I'm wondering if anyone knows if it is beneficial or harmful giving a low-dose zinc supplement to dog?

I found information here: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&articleid=718

According to the link, a dog fed a balanced diet (commercial or raw) should be getting the proper amount of zinc and I have no reason to believe my dog has a zinc deficiency. He is, however, having a lot of skin issues right now (he's an allergic dog) so I'm curious if this might be something I could try.

I've been giving Dante 25-50mg zinc roughly 3x a week to help his immune system after vaccinosis and some other unfortunate health issues. I've read studies of it restoring impaired immune function.

"Other nutrients and supplements, especially calcium, can interfere with zinc absorption. If a calcium supplement is being given or if a diet contains more than 2.0 to 2.5 percent calcium, it can interfere with zinc absorption." -- Dorothy Laflamme, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVN

The recommended dose is 1mg per lb. I personally am still confused by the dosage required to go with a raw diet and its associated calcium intake. Connie? Help!

Since Dante's diet consists of bone, egg & shells, etc., I keep his zinc dose on the light side. I don't know if it's this or a combination of a number of things that's being done for him but he's rebounding quite nice.

Thanks for answering, Anna.

My dog is raw fed and I agree the calcium "issue" is confusing. I hope Connie chimes in, too.

There does not seem to be much good info out there w/ regard to zinc supplementation. (at least none that I could find...)

Natural sources include beef, chicken and liver,(so it would be logical to think that he was not low in zinc) but I wonder how much zinc there really is in commercially raised livestock meat, as opposed to grass fed?

If it were me, I would try a low dose for a month and observe his symptoms... (JMO)

If I didn’t have a breed like Malamute or Husky, and wasn't giving calcium supplements, I‘d be fairly slow to think “zinc deficiency.”

A good kibble should not be different from a raw diet in calcium (or any other mineral), after dry matter basis is figured. There is no calcium "issue" with a raw diet. A dog on a good, appropriate, raw diet get around 900 mg per pound of food, and a dog on a good kibble gets the same, after dry matter adjustments.

The problem with calcium interference comes about when calcium is supplemented, and the danger of oversupplementation is, again, a great statement for a good diet versus calcium supplementation.


I don’t think that there is authoritative backup for the immune support claims; like with a lot of micronutrients, claims of health benefits are based on the change in an individual who is deficient compared to one who is not, and not on an individual receiving a normal amount compared to one receiving "extra."


Also, atopy is different from dermatitis from zinc malabsorption/deficiency.

But all that said, there is a huge range between minimum needed and too much. So like Lynne, I'd feel OK giving a low (minimum) dose, and observing.

Sarah, what else is happening with the dog? I imagine that you have done the usual first steps with atopy, like daily fish oil and E, trials of the better-tested antihistamines, rinsing off pollen, daily probiotics, etc.?

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Sarah, what else is happening with the dog? I imagine that you have done the usual first steps with atopy, like daily fish oil and E, trials of the better-tested antihistamines, rinsing off pollen, daily probiotics, etc.?

We're doing all of the above. He's a confirmed allergy dog.

He did a protocol of Temaril-P for the entire month of August. Since ending it, his skin has just slowly gone to hell.

He has tons of dry dandruff. His tummy and hind legs broke out in what looked like red pimples or bites. The red spots dry up, turn dark, and then peel or flake. For a time his tummy looked like he was getting over chicken pox. These red spots have slowly moved up his body to the neck area.

He's been very itchy and he has lost a lot of hair.

He doesn't have fleas. He's not yeasty-smelling and his ears are clean. His coat isn't at all greasy or dull.

Has the vet mentioned a derm vet referral?

You know a lot about this kind of thing, so you may already know that there have been several posts here from folks who say that if this kind of thing ever happens to them (their dogs, actually) again, they would ask for a derm vet referral much sooner next time.

P.S. I'm sorry ... I do remember your dog now. I remember the dogs in posts better than whose they are.

 Quote: Sarah Morris

He did a protocol of Temaril-P for the entire month of August.

That went well?

Have you tried increasing fat intake? I'd try that before the zinc, but I'm pretty much a suppliment-as-last-resort person. I think it's harder to oversuppliment when providing nutrients as part of whole foods.

To Connie:

Temaril-P always works well. I keep some on-hand and give him a dose on really bad days. What's tricky right now is every day seems bad and he's not supposed to get it daily.

To Denise:

I haven't upped his fat intake. He eats a balanced raw diet and get fish oil and vit. E. Too rich of a diet gives him soft stool.