended either.? Does any one have a dosage for this? I have seen conflicting things about cod liver oil, not being a good idea, any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Answer: It's a very good idea!! Not only is it great for a dog's skin and fur...it also helps prevent heart disease. Break open two pills per day on your dog's dry food. If you find your dog's bowel movements get too soft with that, then cut it down to one pill per day. And don't expect an overnight change...it will take about a month to really see the benefits. Edit: By the way...cod liver oil IS fish oil, silly!

Question: can i give my dog cod liver oil capsules? My 18 month old chocolate lab has OCD (not Compulsive disorder !!) - its arthritis in the elbows - he has had operation on both legs and is on tablets from the vet - Previcox. Its so sad as he wants to run but when he does he suffers. I know it shouldnt be a case of money but these tablets are so expensive. I was wondering if I could put cod liver oil in his food like we have for our joints. He is on the Hills food which has all the fish oils etc in and these Previcox tablets. Please advise. I dont want to ask the vet cos I know he will say no - he is very money orientated - but I need to know if its possible and wont harm the dog in any way.

Answer: No Cod Liver is bad, you need to add Salmon Oil or another high OMEGA-3 oil. Have you looked into other natural remedies? http://www.dogaware.com/arthritis.html http://www.dogvitaminsupplement.com/ http://www.greenlivingtips.com/blogs/257… Try finding an all natural vet in your area and taking your dog to him/her. They can recommend an alternative treatment and wont look at you funny like your vet would. That first site I recommended would have to be the best. Add GLUCOSAMINE First and foremost, I believe all dogs with arthritis or known joint problems should be on some sort of glucosamine-type therapy. This should include oral supplements that contain glucosamine (sulfate or hcl), chondroitin sulfate, green lipped mussel (perna canaliculus), hyaluronic acid, or a combination of these. It may also include the injectible form, Adequan or Cartrophen. Since these supplements are the only things that actually help protect the joints rather than just treating the symptoms, they are a must for all dogs with joint problems. Different dogs respond differently to different supplements, so find one that works for your dog rather than relying on what has worked for others, though that may be a good place to start. Give high doses at first, so you will be able to tell if it is working. If you get results, you can try reducing the dosage to see if your dog will do well on less. If you don't get results, try a different brand. See the section below on Glucosamine and other GAGs for more information. 2. DIET If possible, reduce the amount of grains and starchy carbohydrates in the diet (THOSE ARE THE MAIN INGREDIENTS IN HILLS DOG FOODS) and increase the amount of protein. This can be done by feeding a better quality food, by using canned instead of dry foods, by adding fresh foods such as eggs and meat to the diet, or by feeding a home made diet. Many arthritic dogs improve greatly when grains are removed from the diet. One of the best things you can do for a dog with arthritis is to keep him lean. If your dog is overweight, start him on a weight loss program right away -- note that traditional high-carbohydrate weight loss products are not recommended. See Pudgy Pups for some guidelines on helping your dog to lose weight. Also see the section below on Diet for dogs with arthritis for more information, and the section on Senior and overweight dogs on my Dog Feeding page. ** I WOULD RECOMMEND A RAW DIET WITH NOT VEGGIES OR FRUITS ** 3. FISH OIL If I was going to suggest any single nutritional supplement for dogs with arthritis, it would be fish oil (fish body oil, such as Salmon Oil or EPA oil, not cod liver oil). Fish oil provides omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation. They are beneficial no matter what type of diet you feed. Note that omega-3 fatty acids are fragile and break down quickly when exposed to light, heat or air, so just feeding a food that has omega-3 fatty acids added is not usually helpful. Give as much as 1000 mg fish oil (300 mg EPA/DHA) per 10 lbs of body weight daily. Because fish oil depletes vitamin E in the body, you should also give vitamin E supplements whenever you supplement with oils of any kind. Give around 100 IUs to a small dog, 200 IUs to a medium sized dog, up to 400 IUs for a large dog, anywhere from daily to once or twice a week. ** IF YOU DECIDED TO FEED RAW, ADD FISH TO HIS DIET AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK FOR OPTIMUM RESULTS ** 4. PAIN RELIEF If your dog is in pain, look for ways to relieve it naturally before turning to NSAIDs. DLPA is the first thing I would try, it made a definite difference for my dog and is very safe to use. For worse pain, consider using Tramadol, a synthetic narcotic that can also be used in conjunction with NSAIDs. I would also be trying a variety of natural anti-inflammatories, to see if any of them seem to make a difference. See the section on Chronic Pain Relief below for more information on drugs used to help dogs with arthritis pain. ** HEAT PADS ARE A GREAT IDEA ** 5. ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES Many people have reported success using acupuncture for arthritis. Unfortunately, I am not one of them, and at least in my area, acupuncture is very expensive (over $100 per visit), so it's not the first thing I would recommend trying unless you have access to it at a more reasonable rate. If your dog does respond to acupuncture, you can also consider gold bead implants, which are a form of permanent acupuncture. Chiropractic can also be helpful in many cases, although again, I have not had success with it myself. I do not recommend VOM (veterinary orthopedic manipulation), a form of chiropractic that makes unrealistic claims and in our case had no benefit at all, but other forms may be very helpful for many dogs. I am not a believer in homeopathy, but some people have reported success using homeopathic remedies for arthritis pain, including Zeel and Traumeel. NB: I pasted the above from the first link. All the best!

Question: fish oil for dogs? can you give a puppy cod liver oil / fish oil capsule to keep them healthy

Answer: Fish oil and Salmon oil are great for dogs. My vet recommends Salmon oil. I would not give cod liver oil. It has very high levels of vitamins A and D. Too much of either of those can be harmful.

Question: What are Phil. companies exporting raw squalene oil 100% liver extract from blue dog shark? I need the Phil companies including address , email address and contact nos. exporting the raw squalene oil 100% extracted from the liver of the blue dog shark. Or companies /individual whose business in fishing/buying, exporting the said squalene in Japan or any asian countries and what kind of product they have use.

Answer: that happens a lot in japan, but i don't know about any other countries

Question: Cod Liver Oil. for my dogs? Is it okay for the dogs, if I buy the regular Cod Liver Oil from the Supermarket, rather than pay 60 bucks @ the Vet for the Cod Liver Pills? Are they they the same thing ? Or will the regular liquid cod liver oil from the supermarket work fine? Also If i do buy it from the supermarket, how do I know that it is of high quality? If I miss a couple of days of their fish oil supplements their coat tends to dry up, so I give them the cod liver oil for the nice shine in their coat.

Answer: Be careful in the use of cod liver oil on your dogs... Cod liver oil is high in Vitamin A,, which is toxic to the liver. if given in to high a dose.... For your dogs coat,,,a suppliment of olive oil will do without the toxic effects of Cod liver oil.. If your looking for the benefits of the Omega-3 ,, then use Flax seed oil....Has Omega-3-5-12,,,,,,,Much more expensive,,but has many more benifits.. Don't overdue what ever you choose.

Question: My dog sheds too much...what could be wrong with him? I've noticed as my dog has gotten older (he is a two year old short haired mutt mix) he has begun to shed a lot . I have changed his food many times I've tried these things to help: Better and different food, currently he is on Nutro Ultra Bathing him but not too often Rubber Brush Shedding comb Fish oil and Cod Liver Oil I understand that dog shed but I'm starting to think that there may be more to it. He is going to the vet later this week. What kind of issues cause a dog to shed so much? A long time ago they thought he had a thyroid problem because he is crazy hyper. I don't remember if tested he was official tested.

Answer: Any chronic disease can cause shedding,the vet vist is a good idea.Talk to them about thyroid disease as this is a common cause for hair loss

Question: Whats best to give my dog for a shiny coat? I was thinking Cod Liver Oil but have read about primrose oil and fish oil capsules so whats best to give?

Answer: Omega 3 capsules but you must feed good food too

Question: Is this a good dog food/diet? Pork meat, little pork heart, little pork liver, fish oil, Raw meaty bones etc I realise its best to feed liver with a meal that is higher in bone to prevent loose stools. The protein sources will be rotated so not always pork. Please dont take offense but only answer if you know about raw diet and that a dog is primarily a carnivore. I dont want to hear from people telling me to fill my dog up with carbs and that they are basing their opinions on what the pet food manufacturers are putting in their foods. I will be using single protein sources each week for a reason. I have been advised that it would be best to cook his food for now, maybe next few days and then get him on raw, due to him having been ill. If cooking the food should i start with lamb instead or pork. I know these are higher fat foods but he is fine with raw lamb. Thanks in advance for all helpful advice. Pork is an alternative to beef, just to add more than poultry and lamb as variety since he is allergic to beef. It is very difficult to get much more variety than lamb, pork, chicken, turkey here. Now and again I can get rabbit but its very few and far between. I can get fish

Answer: I don't use pork because it apparently does not agree with my dog's digestive system, but I know many people who do. If you're just starting out, I would stick to the same protein for a few weeks before you introduce new ones. For me, once the proteins I use have all been introduced, I can usually mix and match them at will. It really depends on the dog. In general, the diet sounds good to me.

