Do you supplement raw feeding with vitamins and minerals? (includes update)

Hi all

I dont want to hijack LS's thread on vitamines and minerals so thought I would make my own

Do you give vitamines and minerales? And which kind, if you do?

I've gotten hold of some kelp and alfalfa, which contains a lot of things.

Is this enough? Or should I be adding more and other things?

I haven't fed veggies since new year really, cos Luna got a tummy bug of some sort, which has really only resolved monday this week.

I'm starting slowly out, feeding one thing for 3 or 4 days and then trying something else... Just to see how she reacts to certain things.. As I'm not sure what caused her tummy problems.

But I need to find out if I'm to add vitamines and minerals, if I start feeding veggies again..

Go for it Jeanette - I'd be interested in this too!

i use sa37

Yes I do & have done

When I changed my lot over to raw feeding they had a lot of minor probs & allergies. I gave daily Vits E & C, salmon oil, apple cider vinegar, kelp, alfalfa, echinacea, spirulina but alternated with the last 2 & gave kelp only in winter. Few times a week I would pick fresh nettles & make a drink with it for them. I did this for a couple of years & all their minor ailments & scratching cleared up

Nowadays I give the oldies Vits e & c & the rest get them as & when I think its needed.

B/L Luna`s had a few tummy probs so I would look to some probiotics for her as well

L/S sorry refresh my mind whats your doggies probs been?

Hi all

Julie.. what is SA37??

Christine: yes probiotics.. Well a canadian woman on a yahoo barf list, has got me totally confused with those.. As she says non-dairy.. Most of the things I can get here in Denmark ARE dairy...

I can get a paste called Zoolac (very expensive) which contains (directly translated):

2,85 billion live bacterias of the lactobacullus, Pediococcus and Bacillus.
1.35 billion thermo-stabilized bacterias, Lactobacillus acidophilus
Vegetable oil and lecithin.

I've ordered some papaya pills, which I'm picking up tomorrow.. Is there any other kind, you could suggest.. I can see the word probiotic mentioned everywhere, but I have no examples of WHAT they are and what to look for So any suggestions are greatly appreciated

So as Luna doesnt have any (confirmed) allergies or problems, you wouldnt add extra vits and mins??

I'm thinking of adding the apple cider vinegar and then some salmon oil...

And as I would like to give her a bit of veg, if for nothing else then cos they are good fillers and she could do with a "trim" (and she loves the veggies), then I'm looking into what kind of vitamin there are in the veg.. And I'm thinking of making it mainly green leaves and then some garlic as the base and then add from there.. How does that sound??

I feed BARF and use SA-37. Its a complementary feed (powder) containing a balanced mix of vitamins and minerals.

I also use dried seaweed.

These supplements are given on a weekly basis (unless I can't get a regular supply of veg). I use daily on bitches in whelp and while lactating.

SA-37 is what is says, a supplement, and shouldn't be given instead of veg. A good mix of a variety of veg. shouldn't cause tummy upsets, but I give Bio Yogurt regularly and this will sort most tummy upsets. I cook a variety of veg once a week, adding any oils (from tinned fish) or fat from roast meat, plus garlic puree. Then I freeze in tubs or keep in the fridge and give a few tablespoonfuls on their dinners daily.

Ah okay.. I dont know if I can get this SA37 here in Denmark. Perhaps something like it.. Will have to do a bit of research.

But will be starting on the veggies again. Just dont know if I can start introducing that, while I'm still trying out new meats and RMB, or if I should wait till I've introduced all the available kinds of rmb and meats..

I've seen SA37 - looks pretty good.

At the moment, I'm just giving garlic and a little flaxseed oil in his dinner but am thinking of B complex (as alfafa and kelp???), flaxseed oil for the omegas (although he does get oily fish once or twice a week), and vitamin C, but one supplement that does it all might be the way to go. I was also thinking of taurine, which I have read about on sites about canine seizures.

Christine - it's just that I'm no longer giving Loki much in the way of commercially prepared food, just a small amount of NatureDiet for his brekkie. The rest I am preparing myself so I am interested in adding supplements in case I miss anything out.

I've also read about digestive enzymes, but I'm not sure about how necessary they'd be to general health.

Those of you that supplement with sa-37 could you let us know what all it contains...Cheers

Jeanette mentioned apple cider vinegar earlier...does anyone else give that cuz I heard it was really good for both humans and pets, apparently something like 1 spoon full includes nearly all the vitamins and minerals needed...