Want my dog healthy should she be taking vitamins?

[bluescityleon]

I have a 5 yr old maltese who eats ok but cN definitely do with more nutrients I think or more of a balance. I would love to give her some type of liquid multivitamin, any suggestions if there's some that's one and done or do you need a few supplements to truly keep then healthy I read about ppls dog with kidney failures, cancer etc and I'm so scared for my own dog.

 

[nic_88]

@bluescityleon Dog supplements are unregulated and some can be dangerous. I only ever give ones recommended by my vet.

Also you dont need to because if you are feeding a wsava compliant food she has all the nutrients she needs. Also do be sure that any treats dont make up more than 10% of her diet, even the healthy ones like fruits and veggies (the exception would be if she needs to loose weight and you add in veggies to make her feel full). Any line of food from the WSAVA compliant brands brands are good, those brands are Purina, iams, science diet, royal canin and Eukanuba. Purina pro plan is probably the most popular but all of these brands are fine. If you aren't feeding a WSAVA compliant food it might be a good idea to switch so you know she is getting appropriate nutrients.

Unfortunately things like kidney failure cancer etc aren't usually very preventable. Good breeding and a healthy lifestyle help, but a lot of it is from old age (these are often diseases of old age).

What you can do now is keep her exercised, exercise reduces risk factors for pretty much everything so unless she has a restriction make sure she gets at least a good half hour a day. Next is proper weight, obese dogs are more prone to health issues so keep her on the lean side. Most people have fat dogs and peoples perceptions are skewed so make sure she is a healthy weight by asking your vet, aim for a 4 or a 5 on the body score scale. Feeding we have covered with the WSAVA compliant brands. Also important is proper vet care. Keep up on prevention (vaccines, flea/tick, heartworm) make sure she is spayed, take her for a yearly physical and blood work. If anything is concerning call your vet to get her looked at, if there is a problem catching it early is important. Dental care is also important especially in small breeds so brish her teeth and get a full dental when needed. Also see appropriate specialists if needed like a dermatologist for severe or reoccurring skin issues, a cardiologist for a heart condition etc. Getting pet insurance now before she has any health conditions might be a good idea so you have more wiggle room with money when something goes wrong.

 

[crs_7]

@nic_88 I have commented similar advice! Weight is one thing we can control that makes a huge difference. I added a personal opinion in my comment about supplements. Shortly, I have personally divided supplements into two “groups”, natural ones, and the ones that are more complicated. I see things like blueberries, kefir, and salmon oil (or just some boiled fish) as supplements, because it’s real stuff that definitely makes a difference, especially salmon oil/fish. The rest of them are a bit scary to me, although when it comes to different powders etc I understand the green lipped mussel, anti plaque etc, it’s “natural” but made into a powder. But other complicated supplements, combinations of different vitamins are scary, some of them are dangerous if they get too much, and some are not meant for all kinds of dogs. I can’t give my chihuahua a supplement meant for hard working German Shepherds. The best thing with the ones that I say are “real stuff” is that most dogs find them delicious, it’s really nice to add something my dog loves to his food that actually might be good for him.

 

[nic_88]

@crs_7 Yeah, most of the marketed supplements are pretty trash. There are a few like glucosamine/controiten, one particular brand of calming chews, some dental additives and glandex that have some data to back it. Personally I only have my dogs on the glycoflex supplements because my old guy needs it and the vet said to give it to all of them to possibly prevent joint issues down the line.

Other than that there are a few helpful things for certain dogs like fish oil if they have skin issues. Most of the other claims probably don't do much as far as we know currently, but if your dog likes blueberries or yogurt as long as it's in small amounts it doesn't do any harm so why not? My dogs get healthy snacks like fruits, veggies, plain meat etc just as a bit of a treat. I don't think it probably helps them health wise but it makes their lives more entertaining and it's harmless.

 

[crs_7]

@nic_88 My dog has a sensitive stomach so he can’t have a lot of different toppings on his food right now, I thought kefir would work but it didn’t haha. He loves green beans and carrots so he gets those sometimes because he likes them, but it’s a very small amount so it probably doesn’t do anything health wise, Anti plaque and salmon oil every day. I have a hard time trusting stuff that is marketed for dogs because afaik they can say whatever they want and sell it for a very high price, because a lot of owners just want whats best for their dog and might believe anything they claim, without any proof that it’s good. I prefer to just stick to the basics, but my dog is young and healthy so he doesn’t really need anything rn.

But OP should probably ask a vet about supplements and get individual recommendations for their dog, it all depends on what the dog might need.

 

[crs_7]

@bluescityleon I’m not a veterinarian, but in my personal opinion I think theres a big difference between different supplements.

You can add very natural things that has a lot of good stuff, then there’s the supplements that aren’t as natural.

