If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! This is week seven of Fenrir’s 12 Week Plan and it’s all about supplements. You may already be familiar with supplements: Your doctor may have you taking these and your vet can also prescribe or recommend dietary supplements for your dog.
There are many different kinds of supplements. There are supplements for joint health, skin health, multivitamins, the possibilities are endless. It can be overwhelming, so we want you to live by one rule: keep it simple. Stick to what has been proven to work and make the best of it.
You should always check with your vet before starting your dog on any supplements. If they have an underlying health condition, it may make it worse. However, your vet will work with you to find what supplements are safe and beneficial for your dog.
You also need to watch out for those claims that are “too good to be true” as they often are. Supplements that claim to cure a serious illness such as parvo should be passed over. Those claims are as outlandish as they are untrue. Supplements are meant to do just what the name suggests: They supplement your dog’s health and aren’t going to be a magic cure-all.
Human supplements may not be fit for your dog either, so make sure you talk to your vet about safe and reputable brands for your dog. Supplements for humans may include things like Xylitol that are toxic for animals.
So, with the warnings out of the way, let’s get into it! We’ll take a look at some more of the common and proven supplements that may benefit your dog.
Health Supplements for Your Dog
There are many health supplements out there on the market that help to treat a variety of ailments. We’re going to take a look at some of the most common below. We’ll go over what they treat and what forms they come in.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin
This is the most popular and most well known dog supplement around. You’re probably most familiar with its brand name Cosequin. This supplement is for joint health and it’s often prescribed to older dogs. However, it can interact with some other important medications, so be sure to get vet approval first.
So, what exactly does it do?
Glucosamine and Chondroitin are both important components of joints. Glucosamine is naturally found in the fluid around joints and chondroitin is found in the bones and cartilage. By taking this supplement, your dog’s joints can be strengthened and less prone to injury. It can even help in treating the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.
It comes in many different forms as well, so there will be one right for your dog. You can get it as a pill, powder, treat, or even liquid form!
Fish Oil
Fish oil is another very popular supplement for dogs. Especially those with dry skin or allergies. The omegas found in fish oil are used to help with eye and brain health and these are vital to heart and lung function as well. There haven’t been too many studies done on this in dogs, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt them, when sticking to the recommended dosage.
However, because the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil help with the skin, that’s what many vets recommend it for. These fatty acids can help to repair damaged or irritated skin. Some vets also recommend it as a supplement for joint health as well, because it fights inflammation such as that seen in allergies.
Most often you’ll find this supplement in pill form.
Antioxidants
These are another supplement that is popular among both dogs and humans. You often hear about fruit such as blueberries being high in antioxidants and that it’s important to have enough in your diet. The same can be said for your dog.
They’re thought to help fight the ageing process by slowing memory loss and cognitive dysfunction, but that isn’t all this powerful supplement can do. Antioxidants are also used to treat heart disease and inflammation in our furry friends.
Perhaps the most common thing you’ve heard about antioxidants is that they help protect the body from free radicals. What are free radicals? They’re unstable atoms in the body that can lead to damaged cells which can speed up the ageing process and cause illness.
You’ll mostly find these supplements in pill form, but there are other options out there as well.
Probiotics
Most of us are very familiar with antibiotics. When you get an infection, your doctor will prescribe them to help fight off the bacteria causing it. “Anti” means “against or opposed to”. So, probiotics are the opposite. They are “for” or “in favour of” bacteria.
Why would you be in favour of bacteria?
Some bacteria are beneficial such as what is found in the digestive tract. Those bacteria help to digest and process food. When they are thrown out of balance whether by disease or some other problem, it can lead to stomach upset, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
If you’ve got a dog with a sensitive stomach, probiotics may be able to help by introducing new and supporting already existing bacteria in the gut.
This supplement comes in many forms such as capsules, chews, powders, and even specially formulated dog food!
Vitamin Supplements for Your Dog
Health supplements are only some of what is available on the market. There are vitamins and multivitamins as well. We’ll take a look at some of the more common ones below and see what part of your dog's health they support.
Vitamin A
Many of us have been told by an elder that vitamin A will improve your eyesight. That isn’t true, but what is true is that vitamin A supports eye health. It is also responsible for growth, immune function, and cell function. It’s often prescribed to older dogs for the eye benefits, but they can certainly benefit from the extra immune boost.
Vitamin B
There are many B vitamins and they all are very important. The one you’ll see most often listed on your dog’s food is thiamine. It helps with energy and metabolism regulation. Your dog’s body cannot make this essential vitamin on its own, so it has to come from their food source or a supplement.
Other vitamins in this group include riboflavin, B6, and folic acid. All play a big role in the body functioning properly. They support things such as enzyme function, nervous system function, and protein creation.
Choline is often lumped into this group of vitamins. It isn’t actually a B vitamin, but it does have a similar structure. It’s important for brain and liver function. It’s also sometimes used to help treat epilepsy in dogs.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is best known for boosting the immune system, but did you know that it’s also an antioxidant? It helps with inflammation and fights those free radicals that are responsible for the ageing processing. This supplement isn’t normally needed by dogs, because their body can produce its own vitamin C, but it may be needed in certain cases.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin.” This is because the body uses the sun to create it. All your dog would have to do is go outside to get some for free. Not all bodies are created equally though and your dog could need an extra boost in the way of a supplement. Vitamin D is important for proper growth and bone health, because it helps the body balance minerals such as phosphorus and calcium.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is important to maintain eye, muscle and reproductive health. It’s also a free radical fighting antioxidants. It helps to fight the ageing process. That’s not all! It also helps with cell function and the metabolism of fats. This vitamin plays so many roles in the body, so it’s important to make sure your dog isn’t without it. A lack of vitamin E can lead to muscle and eye degeneration along with other problems.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is responsible for proper blood clotting. Without it, wounds won’t heal properly and internal haemorrhaging can occur.
Conclusion
That concludes week seven of our 12 week challenge! You’re taking some big steps and making some serious progress with your dog and their health. With this knowledge, you can start the conversation with your vet and see what supplements your dog can benefit from.