Beauty isn't something on the outside. It's your insides that count! You gotta eat green stuff to make sure you're pretty on the inside.

Favorite Things > Green Food Supplements

Lucas checking out the new green stuff

I've been learning about green food supplements for dogs. Green food supplements are made primarily from seaweed, kelp, alfalfa, spirulina and blue-green algae. These supplements include whole foods such as bee pollen, flaxseed, garlic. Green food supplements provide protein, minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, essential fatty acids, chlorophyll, etc.

Seaweed or sea vegetation is approximately 25% protein and rich in trace minerals. Kelp is a cold-water, brown marine plant high in minerals and contains vitamins A, B, E, D, K and iodine. Spirulina is a complete protein containing all eight essential amino acids and it the richest plant source of vitamin B-12. Like spirulina, blue-green algae contains essential fatty acids and chlorophyll which is loaded with beta-carotenes. Alfalfa is considered an herb and whole food with calcium, magnesium, potassium, carotenes, chlorophyll and vitamins E and K.

Why am I adding green food supplements to my border collies' food? Because I feed variety and rotate, these supplements give me peace of mind. I am not worried about over supplementing because the ingredients are whole foods (unprocessed and unrefined). Minerals which are inorganic elements stay in the body for 12 hours and any excess are naturally eliminated.

This 1 lb. bottle of Seameal will last a long time!

See the green foil seal on the lid? It caught my eye, too, so I contacted 

Solid Gold via email to ask about these enzymes in Seameal.

Hmm...I've heard of this ProZyme stuff before.

Ad Circular for ProZyme

Solid Gold confirmed they use ProZyme (TM)
 - the same product sold in the red & white bottles!

Joint Support + Green Food

BCs were on Longevity (Springtime Inc.) for the past year and

currently, they are getting Seameal (Solid Gold) with NUPRO now.

Lucas: Can we play now?!

Here's a quick look at the ingredients of our favorites along with recommended and wish list of other green food supplements too.

Longevity/Springtime Inc.: Bee Pollen, Spirulina, Beef or Pork Liver, Yeast Culture, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine HCL, MSM, Ascorbic Acid, Citrus Bioflavonoid Complex, Diatomaceous Earth, Hesperidin , Kelp, Sea Salt, and Biotin. * Longevity is also a joint supplement (see Favorite Things).

Seameal Powder/Solid Gold Health Products for Pets: Dried Seaweed Meal, Flaxseed Meal, Dried Lemon, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Product, Pineapple, Lactose. 

Berte's Green Blend Sea Vegetation Minerals and Vitamins/B-Naturals: Dried Sea Vegetation, Alfalfa Meal, Blue-Green Algae, Spirulina Powder, Iris Moss Powder, Foenugreek Seed, Anethol-Fennel, Lemon Peel Powder, Garlic, and Dulse Powder. 

Wholistic Sea Blend/The Wholistic Pet: Proprietary blend of certified organic, geothermal-dried Kelp (Species Ascophylum nodosum & Laminaria digitata). ** The Wholistic Pet makes other single-source green food supplements: Wholistic Alfalfa Powder and Wholistic Spirulina.

When the dog bites/When the bee stings/When I'm feeling sad/I simply remember my favorite things

We all have favorite things for ourselves and of course, our dogs. If you are so inclined, please take a look at the new Favorite Things page - a running list of items: tried & true favorites, recommended, wish list. Expect it to evolve. We'll kick it off with....

Joint Support Supplements

There are many good reasons why my border collies benefit from joint support supplements. They are very active dogs - indoors and outdoors. Though they do not compete in agility, flyball, disc or herd sheep, they move just like athletes (run, jump, start/stop, turn quickly, etc.). After strenuous exercise, they are sore and limp around for a few hours or days. Josey, more than Lucas, will also show stiffness in her limbs. Osteoarthritis? No. Well, maybe not yet.

This is where I believe supplements are extremely helpful (in addition to rest periods). Table below lists joint support supplements I've given to my dogs and a couple of new ones to try. We've had excellent results with all but prefer powder over tablets (simply add to food every day for maintenance & load up (double) as necessary). Rotating between different brands & formulations makes sense, too.

