The Husky Squad loves their natural supplements.
Best Supplements for Dogs
Over-supplementing is unnecessary, and just overwhelms dogs with supplements that they don’t need. Low-quality sourcing will end up doing more harm than good.
The supplements that we give our pups are carefully selected to help them deal with modern-day food production problems, and to give them superdog tools to live a long, healthy, thriving life.
WHAT SUPPLEMENTS CAN’T FIX IN A DOG
In case you’re new to Husky Squad, I’ll share our philosophy about nutrition. When our Kimahri was diagnosed with cancer in January 2018, we took a holistic approach to her recovery by consulting an integrative holistic veterinarian.
As part of her recovery protocol, the vet prescribed a raw food diet, explaining that real food plays a critical role in the overall health of dogs. We took that advice to heart and quit kibble for the entire Husky Squad.
It took Kimahri only 28 days to recover from cancer. Her tumor shrank daily in front of our eyes, and then disappeared! The Husky Squad has been on a raw food diet ever since.
Supplements are exactly that: supplements. The solid foundation is a natural food diet. No amount of supplements can ever replace a healthy diet, which is what ultimately has the biggest impact on the health of our dogs.
If you want to take the plunge to feeding a natural diet and don’t know where to begin, our online course Kibble to Raw will coach you through the entire process and help you transition with ease. Unfortunately, it’s not nearly as simple as just buying steaks at the supermarket.
YOUR DOG COULD BE EATING LIKE THIS
...and it's easier than you think!
WHY DO WE GIVE SUPPLEMENTS TO OUR DOGS?
We began providing most of these supplements to the Squad under the guidance of our holistic veterinarian during Kimahri’s cancer therapy. He wanted to give her body the tools to fight off cancer from within. There are two main reasons why dogs need these supplements:
- Modern food production issues. When wildlife hunts and eats in pristine environments, there’s no need for supplementation. Unfortunately, modern agriculture is filled with problems such as pollution, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. These issues, combined with nutrient depletion in the soil and the distances food travels, mean that food alone is unfortunately not enough. Dr. Peter Dobias goes deeper into this subject on his blog.
- Healing, maintenance, and prevention. The remaining supplements on this list address special needs such as fighting cancer or treatment for joint injuries. Once we achieved recovery, we decreased the dosage and frequency for maintenance and prevention.
SOURCING IS OUR #1 PRIORITY
The sourcing of supplement ingredients has been one of our biggest concerns. With concerns like Fukushima contaminating the Pacific Ocean, and companies sourcing the lowest-quality ingredients from any part in the world (very often without disclosing the countries of origin), sourcing is a serious matter.
We’ve always been on a mission to find the most reliable suppleness for the Husky Squad. We’ve done extensive in-depth research and reading, and feel absolutely confident in the sourcing of all of the products that we recommend here.
THE NINE SUPPLEMENTS WE GIVE THE HUSKY SQUAD
1. ESSENTIAL OMEGA-3
This is an absolutely essential supplement for dogs. Because dogs don’t eat a wild diet (which provides enough omega-3), they end up lacking this essential nutrient. Omega-3 is critical for brain function, skin and coat health, and joint health. It’s also anti-inflammatory and anti-aging, and helps to prevent dementia.
No matter what route you take for providing omega-3, you need to be incredibly careful with sourcing, which is a particular problem when it comes to this supplement. You might have figured out by now that sourcing is our biggest concern, and we can’t endorse any brand when we don’t know or trust where its products come from. That’s why we so highly recommend Icelandic Salmon Oil and Safe Sea Omega-3, both of which you’ll find in our Amazon shop.
Icelandic Salmon Oil
Safe Sea Omega-3
2. PROBIOTICS
Probiotics are fantastic! They help dogs heal the gut and build great microflora. Dogs require specific strains of probiotics, so human probiotics aren’t suitable. Here are two dog-suitable options:
Raw fermented goat milk
Fermented goat milk is a great source of probiotics, and works for dogs who are sensitive to cow dairy. Goat milk is much easier to digest, and the fermentation provides live active probiotics. We began using this during Kimahri’s holistic cancer therapy so her gut could quickly adjust to her new raw diet. Our vet prescribed the brand Answers.
Probiotic supplements
While the raw fermented goat milk remains in our feeding rotation for our dogs, we now use probiotic supplements on a regular basis.
Fermented Goat Milk
Dr. Dobias Probiotics
Probiotics + Prebiotics
3. TRACE MINERALS
A well-sourced combination of trace minerals provides a safety net to fill in the gaps left by modern food production. These minerals promote better energy levels, improved mobility, better nutrient absorption, and gentle detoxification. They also boost cell, gland, and organ function. Greenmin is our current favorite!
4. MULTIVITAMIN
Remember how modern food production leaves gaps in trace minerals? It does the same thing with vitamins. A properly sourced multivitamin made with real vitamins (not synthetic ones) remedies this and offers great preventive care for your pup.
Super Essentials Minerals
Dr. Dobias Vitamins
5. JOINT SUPPORT
Here are two supplements that we use to help support our dogs’ joint health:
Homemade bone broth
While Tidus was going through his second ACL injury, our holistic vet prescribed homemade bone broth to speed up the recovery process. We actually used the same recipe to help Jc recover from a knee injury!
It’s important to prepare homemade bone broth. Animals store hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals in their bones, so only use bones from organic animals, preferably grass-fed and pasture-raised.
Get our uniquely formulated homemade bone broth recipe below.
Joint supplements
As our pups get older, caring for their joints is vital. We still give them homemade bone broth, but we rotate between that and a joint supplement. We especially love having a fantastic joint supplement on the road during our travels.
Fera Pet Joint
EASY BONE BROTH RECIPE
The simplest, healthy, homemade bone broth recipe for both you and your dog.
6. ORGANIC BERRIES
Listing fruit as a supplement may surprise you, so let me explain. We feed very little fruit to the Squad, because carbs (including the natural sugar in fruit) are problematic for dogs. If you’re a member of our Kibble to Raw community, you’ve already read about this in depth! Organic berries are the only fruits our dogs receive, so we consider them a supplement.
Whole organic berries are an incredible source of antioxidants and vitamins. Stick to organic/pesticide-free berries, because conventional berries are heavily sprayed with chemicals. The cons of conventional berries will likely outweigh the benefits.
When in season, fresh berries of any kind are fantastic. We go for strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. As an option when they’re not in season, stores like Costco carry organic frozen berries for great prices all year. If you want to share a special treat with your pups, prepare a natural yogurt berry parfait.
7. CURCUMIN
When Kimahri was diagnosed with cancer, I began reading about natural healing while waiting to be seen by our new holistic vet. The profound healing abilities of curcumin showed up over and over in my reading, so I started supplementing her diet with it. Once we met our vet, he wanted her to keep taking it. The entire Squad now takes it for cancer prevention and fantastic anti-inflammatory benefits. Heck, it’s so amazing that even Jc and I use it now!
Homemade curcumin paste
This is our favorite method of curcumin intake! It’s a super easy homemade recipe which ensures optimal bioavailability and contains ingredients we source ourselves. Get the recipe below.
Curcumin supplement
Premade curcumin bites are fantastic to have as backup and during our travels. We’ve used this brand successfully for years because their formula has all the required components for proper nutrient absorption. (And the Husky Squad thinks it’s delicious, too!)
Curcumin Bites
GOLDEN PASTE RECIPE FOR DOGS
An easy homemade turmeric recipe; the perfect bioavailable turmeric supplement.
8. ORGANIC COCONUT OIL
Organic, cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil (preferably in a glass jar) has many benefits and uses. We use it externally for skin care, allergies, dental care, dry paws, and much more. Internally, as a supplement, coconut oil’s benefits include gentle detox, antibacterial functions, and extra energy. It’s also an important component in our homemade curcumin paste. Want to know more about how we use coconut oil? Drop us a comment below this blog!
Read Dr. Karren Becker’s article about coconut oil benefits here. We tend to rotate this into the Squad’s diet as part of our homemade curcumin paste. An important note: coconut oil does not replace the critical animal based omega oil requirements mentioned in this blog.
Coconut Oil
9. ACTIVATED CHARCOAL
We keep this powerful natural medicine with us both at home and in our emergency kit. If a tummy upset isn’t an emergency, organic activated charcoal can be the perfect solution.
Stomach upsets often occur due to ingesting something that’s not agreeing with the body. Activated charcoal is a natural remedy that helps bind and expel the toxins, and alleviate the associated digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea.
As an example, Tidus ingested a slightly toxic toad. After verifying with a local vet that it wasn’t an emergency, we gave him activated charcoal. This helped him detox, and alleviated his vomiting and diarrhea quickly. Jc and I have personally used activated charcoal when experiencing painful food poisoning. It helps tremendously!
NOTE: Due to the powerful binding and detoxifying abilities of activated charcoal, research proper dosing. Don’t give it along with food or other supplements, since it interferes with nutrient absorption. It’s a powerful natural medicine and should be used with caution and care.
