Vitamins
 

Hi All...

Can you please tell me if you give your yorkie any vitamins or minerals and what kind? I mean vitamins in the form of chewable pills for dogs to boost up their immune system, or make their bones stronger... just stuff like that..

Is Zinc good for dogs? and let me know what other vitamins are good which I should purchase, etc..

Thanks in advance :)

Anyone?

Uhmm, no one I guess :confused:
I also wanted to know, since Sophie is eating adult food since she got here, and Im afraid she might be missing on something.

C'mon all you knowledgeable YTers :) We need your advice :)

Most of them are probably on their drive home. I'll keep bumping till later .

haha yeah I did not calculate the time difference correctly. It is 12:40am here and time for me to go to sleep :rolleyes:

have a good night.!

Thank you !!! Have a nice evening to you :)

I give mine Cranimals (it goes in there food) and I alternate between Gold and very berry. I also started selling it recently and you can find it on my site below. Having trouble with my site so if you are interested in ordering, just pm me.

Is this something you give daily? Right now Sophie and Max eat from the same bowl, can this be given as a treat, individually, so I'll know how much is every one taking in?

This is a very fine granule. I sprinkle it in my dogs morning bfast because they get a treat of a tablespoon of canned food every AM. They eat that separately, I stand there and watch them. Then they have kibble in 1 bowl to nibble on during the day. :)

They also get half of one of these everyday (dietary supplement only because the Cranimals gold is for coat). I started using this food and now am a distributor. Everything is formulated by a holistic vet, Jane Bicks.
Lifes Abundance Wellness Food Supplement

My honest opinion is:

If your dog is on an AAFCO approved food (or the equivalent if not in the US) that is meant for their life stage, any supplement/vitamin that just adds more vitamins and minerals is a waster of money. These foods already have so much of that kinda stuff in them and 1) they don't need anymore, and 2) if too much more is given it can throw off the balance of the food.

There are supplements that some Yorkies do well on like:
Glucosamine for joints.
Omegas with vitamin e for coat.
Probiotics and/or enzymes for intestinal issues or just because (kind of controversial).

Thanks Ellie May,

I agree with you that it should not be overdone. I believe Samy is being fed a good quality food but I just have the feeling something might be missing so I wanted to compare people's opinion on this and see if anyone gives any sort of vitamins in addition to their food... for example, the calcium for joins, or anything for joins and immune system..

But perhaps I should just stick to the food and start worrying about vitamins when Samy gets older..

Thanks for your advice.

I feed my little girl Royal Canin and i decided to buy her a Bob Martin pill - it smells like Brewer's Yeast to be honest. it has various other vitamins in it too tho. It's a simple off the shelf pill and she LOVES them!

But when i took her to the vet the other day I asked if it was necessary and he told me that if she is eating a really good food (and he says Royal Canin is great) then she shouldnt need anything extra. I still give it to her but he said if i do it must be the minimum quantity. I find her coat is in great shape from it and her eyes are bright.

From what i read, Preganant bitches and mothers require extra vitamins but if your dog is just like mine then it's an optional extra becasue they should be getting everything they need from their diet :) I dont see any harm in extra vitamins, altho too much of anything is normally not good so give it in moderation :) picky eaters that they can be, i give mine hers to encourage her appetite!

I agree about the imbalance if given too much of. I forgot to mention I dont give mine hers every day. Sometimes she will just not bother to eat for 2 days when she is 100% healthy, simply because she is being picky and i find the one i give her helps her appetite :) it's a low level vitamin - once this bottle is finished i doubt I will replace it in a hurry.

Great thanks!! And yes, i am all about moderation... if i were to buy any vitamins i was thinking of giving him only one a week.

thanks for the advice!

Missing Link
 

I started giving mine a sprinkle of missing link on ther food once a day. It is great... it has all the essential vitamins plus glucosamine/chrominium for joints. Their coats are beautiful and they are quite healthly. I researched this once I saw a post in regards to it and found it was a great addition to their diet. Hope this helps:)

These are the ones I give and Dr. Jane Bicks recommends it everyday. But for a yorkie, it is only half a tablet. In this chewable tablet, Dr. Jane has included the following nutritious ingredients:

Lifes Abundance Wellness Food Supplement
Poultry liver, which is rich in vitamin A and D, protein and selenium.
Natural vitamin E, which is an antioxidant.
Taurine, which is an essential amino acid.
Stabilized rice bran, which is a rich source of vitamins and minerals.
Cranberries, a rich source of vitamin C, dietary fiber and manganese.
Carrots, a rich source of beta-carotene (vitamin A), vitamins C, D, and E, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium and iron.
Dried egg, one of nature's most nutrient-dense foods, plays an important role in a balanced diet. Eggs are considered a complete protein source, providing essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, B, E, biotin, and sulfur). Eggs also provide healthy fats, such as omega-6 for healthy skin and a glossy coat.
Flaxseed meal is a rich plant source of antioxidant lignans and omega-3 fatty. Flaxseed meal also has a very high level of protein and essential amino acids. In addition, flaxseed meal contains significant amounts of fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and is extremely rich in the minerals potassium, calcium and phosphorus.
Direct-fed microbials, ingredients similar to those found in supermarket yogurts.
Ester-C*, a unique and patented form of vitamin C (calcium ascorbate).
Tomato pomace, a good source of lycopene and vitamin C.
Alfalfa meal, which is a good source of protein, vitamin A, niacin and calcium, and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, pantothenic acid, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese.
Pineapple, which is a good source of enzymes, vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Great!! Thanks :)

If I gave her the whole bottle she would eat them all! Pity she won't eat kibble the same way!

She eats any veg or fruit i give her as a small treat so I'm sure she gets lots of goodness from that too :)

There you are!! always trying to read and learn from your posts on nutrition.
Right now Im feeding Acana Grassland, Max is 5 y/o but Sophie is 7 m/o, she will not eat her puppy food, never did, since day 1, but she would go to Max's bowl and eats everything, before was RC, I got her RC puppy, but wouldn't even touch it, Im worried she might be lacking on some nutrition

You are right to be concerned, especially if it has been going on awhile.

Can you coat the puppy food in canned?
If the food isn't AAFCO approved for the life stage of each dog, it may be okay, but it is somewhat of a risk.

In fact, the needs of pups are so hard to get right at times that at least one nutritionist that I know of says it isn't even okay to homecook for them unless you talk to a nutrionist (i.e. can't just get a recipe offline).

I give mine a Pet Tab, or Pet Life it's called, LOL, (not sure of exact name) but he loves them:p

I gave Muffin Pet Tabs and I do the same with Kacee. One a day...:)