Do you use a supplement/vitamin supplement for your yorkie?

[Lilah Charm]

Hi there! I am wondering what all folks might be using as a supplement - particularly interested in a general vitamin supplement- for their Yorkshire terrier. Has anyone used canine red cell? Or nupro? What are your goals with supplementing? Weight gain? Shinier coat? Hair growth? What do you suggest and why? Or, what would you want to find that would match your supplement needs? I look forward to the community input! thanks you guys!

[Maximo]

Commercial dog foods are supposed to contain all of the nutrients a dog needs. In other words, the food itself is the equivalent of a daily general vitamin supplement.

Giving a dog another vitamin on top of it wouldn't be beneficial, and at worst, could be harmful.

People who home cook are advised to use a vitamin supplement and ideally a recipe from a vet nutritionist to achieve the right balance of nutrients.

The closest thing to a supplement that I give my boys is a little organic coconut oil. It's more of a treat for them.

[Lilah Charm]

Originally Posted by Maximo

Commercial dog foods are supposed to contain all of the nutrients a dog needs. In other words, the food itself is the equivalent of a daily general vitamin supplement.

Giving a dog another vitamin on top of it wouldn't be beneficial, and at worst, could be harmful.

People who home cook are advised to use a vitamin supplement and ideally a recipe from a vet nutritionist to achieve the right balance of nutrients.

The closest thing to a supplement that I give my boys is a little organic coconut oil. It's more of a treat for them.

I do recognize that our dog food should be all inclusive- affco standards and all. Things we use or have used in the past have included more 'non vital' supplementation like coconut oil, seaweed, fish oil, vitamin e oil, we use a probiotic and a joint supplement etc. Lilah is not a fabulous eater, she is finicky and Such a skinny little thing- I know there are many 'show supplements' out there and I am sure nothing is created equal- we have used nupro when we got samples at a show and she loved it- I didn't look too much further into it at the time but back then she was (finally for once!) very happy with the food she was on (wish that had lasted). I saw this canine red cell show supplement but your right- I was nervous because it has iron in it- so I thought I would ask around and see what other people's supplement lives look like, food intake etc.

Right now Lilah has free choice Nb duck and pot kibble and gets approx a TB of the same brand/flavor wet food in the morning with fish oil joint supplement and a TB in the evening. She also has a daily probiotic chew, a dental chew she has twice daily and a 'fabulous hair' chew she gets a half of after grooming in the evening. Her favorite treats beyond that are English cucumber, carrots and string cheese- she definitely gets those throughout the week but not daily usually and I don't think those are filling up her tummy with lower calorie content nutrients? She is regularly de wormed and gets her blood work and dental cleaning done yearly as well as vet check ups (we are on a monthly plan). Thank you for your cautious words of wisdom for my little lady. I will make safe informed decisions in conjunction with any vet reccomendarions, you are a sweet lady Kristen.

*just forgot to add, she also gets a regular dose of coconut oil- I couldn't get her to eat it when I mixed it in her food but I do a coconut oil soak to my hair about once a week and I drop a ton of it while j apply it/ she is right there snatching it up at my feet, lol.

[Maximo]

Lilah is adorable licking up the coconut oil when you do your hair!

My boys do not like the coconut oil in their food either. I put it directly on their teeth and gums and they lick my fingers. Then they go and rub their faces like mad on the nearest blanket.

I should have clarified above that my comments about a vitamin supplement, I was thinking a general, all in one vitamin, like One a Day for humans type. That kind of thing isn't necessary.

I do see the benefit of individual supplements, but when I go to dog boutiques and see walls of shelves loaded with supplements, makes me a little nervous. I hope people will be sure to talk to their vet about them like you do and not rely on a store clerk.

Fresh foods: we supplement kibble here with fresh stuff. My boys' favorite is steamed chicken. They also get an tiny bit of fresh parmesan cheese, egg (Teddy can finally handle egg! I've heard here that it is good for the coat, among other things), the tiniest piece of occasional lettuce and spaghetti noodle (naughty!).

I'm glad you found what works for Lilah. She is definitely one pampered and well-cared for baby girl.

[Lilah Charm]

Lol! I love the naughty spaghetti noodle imagery! you sweet little pampered boys delight me also, they are always such a joy

I see people all the time not being considerate of their supplements- I will have a horse person who feeds a daily supplement, a complete horse feed (like dog food) and be wanting to add an additional supplement for one reason or another and we seriously have to look at selenium and cooper toxicity but on top of that they typically aren't feeding the reccomended amounts either- maddening!

