Energy Supplements?

[bailyou]

I have a "working" Doberman and I am wanting to get a bit more energy from her. She gains weight easily so I can't add more dog food to her diet. Does anyone use supplements? If so what do you use? How long did it take to notice a difference in performance?

[triplecminis]

do you use an active dog brand of food?? just wondering I know science diet makes and active adult line

[MLR]

I use Pet Tabs Plus vitamins made by Pfizer which I get from my vet.

In my opinion most of the dog foods out there for high energy dogs are loaded with calories. You didn't say how old your dog is. I kept my two dobe's on Purina One for Large Breed puppies until they were both over two years old. I just this early winter switched them to a mixture of half the puppy formula and half the adult formula of the same brand. They are now eating 1/4 puppy formula and 3/4 adult formula. The ultimate goal is to get them switched completely to the adult formula which has less calories and more joint support ingredients. My oldest is going to be 5 in May and my youngest, the femal who tends to put on weight, is going to be 3 in June. I also don't restrict what food they have access to and I'm starting to count the treats so they don't get as many in a day; I just make the portions of the treats smaller and they don't seem to notice or mind.

Other than watching what kinds of dog food they eat and checking the calorie content and making sure it's age appropriate for the specific dog there really isn't much more you can do. Mine seem to burn off the winter weight gain pretty fast once the weather breaks as they spend more time outside. Even with a filled food dish out there for them they tend to eat less in the warmer months.

[SnuzerDog]

I have been considering supplementation for Deano, and researching. I have read many varying opinions on this, but more positive than indifferent or negative. I know from my years in weight training that correct supplementation can be very good for the body, but improper can be just as bad. With the boom in the pet industry, especially in foods and health care, there has come an ensuing wave of marketing for supplements, many or most of which is most likely totally unregulated and/or snake oil. So, you can put me in the camp of 'hopeful but suspicious'.

From my own experience, I have had the greatest energy levels when I am eating properly, exercising properly, and supplementing with basic stuff- multivitamin, B-complex, C, E, Omega-complex, joint and ginkgo biloba- from known good suppliers. The energy level just happened as a by-product! I do believe that some basic supplementation is necessary in our lives today, due to stress from our fast-paced, multi-tasking, sleep-deprived, not-the-greatest-eating-habits lifestyles, and I know I feel differently when I run out or forget to take mine.

So, it follows that if we feel our dog(s) are not getting everything they need, nutritionally, from their meals that supplementation would make sense. But, what is good for humans is not necessarily good for canines... therein lies the call for caution. Well known breeders are, I feel, the best source of this information as their advice is born of experience. Veterinarians as well, although I think like doctors they sometimes over- and needlessly prescribe or recommend without personal experience of results. So I prefer to do my own research, err on the side of caution and watch carefully for results. I was looking through my Drs. Foster & Smith catalog at a big ad right up front for their 'recommended' supplement for joint care, but that contains many other ingredients important for overall canine health according to what I've read from other sources. Even on sale it's not cheap, but I may give it a try as Deano is not a young pup, and I want to have as many good, active years with him as I can! :)

[Sue J]

I don't have a working Dobe, but I field trial beagles. In the spring before trial season starts I add chicken and rice to their diet. One of my females gains really easy so I cut her dry food back a little to make up for the chicken/rice. At a trial a beagle will have run for 3-4 hours by the end of the day and this diet has helped our beagles energy and endurance, especially in hot weather. It usually takes about a week for us to notice the change. Some beaglers use NutriCal, which is sold in most vet offices and other places, but I think it's dangerous. Sugar levels can spike very high on that stuff and I've seen beagles literally collapse from it. Of course some of the idiot owners don't bother checking for the recommended doses or discussing anything with their vets, so they end up with a hound in medical crisis.