On odds and ends that may or may not be known regarding food, supplements and more

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

I know Sally and I have talked at length of various supplements including the addition of omega 3 - 6 - 9's. A while back I shared a product called Green Dog Glow Coat with Sally, we LOVE this product but did find it to be priced at a premium. Still I used it as I could not duplicate its outstanding results while I started experimenting and just wanted to share.

First of all some 369 basics. While your fav pet food may boast of the addition of Omega oils, I would not be inclined to rely solely on this source. Additionally for both your pet AND yourself you are wasting your money if you are not checking to be sure you are using 'cold pressed' oils. There are some oils you may want to tip a bit lightly on, flax oil would be one of these ~ outstanding benefits but maybe not such nice yard pick up if you go too heavy.

Up to the intro of glow coat we favored 2 supplemental oils: California Natural Skin & Coat and Alaskan Bear Treats Salmon Oil. So over the last few months we have been playing and are having exceptional benefits switching oils up. Just like food I believe in order to obtain the maximum benefit you need to stir things up a bit. These days it is pretty random, but the quality is always consistent. We still rotate through California Natural, Alaskan Bear Treats ~ on our last bottle of this we added a small bottle of organic cold pressed flax oil (under $10 for 8 oz) when the bottle was about a 1/3 gone, sometimes we even pour a bit of extra virgin cold pressed olive oil.

I have to say that the coats around here are stunning and we have never been more pleased. So how about you, do you have a favorite secret recipe?

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

While we are at it, lets talk kelp. Kelp is extremely beneficial for a slew of conditions but do you know where it comes from? Do you need to? Did you know that virtually all of the kelp sources have tested positively for arsenic? Best source? Norwegian kelp, which incidentally is in another one of our very favorite supplements Wholistic Pet Canine Complete Joint Mobility. If I did not use any other supplement this would be it ~ full spectrum, digestive enzymes, glucosamine, chrondroitin (in ester C for maximum absorption). I know many of our families also use this so perhaps they will share more about it, but in the mean time check your source.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ok, I am totally ignorant on this sort of thing but I really want to improve my dog' s coats, joint health etc. What I don't get is if you are using a top quality kibble, why do you still need to add supplements? We have been using EVO which, at least to me is pretty pricey. I am not into canned meat, cooking for my dogs or feeding raw - just not my thing. We have also been using Missing Link to add chrondrointin and for their coats. Our Springer's fur is still dry and lackluster, our old lab mix is still groaning ( a bit less with the Missing Link) and stiff. We have tried fish oil, primrose oil. My Springer especially has a sensitive stomache and even the Missing Link causes some loose bowels. Any suggestions? Maybe a different kibble with a different supplement? Thanks

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Hi Nancy! In a perfect world none of us should require ANY supplementation, but that is seldom our reality. You are way ahead of the game with a quality kibble, but when glucosamine, chrondroitin, omegas are added to food they a likely scant and the benefits may be altered in the processing. You may find that the canine complete joint mobility may be a better option for your springer especially because of the digestive enzymes. The way I see it is with all the money I spend on Orijen I want to INSURE they are absorbing the maximum benefit, hence I add this supplement. There are a host of other reasons I do it also including much research and personal testimonials I have seen with my own eyes, but I won't bore you with the details =) I feel so strongly about it that if my guardian homes keep our dogs on it I pay for half of it. Maybe Sally will pop back and share what she thinks of the Canine Complete. Thanksgiving blessings to you!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thank you for getting right back to me. I am going to have to figure out how to put the added cost of Canine Complete into my budget. I assume I would want the Canine Complete Joint Mobility supplement.

[Sally, Echo and Emmi]

Hi all! I LOVE the wholistic canine complete! I feed Orijen kibble in the morning and Bravo raw patties at night and this is when I add the canine complete.Knock on wood, my Echo has not had any diarrhea since the day we got him at 9 weeks. First I was feeding yogurt daily but I think the canine complete is much better.choice. He is very healthy, at a perfect weight and prances around like a big shot. I think that the digestive enzymes are wonderful for any dog to make sure they are receiving the full benefits of their premium kibble! Thanks to you, Dianne!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks. I am going to compare the ingredients of Missing Link and Canine Complete to see how they match up. I just know I have to figure out something more for my guys.

[Sally, Echo and Emmi]

Hi Dianne! Happy Thanksgiving to you and all of your loved ones! Quick question. Are you still using the Green Dog along with the California Natural and Alaskan Bear treats? Also, have you ever heard of or used Icelandic unscented Salmon oil and if so what did you think of it? Thanks!

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Hi Sally! You know I love Green Dog, but since I have been experimenting with this rotation I must confess I am not. My whole point of trying it was to see if I could duplicate the results I was experiencing with Green Dog, if I just had one doodle here then maybe, but seriously how many days do you think a bottle would last around here =)

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Oops, on the Icelandic uso, is that the brand name? I guess my concern might be that is descenting it, it may somehow be processed in a manner that you may not recieve full benefit. BTW, Wholistic Pet makes a salmon oil capsule that I actually get for Jennifer and I. I am surprised I do not bark, these are what I have used myself from them ~ digestive enzymes, run free (when I broke my rib and more recently when I hurt my back, I had the fastest recovery EVER), salmon oil capsules, Azmira mega pet daily, Spa diggity on insect bites, hmmm ~ makes you wonder about me doesn't it?