I know that in humans, orange juice (and other fruits) are great for the immune system and that there are certain foods which can boost and reinforce the immune system in humans. what is the equivalent of, say orange juice (for strong immune system), in dogs?

Green tripe? Raw meat and bones. I think Vit C is very good for dogs too.

 Quote: mary roach

I know that in humans, orange juice (and other fruits) are great for the immune system and that there are certain foods which can boost and reinforce the immune system in humans. what is the equivalent of, say orange juice (for strong immune system), in dogs?

Vitamin C in appropriate amounts (as well as other micronutrients) for humans could be said to prevent an immune decline from a deficiency.

But saying that any one food "boosts the immune system" is pretty much a marketing ploy.

That said, I'd say that a fresh and unprocessed biologically-available and species-appropriate diet goes a long way towards maintaining a healthy system.

IMO, for dogs, that would be a fresh raw diet with various protein profiles from the animal kingdom, the organs and digestible bones that "come with" them, a little produce (ideally in the form of green tripe, but as close as we can get to that will work, I believe), and low- or no-metal fish oil, such as salmon (plus the E used by the dog in processing it) every day that helps to replicate the Omega 6-Omega 3 balance that modern grain-fed slaughter animals no longer provide in the dog's meat (or our own).

I also believe that good-quality probiotics can help to repair some of the damage done by over-use of antibiotics and over-vaccinating.

Am I getting your question right?

well, Im no vet but I know that milk is good for the bones, fish and eggs are good for the hair.. (thats do demonstrate how...simple, my understanding is of the scientific reasons...) so while i understand that balance is crucial, Im trying to understand which element (the protein? the greens from the tripe?) that reinforce the immune system in dogs. Is it the same as in humans, I know that they arent the same, but perhaps similar so this is why I ask