Vitamins and Food supplements for Huskies, Malamutes and other Sled Dogs

There are a few vitamins and food supplements that seem to suit huskies, malamutes and other sled dogs particularly well. These tend to be products which either contain or mimic elements of their 'natural' diets (i.e. the kinds of foods availiable in cold Arctic regions, and the vitamins and minerals present in such foods). Of these, among the most important would seem to be Fish Oils,, Kelp or Seaweed, vitamin C and Zinc.

There are some excellent producers of supplements for dogs and other pets, such as Dorwest Herbs who have a large range of herbal, mineral and vitamin supplements. We ofetn give our own dogs human grade supplements from the Nature's Aid range, which we have found to be good value, especialy bought through

Omega 3 and Fish Oil

Many Siberian husky, Alaskan malamute and sled dog owners add Fish Oils to their dog's diet. A 'Northern Diet' would be naturally rich in fish oils, and sled dogs seem to benefit greatly from their addition.

Many owners who show their dogs supplement their diets with fish oils - often salmon oil - and will testify to the vast improvement in softeness and shine in the coat after a couple of weeks. Try Fish 4 Dogs Salmon Oil , or Healthy Hounds Scottish Salmon Oil . It has recently been suggested that high levels of omega 3 may be especially important in the formation of various tissues, particularly optical tissues, during gestation and early months of the Sled Dog's life.

Fish oils are available in capsule or liquid form. Most huskies and sled dogs are quite happy to eat the capsules as if they were 'treats'. We give our own huskies Natures Aid Salmon Oil Capsules and Natures Aid Fish Oil Capsules. For fussy individuals, a teaspoon of oil mixed in with food is recommended. If you are going to mix fish oils in with other food, it is much easier to buy the liquid in bottles rather than to try and empty individual capsules into food.

Fish oils should always be of high quality and from fish sourced from cold, deep waters. Bottled fish oil has the advantage that it can be easily dispensed and mixed with food, so if your dogs don't like to eat fish oil capsules, this may be the best way to buy it.

Fish Oil Capsules provide a really simple way to give your husky or sled dog fish oils. There is really no mess or measuring doses involved, and the dogs pretty quickly get the hang of eating them; our own huskies love them, and line up in front of me waiting to 'give me a paw' in exchange for their daily treat!

Vitamin E

We feed Fish Oils together with a Vitamin E supplement, such as Dorwest Herbs Wheatgerm Oil Capsules. As with fish oil tablets, we find that our dogs will happily accept these as 'treats'. If your dog refuses the capsules, Bottled Wheatgerm Oil is available and can be added to their food. Vitamin E helps prevent the fish oil from turning rancid within the body. Vitamin E is also necessary for maintaining a healty nervous system, and also promotes healthy skin and coat.

Flaxseed Oil

Flaxseed oil is another good source of Omega 3, which can be taken instead of, or along-side, fish oil supplements. We would tend to lean towards fish oils if a choice between the two had to be made, simply because they are a more 'natural' element in the diets of Huskies and northern breeds. While we tend to give fish oils on a more frequent basis, we do give our dogs flaxseed oil perhaps a teaspoon once or twice a week. As with fish oils, flaxseed oils should be cold pressed and of high quality.

Zinc

Zinc naturally occurs in very high quantities in the 'Northern Diet', in fish, crustaceans, seaweeds etc. Zinc Deficiency is a common ailment of Sled Dogs today, as complete pet foods often do not contain the levels of zinc they require.

Zinc Deficiency manifests as Zinc Responsive Dermatiosis (ZRD) in many huskies and sled dogs. This is a skin condition that primarily affects areas of the face and head, particularly the muzzle, ears and around the eyes where hairloss occurs and red, scaly patches of skin develop.

ZRD can usually be cured very quickly and easily by including a zinc supplement in the dog's diet. Many husky owners in the UK use a vetinary medicine called ZINCADERM. Other simply purchase chelated zinc supplements intended for human consumption. These are widely available from health food suppliers, usually in 15mg tablets, of which owners would generally give an adult Siberian husky one per day. (As always, do check with your vet before giving your pet any medication).

Adding a kelp supplement is another way in which you can increase the zinc levels in your dog's diet. Kelp Powder added to your dog's food is an effective way to provide additional Zinc, as well as a host of other beneficial nutrients. Half to one teaspoon a couple of times a week should be enough for most adult Siberian huskies, and is an effective preventative measure in most cases, acting to 'top-up' zinc levels in the dog's diet before problems occur, or to prevent relapse.

Kelp

Kelp and other green food products are recommended by advocates of BARF and Raw Food Diets, as they are said to provide a range of nutrients that are not only useful in themselves, but also support and enable the absortion of a wide range of vitiamins and minerals in the wider diet.

We also give our huskies an additional kelp supplement, either half a teaspoon or so of powdered kelp, such as Dorwest Kelp Seaweed Powder mixed in with food, or a simply a kelp tablet from a regular health food supplier. They get this every couple of days, especially in the colder months when they are exercising more. The huskies we know to be prone to low zinc levels get a regular dose of kelp all year round.
Perhaps most significantly, kelp provides zinc in a form that is easily absorbed into the dog's system.

We give our huskies a general green food supplement as a supplement to their (raw) diets, giving one teaspoon once or twice a week, mixed in with mince to disguise the taste. We use Barden's Greens or Dorwest Herbs Easy Green Powder

Other Food Supplements

Honey is something some owners give their huskies and sled dogs on occasion. In particular it is felt that Maunka Honey can be beneficial to health.
Every week or so we give our dogs a meal of natural yogurt, mushed up fruits and a spoonful of manuka honey, which they seem to enjoy.