Why You Should Consider a Natural Dog Supplement
Vitamins are an integral part of an animal’s diet. Unfortunately, food alone isn’t always enough to meet your furry friend’s health requirements. This is where a natural dog supplement comes in.
A study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that a third of dogs are fed dietary supplements regularly. But with the ongoing scientific research about the impact of supplements, it’s normal to wonder if your dog needs supplements.
What are the benefits? Are there any risks? What kind of supplements is good for your dog? Here are some answers.
A Quick Word About Health
All living organisms need vitamins and other nutrients to maintain healthy growth. The body doesn’t naturally synthesize vitamins, and people and animals get them from the food they consume. The nutritional needs of dogs are very specific and include the following.
- Vitamin K: Activates clotting factors, bone proteins, and other proteins
- Thiamin or Vitamin B1: Helps with carbohydrate metabolism and activates ion channels in neural tissues
- Vitamins B2 and B3: Also known as riboflavin and niacin, these vitamins boost enzyme functions
- Vitamin B6: Aids in hormone regulation, red blood cell function, immune response, glucose generation, and nervous system function
- Folic Acid: Responsible for protein synthesis and metabolism
Should You Use Natural Dog Supplements?
There are three main instances to consider adding specific nutrients to your dog’s diet;
Compensating for Deficiency
Sometimes a deficiency may become apparent following a dog’s nutritional status analysis. In other cases, a pet owner might know that the diet lacks a certain nutrient and choose to supplement it rather than change it. For instance, a diet based on raw vegetables and meat but no fresh ground bones likely lacks calcium.
Correcting the deficiency of even a minor nutrient with supplements can greatly impact your dog’s condition. You’ll notice changes like a shinier coat, better mobility, and less dandruff.
Optimizing Nutrient Levels
Commercial dog food contains all the nutrients your pet needs. However, what’s considered adequate may not be optimal for your pup. The minimum daily nutrient requirement simply keeps symptoms of malnutrition at bay. As such, giving a dog that eats commercial food dietary supplements can be good for them. Remember that good commercial food contains sufficient quantities of the major minerals, so don’t add calcium, iron, zinc, and copper without consulting a vet.
Therapeutic or Preventative Supplementation
Another reason to consider supplements for dogs is to optimize the dosage of certain nutrients for therapeutic or preventative purposes. This is particularly beneficial with certain health conditions.
For instance, a dog with joint or hip issues can benefit from corydalis supplements, while extra doses of Vitamin C & E during peak allergen seasons can be helpful to dogs with allergies.
What are the Benefits of Natural Dog Supplements?
Commercial dog food is specially formulated to meet a dog’s nutritional needs. If your dog eats a balanced diet and isn’t exhibiting any health problems, they probably don’t need supplements.
However, dogs with joint, muscle and other health concerns can benefit from supplements. Dietary supplements have so much to offer and can be used to target specific health issues, ranging from shiny coats to joint pain to vision problems.
Natural dog supplements come in a wide variety of formulas and provide several benefits, including;
Provide Essential Nutrients
Despite your best efforts to provide a balanced diet, your dog’s diet may need a boost to provide essential nutrients in bioavailable amounts. Certain fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins are easily leached during the cooking and heating process.
Using supplements can boost the efficiency of your dog’s diet by replacing the missing nutrients. However, be careful when choosing supplements for your pup. The best supplements will replenish and provide optimal support in the smallest doses.
Better Immune Function
A robust immune system reduces the risk of inflammation, osteoarthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. The body automatically regulates cells and ensures they work properly while eliminating potentially harmful pathogens before they become a problem. However, a minor problem in the immune system can open the door to various health problems.
Natural dog supplements boost the immune system and keep it ready to attack pathogens. Combined with a balanced diet and exercise, the supplements will improve your dog’s immune response and ability to fight infections.
Improved Skin and Coat
Many dogs struggle with hair loss and skin irritation, which can result from different factors. Whatever the underlying cause, coat-specific supplements can go a long way toward preventing the onset or spread of skin conditions.
