# Other Foods and Vitamins for your Dog



## fortyfootelf (Feb 2, 2010)

A list of other foods you can feed you dog for better health or for your homemade dogfood.​* *Apples* (they contain potassium, which stimulates the immune system, and pepsin, which helps the stomach)

* *Brewers yeast *(health aid and can help remedy some skin conditions)

* *Broccoli* (rich in vitamins)

* *Carrots* (rich in vitamins, great treats to substitute for biscuits)

* *Cabbage* (rich in vitamins, good for digestive system and skin)

* *Cucumber* (good for teeth and bones due to potassium content; can combine with carrots to promote a healthy liver and kidneys; in juice form, a good diuretic ... peel cucumbers unless organically grown)

* Celery (chopped or juiced; can help with arthritis)

* *Flaxseed oil, fish oil, omega 3 and 6 suppleme*nts (beneficial and essential fatty acids)

* *Garlic *(removes waste from blood, can help repel fleas; use fresh garlic finely minced)

* *Green beans *(lightly steamed; healthy and low-cal treat)

* *Parsley *(can reduce allergy symptoms and aid kidney function; chop finely or boil parsley and add the juice over food)

* *Kale *(rich in antioxidants and can help reduce allergy symptoms)

* *Green or yellow squash, asparagus and spinach *(very healthy; serve chopped)

* *Olive oil, sesame oil *(a tablespoon a day is good for skin and fur)

* *Vitamin B* complex can bolster health, calm a stressed nervous system and help repel fleas. A suggested dose is 50 mg of B complex once a day for smaller dogs and cats, and twice daily for larger dogs.

Other Fruits And Veggies
*cooked skins from organically grown _potatoes_

* *Bananas* (in small quantity; a coveted treat)

* *Whole grains including oats, oatmeal, brown rice, millet *

* *Cereal grasses*, such as _barley grass_, and _barley supplements _
* Tofu 

* *Plain low-fat or no-fat yogurt*

*Preparation suggestions*: 
Many veggies can be served raw, lightly steamed or in juice form. For most vegetables such as broccoli and carrots, it is far better to steam them instead of serving raw for improved digestibility and nutritional value. Also, since dogs have small digestive tracts, you can puree vegetables to enable your pet to digest more. If you use canned vegetables, get the salt-free kinds.

*Organically grown benefits:* 
Due to their smaller size and more compact body systems, pets can be more prone to the toxic effects of pesticide contamination than are people. So it is best to feed them produce that is organically certified, which also has higher nutritional value for everyone.


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## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

good post. 

i do give a few of the items you have listed. 

Peanuts absolute favorite thing to eat is strawberries. Cant even say the "S" word with out him come running.


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## Aximus Prime (Dec 15, 2009)

My dog will eat pretty much anything but never thought to try feeding him cooked veggies...might do more as I cook veggies for myself daily.


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## PeanutsMommy (Sep 21, 2008)

give them to em raw. they have more vitamins when they are not cooked=better for him


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## jmejiaa (Dec 8, 2009)

Usually I mix water with the dog food and a pill of fish oil. Would Oatmeal be of any benefit? If so how much?


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## fortyfootelf (Feb 2, 2010)

PeanutsMommy said:


> give them to em raw. they have more vitamins when they are not cooked=better for him


this is true, most of the vitamins are cooked out as well as much of the taste. make sure they are *fresh* veggies, much higher nutritional value.


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## fortyfootelf (Feb 2, 2010)

jmejiaa said:


> Usually I mix water with the dog food and a pill of fish oil. Would Oatmeal be of any benefit? If so how much?


yes! plain oatmeal is good for dogs, its the flavored oatmeal that is bad for them. and i honestly dont know how much to give them, i would say between 1\4 cup to 1\2 of a cup, not much. it is good in fiber but you dont want much bkuz it could make a mess. lol:flush:


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## geisthexe (Jan 18, 2007)

A list of other foods you can feed you dog for better health or for your homemade dogfood.​*Think before you give all of these things to your dogs*

* *Brewers yeast *(health aid and can help remedy some skin conditions) *Risks
Some dogs are allergic to yeast, and dogs that are allergic to other foods are likely to be allergic to yeast as well. Low quality yeast is especially likely to cause allergic reactions. If your dog has food allergies, introduce high-quality brewer's yeast into its diet cautiously. If you see any signs of an allergic reaction, discontinue the brewer's yeast immediately*

* *Cabbage* (rich in vitamins, good for digestive system and skin) *can give a dog gas worse then humans and possible bloat due to over process of gas/acid*

* *Broccoli* (rich in vitamins)