I look for three key ingredients: Glucosamine HCL or glucosamine complex, Chondroitin Sulfate & Methyl Sulfonyl Methane (MSM). Powder forms are made with flaxseed, bee pollen, spirulina, kelp, garlic and yeast providing an array of whole foods w/ naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Tablet forms contain fillers (dextrose, cellulose, silicone dioxide) and flavorings. More expensive or advanced supplements contain these ingredients: Perna canaliculus (green-lipped mussel), Dimethylglycine (DMG), Hyaluronic Acid and manganese. Dosage amount will vary per product & weight of the dog. Dosage amount shown is per day for a 40 lb. dog.

____________________________________________________________________

Product                       Form          Dosage          Glucosamine     Chondroitin     MSM   

/Manufacturer                               Amount           HCL                   Sulfate                       

NUPRO Silver           Powder      1 oz.                500 mg              Unknown       300 mg

/Nutri-Pet Research                     (≈ 3 tbsp.)

Longevity                  Powder       8 g.                 398 mg              398 mg           398 mg

/Springtime Inc.                           (≈ < 2 tsp.)

Joint Health               Tablet         2 tablets          500 mg              350 mg           600 mg

/Springtime Inc.

HylaSport                   Powder      5 g.                 750 mg              500 mg           500 mg

/PupSup Products                        (≈ > 1 tsp.)

Missing Link Plus      Powder       2 tsp.              334 mg              Unknown        Unknown

/Designing Health

GlycoFlex II               Tablet          1 tablet          750 mg              Unknown        500 mg

/Vetri-Science

Run Free                   Powder        1 scoop         800 mg              800 mg           800 mg

/The Wholistic Pet                         (≈ 1 tbsp.)

_____________________________________________________________________________

Notes

Vitamin C may be considered "controversial" in joint supplements so here is more info:

* NUPRO Silver: Ester C 300 mg;  Glucosamine is a proprietary "complex"

* Longevity: Vitamin C 198.95 mg, Citrus Bioflavonoid Complex 198.95 mg 

* Joint Health: Ascorbic Acid 250 mg, Citrus Bioflavonoid Complex 200 mg 

* HylaSport Canine: Vitamin C 75 mg; Hyaluronic Acid 10 mg 

* Missing Link Plus: No Vitamin C  

* GlycoFlex II: No Vitamin C; Perna canaliculus 600 mg, DMG 100 mg, manganese 10 mg
* Run Free: Calcium Ascorbate 150 mg

These supplements come in every price point. A favorite BC rescue recommends Trader Joe's Glucosamine Chondrotin for Dogs - $9.99 for 100 chewable tablets (Glucosamine HCL 250 mg/tablet, Chondroitin Sulfate 200 mg/tablet, no MSM). Liquid joint supplements are also popular but I have not tried any yet. If you are a stickler about quality of the ingredients, testing and auditing of products, purchase from manufacturers who are members of the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC).

Disclaimer

I am not a veterinarian. I do not have any formal training in any medical field. This information is not meant to replace a vet's advice or prescribed medications. My only intent is to share experiences with supplements based on my research and my dogs' conditions.

To open a shop is easy, to keep it open is an art.

Customer Review > Launder Dog

Launder Dog
2600 Alta Arden
Sacramento CA 95825
(916) 979-9274

We happened to be in the area when we visited Launder Dog. We found the location to be a little tricky, a nondescript old strip mall with a tiny front parking lot (but you can park behind the building, too). Their website recently said they are closed on Mondays in August & September to save energy, research new products and develop new services. I'm intrigued! Launder Dog will open 7 days a week in October with expanded Monday hours. On this visit, we purchased a couple of items:

• 13 oz. can Evangers Super Premium Cooked Chicken @ $1.35 each
• 13.2 oz. can Pinnacle Trout & Sweet Potato @ $1.50 each (sale)
• 20 oz. box Wellness WellBars (yogurt, apples & bananas) @ $7.99

I noticed a large selection of Natura Pet products at LD and asked Pamela: What do you think of the Natura Pet sale to Proctor & Gamble? She chuckled, replied: Now that is a very good question. She proceeded to say (I'm paraphrasing here): Launder Dog may continue to carry Natura Pet products and they'll be happy to answer any questions about it. This is the part I like best from her response: Meanwhile, I tell my customers to save the ingredients list from the bag as well as the proof of purchase. Next time they purchase the same bag of dog food they need to compare the ingredients of the new bag with the saved list. Customers need to do their homework, too.

It was an honest answer. It was notably different from the other responses I received. Most independent retail stores were quick to dismiss Natura Pet after the sale to P&G; their existing products placed immediately on clearance racks or removed from shelves entirely.

