There is a lot of pressure on pet owners to feed their four-legged friend a healthy, balanced, and nutritionally complete diet free of grains, gluten, soy, and contaminants – their happiness and health rides squarely on your shoulders! Yet the amount of misinformation available makes what should be a basic concept extremely difficult.
The pet supplement industry is poised to see a marked increase in sales over the next two years as the population of aging ad overweight dogs develop mobility issues, digestive disorders, skin and eye problems, and eventually their cognitive function begins to deteriorate. Already seeing a billion dollars per year, by 2012, experts believe that the canine supplement industry will nearly double to $1.7 billion.
Are Dogs Supplements Necessary?
The answer is ‘yes’, dogs do require supplements in their diet to be healthy.
However, the FDA monitors commercial food to be nutritionally complete so supplementation is not required, it is already in the diet. The only added nutritional supplements required come in the form of, for example, ‘joint formula’ or ‘healthy coat formula’, meaning that extra vitamins, minerals, and natural products are added to the food to help those particular areas of your pet’s health.
Homemade food, on the other hand, has no such monitoring available, often to the detriment of the pet. Many people believe that if they are feeding their dog a homemade diet that it should just be automatically balanced and nutritionally complete. In a society where the average adult has a difficult time feeding himself or herself a healthy yet convenient diet, what makes them think they can feed their pet a nutritionally complete meal?
However, throwing a multivitamin into the food dish is not the answer either!
Are Supplements Dangerous?
They can be and since over supplementing can be just as dangerous as not providing your pet with enough nutrition, they should only be given under the guidance of a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist. Supplementation must be matched to the diet, along with the pet’s individual needs.
Is your pet on medication? Always check with your vet as even an herbal remedy can negatively interact with the medication
Do Dog Supplements Work?
The quick answer is yes, good quality and properly administered dog supplements do work.
The long answer is a little more convoluted and comes back to ‘buyer beware’. The FDA is in the process of implementing as of June 2010 new manufacturing and packaging standards to help guarantee what is stated on the label is actually in the bottle for both human and pet supplements.
What is the Best Way to Add Supplements to your Dog’s Diet?
Supplements that are within the dog’s regular diet are considered the most effective and safest. Overdosing is difficult as most dogs stop eating when they are full, meanwhile fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, and E are easily absorbed and metabolized and due to the FDA closely monitoring dog food, the likelihood that the label matches what is in the food is far greater then many ‘bottled’ nutritional supplements.
Dog Supplements
Antioxidant - Antioxidants help to strengthen the immune system by inhibiting oxidation and protecting the body from free radicals. Common antioxidants are vitamin C, E, Green Tea, Alpah Lipoic- Acid and Glutathione.
Digestive Aids - The misunderstood digestive tract takes a beating in the average dog and yet a good portion of canine disease starts in the gut! Probiotics, ginger, protease from papaya, and cellulase are well known for their positive effects on eliminating waste, absorbing nutrients, and converting food t energy.
Coat & Skin Supplements - A dull or unhealthy coat is usually and indicator that there is something not quite right about your pooch so a broad spectrum of supplements is necessary to see any improvement. These often include flax seed oil, fish oil, solulac, lecithin, dried kelp, silica aerogel, citric acid, rosemary, and calcium ascorbate.
Dental Health - Bad breath is an indicator of poor dental health including abscesses, gum disease, gingivitis, and periodontal disease so dental supplementation includes supporting a healthy mouth but also a healthy immune system. Often these supplements include Co-enzyme Q10, Vitamin C, Green Tea, and Pomegranate powder.
Joint & Mobility - Probably the most common reason people turn to supplements for their pets, healthy joint and mobility formulas treat not only the inflammation of arthritis and other current issues but also help prevent future problems from developing. Most large dogs and all working or high-energy dogs should be on a joint formula from around one year old on. Ingredients can include Glucosamine hydrochloride, MSM, yucca, chondroitin, vitamin E C and Omega 6.
Final Notes on Dog Supplements
Finding information on dog supplements on the Internet that is not advertising means digging through to at least the second page on your search engine. With the first fifteen search results all being advertising based, how do you know you are reading unbiased information with which to base your decision? If a particular brand is recommended, be wary. General information on nutrition and dog supplements should be about the ingredient, not the brand or product.
Supplements are completely necessary to have a happy, healthy dog. What supplements, though, are up to you. Watch for multivitamins claiming to fix ‘everything’ or the ‘one size fits all’ packages – why would a five-pound Chihuahua take the same dose as a two hundred pound Mastiff?
Confused? You are not alone! Feeding a healthy, balanced, and complete diet to your dog is harder then it sounds! A simpler solution? Try a custom dog food such as RedMoon Custom Pet Food. They make the food fresh and with the supplement formulas that you want to give your pet cooked into your unique, single batch kibble and delivered to your door!
