# Dog Supplements? Show Stopper vs NuVet Plus



## Trojanboi400 (Sep 1, 2011)

One of the trainers @ Petco recommended these supplements to me and I wanted to know if anyone has used these and if so, what were your results? It claims to make your dog healthier overall...shiny coat, better immune system etc..

Animal Naturals ShowStopper
Animal Naturals ShowStopper at PETCO

or

NuVet Plus®
Products

I already feed my dogs Nutro ULTRA which is a great food with good nutrients already
http://www.ultraholistic.com/adult-holistic-dog-food-kibble.html


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## NateDieselF4i (Sep 14, 2010)

Hey Trojan.

While i'm sure your dog might be doing fine on his current diet the top ingredients in Nutro ULTRA are

Chicken Meal, Whole Brown Rice, Ground Rice, Rice Bran, Chicken, Lamb Meal, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E).

Dogs can't process grains and many have allergies to them. Also Chicken Meal, Lamb Meal etc is not as good as whole Chicken or Lamb. You ideally would like the first ingredient to be from a whole source.

You might want to think about switching to a grain free food such as Taste of the Wild, Orijen, Blue Buffalo or any of the other reputable brands.

Here is an example of the first ingredients in ToTW Sierra Mountain-
Lamb, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, canola oil, pea protein, roasted lamb

Or Orijen Regional Red-
Fresh deboned wild boar, fresh deboned lamb, fresh beef liver, fresh deboned pork, lamb meal, peas, salmon meal, russet potato

I only bring this to your attention because you spoke about the quality of the ULTRA - not saying its bad for your dog, just that there are healthier foods out there with a lot less fillers (grains).

I have no experience with the supplements you mentioned myself - but I do add a couple squirts of Salmon oil and some Kelp sprinkles to Kane's food.

EDIT: oh and check out this sticky on dog foods and ratings.

http://www.gopitbull.com/health-nutrition/3749-pet-food-rating-comparison-chart.html


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## stonerreakinhavok (May 22, 2011)

if your looking for something inexpensive but decentish try diamond naturals. 

i started tini on the extreme athlete cause i wanted to work him a bit happy with the results so far but need to work him more.

Chicken meal, chicken, brewers rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), egg product, cracked pearled barley, powdered cellulose, dried plain beet pulp .

but heres the diamond naturals chicken and rice top 8 

Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, white rice, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oatmeal

if you can afford to get the grain free stuff probably best to get it taste of the wild would be the best bang for you buck in the grain free catagory. we tried science diet no idea why we tried it seemed like a good idea at the time i guess and tini started losing fur pretty bad on his butt, we thought it was just a flea allergy. then we switched his food and the hair started growing back.


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## Trojanboi400 (Sep 1, 2011)

*Food 4 Thought*



keelahsMOM said:


> Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+
> 
> vs
> 
> ...


The man difference is the 1st ingredient, chicken compared to chicken meal.

I've had my female since she left her litter. I started her on Blue Buffalo Puppy but after a few months she stopped liking it for some reason. That's when I switched to Nutro Ultra Puppy/Adult. She apparently prefers chicken meal over chicken haha.

My male is 18 mos. & his previous owner had him on a grocery store corn meal bran. So he seems happy with anything. he gets over excited during feeding time. :woof:

I was actually in Petco today buying food and I asked one of the trainers about the products I originally posted and the food. She sad that chicken can actually dry out APBT's skin and may cause them to flake (1st time I've heard that). She did say basically what you guys sad too. Chicken> Chicken meal> corn meal. She suggested I try Blue Buffalo Lamb & Rice so I got a small bag to see if my dogs like. I'll probably switch to that and Blue Buffalo Fish & rice. As for the supplements, NuVet Plus isn't needed if you have a grade A food because the food will have everything in a NuVet tablet. Show stopper basically does wait fish oils do for your dog, which I give me dogs daily.

Thank both you guys for the info


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

Trojanboi400 said:


> One of the trainers @ Petco recommended these supplements to me and I wanted to know if anyone has used these and if so, what were your results? It claims to make your dog healthier overall...shiny coat, better immune system etc..
> 
> Animal Naturals ShowStopper
> Animal Naturals ShowStopper at PETCO
> ...