Question: Is this ok to give this to my dog? I have 2 dogs an American Pit Bull Terrier(65lbs) and a Maltese, Yorkie, Poodle mix(15lbs). I already give them cod liver oil in their food, but I also want to give flaxseed oil as well. Is it safe to give flaxseed oil to dogs? Is it ok to mix the two while feeding the dogs? They're on a high protein diet(EVO) and they get raw meat, brown rice, carrots, peas, and organic chicken broth every other day at night, so the food isn't the issue. They both have dry flaky skin(the Pitties is much much worse). The fish oil by itself isn't helping as much so hopefully the flaxseed will help a little bit. They get oatmeal baths and a remoisturizing conditioner treatment every other week. The pit def has something going on with him. He's constantly in and out of the vet. He's been on steroids and antibiotics. I forget what they call it, but they pretty much took him off of everything I feed him and put him on a hypo-allergenic prescription diet but nothing has helped. He scratches so much he cuts himself open. The only reason they get baths so often is because of the skin issue. The Pit is supposed to be on a medicated shampoo and hes supposed to be bathed 2wice a week. Working at a place that deals directly with animals. A bath every 2 weeks isn't too often. We groom dogs at my job and I see dogs that get bathes more often than they do. I saved the little one(the previous owner was going to shoot him in the head) and he came to us emaciated, matted fur, horrible smell, and dry flaky skin. I've been able to correct everything except for the dry flaky skin. As per the vet he's to be bathed every two weeks with an oatmeal shampoo. Unfortunately the treatment isn't helping and they don't have an answer for any of them. Especially the Pit Bull.

Answer: No. Stick with the cod liver oil and up the dosage. Flaxseed oil is derived from a plant source and is of no benefit to a dog (a carnivore). They also don't need the rice, carrots, or peas you're giving them. It is better to feed an appropriate raw diet consisting of raw meat, raw bones, and raw organs. Supplement with a therapeutic dose of the cod liver oil for the skin issues. A therapeutic dose equals 10 mg's per pound of body weight of the dog. When the skin issues are clear, give a maintenance dose. A maintenance dose equals 10 mg's per 10 pounds of body weight. Make sure the oil doesn't contain soy. Also, don't bathe the dogs so often! They only need bathing when they absolutely need it, any more will dry out their skin no matter what product you're using. My dogs only get 3 or 4 baths a year. ADD: This sounds like some serious issues and you NEED to try a different approach since the one you're using isn't working. First and foremost, you need to get them both on a species-appropriate raw diet. Research the prey-model diet as much as possible and switch them to that ASAP. The skin issue sounds like it might be due to an allergy which is either in the food or the environment. Check your house and don't use any harsh cleaners or aerosols. You can substitute pretty much any chemical cleaner for a solution of 50/50 water and vinegar (white or apple cider) and a splash of lemon juice. This solution is completely safe for dogs. Second, you may have seen dogs that get bathed more often than your dogs without any issues, but those dogs don't have the same issues as your dogs. I really think you need to stop giving so many baths. Let the natural oils in your dogs skin do their work instead of washing them away so often. Dogs NEED those oils to have healthy skin and coat. Another thing.. you might hate me for saying this but you should take the pit off the steroids and antibiotics unless it's ABSOLUTELY necessary. And by necessary, I mean life-threatening. Steroids and antibiotics do not treat the UNDERLYING CAUSE, they only mask the symptoms for a little while. As soon as the dog comes off them, they will come back. You need to address the underlying cause and you need to approach it holistically. A properly fed raw diet will take care of a lot of these issues. Research holistic health care for dogs and see if you can come up with anything because the allopathic health care your dogs are getting from the vet aren't working. Finally.. you should get a full-panel thyroid test done on both of the dogs to see if anything is wrong there. The vet will be able to help treat anything that's going on with that and a raw diet will also help.

Question: HELP! MY DOG ATE A TON OF VITAMINS!? she got into one of my pants pockets on the floor and i think she ate, a multi (female) vitamin, co q 10, cod liver oil, fish oil, lysine, and i think that's it.. she wreaks like vitamins. will this kill her, will she throw it up? will she just crap it out? what should i look for? any advice?????

