I'm a big fan of probiotics in the form of unsweetened unflavored yogurt. Although many dogs do poorly with fresh dairy, this isn't true of fermented (cultured) dairy, specifically yogurt and kefir. Most dogs do well with these cultured products. I like to get the ones with the most strains and the biggest numbers of "bugs." In fact, I alternate (and/or combine) in order to get the largest number of cultures (often Nancy's and Cascade, but check out the package info on the selection you have available).

I also think that fish oil (and the extra vitamin E to make up for the E used in processing the PUFAs in oil supplements) is almost not in the supplement category because of the severe deficiency of long-chain Omega 3s in the modern diet -- I think of it almost as one of the foods the dog needs.

Most humans and dogs eating modern western diets are eating a diet that has become very Omega-6-heavy. Humans can convert plant-source short-chain ALA to the valuable long-chain DHA and EPA, but even humans are extremely inefficient at this, with a conversion rate of maybe up to 10% for EPA and maybe up to 5% for DHA -- but these conversion rates are about zero for dogs. Dogs need the DHA and EPA to "come" in their long-chain form (as in fish body oil) rather than to be converted from short-chain 3s.

Omega 3s support the production of inflammation-suppressing hormones and 6s support the production of inflammation-producing hormones. Inflammation is, of course, a crucial part of the healing mechanism, but inflammation that has run amok is either a factor in or even the actual cause of many (or most) maladies. (Think diabetes, coronary heart disease in humans, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, colitis, and on and on and on .... )

So for me, fish oil and natural E are the top supplements, regardless of whether the diet is raw or kibble. Long-chain 3s added to the diet help to redress the modern out-of-whack 6-heavy imbalance.


Like Melissa, I too am a huge fan of Lew Olson (to the point that I consider her and Mary Strauss to be the two best dog-nutrition researcher/writers around) and of her B-Naturals (www.b-naturals.com) products, including Berte's Digestion Blend.


I would be very interested in the case of this dog in what he has been tested for and what the results were.

All JMO!

he was tested and neg for Giardia, worms, of course, and showed a little bacteria.

He ate yogurt, plain, milk product when he was a puppy and we really struggled with loose stools until on the breeder's advice, I took him off regular yogurt and only fed it to him on occassion. Now when he gets yogurt, it is soy based which is what I eat having a cow's milk allergy. Also following the idea that cow's milk products can stir up or worsen allergy issues, if he has any.

I appreciate you taking all the time to explain the Omega's. I just got done myself doing a lot of reserach into fish oils in general for people. I have been picking all my dr's, aompounding pharmacists, etc on the issue of omega 3's to 6's, 7's, 9's. Supplements are one of the things that people ask us about quite a bit at my job, plus my doc is very very into maintaing health, and not trying to fix it with a pill once it's gone.

I think I would be more confortale with giving him a people fish oil to be sure of the heavy metal, etc load than I would one manufactured for dogs. That way I could see the Certificate of a ANalysis and that it is certified by NSF. It gives me pause, too, on the salmon based food I am feeding. How many toxins are coming from that. Something to research a bit, I believe, or maybe switch to another food altogether.

I am looking into the digestive supplements. I will have to read and consider them and decide with is the best for what I need for him. I saw one that looked very good had whey as an ingredient, and I know I do not want to give him a milk product, judging from how much better his stools became immediately upon taking hinm off his only milk-based produst.

I appreciate all the interest in his diagnosis. I had intended to address just that later if he ended up with the same issue a third time, and focus now on the supplement. We shall see now how it goes with some digestive help, with a change to only fish based protein, and maybe even a change of food altogether.

Feel free to throw out anything else you think of in that realm. Thanks for all the interest. J