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Barf Supplements


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Hi

I am justing switching my girl to the Barf Diet, and I am still in the process of reading Give Your Dog a Bone, I am however a little confused with the supplements. I give her missing link everynite, is this enough or should I be adding extra kelp, brewers yeast etc, I've also been giving her vitamin E tablets 500iu as she's recovering from a foot injury. Also I bought some really meaty chuck bones are these alright for her. I've also been adding a desert spoon of flaxseed oil

:mad

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Hi Hilary30

I too feed my dogs on a BARF type diet and I find the whole supplements thing quite confusing too!

I do think sometimes it can get a bit overboard and is probably a bit simpler than you think. I dont believe you need to have a 'balance' of all the right nutrients every night. We certainly dont do this in our diet! I just try and get the balance pretty right over the week.

I was giving flaxseed oil as well but my homeopathic vet just told me to stop giving it. Now I cant remember wh - but I have an email at home explaining it so I will check it out and let you know tomorrow!

Jen

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I dont supplement as much as Billinghurst suggests and havent for many years. I do give fish oil capsules fairly regularly. I used to give flax oil, but being a plant based product it can cause itching in some dogs and is slighly less biologically available to them. If your dog is fine with it though, theier is no real reason not to continue using that instead of the fish oil. Edited to add - make sure that any omega oil supplement you add, such as flax oil, is kept refrigerated in a dark, sealed container as it will degrade very quickly if you dont. If it going to take a while for you to use it, I would also freezr a portion of it (again in a dark well sealed container to protect it from light and air). It should also be purchased from somewhere that keeps it refrigerated. Personally I would avoid purchasing any oil supplement that is just on a shelf.

I personally dont worry about using the brewers yeast which can also cause itching in some dogs. If you are feeding organ meats regularly they should be getting sufficient Vit B.

Kelp is debateable. I very occasionally add it, but usually not. Cant hurt to throw some in occasionally if you have some, but I wouldn't stress too much about it.

Any other supplement I add are usually for specific reasons in specific dogs eg glucosamine for a dog with arthritis. You giving the Vit E would fall into this type of category.

Check what is in the missing link supplement you are using. Depending what is in it, you may want to continue with it or give it a miss. Your choice really and I have no strong views either way. Realise though that these supplements are to the best of my knowledge designed as an addition to commercial foods. By feeding a raw diet you should be way ahead of the game anyway.

Not being able to see the chuck bones or the dog I cant tell if they will be 'alright for her'. Personally I would probably feed them to my dogs no worries.

Edited by espinay2
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HI!

I know its so confusing. I basically brought a pack of the BARF hamburger looking patties nearly 2 weeks ago.

I just defrost one and feed 1/3 to Taco and 3/4 to Buckley mixed with some natural yoghurt.

They get this 3 times a week and the rest of the time they have dry food Eukanuba but Science Diet at the moment and they get a bone each on the weekends. It seems to work for my 2 but hey I am not expert.

I think aswell, you and your vet know your dog the best and can probably come up with a talored eating plan.

Em

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Hi guys

Thank you all for replying so fast and with such great tips.

She is a 31.5kg goldie, which at the moment my vets wants down to about 30kg which I'm telling you is very hard.

I've been thinking of getting the barf patties but live in Brisbane and only know that they are avaiilable from the gold coast.

The flaxseed oil I purchased is from a good health store and was refrigerated when I bought it in dark bottle. I will continue to read book (in between looking after the family and dog).

Thanks again just these couple of replies have helped me. It was all just a bit daunting and I was worried that I may not be feeding her right :mad

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do you mean at the Great Western at Keperra LB?.. rather drive there then to paddo as parking sucks...

ETA:- i have always been under the impression that feeding BARF there is no real need to add sups? basically if i add anything it will be a bit of yoghurt, some vegemite in his Kong, honey sometimes and a splash of apple cider vinegar and thats it.

Edited by katetk
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I live at McDowall so ashgrove and paddington are close. The pet pantry is that where the old post office was. Yes and I know parking isn't good it that area, I used to live in red hill for years. Where about at Keperra

thanks

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I add a teaspoon of kelp, brewers yeast and a table spoon of an oil called omega pet, to Tyler's dinner each night. The omega pet is from the health food shop and contains; flaxseed oil,safflower oil, cod liver oil, wheatgerm oil and vitamin E (about $10 for 250ml). I don't use Barf patties, I do the veges myself and feed fresh raw meaty bones. It's easy to do yourself once you get into the habbit of it. I just do the veges about once a month, seperate them into daily portions and freeze. I found that once I had finished reading the book, I picked it up and read it again. It all made much more sense the second time around.

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Hilary30, vegies are much better if made up fresh. If you freeze them they will loose some of their nutrition. I just don't have time to do them fresh. They are still ok, and nutritious, just not as good as fresh. Then again, veges loose nutrition when they sit in your fridge, at least the nutrition is locked in once they are frozen :)

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Missing Link Supplement Powder.

Active ingredients: Flax Seed, Blackstrap Molasses, Rice Bran, Primary Dried Yeast, Sunflower Seed, Freeze Dried Liver, Dehydrated Alfalfa, Dried Carrot, Freeze Dried Bone, Dried Fish Meal, Freeze Dried Oyster, Sprouted Green Barley, Dried Kelp, Lecithin, Garlic and Yucca Schidigera Extract

Presentation: Granular powder 227gm, 454gm

I would say that was enough supplements.

I make my all my dogs food. I find the meat patties too expensive.

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