Supplements that contain fish oil, amino acids, or biotin can replenish vital systems and fight various problems — bacterial and fungal infections, lice, ticks, fleas, excessive shedding, environmental allergies, and dry, itchy skin.
Healthy Digestion
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract that carefully monitor harmful bacteria and balance everything from mood to bowel movements. They are popular supplements for both humans and dogs, but their efficiency can be improved with prebiotics and a fibre-rich diet.
Prebiotics stimulate the growth of good bacteria. Supplements containing both probiotics and prebiotics are known as synbiotics owing to their beneficial interaction. Dogs that take synbiotic supplements are less likely to suffer an upset stomach or diarrhea caused by bad bacteria.
Joint and Hip Health
Canine joints become stiff and wear with age. If your pup seems to be struggling to get around or play, supplements provide many benefits to improve mobility. Joint dog supplements contain active ingredients that support joint function.
Chondroitin is vital in preventing cartilage damage and destruction of joint fluid. Keeping the tissue healthy and hydrated, in turn, improves shock absorption, preventing premature breakdown.
Glucosamine supplements repair damaged cartilage while replacing lost joint fluid. As a result, your dog’s hips and joints function without pain. Omega-3 fatty acids help with inflammation and reduce pain, which is too common a problem in arthritic dogs. They also boost the efficiency of chondroitin and glucosamine.
Age Gracefully
As with humans, the dietary needs of dogs change with age. Life-specific supplements help support the dietary needs of dogs in different age groups.
Puppies demand more energy levels, cognitive development and growth. Senior dogs need help with inflammation relief, full body restoration, and help to maintain joint health. Dogs that fall between these two stages need to recharge and recover properly.
A balanced supplement can slow down the effects of aging by providing targeted nutrition from a young age. Consult a vet for recommendations on age-specific supplements to ensure your dog gets what they for a happy and healthy life at every development stage.
Improve Cognitive Development
The best supplements contain antioxidants, which have been linked to improved spatial attention and learning within two weeks. Moreover, an antioxidant-rich diet can help prevent the early onset of cognitive dysfunction onset.
Some of the supplements that aid in overall health and brain plasticity in the long term include vitamin C, vitamin E, co-enzyme Q-10, and L-Carnitine. Combined with balanced nutrition and regular exercise, dog food supplements can slow cognitive aging and keep your dog healthy for a long time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Supplementing
There are many cases where appropriate and intelligent supplementation saved a dog’s life. However, your dog will pay the price if you make mistakes like;
Over-Supplementation
One of the most dangerous mistakes a pet owner can make is over-supplementing with minerals. It’s easy to get into trouble with minerals that the body needs in higher quantities, like copper, calcium, iron, and zinc.
Too much calcium in the larger breeds can lead to the breakdown of the joints, while over-supplementation of copper interferes with zinc in the body.
Antioxidants can change to pro-oxidants in high enough doses and anti-cancer supplements can be poisonous.
The sentiment “too much of anything is poisonous” also applies to dog food supplements, so be aware of how much you’re giving your pup.
Imbalances
Certain nutrients have to be in proper rations; otherwise, imbalances that harm the dog can occur. A good example is the calcium/phosphorus ratio, which should fall between 1–1 and 2–1. An imbalance in these nutrients can cause rickets in young dogs or osteoporosis in aging animals.
Negative Interactions
Many pet owners make the mistake of using dog supplements without consulting a professional. Mixing certain natural supplements with certain medications can result in dangerous drug interactions.
For instance, willow back interacts with aspirin, Rimadyl, and Butazolidin. The result is an aspirin overdose, with stomach and/or intestinal bleeding. Using vitamin E and Digitalis can lead to a Digitalis overdose.
Managing Dog Supplements
You want to get the things that will do maximum good for your dog, which means choosing quality supplements that address their specific concerns.
If you don't know where to start, contact us to learn more. Our supplements are formulated to ensure your dog’s optimal health, and we are happy to address any concerns you have.