Afarin

Hey guys!

I just got Eden a week ago, and I switched her food to Orijen adult formula just today (she switched from Iams). I bought some nutrional supplements to add just for general health, and I was hoping someone would be able look over the ingredients and help me figure out if it will be safe to add these to her daily diet (ex: will it be safe for her, are any ingredients going to clash together/over supplement and be unhealthy?)

So i feed her 1/2 cup of Orijen Adult a day, and the supplements I'm planning on her taking (once/day) are:

1) Angel Eyes Tear Stain Supplement: ingredients here:
Tear Stains | Dog Tear Stains | Cat Tear Stains | Maltese Tear Stains

2) Pet Kelp Wellness Formula: ingredients here:
Pet Kelp Antioxidant 2-in-1 Supplements for your Pet

3) Dr. Maggie Skin & Coat Supplement (Oil): ingredients here:
.: Dr.Maggie™ Supplement for Skin & Coat-Ingredients:.

I follow all the measurement suggestions written for each supplement made for her weight (5 lbs)

I'm not incredibly versed in the various vitamins/ingredients and how they react to my new dog and I hope you might be able to let me know if these with the orijen are okay. I know supplements aren't necessary but I like having the peace of mind of giving her nutrients.

I'd love the help/recommendations because I don't want any of these stuff to be too much or react poorly together. Just kind of wanting the best nutrients for my new toy poodle. I appreciate it! Thanks!

__________________


My newly adopted toy poodle, Eden! Bath time makes her sleepy. (2 yrs. old)

MaryLynn

I think as long as all the vitamins add up to be within a safe range for your doggies weight then everything should be okay, make sure you take into account what's in the food. Too much of some things can be a bad thing, but I don't see anything dangerous about this mixture from a quick look.

Looks fine to me, lets see what some others think.

petitpie

wrong thread

__________________

Abbe gails Mom

I think its all ok, just go slow, dont add to much at one time, so as to make her little tummy upset, there are so many other people on here , that know so much more then myself, and am sure that they will let you know what they think. Good luck with the baby.If your still unsure, ask your vet.

railNtrail

All looks good except the angel eyes. Basically you're giving a small dose of antibiotics everyday for something that is caused by yeast overgrowth. I'm very anti-over medicating especially for something as superficial as tear stains. I know they say it is safe, which it is, but when we have nothing but multi-drug resistant bacteria people will think twice, but it'll be to late. :(

__________________

Lily's-Mom

I don't know a lot about supplements, so I can't comment on that, but I have used Angel Eyes and it does work, but I think for long term use, it may not be ideal. Even if Eden have a tear stain problem now, it may clear up by feeding her the better food you are switching her too. Personally, I'd just wipe her eyes daily (or more often if needed) and see if the stains clear just by having a healthier diet.
PS - when switching to new food, you should do it gradually if possible, by adding the new kibble to the old kibble in increasing amounts over a week or so. That will reduce tummy trouble and the possibility of loose stool.

__________________
"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative" - Mordecai Siegal

Afarin

Thanks guys. Yeah, I'll take the angel eyes into account. She seems to be okay so far on her new diet.

__________________


My newly adopted toy poodle, Eden! Bath time makes her sleepy. (2 yrs. old)

caroline429

Dog nutrition is one of my favorite topics so prepare yourself for a reply that'll probably be more like a book! LOL

As others have noted, the Angel Eyes contains tylosin which is an antibiotic. Long-term use of an antibiotic for cosmetic reasons is not something that is usually recommended by vets.

I've got some concerns about the Pet Kelp product. People tend to think of kelp as some kind of miracle food because it is usually advertised as containing a multitude of vitamins and minerals. This is true but what they don't tell you is that the amount of most of them is so miniscule as to be insignificant. The one mineral it usually contains a large amount of is iodine. Too much iodine can interfere with the proper functioning of the thyroid.

Your 5 lb adult dog requires 54.79 mcg of iodine per day. Half a cup of Orijen contains 108 mcg. This is about twice what she needs, but isn't a problem. The amount of iodine in a commercial pet food will have been calculated to take into account any other ingredients in the product that might bind with the iodine and ensure there's enough left over for the dog.

The Pet Kelp contains 311 mcg per 1/4 tsp which is the amount of the supplement recommended for your dog. This is about 6 times what she needs. Neither blueberries nor flax (the other ingredients) are going to bind any of this iodine so it will all be available to your dog. I'm not a veterinary nutritionist so I can't tell you if long-term supplementation with a product that contains 6 times the iodine she needs will cause any thyroid problems, but, personally, it's not something I'd feed.

The amounts of the other minerals and vitamins in this supplement are teeny, tiny and really don't add anything to your dog's nutrition. A good commercial food like the Orijen contains all the vitamins and minerals your dog requires so there isn't any need to supplement these.

The Pet Kelp also contains flax seed which is used as a fatty acid supplement (primarily for omega 3). I've never seen the product so I don't know if the flax seed is whole or ground. If it is whole, it'll basically just pass right through, it'll provide some fiber but your dog won't get any of the benefits of the fatty acids. In fact, even if it is ground, flax seed contains ALA, a type of omega 3 that comes from plant sources and is not easily processed by dogs. Dogs do best with EPA/DHA which are omega 3 fatty acids that come from animal sources.

The blueberries in this supplement do contain important antioxidants but there is no reason you cannot feed your dog small amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables to achieve the same end.

Which brings me to Dr. Maggie's Skin and Coat supplement. It took a lot of digging but I finally found that the source of the omega 3 in this supplement is soy oil. This is ALA and not a high quality source of omega 3. Soy oil also contains omega 6 but dogs rarely need extra omega 6. It is a common fatty acid found in meats. The site also says the product contains omega 9 fatty acids. Omega 9 is not an essential fatty acid for dogs so no need to waste your money supplying it. If you feel your dog does need some type of fatty acid supplementation, you could add a small bit of some type of fish body oil (not fish liver oil).

I realize I have just panned every supplement you've bought but it is not my intention to criticize your choices. I know you only want the best for your new dog. My intent was to provide information and basically to let you know you can save your money and Eden will be just fine.

pinkteaji

Do you recommend feeding spoos nutrition supplements early in their years (1 year old) for joint problem prevention? If so, what brand do you recommend?


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

__________________

mom24doggies

Personally, I try not to over-supplement, I feel it's risky. My dogs get fish oil, and sometimes I give them Ultimate from Nature's Farmacy. Trev and Pepper get joint supplements...Pepper because she is almost 15 and Trev because he has luxating patellas and I'm trying to ward off any potential problems. Really though a high quality diet is your best bet.

__________________

"Love is the emotion that a woman feels always for a poodle dog and sometimes for a man." ~George Jean Nathan