is it the norm around here to give once a day vitamins? do they help? if
so, what's a good brand/deal?

so far, cali and maui don't get them and never have. are they really
important?

(fwiw, I don't take vitamins either even though the doctors say I should)

On Aug 15, 7:43 pm, "MauiJNP" wrote:
is it the norm around here to give once a day vitamins? do they help? if
so, what's a good brand/deal?

Mine are on a raw diet. I give them 1/2 a Centrum Silver once or
twice a week, and the other days they get powdered kelp and alfalfa.
My dogs range from 40 lbs to 80 lbs.

Debbie

Thanks to all who responded. The dogs are eating Flint River Ranch, the
lamb millet. Cali also gets some Eagle Power Pack as supplement. I think
these are good quality foods so I guess I will not worry about vitamins. I
don't want to mess anything up and the vet says they are both healthy.

"MauiJNP" wrote in message
...
Thanks to all who responded. The dogs are eating Flint River Ranch, the
lamb millet. Cali also gets some Eagle Power Pack as supplement. I
think these are good quality foods so I guess I will not worry about
vitamins. I don't want to mess anything up and the vet says they are
both healthy.


I tried a Flint River Ranch sample pack, and it is very good. Muttley liked
it too,

I posted some time ago about Vitamin C for dogs. Most animals manufacture
their own ascorbic acid, but humans do not. To get the same equivalent
quantity, a 150 lb human would need to ingest 2,000-5,000 mg daily, which
is about 100 times the minimum required to prevent scurvy. Following is a
copy of a post from the AOL CBB.

Paul, Muttley and Lucky

================================================== ================================

#7 - 6/26/07 02:39 PM JPGRigold

To answer Paul's question -- no, there is NO research supporting vitamin C
supplementation with dogs because dogs produce THEIR OWN adequate amount of
vitamin C. They do not require it in their diet, unlike humans and a small
number of other species. There may be anecdotal reports of vitamin C
helping with certain ailments in dogs but there is no clinical evidence.

I for one *used* to supplement, and really DID notice a difference with
dogs I put through immiticide heartworm treatment (did better after
injections when given vit. C) but I no longer feel supplementation is
necessary or beneficial so I don't do it.

I researched this exact subject in the last semester of my Masters degree
(animal nutrition) and found no supporting evidence for vitamin C
supplementation, and when researching why this craze got started, found
that the initial person responsible for vit. C supplementation (Dr.
Wendell) had VERY flawed research tactics that are essentially worthless.

I only respond to this because I think it's interesting that a lot of very
knowledgable dog people (breeders/exhibitors) supplement with vitamin C --
and defend the practice with fervor -- when there is no science, or common
sense, to back it up.

"MauiJNP" said in rec.pets.dogs.health:

are they really important?

No, not in my experience. First a good diet.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.