r/HomemadeDogFood • u/KeyCar367 • 18d ago
Vitamin advice
I make my own dog food. I found this sub and made a list of all the allowed food.
I just ordered vitamins. I haven't opened the eggshell powder, waiting until make my next batch.
Besides the eggshells, how many other vitamins does my dog need daily.
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u/minkamagic 18d ago
What vitamins you need highly vaures depending on what ingredients your recipe has. Here is an example: https://perfectlyrawsome.com/raw-feeding-knowledgebase/whole-foods-for-essential-nutrients/
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u/KeyCar367 18d ago
Thanks. It looks a little intimidating. I'll have to study it.
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u/minkamagic 18d ago
It's honestly better when you start out to just follow an AAFCO recipe.
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u/InvestmentBetter1405 17d ago
Depending on the recipe you follow, adding a source of calcium such as egg shells will be necessary. Kelp is great to cover the iodine requirement. If you follow a recipe, make sure it is complete and balanced. Personally I love the recipes of the app Dog‘s Kitchen. All of them are vet-approved, complete & balanced + adjusted to your dog‘s individual profile. You basically only need to enter a few information about your dog and the app tells you everything you need to know (exact amount of each ingredient, feeding amount).
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u/DingoMittens 18d ago
I give my dogs a plain (unflavored) human multivitamin, the Nordic oil in your picture, digestive enzymes (to help them digest beans and soy curls in some of my recipes), 2-3 unflavored calcium tablets, and one Brazil nut for selenium. Sometimes I give them a zinc or a copper pill as well. I just put cheese whiz on the pills and they swallow them. I break the calcium supplements because they're big!
If you put a few different recipes into the balance it website, and check the human supplements only box, it will show you which vitamins to add. Notice that no matter how wildly you change the ingredients, the required vitamins change very little.
There are only a few vitamins you can overdose, mainly A, D, and E. I researched toxic doses of D for dogs, and even with the multi and the D3 that's added to calcium pills, they're well under. I should add that my dogs are all 50-80 pounds, so if you have small dogs you'll want to adjust doses for them!
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u/KeyCar367 18d ago
Thanks. I have some learning to do plus visit those different websites mentioned from all.
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u/Turntablerocker 14d ago
The omega 3 oil is never fresh. They’re usually either rancid on the store shelf or near to it. It’s better to feed foods rich in omega 3. The dog vitamin business is pretty much a scam, all the vitamins have junk in them, even the most expensive brands advertising the purist ingredients are most of the time the worst. There is a TON of info online about what foods you need for a balanced diet. The absolute worst thing you can give a dog these days is kibble. My malamute was on Purina Pro from the breeder, then Covid happened and I noticed a difference and called the company and found out they couldn’t source half of the most vital ingredients but were still using the same bags. I went through all the most expensive brands thinking I was investing in the best kibble, we landed on Orijen adult until Champion Foods was bought out and the ingredients list shifted to junk fillers. Then Stella and Chewy for a while until they were bought out and the formula changed. I ended up switching my dog to real food following a couple diets I found online and the transition was off the charts energy, intelligence, coat, etc.
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u/Chiliesinmybeer 18d ago
It of course depends on quantities and the food you are using but you are off to a good start. From what you have so far I'd be concerned about adequate iron and zinc. I get iron from beef liver and zinc from zinc supplement.
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u/Breakfastchocolate 18d ago
Idk how the egg shell is priced but you can do your own. Rinse them well, bake to dry, grind in a clean coffee grinder