Why I Don't Follow the Dosage on Supplements
People often ask me how much of a supplement I give to my dogs. And my response is always the same, "it depends." It depends on the supplement and each of my dogs (weighing 55 lbs, 67 lbs, and 80 lbs).
My Theory: my dogs eat a diet
of fresh food and they're healthy. I'm adding supplements boost the health benefits of their diet.
The following are the main supplements I add to my dog's diet along with the recommended dosage, followed by what I give to my dogs. Please note that everything is an estimate and doesn't account for fasting days or occasional breaks from
supplementation.
1 - Daily Dawg: 1 tsp for every 20-40 lbs, once daily
I give each of my dogs 1/2 tsp in their morning meals, five days weekly. One container lasts about 45 days.
2 - Gussy's Gut: 1 tsp for every 10-20 lbs, once daily
I split one tablespoon equally between three dogs in their evening meals, five days weekly. I take one week off per month.
One package lasts about 90 days.
3 - MYOS: 4
scoops daily
I base this supplement on the age of each of my dogs. Zoey is 10 years old and I give her three scoops daily. Apollo (5) gets 2 scoops, and Bella (1) get one scoop daily. I give these to my dogs 5 days weekly.
One package lasts about 45
days.
Other Supplements
Other supplements are given when needed. I always start low, slowly
increasing the dosage over thirty days and monitoring each dog's response. For example, I initially split 1 tsp of Bug Off garlic granules (Springtime Supplements) between three dogs, three times a week.
The recommended dosage is 1 to 3 tsp per very 60 lbs of body weight.
I give less at the start because of the garlic burps. I gradually increase over a three month period (April to June), to give their gut time to adjust.
Trial and Error
I know it's easier to be told what to give to our dogs, but I've found that the recommended dosage can result in using more than is required, and it doesn't acknowledge that every dog is unique.
Diet, health, age, and environment can contribute to how much of a supplement we give to our dogs.
When I'm new to a supplement, I give approximately 1/3 of the recommended dosage and increase over
time.