For example there is stuff like blueberries for antioxidants, salmon oil (or just some boiled white fish) for omega 3, kefir for good bacteria that helps the stomach, green lipped mussel (usually powder or pills) works AMAZING for stiff/aching joints etc. This is “real stuff”, like it comes from actual animals or berries/veggies/fruits. These kind of supplements can also be great for picky dogs, because most dogs think it’s delicious.

Then there are some more processed supplements, mixing a bunch of stuff together. Like mixing things that are good for different things, or mixing a lot of vitamins in one supplement. Then your dog might get too much of some of the vitamins and not enough of some. Some vitamins can be way too “strong” for small dogs like yours.

It’s also not great to rely on things like these, you can’t give your dog a few supplements every day and believe that is solves/prevents everything. Just because you give “vitamin XXX” doesn’t mean it’s enough if your dogs diet isn’t properly balanced.

So, in my opinion, there’s a difference between putting some salmon oil in their food to help some dry skin or fur, and putting 15 different supplements in the bowl (especially if the diet is not balanced, eg homemade without proper knowledge about nutrition for dogs).

Also, if your dog is not sick, regular dog food should have everything a dog needs. Well at least all it needs to live, but some supplement can improve their life. Just make sure you have the right food for species, life stage, size, activity level and other (individual) needs. It is quite fun to add some little things to their food, but in moderation. I’m telling you, a single green bean and a pump of salmon oil goes a long way for my chihuahua! Especially if I add water or bone broth!

To make sure your dog stays as healthy as possible, do yearly vet visits, separate from vaccinations. They will check for a lot of stuff and recommend treatment if they find something, if you do this chances are you find it early. The vet will also be happy to answer questions about nutrition and supplements.

The one thing you can do for your dog that will prevent so much trouble in the future is to keep her fit. You can look at this for reference. You want her at a 4 or a 5. A dog that is slightly too thin (probably referring to a 4/9, this is ideal, but more on the fit/thin side) lives up to 2 years longer than a dog that is slightly overweight, and they have a better quality of life as well. Her weight is 100% up to you (and other family members), you are feeding her, she can’t really go grab a snack from the fridge herself. If she is at a healthy weight now, great!! Just keep an eye on her as she gets older her metabolism might slow down.

ETA: Since every little bit of extra weight on their body will affect them negatively sooner or later, I personally want my chihuahua at around a 4 now that he is an adult. I was cautious to keep him at that when he was a puppy but he turned 1 in June so it’s okay. He isn’t a very hungry dog so he is easy to keep lean without constant begging

 

[heyynnie]

@bluescityleon I make sure the kibble is an excellent one. I really love Orijen. I give mine kibble with a steamed boiled or baked meat or fish and a steamed veggie. Mine have a favorite and it's baked salmon... don't put any seasonings on the fish or meat just let them be....they love baked salmon with steamed broccoli and their kibble. ( sometimes barley and spinach)They LOVE steamed broccoli (very lightly steamed) Please check for bones don't allow those. I also don't give dog treats unless it's like the freeze dried Sushi ones but I do give them blueberries and apple slices... things like that...and make sure you BRUSH HER TEETH.
If you Google what human foods are good for dogs also Google what foods dogs should never have or what foods are toxic for dogs those are very important also.
Mine also get a fish oil supplement.
Double check with your vet about the fish oil.
I also only give them filtered water.
Enjoy your time with her
Oh! How could I have forgotten... liver, kidney, the chicken livers the hearts etc. you can go to the grocery store and there's a section with all of that ...all the organs.
Mine love liver and kidney and hearts

 

[nic_88]

@heyynnie Everything here is great exept for the orijen dog food. It has been linked to DCM (a dangerous heart condition) and is not backed by scientific studies and teams of nutrition professionals. Only the brands that meet WSAVA criteria do that so you can be sure the food is nutritionally sound.

 

[heyynnie]

@nic_88 Oh!
News to me. Cool thank you so much!

 

[nic_88]

@heyynnie It's no problem. The r/dogs sub has a wonderful feeding guide with lots of great info. I used to have my dogs on orijen until our dog developed an unrelated heart condition and the cardiologist told us to switch all of my dogs food. One is on a RX royal canin diet and the other two are on hills sensitive skin and coat formula.

ETA This is a very helpful site run by veterinary experts from tufts veterinary school. They do lots of good research and public education.

 

[heyynnie]

@nic_88 Thank you

 

[bluescityleon]

@nic_88 Thank you my dog is on orjen

 

[nic_88]

@bluescityleon Yeah I'm not a fan. Always talk to your vet before making diet changes, but my dogs have been on Purina pro plan, hills and royal canin at various times and have done well on them. Purina and hills have a great sensitive skin and coat formula that is nice if your pup has any skin or tummy issues.

Eukanuba and iams are good too for more budget friendly options. They aren't as premium so they don't have things like added probiotic, but they do have all the basic nutrition your pup will need to thrive.