Answer: When my puppy was eating things she shouldn't I called the vet and was advised to give her hydrogen peroxide, one ounce at a time till she vomits it all up. It worked great, I only had to give her one ounce and everything came up, and 5 minutes later my puppy was feeling great again. Good luck!

Question: my boxer dog is itching like mad? i have tried tea tree and other sensitive shampoos. i also was told to try fish oil and cod liver capsuals which dont work either. she has had steroids form vet which work for 48 hours. she is stir right crazy with this problem. any one got any ideas how i can help her? she does not have flees and is on monthly strong hold. i have wood floors down now becouse some one said dust in carpets could be a prob.

Answer: You did not mention what you are feeding your dog. Change your food to a high quality lamb based product. A lot of dogs have allergies. I had a chow chow, that would scratch and bite until she bled, that the vet had me change her food and snacks all intake to lamb based. This worked well for her. After changing her food to lamb, she no longer had any problems.

Question: Dog with itchy red skin, thin fur, not fleas...help!? My australian shepherd is constantly itching. I've taken her to the vet multiple times, it's not mange or anything identifiable under a microscopic slide. I've tried antibiotics and steroids, nothing seems to help. I've also given her benedryl. Everyday put human anti-itch cream on it as well as an antiseptic anti-itch spray for dogs. I know that food can be a big problem so I took her off bagged dog food and put her on a home cooked diet. (Carrots, fish oil, mixed meat/liver/organ from the butcher, rice and sweet potato) Anyone have any suggestions? I feel bad for her because she's torn up her skin and is actually losing sleep with all of this itching.

Answer: This has been a long term problem with our old dog too. The only thing that I have found that works is to bathe the itchy skin with plain warm water daily, thoroughly dry it afterwards by dabbing not rubbing and rubbing a little aloe vera gel on the area. We have had so many lotions, potions, creams and tablets from the vets that I could have opened my own pharmacy. Another thing I do is try to keep the house dust to a minimum and when the pollen count is high, we rinse her down all over daily. We have also removed all grains and additives etc from her diet, which along with everything else seems to be working. I feel for you and your dog as it is heartbreaking to watch them constantly itch and know that you can't do anything more to help. It may take a few weeks to see an improvement in your dogs condition it took ours about 6 weeks after changing her diet. Hope you find this of help.

Question: How can I keep weight on my dog? I have two kelpie mix boys, and one of them I can't seem to keep at a healthy weight. He's really active and as a consequence he's really thin. I mean, he's underweight. I can feel/see his ribs and hip bones clearly. The other one is a healthy weight. I feed both dogs Innova and they get fish oil (salmon) suppliments with it every day. Every other day they get liver and hearts/gizzards plus the fish oil, PLUS the regular serving of Innova. The one dog (the healthy weight boy) eats 1 1/2 to 2 cups of Innova+ 2 squirts of Salmon oil daily and he's a good weight ( I followed the suggested portion for him). The second one (the skinny one) eats 4 cups of Innova+4 squirts of fish oil daily, and he's too thin. According to the suggested guide, he's eating as much as a 180 pound dog, and I have a hard time keeping him at 35-40 lbs. I've had him checked for thyroid and worm issues, and he comes back clean. He's insanely active and energetic and runs around at daycare for eight or more hours a day, and that would appear to be the problem. I don't want to limit his exercise because then he's fidgity and obnoxious, but he's really kind of eating me out of house and home. If anyone has suggestions for a high protein/high performance dog food or suppliment, I'd really like to hear them.

Answer: Go to your vet and ask them.

Question: Is this dog treat healthy? I bought a new dog treat last night called Fish jerky. It says its made from wild caught natural california sardines and I was wondering if it is a healthy treat. The ingredients are: Sardines, Fish sauce (anchovies, honey, soybeans), corn starch, corn, oats, wheat, soybean oil, corn oil, and poultry liver. It also goes on to say each once contains 1700 mg fish oil, 180 calories I only plan to give like 1 of these a week (they are small, about a inch in length).. my dog is only 5 pounds(pomeranian) and I try not to give him too many snacks. I thought these would be healthy because of the fish oil.. I paid a lot for them too. $15.. :-(

Answer: I wouldn't know if it's healthy, but my guess is it's not. a dog shouldn't eat anything processed. it's cheaper to go to the grocery store and buy a can of sardines - you're dog will LOVE you for it.

Question: A few dog questions; raw feeding and older dogs...? So I've been feeding raw for a bit now and all seems well. My mother just got several meats on sale and one of them was four packages of gizzards. Are these nutritionally valuable really? We figured they could be fed as little treats every so often but not in excess. Plus, I'm hoping one of my dogs and I are starting agility classes next month and they would be good little treats after being cooked and cut up. But are they to be fed at a strict limit like liver? Also, my dogs are all a bit itchy but I figure it's due to their low amount of fish. It made two of them unable to keep anything down for half a day. It was my fault for starting them with too much at a meal. Now two won't eat fish unless I roll it around in some chicken blood first. Is there a way to get them to start eating this. We got Halibut and research said it was okay. What are some fish that are safe? I've read that only the fish that are fresh water/salt water are unsafe for dogs, is that true? They are getting fish oil caplets btw. And lastly, one of my dogs is ten. We've had her since she was a year old and didn't feed her the best for quite a few years (I admit, we were stupid dog owners). She was on Nutro Natural Choice - Lamb & Rice. A few years ago she developed a tumor on her side and the vet tested it and it's a fatty glob thing, not cancer. But her eyes are still runny like she is still detoxing and her eyes just look wrong. My mom is convinced she has cancer somewhere and isn't going to be around long. She has always been the alpha dog and is slowly seeming to give that role to our youngest female. I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has had an older dog that has had this happening. Is she just slowing down? Or is her time coming? Please don't sugar coat it if she is, I'm just curious. She has times where she is very excited and like her old self and then times where she'll lay for hours and her eyes just look... wrong. That's the only way I know how to say it. We're giving her tea that has helped people we know with cancer. My mom is big on herbal remedies and such. I'd rather not take her to the vet to get her fully examined just because she hates it and the stress can't help her. Plus, if she does end up having cancer, I can't afford to pay for it as I don't have a job and my parents wouldn't be willing too. And at ten, I don't think I'd put her through that anyways. Sorry this is so long, I meant for it to be short. I'm really curious about my older dog's health though. She'll be the first dog we've had that passes with us. I grew up with her and just want to prepare. Any advice or personal experience with this is greatly appreciated. Thanks! :) I'm not looking for a diagnosis for my dog. Just if anyone has had a dog pass with them and what the signs were for their dog.

Answer: I personally would vear away from the halibut. Fish from the colder waters of the north pacific can cause salmon poisoning. Most common in salmon, as you could tell by the name, but any other fish from that area could cause it. I prefer either warm water salt water fish, or fresh water fish. As for brackish fish, I don't see a problem in that, although salmon are the biggest brackish fish I can think of, so that may be why you read that brackish fish are a no no. I personally don't feed much fish, because my boy does not like fish. I have to mash it in to a mushy pulp, and that's never fun. I just inject some of his chicken with wild salmon oil, it does wonders for the skin. Gizzards are just an organ, not as nutritional as some, but just another organ. You don't need to limit gizzards like liver. Sometimes my dad will accidently thaw out an extra package of gizzards, so I feed my dog the entire package to avoid it going to waste. You can cook it and feed as a treat, that's what my aunt does. But I find cooked organs gross, lol. As for the cancer, you REALLY need to go to the vet. No offense, but tea is not really going to help cure cancer. If she does have cancer and it is in the early stages, the vet can really help. Yes, any good diet can help with diseases. But sometimes you need medical help. Dieing of cancer is going to be a lot worse on her then a little vet visit.

Question: Feeding my dog home made raw, with 3-6-9 Omega acids supplements? I would like to increase the ratio of Omega 3 (fish oil) substantially before the winter. Any reliable infor on possible toxicity of higher dosage? Using Organic Norwegian Cod liver Oil. Thank you in advance. Good morning Greekman, and thank you. I have been using UDO's for 2 years now, but presently I'd like to jack up fish oil up a bit. My girl has severe allergies and her coat and skin can get bad at times (she swims a lot). I couldnt find any reference on "fish liver oil" toxicity, but wanted to make sure. As you know, vets are not much of help when it comes to these things :) Thank you so much for your reply!!!! Sorry, can't rate your answer, as I'm not allowed by the system :) Appreciated!!! Have a great day!!! :)))

Answer: Good Morning Tony.. The best supplement that I have found and I also take myself is Dr Udo's choice. It is a blend of all the essential/non essential fatty acids you have mentioned and it works wonders for the dogs and myself. They get a teaspoon a day and I get two. You will see the difference in a month in their coats and their eyes. I have a chocolate lab that shines so much in the sun, people think she is wet. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Take care!! ADD: Tony, thank you, but, I do not answer questions for points, just to help if I know about the subject being asked. I looked around and cannot find anything on toxicity levels, however, I would worry about the loose stool that too much oil is liable to produce. Udo's is a gret supplement and I cannot see why you would not be able to give her a little more of it then what you do now, plus, you know it works and there is no questioning its purity levels.

Question: How many Biotin & Brewer's Yeast capsules can I give to my dog, and is this is okay to feed? I want to give my Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff) Biotin & Brewer's Yeast, and I was originally going to just order from Dr.'s Foster & Smith in the powder forms made for dogs. But people I know are telling me I can just go to Walmart or local drugstore and get them in tablet or capsule form that people take and feed to her with meals. I had been buying Grizzly Salmon oil, and after going through several bottles, I finally just bought regular Omega-3 fish oil caplets from the vitamin aisle today when I was at Walmart. I am just not sure how many of those to give her, either? She is a puppy & 40-50 lbs-ish. Can anyone help me out here? Are there any other vitamins or supplements I might want to give her, and can you tell me what exactly they're for? She is eating kibble right now, and I am wanting to go all natural here soon, just not sure where to start... The raw diet honestly scares the hell out me, even though I know that's what comes natural to dogs in the wild. I guess I would be more openminded to a "home cooked" diet at the moment. I honestly do not care to switch her to yet another kibble that everyone thinks is so much better than the others. Truth is, they all suck, and aren't as good as real food. You're just going to pay a hell of a lot more for one vs. others. Right now, she gets Pro Plan large breed kibble with puppy vitamins & salmon oil and 2 tablespoons of soft food mixed in (same brand) And we also add a boiled egg and a spoon of peanut butter with that for added protein. Petco is the large pet supply store closest to me, and honestly, I read lots of ingredients labels, and Pro Plan was the only food I could find that the first ingredient was meat and rice and not a "meal" product. She gets real liver and fish for snacks, and some other treats we bought that are supposedly organic. I'd like to know what other foods I can give her that will make up a complete balanced & nourished diet to where she's not lacking anything essential so that I can do away with the kibble completely. But like I mentioned before, I'd honestly prefer to go the homecooked route vs. raw for the time being if anyone could help me. Any vitamins or supplements that would be helpful, just let me know and I will look into it! I want better for my furbaby and the storebought stuff is just not cutting it for us. And again, if anyone could tell me how many tablets/capsules of Biotin, Brewer's Yeast, & Omega-3 Fish Oil to give a large mastiff puppy, I'd really appreciate it! :-) Hi Lizzie, I haven't actually given her Biotin or Brewer's Yeast, yet. I wanted to figure out how much was okay first. She is, however, getting Grizzly wild salmon oil daily with her kibble. Her coat is remarkably shiny, I think the salmon oil is helping with that. I have heard nothing but horrible things about dry kibble. She is on Pro Plan which was the best I could find at the local pet store. I just don't know where to start with real food or which vitamins and supplements she should get... I'm just looking for a better way!

Answer: Please don't overdo the supplementation. Ask the breeder of your dog what, if anything, is best to supplement your dog's food with. Please keep in mind that if you are feeding a balanced diet to your dog then anything you add to it will unbalance the diet.

Question: Nutrition for a pregnant dog? Breeders please answer!!!? So, since my dogs (maltese) mated a bunch of times when she was in heat I'm guessing that she is pregnant and want to treat her as if she is. If she's pregnant she would be between 7 & 15 days along (see my other post on dates). Problem is, I've read conflicting information on nutrition for a pregnant *****, I would like to get your advice and experiences on these things so that I can make sure my girl is getting all that she needs. I would like to know, in your experience and knowledge, what things are good, bad, and unnessasary. If you have a clear cut nutrition plan which you used and worked out great for you that I could follow, I would greatly appreciat that also. First off, I switched her food from Innova Evo (because I couldnt find a puppy formula from Innova) to Wellness Super 5 Mix puppy formula (wet & dry because she wasnt wanting to eat for 1 1/2 days and I get worried about her not eating because she is small, 7 lbs, and when I mix wet food w/ dry she gets more interested and actually eats) I've been feeding her 1/4 cup dry mixed w/ 1/4 cup wet, twice a day, thats 1 cup total food per day(both wet and dry are the Wellness Super 5 mix puppy formula). Next, I read to give them Nutri-Cal and Shark's liver oil twice a week while pregnant then 3 times a week after pups are born. I've been giving her Nutri-cal twice a week (an inch on my finger), but I cant find the shark oil in any stores so far. Next, I read to give them about a tablespoon of cottage cheese every other day. This puzzles me because of the calcium, I also read that too much calcium is bad for them. So what's the deal with cottage cheese, benefit or risk??? Finally, a friend of mine said she gives her dogs a couple tablespoons of canned Makrel (fish, dont know if i spelled it right) 3 times a week. I've never heard this before so I want to know what the benefits from this are, if any, or dangers, if any. Once again, all of your experiences and advice are much appreciated. I would like to come up with a great nutrition plan to give her the best she can get. Thanks again!

