I have a 6 month old Australian Shepherd puppy. He has not been neutered. I am looking for a supplement to keep his immune system healthy. I have him on Pet Guard vitamins now and Taste of the Wild salmon dog kibbles. I feed him a canned puppy food mixed in sometimes – no grain or by products in it. I do not feed him wheat, rice, grains in his food or treats. He gets good table scraps like a piece of fish, cooked chicken, berries, bananas, etc. – not a lot, just a bite while we are eating. He is not overweight – weighs about 45-48 lbs. He is not ill – I just want to keep him healthy and keep his immune system in good condition, but I do not want to overdo the supplements and cause something. I lost his father to spleen hemangiosarcoma recently and I thought I had fed him the right things, so I want to do all I can to get this puppy in good health. I was looking at Thorne’s Immugen for the immune system – there are so many out there, but I am familiar with some of Thorne’s products. Would you please recommend a product that would keep my puppies’ immune system healthy and if you think the Taste of the Wild is a good kibble for him.
Thank you.
Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Taste of the Wild is an excellent dog food for your growing dog. The additional table food is also a good choice to help balance the diet. For a growing puppy that is on a well balanced diet I usually do not recommend a vitamin supplement due to an excess of calcium causing skeletal problems. The calcium-phosphorus ratio should be 1.2 to 1 and Vitamin D supplementation can cause demineralization of bones if improperly elevated.
The best way to keep your dog healthy is an optimal well-balanced whole food diet, minimize the vaccinations to core only. Once he has received his yearly booster have him receive 3 year boosters from then on. Minimizing his contact with topical flea and tick preventatives if possible should also help maintain liver health. Immugen by Thorne is a very good immunity supplement and I would start it after about a year old. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA