A High Paw-formance Supplement (The Missing Link Wellness Blend Canine Formula)

Member Name: FourPaws

Product:	The Missing Link Wellness Blend Canine Formula
Date:	31/08/09 (150 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A good all-round supplement for general over all wellbeing

Disadvantages: £18 per packet. Doesn't help with joint problems as claimed.

*What is the Missing Link Wellness Blend Canine Formula?*
This multipurpose food supplement for dogs is produced by the Missing Link Company who specialise in producing various supplements to help aid in the health and maintenance of cats and dogs. This Canine Formula is, of course, their offering for domestic dogs.

*The product itself*
I have owned dogs my entire life- right from when I was a kid and we had a family dog, all the way up to now when I own my two gorgeous mutts, Grace and Benson and ever since I have been old enough to take an interest in the care of dogs, canine nutrition has always been something that I fascinates me.

Years ago, when I was a kid, our scruffy little terrier use to be fed the scraps from the butchers shop that my father owned, and, admittedly he lived to a very ripe and healthy old age, but now, having the sole responsibility of two dogs of my own, I am rather obsessed with ensuring every little aspect of their diet is as well thought out and planned as can possibly be.

I feed them a premium dry complete food as the base of their diet and then they get plenty of little extras added in on a rota basis to provide them with different tastes and textures from all the food groups, but even so, I am still not entirely happy with commercial pet foods, so I like to give them various supplements to make sure they are receiving everything they need to stay healthy- much like a mother might give her child a vitamin tablet or omega 3 and calcium supplement.

One supplement I have been using with them for the past year or so is the Missing Link Wellness Blend Canine Formula, which is a dry granule style supplement, designed to be fed daily to help enrich the diet of your canine friend.

The product has been produced based on the fact that in the wild, dogs would only eat raw, whole and fresh food whilst domestic pets eat a diet consisting mainly of processed commercial pet foods, therefore The Missing Link Wellness Blend has been formulated to target the nutritional gap between your dogs natural diet of raw, natural foods and his 'pet' diet of processed kibble feeds.

It is made with all natural human grade ingredients with no fillers, preservatives or artificial colours or flavourings and if fed daily, claims to support intercellular health, a healthy digestive system, normal cholesterol levels as well as having many other key benefits including aiding in the general health and well being of your dog, promoting a healthy skin and coat, increased energy levels, quicker recovery after surgery or illness, less shedding, reduced allergies, reduced pet odour, less scratching and itching and lastly, reduced joint pain and stiffness, especially in older or large breed dogs.

It can be fed to all dogs over the age of 6 months and is suitable for all types, breeds and sizes, although it is recommended that you consult your vet before feeding to dogs who are taking medication or have a known condition or illness.

*Packaging*
The Wellness Blend comes packaged in a gold foil packet that features a blue sticker giving full details about the product and directions for use. Handily, the packet can be resealed, helping to keep the supplement fresh even after opening. Of course, contact details of the manufacturers of the product are also supplied.

*Price & Availability*
I have yet to see the Wellness Blend stocked in any offline pet shops although it is widely available across the internet.

I purchase our Wellness Blend for the dogs from Canine Concepts (www.canineconcepts.co.uk), where a 454g packet will set you back £18.

*My opinion*
Due to the fact that Grace and Benson would quite happily eat absolutely anything that is put in front of them, I need to give their meals considerable planning and consideration to make sure they are not consuming too much of one type of food and not enough of another, meaning they therefore miss out on vital vitamins and nutrients.

I like to try and include some of the foods that a dog would eat in the wild- they get raw beef and offal at least once a week, but I obviously can't recreate a complete 'wild' diet to my two domestic kept pets so the Missing Link supplement helps me, well, bridge that missing link in their diet.

I first came across the supplement whilst browsing online towards the middle of 2008, and after being impressed by the long list of benefits it claims to have, I ordered a packet to try with Grace and Benson, and we have been using it ever since.

At £18 for a small 454g packet, it initially seems very expensive but it is worth noting that the product is infact very good value for money- you only need to fed a small pinch of the food to your dog daily, less if you own a small breed- this means I have only brought two packets of Wellness Blend in the last year, and that is with owning two large dogs who receive the supplement on a daily basis.

The supplement is easy to administer and the dogs aren't fussed by taking it at all. Their morning meal is always just kibble alone, so I simply sprinkle a pinch of the Wellness Blend over their breakfast and they gobble it up without a second thought, I don't think they even realise it is there. On the occasions I have forgot to add it to their food however, I simply sprinkle a pinch straight onto their tongues or mix it in with a small amount of canned dog food, and they are happy to take it either way. To the human nose, the product is pretty much odourless, which is always a good thing!

Now, I can say a million and one good things about the product but of course what you REALLY want to know is ''does it actually work?''. Well, I am pleased to say yes, I honestly think it does. Of course, there is no sure fire way to tell if these supplements are actually improving the long term health of your dog, but I really do feel that both Grace and Benson are getting an awful lot of benefit from the Wellness Blend.

Firstly, the claims that the product helps with digestion, is one that I can safely say is true. Benson, bless his heart, use to suffer with the typical male problem of flatulence! However, since receiving this supplement, he has had no problems whatsoever, and neither has Grace who sometimes used to suffer a stomach upset if she ate her food down too quickly.

Their general condition has also definitely improved, their coats are glossy, they don't smell (but then again, they never really did), their skin is both healthy and supple, they don't itch and scratch and overall, they are two very happy and very healthy dogs in peak condition and I believe the Wellness Blend does play a part in this.

Lastly, Benson is around 4 years old now and considering the Bernese Mountain Dog has a heartbreakingly short lifespan of just 8 years, this now means that Benson is officially classed as middle aged and he does occasionally suffer with sore, stiff joints, especially if he has done a lot of heavy exercise or in the immediate time after he has woken up from a sleep. This is where I have been somewhat disappointed with the Wellness Blend- it claims to help stiff joints but unfortunately, I can't say I have noticed any improvement with Benson at all, his condition has only started to improve since I started him on another supplement that targets joint problems specifically. I do hope however, that the Wellness Blend can help to maintain the young healthy joints of Grace, and minimise the risk of her getting problems as she grows older.

All in all, a very good supplement that helps to support the health and well being of your pet in many different ways. Whether it is worth £18 or not, I'm not quite sure but either way, it is a product I am happy to use with both Grace and Benson for the foreseeable future and I am very happy with the results it has achieved.

Summary: A tad on the expensive side, but it still gets a paws up from me and the furry monsters.