We prefer using organic activated charcoal in powder capsule format, not tablets.
Organic Activated Charcoal
CLOSING THOUGHTS ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS
The process of introduction instead of elimination
I always recommend introducing new things gently, whether it’s a new exercise, a new protein source, or a new supplement. Taking a gentle approach allows for necessary adjustment periods and often brings glitch-free success. If you overwhelm your pup with too much of too many things too fast, you will likely need to work your way backwards to figure out what went wrong.
I recommend starting your dog on one supplement at the time, with 1/8th of a dose. Slowly increase the dose over the course of a couple of weeks. Once the first supplement is successfully introduced, repeat the process individually with each of the remaining supplements.
I also tend to rotate supplements. Sometimes I give some supplements a break for a week or two, then rotate them back into their diet. I don’t give our dogs all of their supplements in one meal.
We’d love to know whether you give any of these supplements to your dog, and whether our list of the best supplements for dogs is helpful! Please share your experiences and thoughts in the comments section below.
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I am so excited to start this program. I have already started with some of the supplements. Thank you so much 💗
Hello! Me and my husband are so glad we found your videos and website. We went researching after we put down deposits for 2 Siberian Husky puppies. We can’t wait to pick them up! We’re doing all we can to learn what’s best for them and how before they come home. From exercise to proper tools to the food we give them, we’re learning all we can so we can have the happiest, healthiest fuzzy family members! On that note, is that a specific age when the raw diet can and/or should be started? Your beautiful babies are full grown but we’ll be starting with 9-10 week old pups. We are interested in your kibble to raw program but we weren’t sure if we could start right away or not? The breeder is currently feeding all her pups Purina dry with Purina canned. She even alerted us that the pups might have loose stool. I hate hearing that but I’m confident if we do what’s right, we’ll get the pups where they need to be for their diet and supplements. Thank you for any help you can give us. All our love and hugs to you two and the squad!
So appreciate your loving approach to good nutrition and health for The Squad. Something to note about the pet brand supplements you mention–they are so expensive. Human grade brands for just about everything from goat milk to spirulina to pre and probiotics are so much less expensive and perhaps of higher quality.
Hi V, I live your videos and always learn something new. I have been feeding raw for quite some time and have been using premade raw vs making it myself. I really want control of all ingredients and make myself but there is a hesitation about putting it all together. I am really interested in your raw recipes not your transitional program since we already are 100% raw. Can you do a show on premade which includes HPP? Think about a raw recipes module? I also have issues of my dog being a picky eater even on raw. Have you experienced this?
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
I just want to mention I am just newbie to blogs and actually enjoyed this page. Probably I’m planning to bookmark your website . You certainly come with beneficial articles. Many thanks for sharing your blog site.
Its such as you read my thoughts! You appear to know so much approximately this, such as you wrote the e book in it or something. I feel that you just could do with a few percent to power the message home a little bit, but other than that, that is wonderful blog. A fantastic read. Ill certainly be back. Selestina Gothart Behlke
We are excited to start this journey with a new husky pup. Your website is a great source of encouragement, knowing how well you love and care for your pups gives me the confidence to follow in your foot steps. As we look to being intentional about giving our pup the best and healthiest start, it also is encouraging us to rethink what we feed ourselves and our children. We’re looking forward to getting the whole family a little healthier, right along with our new pup. 🙂
I have a 4 month old husky puppy. Is there any foods or supplements you recommend for him? Or what age is best to start giving supplements and switching to a raw meat diet? He has a leg issue where one is smaller and tends to hurt but vets say he’s too young to get surgery any supplements to help? I really want to make sure he’s getting the right nutrition.
Reading this post is a great way to wait the last hours for your great course. I already give some of the suplements that you mention here, I give Runa Omega 3, organic coconut oil, berries that we love, and other suplements that we give her is spirulina and seaweed Ascophyllum Nodosum (I think they are in one of dr dobias product as well).
I haven’t gave golden paste yet because it didn’t suit with some illness problems she had in the past, but know I will make it, I’m so happy to do it because I use turmeric in my food and I know it’s great for her too. We also used gutsense from dr dobias for a moth, this is a great product, here it’s dificult to get their products but I hope to try also the minerals and vitamins from him because even my siberian beauty eats healthy natural food she has some lacks of elements such as zinc, and b vitamins, so I hope to include them soon and this helps us with some health problems she is having.
Thanks so much for sharing all this valuable knowledge with all of us.
My best wishes and love to all of you ♥♥♥♥♥