You are right though, not mistaken at all that within the scope of supplements I was specifically curious if anyone fed any vitamin supplements. Excess vitamins and minerals can be dangerous (like vitamin a and selenium and iron) whereas others are just passed through if an excess is consumed, like vitamin c and I think that red cell in particular is specifically a vitamin supplement. Maybe only appropriate for whelping bitches or during a heat cycle? I don't know. Now I am wondering what the heck was in the Nupro too! It has been a while and I just catalogued it as 'general enhancement supplement' without much thought. I suppose I will look up the ingredient panel. Maybe I just need to do my hair more often to get a little weight on that picky skinny mini of mine

*oh! Or maybe start including egg like Mr Teddy! There is a good high fat supplement food

[Wylie's Mom]

I used to give a supp from Natures Farmacy, and I think it was a great supp. Now, I don't really add anything to their food except coconut oil.

For the most part, I don't see anything wrong w/ giving supplements. Dog food can be extremelyyyyyy processed and therefore, its ingredients perhaps not as absorbable as we'd hope. I view as similar for myself -- I take a TON of supplements for myself, and I know that what I don't need/use will just be excreted. It's pretty much the same for our kiddos -- we can give them something, knowing some of it will just be excreted. I think it's important to just be sure not to overdose a dog in one specific ingredient/supplement that could be at a level of toxicity.

[Lilah Charm]

Thanks Ann, turned out that two of my human children were very picky- the oldest one when she became a pescatarian which for her mean pasta roni and seafood (where is the head shaking emoji?) and my youngest who just came out that way and would rather starve then eat anything other than peanut butter and jellies. Prior to my daughter pre teen dietary transition all of my other children were non picky hearty eaters (the other ones still are) but the two picky ones in question became quickly anemic on their own dietary accord. I guess I worry about Lilah needing a vitamin supplement because she is such a finicky eater as well and after watching my baby kids need a flinstone vitamin so apperantly I thought maybe she would benefit from one also. I still take a prenatal...when I remember!

[Yorkiemom1]

I add Dinovite to my dog's food each day....if one of the seniors starts getting dry coats or thinning coats, I will give either coconut oil or give kippers in oil once or twice a week......

[Lilah Charm]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

I add Dinovite to my dog's food each day....if one of the seniors starts getting dry coats or thinning coats, I will give either coconut oil or give kippers in oil once or twice a week......

I have heard of Dynovite! I will look into that, thank you

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Lilah Charm

I have heard of Dynovite! I will look into that, thank you

Be careful w/ Dinovite bc the very best thing they're excellent at is marketing - you've likely heard their expensive radio ads! This supplement is filled w/ a LOT of potential allergens for dogs...so beware, as yorkies are so very prone to all sorts of allergies now:

Dinovite® Original Canine
Ingredients: Ground flax seed, dried kelp, yeast culture, ground grain sorghum, fructooligosaccharide, zinc methionine complex, diatomaceous earth, montmorillonite clay, yucca schidigera extract, dehydrated alfalfa meal, Aspergillus oryzae fermentation product dehydrated, Aspergillus niger fermentation product dehydrated, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product dehydrated, Lactobacillus casei fermentation product dehydrated, Bifidobacterium thermophilum fermentation product dehydrated, Enterococcus faecium fermentation product dehydrated.

Save

[mimimomo]

I feed Primal & I really love that they use whole fresh foods as vitamins & minerals in their balanced diet.

Feeding, Transition and Safety for Raw Dog Food Diets

Maybe this is something you can add to her diet or give as treats? Like organic pumpkin seeds...really good for people too. I love it in my salads.

They also list all the fruits & veggies in their diet...you can blend the veggies (in a nutribullet kind of blender) together & sprinkle it over her kibble...mine love it. They lick it right off the spoon.
If I happen to have fresh kale, organic carrots, etc for salad, I'll blend some for them as a treat. It's important to blend the veggies or blanch them slightly for optimal absorption (since most dogs have a hard time digesting them).

Feeding, Transition and Safety for Raw Dog Food Diets

[gracielove]

It is true that many commercial pet foods claim to have met the guidelines for dog nutrition. Many pet foods have more vitamins listed than food ingredients. Most vitamins sold in the US today (unless otherwise specified) are processed in China. PROCESSED is the key word. Most vitamins are also synthetic - not from food sources. Some animals can assimilate these synthetic vitamins pretty well while others cannot. If your pet seems to be lacking in some way it may well be advisable to find a good supplement for your pet.

You are the best judge of how skin and coat look but sadly bone and joint problems sometimes do not show up until later in life.

I have given my girl a few different types of food based all natural vitamins and minerals. There are some brands out there that claim to help replace the nutrients that commercial food eaters miss out on. Do a good internet search and I'm sure you will find a variety of choices.