Many things wrong with this post and none of them are you! lol I would never go by what some one at petsmart says, they know nothing! Their training program is a joke and the clerks act like they know what they are talking about but they don't.

show stopper is ok but I would do the Nuvet that should be all you need. If you want to feed a grain food there is nothing wrong with that as long as your dog does good on it. Nutro use to be a great food but they sold the company and quality has gone down and the price up.

If you have a Costco card the Kirkland chicken and rice dog food is 26.99 for 40lbs and is just as good as nutro but better quality. I have fed my kennel this for about 10 years now and I use to feed Nutro.

Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and vitamin E), egg product, dried beet pulp, potatoes, fish meal, flaxseed, natural flavor, brewers dried yeast, millet, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, carrots, peas, kelp, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, chondroitin sulfate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Costco.com: KS-PetFood-AdultDogChichen


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## Trojanboi400 (Sep 1, 2011)

performanceknls said:


> Many things wrong with this post and none of them are you! lol I would never go by what some one at petsmart says, they know nothing! Their training program is a joke and the clerks act like they know what they are talking about but they don't.


No offense but what's the difference between me asking a Petco trainer (not a cashier/clerk) for info and me logging on to a forum and getting advice from strangers thousands of miles away that I'd never come in contact with and I don't really know their level of expertise?

Yeah I know about Kirtland. I have a friend that feeds it to his Rott. I don't want to drive all the way to Costco only to get a slice of pizza & dog food haha I only bulk shop there like 2x a year. Petco is right up the blvd plus I usually get the dogs groomed or buy other dog items. They both seemed to really like Blue buffalo lamb & rice plus it's $51 instead of $53 for the Nutro Ultra neither as good a price as $27.


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## zohawn (Jun 8, 2011)

Trojanboi400 said:


> No offense but what's the difference between me asking a Petco trainer (not a cashier/clerk) for info and me logging on to a forum and getting advice from strangers thousands of miles away that I'd never come in contact with and I don't really know their level of expertise?
> 
> Yeah I know about Kirtland. I have a friend that feeds it to his Rott. I don't want to drive all the way to Costco only to get a slice of pizza & dog food haha I only bulk shop there like 2x a year. Petco is right up the blvd plus I usually get the dogs groomed or buy other dog items. They both seemed to really like Blue buffalo lamb & rice plus it's $51 instead of $53 for the Nutro Ultra neither as good a price as $27.


if you check her profile you can see the things she does with her dog. ask that same clerk how many years, titles and dogs shes trained...guaranteed it wont match lisa.


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## Hemi (Aug 30, 2011)

Trojanboi400 said:


> No offense but what's the difference between me asking a Petco trainer (not a cashier/clerk) for info and me logging on to a forum and getting advice from strangers thousands of miles away that I'd never come in contact with and I don't really know their level of expertise?
> 
> Yeah I know about Kirtland. I have a friend that feeds it to his Rott. I don't want to drive all the way to Costco only to get a slice of pizza & dog food haha I only bulk shop there like 2x a year. Petco is right up the blvd plus I usually get the dogs groomed or buy other dog items. They both seemed to really like Blue buffalo lamb & rice plus it's $51 instead of $53 for the Nutro Ultra neither as good a price as $27.


yikes 51 bucks ooooo that will put a dent lol. I buy the woldcub they also have it in adult version and my dogs love it. Always clean bowls. 25 bucks And like your Trojan very excited at feed time lol:woof:


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## Trojanboi400 (Sep 1, 2011)

zohawn said:


> if you check her profile you can see the things she does with her dog. ask that same clerk how many years, titles and dogs shes trained...guaranteed it wont match lisa.


You are probably right but I was not making it personal between her & Petco trainers. I was only speaking in general. Basically like when you go to Best Buy, HomeDepot/Lowes, Phone stores or furniture stores, who do you ask advice from? The people that work there right? I don't see nothing wrong with asking on a forum or in a store personally.

LOL I just wanted to know about those 2 products and if anyone uses either of them.

