Fosters and Smith Vitamins and Omega-3 supplements good or bad?
I have no idea about this so I figured here is the place to ask…are these vitamins and supplements any good? If not can you recommend some. Thanks Christine
Lifestage Select® Adult Dog Vitamin Supplement
VITAMINS:
Vitamin A (from fish oil concentrate) 500 I.U.
Vitamin A (as beta-carotene) 750 I.U.
Vitamin C (from acerola berries and calcium ascorbate) 25 mg
Vitamin D (from fish oil concentrate)* 50 I.U.
Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl acetate) 15 I.U.
Vitamin K (as phytonadione) 1 mcg
Thiamine (Vit. B1) 7.5 mg
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 5 mg
Niacin (niacinamide) 7.5 mg
Vitamin B6 5 mg
Vitamin B12 3 mcg
Pantothenic Acid 7.5 mg
Folate (folic acid) 10 mcg
Biotin (from yeast and natural fermentation) 15 mcg
Choline (as choline bitartrate) 10 mg
MINERALS:
Calcium (from oyster shell and calcium ascorbate) 50 mg
Phosphorus (from natural protein chelate) 25 mg
Potassium (from natural protein chelate) 0.2 mg
Iron (as natural protein-bound iron) 3 mg
Magnesium (from natural protein chelate) 0.025 mg
Iodine (from kelp) 10 mcg
Copper (from natural protein chelate) 10 mcg
Manganese (from natural protein chelate) 0.125 mg
Zinc (from natural protein chelate) 1.5 mg
Selenium (from brewer’s yeast) 5 mcg
Chromium (from brewer’s yeast and protein chelate) 5 mcg
Cobalt (as cobalt sulfate) 7 mcg
Molybdenum (from brewer’s yeast) 3 mcg
Boron (from natural protein chelate) 0.5 mcg
AMINO ACIDS:
L-Taurine 125 mg
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS:
Omega-3 fatty acids (from fish oil) 75 mg
AND THE OMEGA -3 SUPPLEMENT
Premium Plus™ Omega-3 Gel Caps
Active ingredients per capsule: Fish Oil 1000.0 mg
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) 180.0 mg
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) 120.0 mg
So sound good?
Before providing any supplement to your animal, run the ingredients list by your vet. Make sure you tell them what you feed your pet, including treats, rawhides, etc… There’s a possibility that your animal isn’t in need of such a supplement, and your vet can assist you with getting the few nutrients your dog might be missing.
Vets barely scratch nutrition in school therefore are a shot in the blind as far as nutrition goes (which is why most of the sell Science Diet). Omega 3 is ALWAYS good, never be afraid of Omega 3! But, some dog vitamins have too much calcium. I give my dogs a daily vitamin but I don’t give them daily, lol. I give them once a week. 50mg of calcium is a lot if your dog has a diet that already supplies all the calcium it needs daily (like my dog’s diet because I feed raw)…see what I mean? Most dog foods also give a dog all the calcium required because dog food companies dump vitamins and minerals in dog food because after it’s been cooked twice at high heat most of the vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids have been burned off rendering dog food with nearly no nutritional value. The way I put it is dog food keeps the dog’s stomach feeling full and the vitamins and minerals that they dump into the dog food keeps him alive.
I currently give Lifestage Select Small Breed Formula vitamin and mineral supplement to my Shih Tzu an use several Drs. Foster and Smith products. I have had a good experience with the company and their products. I will probably buy Lifestage Select® Puppy Vitamins for my Pug puppy.
I’m also going to switch from commercial dog food to homecooked meals for my pets, so I’m researching to make sure my dogs get all the nutrients they need. I just got done reading a great book ” Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats : Your A-Z Guide to Over 200 Conditions, Herbs, Vitamins, and Supplements” By Dr. Shawn Messonnier which you can buy from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761526730
Dr. Messonnier recommends homecooked (NOT raw) food for pets. He recommends Canine Plus (VetriScience) and Standard Process vitamins. I’ll probably also give these supplements to my dogs. He says you can give the synthetic vitamins along with the natural vitamins.
Drs. Foster and Smith vitamins are synthetic vitamins which is OK, but Dr. Messonnier says the best preparations are whole food preparations rather than synthetic, chemically processed multivitamins. These whole food products provide proper nutrition for your pet, as they provide vitamins and minerals in their natural raw states, similar to those your dog would get by eating a natural, raw diet.
Fatty acids are important parts of your dog’s diet. They are useful not just as dietary supplements, but as the sole or complementary therapy for several pet diseases, most commonly skin allergies.
I’m also considering Drs. Foster and Smith Omega-3 supplement because my Shih Tzu is being treated for a bacterial skin infection resulting from skin allergies. Dr. Messonnier recommends fish oil as an Omega-3 source.
Dr. Messonnier also recommends the following basic supplements: Green foods, health blend formulas and enzymes.
The most popular green foods contain barley grass, spirulina, blue-green algae or wheat grass. These supplements are basically processed green plants, rich in chlorophyll, which serves as the lifeblood fo the plant and is similar in composition to hemoglobin in the pet’s blood. They contain phytonutrients, which are chemicals derived from plant sources that exhibit powerful antioxidant properties.
Health blend formulas are products that combine a number of plant and animal tissues in one easy-to-use powdered formula. The idea behind these formulas is that the heat and and pressure used when preparing commercially processed foods may alter some of the nutrients contained in the foods. These formulas put back the nutrients that may be lacking in processed foods. Missing Link is an example of health blend formulas.
Providing extra enzymes, (that would naturally be present in unprocessed food in its natural state) helps pets digest their food even further resulting in optimum nutrition. Feeding a premium natural diet or a homemade diet is essential in order to get the most out of enzyme supplementation.