# Vitamin E



## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

Is it necessary to supplement with Vitamin E if also supplementing with fish oil? My dog eats canned salmon about once/week, but I also supplement with fish oil to compensate for her predominantly grain-fed meats the rest of the week. The people I have spoken to are split on the issue of Vitamin E, so I'm looking for more information.

Most human-grade fish oil supplements include Vitamin E, but I'm having trouble finding out whether certain pet-grade fish oils also include Vitamin E. I'm wary about using human-grade fish oil supplements because many of them use additives that are unsuitable for dogs. TIA


----------



## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

If you see Mixed Tocopherols in the ingredients it has Vit E


----------



## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

None of the pet ones I have used have Mixed Tocopherals. Doesn't mean they don't exist, though. I have been supplementing with some Vit. E lately. Soy free.


----------



## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

This one we started using does :wink:

Amazon.com: Life Line Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil for Dogs and Cats, 66-Ounce: Kitchen & Dining


----------



## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

jdatwood said:


> If you see Mixed Tocopherols in the ingredients it has Vit E


So Jon, you decided that on a raw diet your dogs were not getting a sufficient amount of Vit E? How did you come to this determination? Or, did you just go ahead a purchase the supplement?

Liz - do you use Grizzly? There is a small amount of Vit E in their product; about 80-120 mgs/kg (I have no idea how that converts to mL).

I'm really looking for concrete information on why people chose to supplement with Vit E or not.


----------



## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

I sometimes use Grizzly. How did you find out the Vit. E? I searched forever to see if Grizzly had any in it!


----------



## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

I have never supplemented with any vitamins. The only "supplementing" I can be accused of doing is feeding canned salmon once a week. I did give Abby Glucosimine for a few years. I gave her massive doses. Like 3,000mg/2X day. I couldn't tell it was doing any good so I stopped it. She didn't get worse when I stopped. Abby is 11 years old and appears very healthy for her age and the fact she has cancer.


----------



## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

RFD - I'm glad to hear Abby is doing well.



BrownieM said:


> I sometimes use Grizzly. How did you find out the Vit. E? I searched forever to see if Grizzly had any in it!


I contacted them. But like I said, it's a very small amount. The best sources of Vit E are plant-based (especially nuts); although certain fish have appreciable levels of Vit E, the amounts are not nearly as high as plants.


----------



## CavePaws (Jan 25, 2011)

If you're interested in just feeding some egg yolk, it has plenty of vitamin E in it. :]


----------



## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

OK, I think I may have found my answer:

Eat Wild - Health Benefits

Vit E in grass-fed meats are 4 times that in grain-fed, so if you feed primarily grain-fed meats, supplementing with Vit E is a good idea.

CavePaws - ha, yes, Mia gets an egg 1-2/week as well as a few nuts from time to time, which definitely help


----------



## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

SpooOwner said:


> So Jon, you decided that on a raw diet your dogs were not getting a sufficient amount of Vit E? How did you come to this determination? Or, did you just go ahead a purchase the supplement?


We aren't able to feed as much grass fed meats as we would like so we supplement with fish oils. Honest, the E in the one we're buying didn't have any impact on the decision to purchase it....


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

RawFedDogs said:


> I have never supplemented with any vitamins. The only "supplementing" I can be accused of doing is feeding canned salmon once a week. I did give Abby Glucosimine for a few years. I gave her massive doses. Like 3,000mg/2X day. I couldn't tell it was doing any good so I stopped it. She didn't get worse when I stopped. Abby is 11 years old and appears very healthy for her age and the fact she has cancer.


do you think giving her supplements now might help her immune system?


----------



## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

I don't know what supplements will help the immune system.


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

if you like, we can start a new thread and most definitely get some things going....

vitamin c for one.....vitamin a, vitamin e, vitamin k, vitamin d, and a whole bunch of enzymes and minerals....

omega 3's every day...either in the form of real fish, not canned...sardines, anchovies, mackerel...or the equivalent in spray or liquid. no soy.

this is the one i use, http://www.amazon.com/Unscented-Sar...WHIG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301409307&sr=8-1
but the one jon mentioned is also good...

multivitamin with anti oxidants...

if she's eating fine, increase her red meat and fish.....

and if you like, i'll do some more research for you. it would be my pleasure, bill.

i'm sure others will shout out...but as commercial as she is, lew olson has her immune blend, which is chock full of goodies for cancer dogs.....http://www.b-naturals.com/ 

my friend used it on her boxer who had mast cell cancer...and it helped...it is certainly not curative, but it gives a boost...whilst i know that liver cancer is very serious, dogs are living longer than they used to years ago...so are people.....

personally, i'd cut back on chicken and increase rich red meats and fish....but that's me.


----------



## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

magicre said:


> if you like, we can start a new thread and most definitely get some things going....


I'd be interested in a thread of people's experiences feeding a dog with cancer, if ypu'd like to kick it off, Magic.


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

SpooOwner said:


> I'd be interested in a thread of people's experiences feeding a dog with cancer, if ypu'd like to kick it off, Magic.


i kicked, spoo 

http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/dog-health-issues-question/7531-dogs-cancer.html#post78140

i think everyone with any knowledge of cancer dogs should pipe in....


----------



## channeledbymodem (Dec 25, 2008)

I have always found Mary Strauss at DogAware.com: Diet & Health Info for Man's Best Friend to give good, balanced advice. She has information on raw, home cooked and commercial diets that while it leans toward fresh, whole foods is not dogmatic. 

This is what she says about the need to give extra vitamin E when supplementing with fish or salmon oil (in the context of the value of fish oil in helping arthritis):

3. FISH OIL If I were to suggest any single nutritional supplement for dogs with arthritis, it would be fish oil (fish body oil, such as Salmon Oil or EPA oil, not cod liver oil). Fish oil provides omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation. They are beneficial no matter what type of diet you feed. Note that omega-3 fatty acids are fragile and break down quickly when exposed to light, heat or air, so just feeding a food that has omega-3 fatty acids added may not be helpful. Give as much as 1000 mg fish oil (300 mg EPA/DHA) per 10 lbs of body weight daily. *Because fish oil depletes vitamin E in the body, you should also give vitamin E supplements whenever you supplement with oils of any kind.* Give around 100 IUs to a small dog, 200 IUs to a medium sized dog, up to 400 IUs for a large dog, anywhere from daily to once or twice a week.

Every fish oil sold for human or pet consumption contains a little bit of vitamin E as an anti-oxidant preservative because otherwise the oil goes rancid. There is not enough in most formulas to make up for the loss of vitamin E Mary suggests occurs when feeding fish oil on regular basis.

I have used fish oil for my pets for years with very good results in terms of overall health, and coat and skin condition. For convenience and quality I now use Sea Pet's fish oil with Vitamin E. EntirelyPets Discount Pet meds Pet Supplies & Flea Medicine has it for a good price.


----------



## RaisingWolves (Mar 19, 2011)

So does all fish oil deplete vitamin E, or only salmon oil?


----------



## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

RaisingWolves said:


> So does all fish oil deplete vitamin E, or only salmon oil?


From what I've read, all fish oils deplete the body's Vitamin E stores. As an aside, liver oils (including cod liver oil) contain an excess of Vitamins A and D, and are not recommended.


----------