And I see Lisa has some great looking dogs



Hemi said:


> yikes 51 bucks ooooo that will put a dent lol. I buy the woldcub they also have it in adult version and my dogs love it. Always clean bowls. 25 bucks And like your Trojan very excited at feed time lol:woof:


Yea $100 a month on dog food but hey...My family eats good and they are part of our family. My 2 girls are in school now so I use that old daycare money really. 3 cups a day for 2 pit bulls goes quick. And If you wanted to meet this weekend I probably could before work. I usually get up around 11am.


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## Hemi (Aug 30, 2011)

Trojanboi400 said:


> You are probably right but I was not making it personal between her & Petco trainers. I was only speaking in general. Basically like when you go to Best Buy, HomeDepot/Lowes, Phone stores or furniture stores, who do you ask advice from? The people that work there right? I don't see nothing wrong with asking on a forum or in a store personally.
> 
> LOL I just wanted to know about those 2 products and if anyone uses either of them.
> 
> ...


how bout sunday cause im off this weekend


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

Trojanboi400 said:


> No offense but what's the difference between me asking a Petco trainer (not a cashier/clerk) for info and me logging on to a forum and getting advice from strangers thousands of miles away that I'd never come in contact with and I don't really know their level of expertise?
> 
> Yeah I know about Kirtland. I have a friend that feeds it to his Rott. I don't want to drive all the way to Costco only to get a slice of pizza & dog food haha I only bulk shop there like 2x a year. Petco is right up the blvd plus I usually get the dogs groomed or buy other dog items. They both seemed to really like Blue buffalo lamb & rice plus it's $51 instead of $53 for the Nutro Ultra neither as good a price as $27.


You are absolutely right! That is why when you are on a forum you need to get to know people and you will see who knows what they are talking about and who doesn't. Then you make up your mind after reading or hearing the facts. I know you don't know me so a little about me just for future reference. I have been in the breed for over 15 years and I have been a dog trainer just as long. I own a dog training business and also board dogs. I was a vet tech for many years and I show APBT's and have about 20 dogs.


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## queencitydissaster (Oct 3, 2011)

just put your pooch on a raw diet. thats what i did. just be very very carefull on what you feed it. i use meaty bones, raw eggs, game chickens, and some high grade kibble just in a bowl for whenever he wants a snack. his coat is perfect, amazing teeth, lots of energy, and no runs or anything wrong with his poop. my vet cant believe how amazing he looks. proud to say i have the best looking dog that goes into my vet


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## pitbullmamanatl (Jun 1, 2010)

queencitydissaster said:


> just put your pooch on a raw diet. thats what i did. just be very very carefull on what you feed it. i use meaty bones, raw eggs, game chickens, and some high grade kibble just in a bowl for whenever he wants a snack. his coat is perfect, amazing teeth, lots of energy, and no runs or anything wrong with his poop. my vet cant believe how amazing he looks. proud to say i have the best looking dog that goes into my vet


I hope you are feeding organs and muscle meat such as lung, kidney, heart, pancreas, etc as well. I am confused as to why you would feed kibble as a snack? That just confuses the body since kibble is only 40-70% digestible and RAW is 95-97% digestible. Dogs don't need "snacks" either. If you want to give your dog a treat give him a RAW treat or marrow bone to gnaw on. Also, I don't feed eggs, only the shells. RAW EGGS contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems; however, egg shells provide much needed calcium. They consist of calcium carbonate (94%), magnesium carbonate (1%), calcium phosphate (1%) and organic matter (4%).


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## EL CUCO (Jul 25, 2011)

I know what you mean trojan about asking for advice.

Always use your common sense and do a little background check lol if you know what I mean...ask them how do they know what they know and what is their position on this breed...its just conversation but you will know right away whether or not they are just blowing smoke.

One thing is for sure...if there is anybody that is QUALIFIED to give advice here...its definetly Lisa.


...And Lauren which posted above me  lol


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## pharrison05 (Apr 29, 2009)

We used bully max dog supplements as well as nuvet plus for our 7 year old rescue. Our vet approved both, however bully max seems cheaper and we've been getting the same results. Also, i've been using merrick's before grain chicken and rice along with it. This food is awesome. Ive used about 5 different so call "High quality" dog foods over the past few years, and this one is the best in my opinion.