* *Carrots* (rich in vitamins, great treats to substitute for biscuits)
* *Cucumber* (good for teeth and bones due to potassium content; can combine with carrots to promote a healthy liver and kidneys; in juice form, a good diuretic ... peel cucumbers unless organically grown)

* Celery (chopped or juiced; can help with arthritis) *no nutritional value for humans well guess what NONE for dogs either*

* *Flaxseed oil, fish oil, omega 3 and 6 suppleme*nts (beneficial and essential fatty acids) 
*GREAT FOR HUMANS AND DOGS*

* *Garlic *(removes waste from blood, can help repel fleas; use fresh garlic finely minced) *in everyday doses can be toxic*

* *Kale *(rich in antioxidants and can help reduce allergy symptoms) *GREAT FOR HUMANS AND DOGS*

* *Green beans *(lightly steamed; healthy and low-cal treat)

* *Parsley *(can reduce allergy symptoms and aid kidney function; chop finely or boil parsley and add the juice over food)

* *Green or yellow squash, asparagus and spinach *(very healthy; serve chopped)

* *Olive oil, sesame oil *(a tablespoon a day is good for skin and fur)

* *Vitamin B* complex can bolster health, calm a stressed nervous system and help repel fleas. A suggested dose is 50 mg of B complex once a day for smaller dogs and cats, and twice daily for larger dogs.

Other Fruits And Veggies
*cooked skins from organically grown _potatoes_

* *Apples* (they contain potassium, which stimulates the immune system, and pepsin, which helps the stomach)

* *Bananas* (in small quantity; a coveted treat)

* *Whole grains including oats, oatmeal, brown rice, millet cousin to wheat NOT GOOD FOR DOGS

* Cereal grasses, such as barley grass, and barley supplements 
* Tofu 

* Plain low-fat or no-fat yogurt

Preparation suggestions: 
Many veggies can be served raw, lightly steamed or in juice form. For most vegetables such as broccoli and carrots, it is far better to steam them instead of serving raw for improved digestibility and nutritional value. Also, since dogs have small digestive tracts, you can puree vegetables to enable your pet to digest more. If you use canned vegetables, get the salt-free kinds.

Organically grown benefits: 
Due to their smaller size and more compact body systems, pets can be more prone to the toxic effects of pesticide contamination than are people. So it is best to feed them produce that is organically certified, which also has higher nutritional value for everyone.[/QUOTE]

OK WELL DOGS CAN NOT DIGEST CELLOSE SO THAT MEANS MOST OF THE ITEMS POSTED DOGS CAN NOT DIGEST. NOW FOR SOMEONE DOGS THEY CAN BE GOOD DUE TO FIBER. SO IN THAT BE CAUTIOUS ON WHAT YOU FEED YOUR DOGS. *


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## PrairieMoonPits (Dec 16, 2009)

geisthexe said:


> A list of other foods you can feed you dog for better health or for your homemade dogfood.​*Think before you give all of these things to your dogs*
> 
> * *Brewers yeast *(health aid and can help remedy some skin conditions) *Risks
> Some dogs are allergic to yeast, and dogs that are allergic to other foods are likely to be allergic to yeast as well. Low quality yeast is especially likely to cause allergic reactions. If your dog has food allergies, introduce high-quality brewer's yeast into its diet cautiously. If you see any signs of an allergic reaction, discontinue the brewer's yeast immediately*
> ...


*

OK WELL DOGS CAN NOT DIGEST CELLOSE SO THAT MEANS MOST OF THE ITEMS POSTED DOGS CAN NOT DIGEST. NOW FOR SOMEONE DOGS THEY CAN BE GOOD DUE TO FIBER. SO IN THAT BE CAUTIOUS ON WHAT YOU FEED YOUR DOGS. [/QUOTE]

:clap::clap::goodpost: Great post Deb was going to say the SAME thing not everything on here is good for dogs please be careful what you use and really do your research before you give it to your dogs! :woof:*


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## fortyfootelf (Feb 2, 2010)

thanks for adding


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## fortyfootelf (Feb 2, 2010)

what if you peeled the fruits and veg? most of these items have the vitamins that your dog need, but they cant digest them? what is another way to get them the vitamins and nutrients?


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## geisthexe (Jan 18, 2007)

fortyfootelf

what if you peeled the fruits and veg?

most of these items have the vitamins that your dog need, but they cant digest them?

what is another way to get them the vitamins and nutrients?

To answer all these questions really with one answer. 
dogs do not digest them b/c are not an incubator like we are. And what I mean is dogs intestines go from the tip of their nose to the tip of their tail. Humans have 23 feet. So with that said .. Dogs what they eat this morning is coming out tomorrow morning. What humans ate this morning is coming out in 3 days. Dogs systems when they eat someone bad get sick etc. there system goes into elimination mode. Hence the vomit and diarrhea instantly. Now Humans on the other hand get sick from something with stew on it then our system kicks in to eliminate by that time we fill the effects of what is going on. So with all this said its hard for a dog to digest cellulose just like some of the veggies are also hard for our bodies to digest

I hope this has helped you to understand
.


