Coat supplement-opinions please

I don't know those vitamins...but giving fish oil gelcap (2 - 1000 mg gelcaps) , vitamin e (2 - 200 iu gelcaps) , and 1 egg every other day seems to work very well for lab's coat (it is now shiny, no itching, no shedding, and etc.). Those supplements are also human grade (the ones my husband and I take.....cheaper and I won't accidentally feed my husband and myself doggie supplements.....lol).  On days I give my lab sardines, I don't give the fish oil...

For you pets coat I beleive Omega Acids are what helps.  Omega 3, 6 & 9 should be your suppliment.   Most of the time a really good food high in these Omega Acids can make a big difference allone.  Other things that can help are oils, fish oil, Olive oils etc.  Good luck

Luvntzus

Are you still giving fish oil? Has that given good results?

Yeah i do give fish oil..When i remember,so not on a regular basis.I have to give the caps straight to the dogs,as in pop them down the throat as they leave them if i toss them into their bowl,so it's a bit of a hassle.They dont really like fish of any sort,sometimes they might eat a bit of red salmon which can get quite expensive,whole raw or cooked eggs arent a favourite either.Pretty much anything that is good for their skin and coats,food wise,they dont like,which is why i'm looking in to this supplement. Having said this,there's nothing wrong with their skin/coats,i'm just always looking for improvement :)

Luvntzus

I don't think I would feel comfortable adding all of those vitamins to an already balanced diet

The main part of their diet is raw/homecooked with only a small portion being kibble. The amount of Biotin in these supps seems to be tiny,i wonder if it's enough to make a difference???

Thanks everyone for your input. 

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins which means they can build up in the body and cause toxicities. However, they are necessary to the body and should not be avoided on that basis.

Calcium, potassium, zinc, copper, and silica (silica? why silica?) are minerals. With minerals you have to watch out not just for deficiencies or excesses, but for imbalances. It's real easy to mess those up by providing more meat than bone, for example.

BUT, just on first glance, if you are giving one tablet per day to the dog, I don't see any amounts that scare me. But it depends on how much your dog weighs, whether you are giving any other supplements, how much is in the home-prepared food, and how much is in the kibble.

Dandelion and burdock (150 mg according to your list above) are herbs. A quick search on wikipedia reveals that their effects depend on what part of the plant was used, however, dandelion has antioxidant properties while burdock and dandelion have been used as diuretics in folk medicine. Interestingly, Burdock root oil is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, mentioned by other posters.

The other ingredients are water-soluble vitamins, and good antioxidants. Whatever the body doesn't need at that time, the dog pees out.

Pilling the dogs is a pain, I know. Would they eat it if you wrap it in cheese? I bought a pill crusher at Wal Mart for a few dollars, so I can crush tablets to add to my dog's raw food mush. Maybe that would work. 

Cheryl

who is not a vet.