Dinovite??

[Heather & Brinkley]

Has anyone heard of Dinovite? My mom's friend swears by it for itching but I'm skeptical:

http://www.dinovite.com

Thanks in advance!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I looked at your link. I don't think a dog needs these supplements if it's getting a well balanced diet. The fish oil may be helpful for itching but you can give it separately, much less expensively. Although I saw a list of ingredients in the "perfect" amount, I didn't see where they listed the amounts of fish oil for instance. I would much prefer to give separate supplements if I thought they were helpful for my dogs and myself and I do. My dogs get Evening Primrose Oil.

[Heather & Brinkley]

Thans! I just ordered Evening Primrose last night. And Brinkley eats Orijen. :)

[Audra Darlington]

F, Calla & Luca, 

These supplements are not designed for the dog in "perfect health" These supplements are designed for the general population who feed their dogs dry kibble that has little or no nutritional value. Dry kibble is mainly made of fillers such as corn, wheat and soy. These carbs and grain are very difficult to digest. These carbs and grains break down into sugars causing myriads of issues for them such as itching and scratching. However, even with a perfect homemade raw diet, these dogs would still be needing vitamins. Many human foods are depleted today, not because they are unhealthy, but because after centuries of people living in this country, the soil is not as full of minerals as it used to be. Therefore, using a whole food supplement rich in vitamins and minerals is a great way to keep their immune system boosted. When the immune system is healthy so is the rest of the body and will help prevent issues later in life. Don't wait until your dog is sick to give them vitamins, begin when they are young, that way they live a long and healthy life. Yes, the fish oil supplements are a great way to help itching, but they also need other vitamins and digestive enzymes as well. Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium are some great properties. Similar to what's found in yogurt. Dinovite Liquid canine does the leg work for you, rather than having to hunt down all these foods that have great properties, they've done it for you. It is a concentrated vitamin supplement you use once a day in your dog's food. One pouch a day. I recommend before you make any uneducated remarks about nutritional supplements, or food, to actually read about animal nutrition. Cats and dogs do not need carbs and starches. They eat meat, and without the proper amount of meat protein in their diet they will suffer. Here is a link to a good article about raw diets, homemade dog food and also a link to the product you are referring to. I recommend you read the FAQ's about why to feed a supplement. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

FYI, Audra, F Parker is a medical doctor and a specialist, so your comment about "uneducated remarks about nutritional supplements or food" is pretty funny.

[Pat and Traveler]

**grinning**

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Itching and scratching are not due to "nutritional deficiencies", but are usually a histamine response to something. All premium dog foods contain more than enough of all vitamins and minerals  required by a normal dog, and Orijen is about as good as kibble gets.  If your dog is eating Orijen, or any premium food, it would not be possible for him to have a zinc deficiency or any other nutritional deficiency unless he has an underlying disease condition, and if he had an underlying disease condition that prevented him from absorbing any particular nutrient from his food, he wouldn't be able to absorb it from Dinovite, either. Example: Jack had a B12 deficiency due to ulcerative colitis. He was getting plenty of vitamin B12 in his food, but because of his damaged intestinal lumen, he couldn't absorb or utilize it from his food. So he has to get B12 shots; no form of B12 that passed through his digestive system would make a difference.

Omega fatty acids are beneficial for inflammation due to various kinds of diseases as well as plain old dry skin and coats, and many dog foods don't contain enough of the right forms of Omega 3 and 6 in the right proportions. Orijen does. However, it doesn't hurt to supplement with fish oil or EPO. You don't need Dinovite for that, though. Your mom's friend's dog would do just as well if he ate Orijen and got an EPO capsule every day.

[Heather & Brinkley]

That's what I thought!! And that's why I asked! Thank you!

[Audra Darlington]

Karen & Jackdoodle,

Yes, itching and scratching can be a histamine response, but more often than not they are linked with nutritional deficiencies. Begging your pardon however, dry kibble is NOT a balanced diet. They are highly heat processed which renders the vitamins added inactive. After heat extrusion, there is only a trace amount of meat protein and carbohydrates left. Dogs and cats cannot digest corn. (humans actually can't either but we eat it anyway.) Carbohydrates have little to no nutritional value for them. They simply break down into sugars. Sugars in turn feed the natural candida yeast that is found in the digestive tract. When they eat a steady diet of grain and carb filled foods, they are constantly feeding this yeast culture. This yeast culture begins to grow and spread. Yes, this yeast in a natural part of their bodies, however an unbalanced overgrowth can cause itching, an un-fresh "frito" smell coming from ears, and skin, and un-fresh smell soon after bathing, itching, licking and biting the paws (from the yeast between their toes) and red or dark irritated areas of the skin on belly, haunches and paws. This can also result in hair loss and if left untreated and really be detrimental to the dog's health. His skin can get crusty and get sores and he will be miserable. Many people do experience this with their dogs and see a wonderful change in them when switching them away from processed commercial foods. If you do not want to make your own food, I recommend  freshpet select. I feed it to my old girl along with CarnOyum canine supplement. This food is a great alternative for homemade food (especially in a busy household!) And Her supplement keeps her digestive tract in good shape and keeps her from shedding. Rather than go out and have to find all kinds of pills and other foods that i have to mix with her food, I would rather use a supplement that has been made with whole foods that contain the vitamins she needs and save me the hassle. wouldn't you? it sounds like you might benefit from actually learning about animal nutrition, there's more to it than the large pet food corporations. look at how many recalls are going on right now, I would recommend steering clear of processed food and looking into doing what's best for your dog or cat based on what you've learned not what you are being told. If you do some research, and really dig into the world of nutrition you could learn a lot that would never even have crossed your mind! I learned SO much about our human nutrition though my research, and I got excited about giving the best possible nutrition to my dog, and for my family! It even proved a GREAT tool in learning what to do when my daughter couldn't drink formula. We learned exactly what she needed nutritionally and learned to make a special mix that she drank until she turned 1. She has never been sick and people always comment on how capable and strong she is for her age. (almost 2 now) She is ahead of where all her cousins were at her age and my sister-in-law asked what we were doing because she was so healthy compared to her own 2 littlest ones. Now I taught her about nutrition and her kids are doing SO much better! Go ahead! Get online and learn for yourself! Don't let the media and large corporations lead you blindly. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

FYI, none of the foods being discussed here contain corn or grain.

And regarding learning "SO much about our human nutrition though my research, and I got excited about giving the best possible nutrition to my dog, and for my family! ", I am very surprised that you didn't run across any information on breast feeding in your research. I mean, seeing as how you are so interested in advising people about "natural" nutrition.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

The Breastfeeding issue could be a whole other discussion. Babies shouldn't drink formula anymore than dogs should eat Purina, IMHO!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Amen!!!

[Adina P]

Carbohydrates break down into sugars in humans too.  That's how we get our energy.   Regardless of whether grains are or are not good for dogs, if carbohydrates were not digested, dogs would all be ridiculously thin on high carb kibble. But they are not.  They actually do process the carbs and absorb them and they contribute calories.