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## NinaThePitbull (Feb 10, 2010)

its gotten to the point where I watch for geistehexes posts and I go to those threads. Jeez, this girl should write a freekin book. 
geisthexe, i wish you and Deuce Addicted would post what you feed your dogs, like a 7 day list. i would copy it to a tee ( after doing a little of my own research of course)


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## NinaThePitbull (Feb 10, 2010)

*Lupus Lupus*



geisthexe said:


> fortyfootelf
> 
> what if you peeled the fruits and veg?
> 
> ...


Geistehexe, Ive tried to get to the bottom of the no grain controversy. Ive decided no grain and my dogs are on a (50/50 Orijen/Acana with RAW/BARF diet)

*My dilemma is this though...*
What made me hesitate to a *no grain diet* is that fact that Wolves are known to eat vegetation.

*Wolves supplement their diet with vegetation. Scat analysis found 75% of samples found Yellowstone National Park wolves' summer diet contained plants mostly grass (Graminae).[84] In some areas of the former Soviet Union wolves have been reported to cause serious damage to watermelon plantations.*

_(Prey of Wolves in Will Graves, and Valerius Geist, editors. Wolves in Russia. Detselig Enterprises Ltd. 210, 1220 Kensington Road NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 3P5. USA.)_

_...wait a minute... is that you? Valerius *Geist*? ..that would be funny. i forgot your first name...anyhoo._

Now, I am familiar with the variance of canis lupus lupus (wolf) and canis lupus familiaris ( dog), but is it really so great a variance that diet should be so different as to exclude *"the greens"*? for instance:

*...it can be estimated that the variance between canis lupus lupus and canis lupus familiaris is roughly twice as great as the variance within the subspecies canis lupus familiaris, and four times as great as the variance within an individual breed.*
is that variance great enough to create such a difference on diet (limited as it may be, it is still the exclusion of most vegetation)? That I need help on.

_Lindblad-Toh, K; Wade, CM; Mikkelsen, TS; Karlsson, EK; Jaffe, DB; Kamal, M; Clamp, M; Chang, JL et al. (December 2005). "Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog"_

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7069/pdf/nature04338.pdf

( i have not read the article in its entirety , but plan to.)

Now Geisthexe, the reason I ask is strictly because I sincerely am in awe of your knowledge and would love to hear what you think on the matter. I myself have my dogs on grain free, but the natural diet of the wolf is the only thing that puts a tiny little question mark in my mind. I was hoping you'd help me get rid of that question mark. I've already stated, *I'm grain free on this matter*, so me disputing you on canine diet would be hypocritical of me for one, and also be like bringing a knife to a gunfight intellectually, *We share the same views on canine diet, although you are far more educated on the matter.*

I would just would love to hear your comment on why would there be a disparity of diet for dogs( which are classified as a subspecies of wolf).

_Stahler, DR; Smith, DW; Guernsey, DS (2006). "Foraging and feeding ecology of the gray wolf (Canis lupus): lessons from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA"_

Foraging and feeding ecology of the gray wolf (Can... [J Nutr. 2006] - PubMed result

...eagerly waiting for your comment because I am too lazy to read all of this literature I've linked and will not live long enough to read everything you have on the matter.


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## NinaThePitbull (Feb 10, 2010)

ok, well I am beginning to develop a way to answer my own question, the study regarding scat analysis was done in Yellow Stone National park, and without being able to get into the article in depth I have to find out what they mean by "vegatation" will get back to you on that, unless you get to me first.


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## NinaThePitbull (Feb 10, 2010)

fortyfootelf said:


> thanks for adding


great thread fortyfootelf, brought out a great discussion, thats what makes the best threads


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## geisthexe (Jan 18, 2007)

Ok Nina

I went thru all my nutrition information from going to school and from what I took for notes in class, seminars, etc&#8230;..

Now I some folks honestly believe dogs / wolves are Omivores FALSE / Dogs / wolves are Carnivores.

About them eating vegetation from what I was taught. And still look into. Dogs / Wolves / Humans can they digest some grains / grass but NOT all of them in fact not most of them. We basically can get some of the nutrition (Vitamins / Mineral) and the fiber.

Now from what was explained to me time and time again.

