Supplements
Regular daily maintenance supplements:
Ester-C:
Ester-C is a non acidic form of vitamin C, therefore it is very gentle on the stomach. Dogs cannot over dose on it as whatever their body doesn't use comes out in their urine.
It is true that dogs do produce their own vitamin C (unlike humans) but some dogs simply do not produce enough. Ester-C lubricates the joints and ligaments and produces collagen. I would recommend all dogs to be on 2000mg per day for maintenance (2 x 500mg tablets twice daily.) For problems like Hip dysplasia, cruciate ligaments, joint and arthritis problems then just email me the weight of your dog and I will work out the dose he should be on for you.
The cheapest place I have found for Ester-C is: www.zipvit.co.uk
Dorwest Keepers Mix:
A lot of people use this instead of vegetables. It is packed full of minerals and vitamins and is very good for the dogs. I buy my from: www.dorwest.com
ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar):
I add this to my dogs water bowl every time I change it as it prevents tear stains, repels ticks and fleas, it’s full of enzymes and minerals, balances the PH levels in the gut and is generally an excellent supplement. ACV has to be unpasteurized, unfiltered and have the ‘mother’ (web like substance) in it. I buy mine from www.crossgatesfarm.co.uk
Supplements for ailments:
Ear/Eye Infections:
I spray colloidal silver directly into the eye or ear 4-6 times a day until it has cleared up.
Hip Dysplasia:
For hip dysplasia, ligament/joint problems and arthritis I would first highly recommend the BARF diet and then I would add Ester C, MSM and possibly more Omega 3 to the diet. Please email me for Ester C doses.
MSM is (in my opinion) a fantastic supplement for these sort of problems and works wonders. I think the best and cheapest place to buy it from is: www.a1msm.co.uk call the helpline and ask for the equine 1kg MSM, it is £27.95 (inc P&P) and lasts for ages. Mike is the man that runs the website and he is very helpful. If there is something he doesn't know about MSM then it is not worth knowing! The doses are on the tub.
Other supplements that have had good feedback are Hyaflex and Synflex.
Hyaflex is a liquid form of Hyaluronic acid and is very good for hip dysplasia, the cheapest place to buy it from is: www.syn-7.com
Synflex is a mix of liquid Glucosamine and other important pain relieving ingredients, you can read about it and buy it here: www.synflexforpets.co.uk
Please read my page on hip dysplasia.
Tear Stains and PH problems:
ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) is great for balancing out PH levels in a dog and neutralizing tear stains. It HAS to be the natural ACV that has NOT been pasteurised or filtered, it has to has the 'mother' in it (a web like substance). In my opinion the best place to buy the ACV from is www.crossgatesfarm.co.uk the doses are are the bottle. Please read my page on ACV HERE
Yeast Infections:
I always recommend the Nzymes anti yeast kit and colloidal silver. You can purchase the CS through myself and the get the Nzymes kit from: www.nzymes.com
Follow the instructions on the pack for the anti yeast kit. It may take a good while to clear it up but it will go and also the skin problems may get a lot worse before you see any improvement, this is completely normal as the toxins leave through the skin.
It is highly important that you get your dog on a natural diet if your dog is suffering form this condition as 99% of commercial dog food contain grains or potatoes. Both are carbohydrates (something that dogs don't even need!) and all carbohydrates break down into sugar and feed the yeast. Please read my page on yeast infections HERE.
Itchy dog:
Once again I always recommend the BARF diet for itchy skin and allergies as usually the BARF diet alone sorts these problems out. If your dog however is on a BARF diet and still scratching then I would ask my vet to do a skin test for mange. If it comes back positive then follow the mange cure. If it comes back negative then there are many supplements that you could try.
There is Salmon Oil, Starflower Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Neem capsules and oil, the Nzymes Kit etc etc...
Please don't try a multitude of supplements at once as you will overload your dogs system. Also if the itching subsides you wont know which product worked. I always suggest to use one supplement at a time and test it for 6 weeks. If all else fails then the dog may have contact or food allergies.
I recommend spraying an itchy dog with colloidal silver to prevent any secondary infections of the skin and to relieve the itch for a while.
Colloidal silver also has MANY uses for the dog, please read through my colloidal silver page HERE
Please note that these are the products/food that I have found to benefit MY dogs and should no way deter you from doing your own research or going to your vets.
Emma Siggers
www.ripley-wrinkles.com
American Bulldog / American Bulldogs
British / English Bulldog