Natalya: regarding your question on feeding honey and molasses, you're right, it's just sugar.

I read a number of articles dealing with the possible health benefits of honey in humans. They all come to the same conclusion: honey is sugar. That's really all it is.
It does contain some extremely small trace amounts of potentially beneficial compounds, but you'd have to consume bucket-fulls of honey to take in any noticeable amount of those nutrients.

You can get thousands of times the amount of healthy phytochemicals and antioxidants from eating a bite of fruit or vegetable than you would from drinking a bucket-full of honey

Since sugar is very unhealthy for dogs, I'd skip the honey and molasses. High sugar foods will only sicken their teeth and gums and make them more prone to cancer and obesity.


Brewer's yeast is nothing but a waste product and is useless... I'd skip that as well.

If you really have your heart set on adding something in, try something like dried kelp and alfalfa.

Kelp is apparently a good source of minerals (Connie can hopefully pipe in here and add something more intelligent and detailed to my very vague statement! ).

Yuppers, 6 of them now. 2 adults, 2 young dogs and 2 GSD pups....it is SO fun.
Oh, and I am probably going to be having a 3 yr old Bloodhound here for a while due to aggression issues with her current home.
YIKES.....

10 is my limit.....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!(crazy laughter)

I posed the "What's a few rabbits, chicken ect." question and got "the LOOK", so I dropped it. HEE HEE

Oh yeah, Rock is a pretty good dog. He is a great PR dog.

 Quote: Yuko Blum

Natalya: regarding your question on feeding honey and molasses, you're right, it's just sugar.

I read a number of articles dealing with the possible health benefits of honey in humans. They all come to the same conclusion: honey is sugar. That's really all it is.
It does contain some extremely small trace amounts of potentially beneficial compounds, but you'd have to consume bucket-fulls of honey to take in any noticeable amount of those nutrients.

You can get thousands of times the amount of healthy phytochemicals and antioxidants from eating a bite of fruit or vegetable than you would from drinking a bucket-full of honey

Since sugar is very unhealthy for dogs, I'd skip the honey and molasses. High sugar foods will only sicken their teeth and gums and make them more prone to cancer and obesity.


Brewer's yeast is nothing but a waste product and is useless... I'd skip that as well.

If you really have your heart set on adding something in, try something like dried kelp and alfalfa.

Kelp is apparently a good source of minerals (Connie can hopefully pipe in here and add something more intelligent and detailed to my very vague statement! ).

BIG ditto on the honey, molasses, and brewer's yeast.

I have been buying sea stuff from
http://www.seaveg.com/products.php

They test (an outside lab). Arsenic and other heavy metals have been found in a lot of commercial kelp in the last few years.

But it's rich in potassium, magnesium, iron, selenium, and several other minerals. I think it's worth finding a good source. (Plus I love dulse and a couple of other sea vegetables myself. :grin

Will have to try that kelp! Brewers yeast I thought I read had some effect like garlic, in keeping fleas, ticks, etc. away, but maybe I totally made that up !

The sugar thing I agree with completely. It isn't really good for people, so why would it be good for dogs?? And with all the potential cancer risks for our pets, why feed the disease with what it craves the most - SUGAR! I'll stick to strawberries and carrots if I think Oscar needs the added flavor...

I'm not even going to address the hubby/bunny killing subject - my boyfriend is a "recovering" vegan!!

~Natalya

I want to say this, I use molasses but it is 2 TBS for about a gallon to gallon and a half of glop....not really sure why, a bit of flavor maybe.
I just didn't want anyone to think I was doing the molasses drizzle over the top of their food bowls....

 Quote: Carol Boche

I want to say this, I use molasses but it is 2 TBS for about a gallon to gallon and a half of glop....not really sure why, a bit of flavor maybe.
I just didn't want anyone to think I was doing the molasses drizzle over the top of their food bowls....

LOL! I didn't think you were making sundaes.

I love molasses. I cling to the story about its minerals and stuff........

 Quote:

Brewer's yeast is nothing but a waste product and is useless... I'd skip that as well

Other than being a by-product, could you explain in greater detail about its uselessness?

I didn't think you were pouring it on either In the amounts you're feeding, I'm sure it's harmless... and yeah - it does taste good!

~Natalya

 Quote: Steven Lepic

 Quote:

Brewer's yeast is nothing but a waste product and is useless... I'd skip that as well

Other than being a by-product, could you explain in greater detail about its uselessness?

Yeast of any kind can contribute to allergy problems in dogs and can also cause imbalances in the populations of natural flora in a dog's system.

If people are interested in adding beneficial microbes to a dog's diet, a SMALL amount of plain yogurt (with live cultures) or probiotics added to meals is one of the best ways to accomplish this.
I haven't yet seen an overwhelming amount of conclusive evidence that the helpful bacteria from the yogurt actually make it to the gut, much less colonize the gut in sufficient quantities to help the body (be it human or dog).
However yogurt appears to be well tolerated in dogs unlike some dairy products, so yogurt in small amounts is probably harmless (unlike yeast or sugary products).

Since dogs enjoy it and many believe yogurt to have benficial effects on the dog's natural flora and immune system, I do include it in my own dogs' diets. Just for fun really )

Yuko and others -- I recently replaced the yogurt in my dogs diet with kefir really just as an experiment. With that single change I noticed a good improvement -- in color and consistency -- of her bowel movements.

So I am thinking the kefir is more beneficial to her digestion -- at least particularly for her.

In anyone's opinion there wouldn't be a negative result of the elimination of yogurt in favor of kefir right?