Why does dogs / wolves feel the need to go outside, eat grass (vegetation) and then vomit at least twice. One reason dogs eat grass is because it makes them sick! Dogs / wolves that use grass to binge and purge do so because of a buildup of bile in their stomachs. The gallbladder produces bile and it is excreted into the stomach to aid in the digestion of fats. On an empty stomach, bile can cause an acidic or sick feeling that triggers the dogs / wolves to eat grass in order to vomit up whatever is making them feel ill. Most often, the dog vomits up the bile and grass combo due to many times there is nothing to eat so they need to get rid of the bile in there stomach. No more than a human does when they are very hungry and the bile in your system starts to produce.

In humans who have IBS or other stomach issues have been taught to eat smaller meals so they do not have issues with there system it is also the case with dogs who have stomach issues. One way is to feed your dog smaller meals more frequently so their stomach never has that sick bile feeling or to give them a cookie before going to bed so their stomach has something to work on overnight. Another option is to mix their regular kibble with a fiber formula diet. Now when you hear some on here talk about giving green beans .. yes dogs cannot digest the cellulose but they can get the fiber in the bean. So this will help in there bile development.

Ok on too the reason dogs have the diet they have now.....

The history of commercial dog food is short in comparison to the length of time that dogs have been companion animals. The use of bagged and canned foods became popular in the United States after World War II. Most people born in the last fifty years do not have any memory of feeding dogs in any other manner. The notion of the term 'dog food' has become so entrenched in the vocabulary that most
people state they would never feed their dog 'people food'. The misunderstanding is that food is 'food', and that commercial dog foods are simply heavily processed 'people food' that is specifically made for shelf life and economy. Until commercial dog food grew in popularity, dogs generally ate whatever food was available in their environment. For farm dogs, this could include raw meat scraps, raw milk,
eggs and food found scavenging. City dogs probably depended on scraps from the owners' table, and offal and cheap cuts of raw meat from the butcher. Dogs owned by the very rich and royalty are reported to have had meals specially prepared them, with great attention to the quality and addition of seasonings to the diet. In 1860, the first processed dog food was introduced by James Spratt, of
Cincinnati, Ohio who developed a biscuit made of wheat, beet root, vegetables and beef blood. His inspiration for this product came from watching stray dogs eat hardtack thrown away by sailors off ships in port. The name of this new product was called Spratt's Patent Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes. Other companies quickly jumped on the bandwagon, and more baked dog products were on the market.

I hope I have answered your question.. if not ask in more detail. About me being Valerius Geist .. NOPE not me &#8230; My name GeistHexe is just my screen name on EVERYTHING I am on. My name is Deb 
Anyway back to work .. damn to many days on doing double shifts at work and trying to work dogs in between &#8230;

Here is a FALSE Website to show that anyone can put info on the net and cause nothing but problems in the dog world. Not all is incorrect but about dogs yes it is... 
MISS INFORMED INFO ON DOGS

Hugz to those doggies & hope you have a GREAT weekend.


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## DueceAddicTed (Sep 28, 2009)

geisthexe said:


> Ok Nina
> 
> I went thru all my nutrition information from going to school and from what I took for notes in class, seminars, etc&#8230;..
> 
> ...


:goodpost::goodpost::goodpost:


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## NinaThePitbull (Feb 10, 2010)

*Everything is Illuminated*

*Geisthexe wrote*:
_Why does dogs / wolves feel the need to go outside, eat grass (vegetation) and then vomit at least twice. One reason dogs eat grass is because it makes them sick! Dogs / wolves that use grass to binge and purge do so because of a buildup of bile in their stomachs. The gallbladder produces bile and it is excreted into the stomach to aid in the digestion of fats. On an empty stomach, bile can cause an acidic or sick feeling that triggers the dogs / wolves to eat grass in order to vomit up whatever is making them feel ill. Most often, the dog vomits up the bile and grass combo due to many times there is nothing to eat so they need to get rid of the bile in there stomach. No more than a human does when they are very hungry and the bile in your system starts to produce._

absolutely fascinating, i will look into that myself, but you have already begun to answer my question with stimulaing facts that I knew only you could. Your amazing. As I began reading about dogs/wolves being carnivores NT omnivores, I was thinking " Now, hold up, In my travels I've seen with my own eyes wolves eating grass, I don't care what anybody says" , and then you followed up with this. Jeez, and I'm not even done reading your entire post yet. You amaze me, I must read on...

_Anyway back to work .. damn to many days on doing double shifts at work and trying to work dogs in between &#8230; _

...and educating the masses in the meantime. I Knew you would come through. I might copy/paste this one day should a similar discussion arise. You freakin Rock My Casbah!


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## fortyfootelf (Feb 2, 2010)

you are right, giest really knows her stuff, and usually if i have a problem, she is the first person i ask. she may not tell you what you want to hear but what she says is usually on the bullseye. i give props to giest bkuz of her knowlesdge and i am glad i have her in my friends list


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