Answer: So far it sounds like you're doing great. I would offer both the Wellness puppy and the Innova Evo (it's actually formulated for puppies AND dogs, there is not separate puppy formula) to give her the greatest nutritional value. Mixing wet food is good too. Not sure about the shark oil, I imagine any Omega fatty acid supplement would work the same- you should be able to find a fatty acid liquid supplement in any pet store with the vitamins. Nutrical is good too. Cottage cheese is actually very good for dogs, it will not cause an overload of calcum, and it's perfect for moms who need to form all those puppy bones. I gave cottage cheese to my puppy to help him through teething, and it did wonderfully. So go ahead and use the cheese, it won't hurt her a bit. As far as the mackeral, if you're using a fatty acid supplement you don't need to add any more fish to the diet- that's all the fish is really used for, to add fatty acids. You can also give her boiled chicken breast and boiled hamburger meat as special treats. And make sure you let her eat as much as she wants, from now until the pups are weaned- she needs everything she can get.

Question: Wysong Archetype Canine/Feline Diet PET FOOD? NO TAURINE? ISN'T TAURINE ESSENTIAL FOR CATS, BUT NOT DOG? Ingrediences lisT Ingredients: Beef and Chicken; Beef and Chicken Liver; Ground Bone, Milk Calcium, Fish Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Coral Calcium, Organic Mung Bean Sprouts, Organic Quinoa Sprouts, Organic Millet Sprouts, Organic Blueberries, Organic Apples, Plums, Chlorella, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, Dried Whey, Kelp, Dried Seaweed, Artichoke, Direct Fed Microbials (Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus lactis Fermentation Product, Dried Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Product), Natural Extractives of Rosemary, Natural Extractives of Sage, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/produ… 50% PROTEIN SOUND EXCESSIVE FOR BOTH DOGS AND CATS. Cats can go blind without taurine in there diet?

Answer: Yes tauriine is an essential amino acid for cats. They have to get it from some part of their diet. Dogs actually make some taurine so additional taurine isn't as critical. Taurine deficency includes blindness and cardiomypathy or enlarged heart. In the 1980's, many cats died of taurine defiency because it wasn't being added to the cat food. Personally, I'm not a big fan of this dog/cat food. A dog's needs are different than a cat's and vica versa. I'm not much of a Wysong fan anyways. Keep in mind that just because you don't see added taurine in the ingredient list, doesn't mean that it's not there. Taurine is an amino acid found in meat. The pet food companies started adding taurine to insure that there was enough in their foods to prevent the deficiency problems.

Question: RMB diet... how to I get my dog to eat dry food too? Hey. I just switched my dog from kibble to a RMB diet around 1 week ago and she is doing really really good on it. However, I still feed her kibble for dinner (mixed with liver or egg or yogurt, depending on the day). But the last 2 days she barely eats the kibble no more and only eats the egg or yogurt or liver or anything else that is mixed with it and leaves the dry food. It is Solid Gold and she used to like it... does she prefer raw meat over dry food? is there anyway I will get her to still enjoy her dry food or should I just stay with the meat and forget about dry food? and another question.. I read that Fish Oil is good for them. How to give it to her and how many mg? Do I disolve it in her water? Thanksssss!! she is a 13 week old lab puppy and weighs about 22 poundss

Answer: I'd forget the dry food. And yes, fish oil is great - specifically, salmon oil. It not only helps skin and coat, its good for the joints. My dogs all get a 1000 mg capsule daily. You can just empty the capsule on her food, not in her water.