Bottom Line: Launder Dog is a neighborhood store but it's not in my neighborhood. They carry a wide selection of dog foods, treats, supplements and toys from companies I like. They stock the entire collection of The Honest Kitchen. Like their namesake, they provide self-serve washing and professional grooming services for pampered pooches. Residents who live nearby are lucky and LD has frequent "raffle ticket" games on their Facebook page. I'll most definitely stop by in October to see what's new and exciting at LD. I may ask a fellow blogger to be a guest reviewer!

If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.

Customer Review > Incredible Pets

Incredible Pets

5030 Folsom Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95819
(916) 451-1199

Incredible Pets - a local chain with 4 locations. I’ve shopped the Carmichael and East Sacramento locations; the latter being the newest. It is a complete pet store (dogs, cats, small animals, birds and reptiles) set-up like a grocery store with a check-out line in front. I didn’t speak with an owner or store manager on my recent visits; just the clerks, Kathryn and Vicki. To reward their customers, IP has a coupon game IncrediBucks on their website ($1.00 off next purchase) and loyalty card (receive 10 points for every $1.00 you spend; accumulate 2,500 points to earn $5.00 gift certificate).

IP sells almost every brand of natural, holistic and organic dog and cat food under the sun:

• Canidae
• Wellness
• Solid Gold
• Chicken Soup for the Dog
• Eagle Pack
• Acana
• Merrick
• Natural Planet Organics
• Nature’s Variety
• California Natural
• Innova
• EVO
• Pinnacle
• Natural Balance
• Evangers
• C & P Organix
• Newman’s Own Organics
• Sojos
• Tiki
• Primal
• Premium Edge
• Merrick Before Grain
• Taste Of The Wild
• Orijen
• First Mate

I love that they stock both Sojos and The Honest Kitchen – my two favorite brands of dehydrated raw food mixes in the same store! They also have a section of free dog and cat food samples. Stuff I've purchased in the past:

• 30 lb. bag Taste of the Wild Wetlands Canine @ $42.99
• 13 oz. can Evangers Super Premium Cooked Chicken @ $1.49 each
• 13 oz. can Natural Balance Chicken and Rice @ $1.59 each
• 13 oz. can Natural Balance Beef and Rice @ $1.59 each
• 13 oz. can Natural Balance Liver and Rice @ $1.59 each
• 120 tablet bottle Excel Enteric Coated Aspirin for Dogs @ $8.99
• 4 oz. bag Dogswell Biscuits with Benefits (cranberry & apple) @ $3.49
• 2 lb. bag Sojos Grain-Free (Fruit & Veggies) Dehydrated Raw Food Mix @ $13.99
• 16 oz. bottle Natures Miracle Stain & Odor Removal @ $6.99

Bottom line: The East Sacramento IP location has all my favorites: Acana, Natural Balance, Sojos, The Honest Kitchen and Nature’s Variety. Prices on their dry and wet foods are comparable to another local chain I frequent. I consider IP my main source for raw foods - frozen and dehydrated.  If headed in this direction, I make a point to stop by. Also, IP links page is handy for doing research on companies.

Note: Thanks for reading my customer reviews of independent retail stores especially if you're local. The value [to you] will be apparent later on, I hope. Around the Dog Bowl has a plan so keep visiting!

There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.

Customer Review > Corner Pet

Corner Pet
All Natural Wellness Store, Salon & Center
9332 Elk Grove Boulevard, Suite 100
Elk Grove, CA 95624
(916) 686-9699

Corner Pet is literally the corner of a new retail complex. I drove a distance to visit this place and spent more than an hour talking with Tommy and Sheryl (owner). This is the best independent retail store I’ve visited to date. Not a place for amateurs. If you know the difference between good & bad dog food, this is worth a special trip.

Corner Pet carries many brand names in natural, holistic dog foods (Canidae, First Mate, Grandma Lucy's, Happy Dog,  Now!, Nature’s Variety, Orijen, Premium Edge, Sojos, Taste of the Wild, The Honest Kitchen, Wellness, Ziwi Peak). They host classes on canine massage, T-Touch, healthy pet food and home cooking. Recently, holistic veterinary services were added their repertoire. Corner Pet partners with Meridian Veterinary Care to make it easy for customers with scheduled appointments to see a licensed veterinarian at the store! It is truly a one-stop place that I'm gonna have to try: buy food, get a bath & see the vet!