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## Chad M. Lane (Nov 29, 2011)

Sorry if I repeating something that has already been said, as I only skimmed the thread. 

Firstly Nate you said "Dogs can't process grains and many have allergies to them. Also Chicken Meal, Lamb Meal etc is not as good as whole Chicken or Lamb. You ideally would like the first ingredient to be from a whole source. "

Neither Taste of The Wild, nor Orijen use the whole animals they used the cleaned meat that is 'fit' for human consumption. (No exact terms). meal vs meat. Meal is a dehydrated form of meat, meaning all of it's moisture has been removed, and it contains roughly 300% more protein than a wet weight (meat) in a dry kibble. So chicken vs chicken meal, as long as the source of the meal came from quality meat in a dry kibble it's better to have meal vs a wet weight. 

I do however agree that grains simply should not be in dog food period. 

I don't feed kibble anymore but when I did I fed Orijen and Evo, mostly Orijen for many reasons. I still highly recommend it and sell it at work. 

As for supplements I used to use many different ones off and on. Save your money and buy a quality kibble or food source. Feed a well balanced diet, and there will be NO need for any supplements besides maybe a fish oil supplement which is the only supplement that I use as a Prey model raw feeder. 



Cheers,
Chad


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## Chad M. Lane (Nov 29, 2011)

Queen said "just put your pooch on a raw diet. thats what i did. just be very very carefull on what you feed it. i use meaty bones, raw eggs, game chickens, and some high grade kibble just in a bowl for whenever he wants a snack." 

That's a huge no no to any raw feeder let alone a prey model raw feeder like myself. Raw is digested at a much faster rate than even the highest end kibble. Raw will stay in the stomach for 2-3 hours where kibble will be in the stomach for 8-12+ hours. What can happen is if the raw food has E. coli normally it would be no problem for a dog, though if it is stuck in the stomach to long you can have problems. IE: feedimg raw with kibble can and does cause problems. You can get away with it for years, it only takes once! 


Cheers,
Chad


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## pitbullmamanatl (Jun 1, 2010)

Chad M. Lane said:


> Queen said "just put your pooch on a raw diet. thats what i did. just be very very carefull on what you feed it. i use meaty bones, raw eggs, game chickens, and some high grade kibble just in a bowl for whenever he wants a snack."
> 
> That's a huge no no to any raw feeder let alone a prey model raw feeder like myself. Raw is digested at a much faster rate than even the highest end kibble. Raw will stay in the stomach for 2-3 hours where kibble will be in the stomach for 8-12+ hours. What can happen is if the raw food has E. coli normally it would be no problem for a dog, though if it is stuck in the stomach to long you can have problems. IE: feedimg raw with kibble can and does cause problems. You can get away with it for years, it only takes once!
> 
> ...


Thank you! Agreed!


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## Chad M. Lane (Nov 29, 2011)

Glad you agree! 

Though I have to disagree with you on one thing. 

"RAW EGGS contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin)." 
You will only have problems with dry skin and biotin deficiency's if you don't feed the WHOLE egg. If you feed only whites is where you can have the problem. Also if you back up the rest of the diet with enough organs, meats, and editable bones you are at no risk feeding eggs. I offer 1-2 eggs on non liver, kidney, or pancreas days. So for the most part my dogs get eggs 3-4 days a week. I also tend to eat a lot of eggs, but I don't eat all the yolks so the dogs get them when I eat a lot of eggs. Both of my dogs love eggs, but only one eats the shell, the other will eat the shell when I crush it up, and put salmon oil on it! That being said only time I have coat problems is when they go without a bath for quite sometime, or got dirty. I also tend to add eggs to meals with bone as well. 

Lung, Heart are organs but in the diet of a dog they are not considered 'organs' they are just another meat source. Though you must feed enough heart to give your dogs enough Taurine for heart health among other benefits at the same time you don't want to feed to much as hearts are high in Vitamin D I feed hearts in random amounts 2-3 times weekly along side a fattier meal. 


Cheers,
Chad


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