My senior dog eats chicken & rice. Can I add supplements safely?

If you are giving Motis a dog food formulated for senior dogs, she will be getting all the vitamins and minerals she needs to be healthy. You can give her a glucosamine supplemental which will help with her joint health, but otherwise no other supplements are needed. Too many vitamins and minerals can be detrimental to her health, so you want to avoid overdosing her on those. I recommend feeding a high quality senior dog food food such as Royal Canin, Hills Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, or Iams. Best of luck.

I do not advise this. You would still be missing out on appropriate levels of fats, possibly other nutritions (depends on the formulation of the supplement) that are needed for hormone production, cell membranes and many other structures within the body. Plus the fatty acids would still be lacking and they are needed for cellular reactions, skin health and heart health. If you are interested in making a home made diet, I recommend to connect with a veterinarian nutritionist who can formula a diet for Bailey that is complete and balanced. You can often do this over the phone. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Omega 3 fatty acids for pets can help with heart health. Royal Canin makes a diet for dogs with heart disease. Lastly, it is not fully understood, but there appears to be a link between grain free dog food and heart enlargement. If you are feeding a grain free diet, you may talk with your veterinarian about a diet change. I hope this helps.

I'm so sorry that Lucky is ill. I can tell you are trying to do everything in your power to help her feel well for as long as possible. BalenceIT is my usual go to for supplementing home cooked diets. However, it is usually most appropriate for young-mostly healthy dogs. Dogs such as Lucky need more assistance. I would strongly recommend talking to a veterinary behavior specialist. I know Ohio State University Veterinary School was doing over-the-phone consultations with their nutrition specialist, Dr. Parker, at one point so I would recommend starting there. Here is the information you would need: http://vet.osu.edu/vmc/companion/our-services/nutrition-support-service/nutrition-consult-request. You and Lucky will be in my thoughts.

Any calories at this stage are welcome so boiled chicken and rice, with some vegetables, would be a good option if she is willing to take it. Vitamins/minerals such as the nutritional gel or a tonic would also be recommended whilst she is undergoing investigations for the cause of her poor appetite (kidney, liver or cushings disease would all be possibilities)

Hello, Prince may indeed benefit from joint supplements at minimum. However, any supplements that you will be offering to Prince would be most adequate if recommended by your veterinarian since they will know Prince's medical history and requirements the best. Once he has undergone an evaluation, then your veterinarian may recommend supplements either from their office or some that you may obtain over the counter at a supplement store. Please schedule a wellness exam with your primary care veterinarian and discuss if Prince would benefit from supplements. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello. Thank you for using PetCoach. Peanut is very handsome! The most common thing that happens as large breed dogs age is arthritis so I would just put him on a good all around supplement that contains joint supplements in it. I love this supplement by Missing Link. http://www.allivet.com/p-1647-missing-link-vet-canine-plus.aspx Some signs he may have arthritis are: * having a hard time getting up from a down position * not jumping up on the couch, bed, etc like he normally does (if he does that) * slowing down on walks (like he doesn't seem like he can go as far as he used to) Even if he is not showing signs of arthritis I would put him on a joint supplement. The other thing I would recommend is yearly blood testing with your vet to check his organ function. Declining organ function is not something you can see from the outside just by looking at your dog. Usually by the time you do see something abnormal it is often too late to do anything about it. It is better to test yearly so you can catch things early. Peanut looks to be in great shape! You are doing a great job! Hope this answers your questions. Please post again if you have more question. Best wishes.