In recent years we have seen a growth in the availability of quality unprocessed raw foods being sold for dogs, and plant-based supplements are an important part of these regimes as dogs’ benefit from the essential nutrients they contain. One of the most common questions we are asked at Dorwest is ‘What herbal supplement can I feed my dog who is on a raw diet to ensure they are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need?’.
A well-balanced diet is fundamental to your dog’s health. Whether you feed raw or your dog is on dry food, getting all the nutrients that your dog needs can be tricky and often owners don’t know why or how supplements fit into their dog’s diet. On the other hand, many owners believe that commercial ‘complete’ foods contain all the relevant herbs and other nutrients, so there is no need for extra supplementation.
Unfortunately, this is far from ideal as processed foods are subjected to heat treatment during the manufacturing process that destroys many of the vital nutrients, and the quantities included in the feed are usually too small to have any real benefit.
How do I know if my dog is getting all that they need nutritionally?
Every dog is different, and every dog’s vitamin requirements will be different but there are some signs to look out for that could indicate that your dog is missing something from their diet or just need a little extra!
• Coprophagia (also known as poo eating) is a common one.
Although this may be down to behaviour or they simply like the taste (eww!). Dogs understand what their body is lacking, and whether it’s due to digestive intolerances or just because their nutritional needs change throughout their life, this may trigger poo eating in their attempt to obtain more nutrients.
• General health is also reflected in the coat as well as vitality.
If you’re noticing a dull coat or any bald patches, it could be that their diet is not feeding their needs. Much like ourselves, we can see the effects of an unbalanced diet in our skin and hair so for our dog’s an everyday herbal supplement, along with a good grooming regime, will promote a healthy coat particularly in breeds with a hard or rough coat. Read our blog (linked above) to see our top tips for washing your dog.
• Another popular one is eating Clivers.
Does your dog ever stop on a walk to eat away at the hedges like grazing cows? Well, that’s because dogs love Clivers, more commonly known as Sticky Weed (that stuff you jokingly throw at each other and it sticks to your clothes), but why are they so transfixed on this herb?
It is thought to be excellent for cleansing the blood and strengthening the liver, and overall to help the body achieve good health for the change of season into summer. Clivers also contains anti-inflammatory iridoid glycosides and anthraquinones which are diuretic, and its ability to maintain and mildly increase the flow of urine is known as its main medical use. So, it is possible that when your dog is eating Clivers, he or she is giving themselves a bit of a spring clean and they naturally know that it’s beneficial for them at this time of year!
Also, did you know that dogs find it hard to break down vegetables?
Even a super green dinner packed full of vegetables might not give your dog all the goodness on the inside, as dogs find it hard to break down cellulose in vegetables, so these nutritious plants need to be given pulsed, or more easily in an appropriate supplement for better absorption. Dogs also have a much shorter digestive tract than us humans, so, have a smaller time period in which to absorb the nutrients from food. Dorwest Easy-Green Powder provides a super-boost, packed full of digestible nutrients which are easy to absorb. Just add to your pet`s normal food for them to get all the benefits of eating a bowl of greens, without a spinach leaf in sight!
Discover an everyday herbal health supplement for any diet that meet dogs’ vitamin requirements.
• Our Keeper’s Mix contains 8 different herbs, all of which have different properties and differing amounts of minerals, vitamins and trace elements that occur naturally in plants.
• Each herb in the mix contains ingredients that benefit a different major organ in the body.
• It contains Clivers as well as natural antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, fibres, and complex bioactive compounds from other herbs.
Super-boost your dog’s diet with these essential supplements for raw feeders!
Keeper`s Mix Sensitive For Dogs And Cats FROM: £14.90
Easy Green Powder For Dogs And Cats FROM: £12.90
Keeper`s Mix For Dogs And Cats Keepers Mix is our most popular herbal supplement to maintain optimum health for dogs and cats.
This is a Dorwest Foundation product!
FROM: £14.90
Kelp Seaweed Powder For Dogs And Cats FROM: £8.90
Purchase Dorwest Herbs products online with free UK delivery on orders over £50. To learn more about our herbal remedies for dogs, get in touch with our friendly team of experts on 01308 897 272 or email us on info@dorwest.com. Enjoy 10% off full priced products for life when you join the Dorwest Loyalty Club.
10 thoughts on "Is My Dog Getting Enough Vitamins and Minerals?"
Hi, my dog may be having problems with her liver . She is on a high protein diat which may be the problem. We are swapping chicken thighs for white fish and cutting down her raw chicken wings from 3 to 1 a day. I also add 1 of the following each day: Vit C, Evening Primrose, Oil Oderless Garlic and Cod liver Oil twice a week.What do you recomend as an added suppliment . Thank you
Hi Keeley – If the liver is showing signs of needing support, we would recommend the Milk Thistle Tablets. These help to support the liver and contain active compounds that are known to have anti-oxidant and immune-supportive actions which can benefit those where the liver is under strain. This should be fine to give alongside the products that you are already giving.
Hi, can i mix keeper mix with coconut oil in my dog's meal?
Hi Giovanni – Yes, you can use Keeper's Mix alongside coconut oil 🙂
Can i givemy small dogs their keepers mix half in the morni.g and the other half teaspoon at night. If i give it them all together in one feed they will not eat their tea.
Hi Sheelagh, yes we would recommend to split the Keeper’s Mix into the morning and evening meals. If you’d like any more help or advice do give us a call on 01308 897272- The Dorwest Team
Hello,
My dog has diabetes and is on a raw food diet and I was thinking of putting him on this… is there any sugar or anything that will affect his blood glucose in it?
Hi Emma,
Keeper’s Mix only contains the 8 herbs mentioned above and there are no added ingredients so as far as we are aware, there should be no sugar that isn’t already naturally occuring. If you are concerned please do check with your vet but yes, we recommend giving Keeper’s Mix as an all round ‘multivitamin’ style supplement.
Hope this helps, if you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact our advisors who are more than happy to help. Thanks- Claire
Hi Emily, My westie will not eat veg and at the moment she has a good variety of meats and bones, coconut oil and brewers yeast, if she has keepers mix will that cover most minerals and vitamins? Thank you Anne Yarwood
Hi Anne – we recommend using Keeper’s Mix as an all round “multivitamin” style supplement as it contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals from it’s eight ingredients. If you need any further information don’t hesitate to contact our advisors who would be more than happy to talk you through our Keeper’s Mix ingredients and guidance for use. Hope this helps. – Ben