Tommy was very helpful, knowledgeable about ingredients, brands, manufacturers and their different  processes.  He suggested food options (dry and raw) to include in my rotation. I even received free samples of Stella & Chewy's raw patties (duck & chicken).

Sheryl talked about her business philosophy, supplements and herbs. I asked her about natural alternatives to buffered dog aspirin for occasional flare-ups to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. She recommended two options: a liquid herbal nutraceutical “Pet Pain Formula” by Amber Technology and a chinese herbal tablet “Comfort Aches” by Herbsmith. After reading each product’s specifications, I selected the liquid for immediate, short-term use and I recognized one of the herbal ingredients, valerian root, as a natural sedative. It also contained additional herbs to soothe the digestive tract. I purchased a couple of items:

• 7 lb. bag Great Life (dry, grain-free, potato-free chicken formula) @ $25.97
• 1 oz. bottle Amber Technology Pet Pain Formula @ $30.76

Lucas sniffs out the new stuff

Bottom line: While prices are marked up quite a bit and there are no price tags on their stuff, Corner Pet is a go-to place for unique and hard to find items. What caught my eye? Products by Solid Gold, Wysong and Bach Flower Remedy. Staff knows their stuff and they cater to a specific clientele - the well-informed, enlightened.  Sheryl said a revamped website and fall class schedule will be up soon. I emailed Corner Pet to say Thank you and they replied with a 20% coupon for my next visit!

In business you get what you want by giving other people what they want.

Customer Review > Western Feed & Pet Supply

Western Feed & Pet Supply

2137 Golden Centre Lane

Gold River, CA 95670

(916) 851-1820

Western Feed & Pet Supply is a local chain with 5 locations selling supplies for dogs, cats, small animals, birds and horses. I’ve shopped at the Sacramento (original) & Gold River (newest) locations. Gold River is where I go twice a month; it is smaller, brighter and cleaner compared to their 34th Street store. Roger Britton is the Manager - he's friendly, approachable and knowledgeable about his products. Selection is top notch. Here’s a list of items I’ve purchased in the past year at WF:

• 29.7 lb. bag Acana Pacifica (dry grain-free fish) @ $59.99
• 29.7 lb. bag Acana Wild Prairie (dry grain-free turkey, chicken) @ $52.99
• 28.6 lb. bag EVO Turkey & Chicken Small Bites @ $54.09
• case (12/13.2 oz. cans) EVO Beef @ $19.89
• case (12/13 oz. cans) Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish @ $17.59
• case (12/13 oz. cans) Natural Balance Potato & Duck @ $17.59
• case (12/13 oz. cans) Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison @ $17.59
• 13.2 oz. cans Merrick Cowboy Cookout @ $2.15 each
• 13.2 oz. cans Merrick Working Dog Stew @ $2.15 each
• 13.2 oz. cans California Natural Salmon & Sweet Potato @ $1.72 each
• 13.2 oz. cans California Natural Chicken & Rice @ $1.48 each
• 4 lb. bag Mother Nature Scooter & Friends Biscuits @ $9.19 (sale)
• 4 lb. bag Mother Nature Moose’s Munchies Biscuits @ $9.99
• 14 oz. bag Northern Biscuit Wheat-Free LiverLicious @ $8.49
• 14 oz. bag Northern Biscuit Grain-Free Duck & Papaya @ $8.49
• 14 oz. bag Northern Biscuit Grain-Free Bison & Blueberry @ $8.49
• 26 oz. bag California Natural Health Bars Lamb & Rice @ $6.79
• bag (six 2” bones) Primal Raw Beef Marrow Bones @ $7.69

Dog food prices are competitive and brands plentiful: Acana & Orijen (both made by Champion Pets), APD, Artemis, Dr. Harvey’s, Avoderm & Pinnacle (both made by Breeders Choice), Natura Pet Products (California Natural, EVO, Innova, HealthWise, Karma), Sensible Choice, Natural Balance, Taste of the Wild. Roger said WF will think long and hard about whether or not they will continue to carry Natura Pet Products. This is a big deal for me.  Look at all the Natura items I’ve purchased!

I love WF's dog toy selection – Tuffy’s Toys, Jolly Pets Tug-N-Toss Ball, Kongs, Chuck-It, NylaBones, etc. Classic dog toys! Supplement brands include NUPRO, Ark Naturals, Dr. Harvey’s and California Natural. One particular item that I have my eye on is Dr. Harvey’s "Veg to Bowl" (dehydrated raw food mix); 2 lb. bag @ $12.99. It is very similar to Sojos Grain-Free Fruit & Veggie mix. WF also carries a new brand of freeze-dried raw food by Vital Essentials made in Green Bay, WI.

