Thread: Raw/Barf diet

Originally Posted by Coalfire

Since I have not seen it mentioned I thought I would put in a note of caution about Cod Liver oil, it should not be fed to Pregnant bitches in the first 2 tri mesters, it can cause the bitch to abort, thats what I have read anyhow and I do know of breeders who were using it and were having problems and when they ceased bitches held the pups.

Greg

[FONT=Times New Roman]Thanks for mentioning that Greg….excellent point![/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]I totally agree with that comment and as well as absorption or aborting of the whelps it can also cause birth defects and as such I actually don’t reintroduce Cod Liver Oil back into my pregnant females diet until 10 days before her due date…..after which time she will then have Cod Liver Oil supplemented on a daily basis: and especially throughout lactation………….as this is crucial for a good rich milk supply and for the needs of her growing puppies.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Another thing well worth mentioning re Cod Liver Oil is that you do need to take care when using it in a general diet......as unlike Vitamin C which is a water soluble vitamin: (meaning that there is no danger of feeding to excess as it can be excreted easily from the body)…..whereas Cod Liver Oil contains two fat soluble vitamins: A & D.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]When reading thru the symptoms of Vitamin A toxicity….they read to be almost the same as those of Vitamin A deficiency!
Then Vitamin D itself is the most toxic of all the vitamins and there is a very narrow gap between the actual nutrient requirement and a toxic dose….for instance as little as 5 times the recommended dose over a prolonged period will cause problems like calcium deposits etc. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman]So it's for this reason I tend to only feed Cod Liver Oil on a weekly basis (even though many diets advocate the feeding of it daily): I prefer to find other natural sources of A & D if requiring extra amounts of those vitamins…….(except as I already mentioned above: whereby I feed it daily during lactation etc).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]Also because Vitamin D is synthesised in greater amounts by the body when our dogs are exposed to sunlight……it’s for that reason that I break my once a week rule in Winter......& so I then tend to feed Cod Liver Oil twice a week during those months.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]As you can see with Cod Liver Oil……as it is with many supplements: it can be a veritable mine field and so care should be taken! eeeekkkkk![/FONT]