Why do people feed supplements without making sure they are safe.
NEVER feed your lab CLO. (Cod liver oil). Labs do need the oils but only if you and not feeding a balanced feed, ie: complete. If you do feed complete, do not supplement your dog. If you feed BARF the the only fish oil to supplement with is FBO. Fish Body Oils. Better to fee and tin of pilchard, sardines in tomato sauce or salmon. Too many people feed supplements thinking they are doing good.
Vitamins A, C, E are valuable anti oxidants and as such are a good idea for human and canine health. If you feed raw Vitamin A will be amply supplied by liver; Vitamin C is also an excellent anti histamine, anti inflammatory and as it is water soluble can be given to bowel tolerance; useful in growing pups and in times of stress; although dogs synthesise their own, when adult, one can never know if it is enough.
Flaxseed oil is a valuable source of Omega 3s and EFAs however I prefer to feed Fish Body Oil for this purpose as it is active rather than inactive and is from an animal rather than a cereal source; also flax seed oil can cause itchiness in some dogs. ALL diets whether commercial or raw, are deficient in Omega 3s, because meat is grain fed, hence the addition. Again FBO is a great anti inflammatory and is good for brain functin and joints. If you DO feed either of these than Vitamin E is a MUST (read any of the raw feeding books); depending on the size of your dog 200 - 400 iu per day, preferably natural which is indicated by the term d-alpha -tocopherol. Vitamin C around 1000mg per day, garlic a fresh clove each day (internal antiseptic, cleanser, detoxifier, and deters fleas and worms).
Cottage cheese is not really necessary for dogs, as it is a dairy product and most adult dogs are lactose deficient.
ALL diets whether human or canine will be deficient in lots of vitamins and minerals for many reasons. Processing obviously destroys a lot of them (hence why they are put back in commercial diets), the ground that veg and fruit are grown in are mineral deficient from over use. Fruits and veg lose their vitality due to very long storage etc; hence why it is no bad thing to supplement our own and our dogs diets.
Keepers Mix is rich in alfalfa and kelp and both are rich in macro nutrients from the sea/land.
Kay