Bottom line: Western Feed is next door to my grocery store and I like the convenience! This place has everything I need for Josey & Lucas including grooming and first aid supplies. They stock new items frequently so every visit is a new experience. WF carries purchases to your car; plus, they'll special order items or transfer items between locations for you. The dog & cat artwork inside is also pretty cool, colorful - it always puts me in a good mood!

Remember brick walls let us show our dedication.

My dog food journal

Yesterday, I briefly described my dog food journal. This plain black & white composition notebook also evolved into tracking food intake and noting observations. There was so much information to sort out – daunting, discouraging like a brick wall. I was determined to figure this out as government regulations and pet food makers were no help at all. I’m talking about standards by USDA, FDA, AAFCO and label claims like “complete & balanced,” “formulated to meet nutritional levels,” “natural & holistic,” “organic ingredients,” “human-grade ingredients.” Seriously, what does it all mean? Even the authoritative publication for veterinarians Small Animal Clinical Nutrition (Michael S. Hand et al) seemed elusive to the typical pet owner. With help from dogzoomies and others, I think I sorted through the mess and compiled my go to web resources to follow the pet food industry:

• The Whole Dog Journal
• The Dog Food Project
• Dog Aware
• Dog Food Advisor
• Dog Food Chat
• FDA - Animal & Veterinary/Pet Food
• The Truth About Pet Food

I will not tell you how to select better dog foods (resources above already do an excellent job) but I’ll share what is working for us: feed variety and rotate foods. This means I provide a variety of protein sources plus water, fresh foods and supplements. The base of this feeding method is high-quality dry food and on a 3-day or 5-day rotation, I simply add “toppers” to the dry food. No matter what toppers I mix with the dry food adding ¼ cup to ½ cup of water is a must. Toppers include wet (canned) food, home-prepared cooked foods, home-prepared raw foods, commercial frozen raw foods, dehydrated raw food mixes, and other fresh foods. To change it up, I will feed cooked or raw meals exclusively.

This method of feeding gives me flexibility with a monthly budget and it is easy to do, especially if you are already preparing meals for yourself in the kitchen. Convenient. Fresh foods have moisture, enzymes, natural vitamins, minerals and trace elements that processed dog food lacks. I never run out of food because I always have something in the refrigerator or freezer that the dogs can eat. Josey & Lucas (and my foster BCs) look forward to each mealtime and devour everything in their bowls.

The border collies eat twice a day – morning & evening – which suits their active metabolisms. They get ½ cup to 1 cup of dry food per meal (1 to 2 cups per day) – depending on their weight, activity level and the season. This means I tend to feed less than the guidelines printed on the bag. On average, I rotate to another dry food of a different protein every 1 to 3 months (i.e., fish → turkey or chicken → venison or beef → fish, etc.). Although I have favorite brands of dry food, I always ask myself: What is the current condition of each dog? What is the kcal/cup of the dry food? What is the guaranteed analysis of % protein, % fat and % carbohydrate? What are the ingredients?

Notes on ACANA Pacifica dry food

To keep Josey & Lucas lean at 40-45 pounds, I aim for 1,000-1,100 total calories per day (dry food + toppers + supplements + treats). Sometimes less, sometimes more. Their activity level can be characterized as active; they exercise 3-4 times per day for 30-60 minutes per outing. This does not include indoor & backyard playtime.

Of course, all of this is highly dependent on the weather. We’ve noticed they put on weight in the summer because hot weather (with overheating, exhaustion, poor air quality, etc.) limits the amount of exercise. Lucas can’t stand anything over 80 degrees and Josey no longer tolerates the heat as much as when she was younger. In fall/winter, exercise doubles because we all love, love, love cold, wet weather.

brochures of dehydrated raw food mixes

wet (canned) food labels

This post is just a snapshot of how I feed and what I feed. How do I sum it up? Three words: Variety. Rotation. Flexibility. Must be doin’ something right ‘cuz Josey & Lucas are healthy, strong, beautiful. We often receive compliments from passers by.

Future posts will detail our favorite dry foods, supplements, toppers, fresh foods, etc. Hope you are intrigued and you keep visiting us!