Top Supplements For Your Dog

It doesn’t matter if it’s a small pup or a grown-up dog; vitamins are very important for rigid bones, a healthy body, and resting composure. Many people take a lot of supplements like vitamin C and multivitamins whenever they feel sick. Similarly, you can do this for your pets because everybody wants their pets to live a longer and healthy life. But dog owners must worry about extra supplements whenever their dogs are diagnosed with any health risk. Experts suggest that if your dog is healthy and fine, there is no need to give your dog supplements, as their diet would include every nutrition they require to live. Many commercial dog meals have the nutritions that any dog requires, and owners would tend to search about apprehensive profits related to their pet’s food. 

The requirement of additional vitamins and supplements becomes apparent when your little pups grow into older adults. And after a few months, they tend to generate health problems. 

Following are the issues they tend to develop as they age:

• • Joint pains
  • Coat problems
  • Weight loss
  • Cognitive problems
  • Gastrointestinal issues
  • Inflammation issues

Experts also suggest talking to your dog’s vet before giving it any supplement. Every dog has different tendencies and requirements. Some dogs need supplements in a large number whereas, some require in very small quantities. Some vitamins are greatly harmful to your dog, so it is always wise to consult your veterinarian beforehand. For instance, if you are feeding them too much calcium, it can cause skeletal issues, or if you are feeding too many vitamins, it can end up in dehydration, blood vessel issues, and joint pains. Also, several supplements have herbs, and in others, they contain medication, which may include side effects. A vet would know these side effects and explain them to you to make sure you take proper precautions. 

Here are a few things to look in a supplement before purchasing

• • Trademarks that are specialized in a certain arena or their products are clinically proven.
  • Products with lot number lists, which implies that the company pays special attention to qualities. 
  • Products which have contact essentials, so that you can enquire about everything you want to know. 
  • Research about the ingredients and look for the products which have them. 

Providing supplements to your pet can help in boosting their quality of life and health. But it’ll be more appropriate if you consult your vet because they will always help you decide what is good for your pet, their requirements, and the duration of the supplements. So, we have shortlisted a few available supplements for your dog and information regarding the particular supplements. 

Multipurpose Vitamins 

Dogs require the same vitamins that we need to stay fit. According to research

 vitamins:

• •  A: accounts for vision growth increases immunity and helps in growth
  • B: various types of vitamin B performs different functions, for example, thiamine (helps in increasing metabolism), pantothenic acid (assists in energy restoration), and folic acid (helps your dog to make proteins itself or mitochondrial protein synthesis)
  • C: Dogs can produce their own vitamin C, which plays a role in antioxidants.
  • E: assists in fat metabolism and cell function.  
  • K: helps in blood clotting. 

All of these vitamins are crucial for your dog’s food. In addition, various multivitamins consist of such nutrients, which will be able to keep your dog’s fur soft and glossy and athletic as they grow old further. 

Glucosamine Supplement

Glucosamine is an organic nutrient that originates from cartilage which gives joints port. Experts say that glucosamine assists in removing the after-effects of arthritis, I.e., curing pain and keeping them active as they grow old. So if your pet is becoming dull and slow while running or jumping or facing problems while running, you should consider a glucosamine supplement. 

Well, there are cons of Glucosamine too. The name makes it pretty much apparent that it has sugar in it. Sugar-based supplements can be toxic for them, as they can end up in your dog having diabetes. Amalgamated Glucosamine frequently originates from shellfish crusts or is prepared in the lab. Dogs who have shellfish allergies might want to avoid them as they can be harmful to your dog.  

Fish Oil 

According to research and studies, fish oil has fatty acids, which might improve your dog’s fur quality and gloss. If you constantly find your dog scratching, fish oil can always come to the rescue. It has anti-inflammatory characteristics, making your dog’s skin a little less itchy. Several fish oils also have omega 6, which is responsible for the regeneration of ceramides (fat particles that assist the skin restricts its moisture) and grow cells in the skin. Experts suggest that whenever you are looking for oil supplements, make sure it has DHA and EPA.  

Probiotic Supplements

these supplements are living good bacteria and yeast, which helps in digestion and improve intestinal health. Dogs mostly face problems with their stomach; experts say that these supplements reduce the threat of gas, diarrhea, and constipation. But sometimes, false dosages might end up in digestive problems like diarrhea, and they also need to be stored in a refrigerator. A handful of probiotics, unfortunately, have short expiration dates compared to other ones.  

Antioxidant Supplements

According to Specialists, these supplements provide advantages to dogs like indications of aging like cognitive impairment and memory loss. They might also assist in curing heart disease and reduction of rashes. However, ensure not to overdose your dog with antioxidants because it’ll always end up in your dog getting sick. 

 Immunity Supplements

Immunity-providing supplements are getting well known among pet parents. A lot of such supplements have other nutrients for dogs, like probiotics and antioxidants. Supplements that have probiotics help in digestion, other than providing immunity.  

Eye Health Supplements 

Exactly like humans, dogs also have vision issues when they start to age. The research found out that several antioxidant supplements might protect and enhance visibility in dogs. Such supplements have lutein, fatty acids, etc., which will also protect the dogs’ eyes to reduce the threat of cataracts and sun damage.    

 What factors should you keep in mind before purchasing any dog supplements?

Here are few things that you must keep in mind before buying supplements for your dog (again, ask your vet before getting anything):

• • Remember your dog’s weight
  • Recall if your dog has any allergies 
  • Look for the ingredients in those supplements on the packet. 
  • Purchase the ones with detailed information.  

Other than this, people usually ignore their dog’s diet, but if you are giving your dog supplements, all you have to do is pay attention to what your dog eats every day. You must know the ingredients in the packed dog food and figure out the nutrients absent in their diet (if your dog eats homemade food). If your dog is getting enough nutrients through homemade food, it is unnecessary to put them on supplements. Unnecessary supplements can make your dog sick. Please make sure the brand you are purchasing is legitimate. Look for things like lot numbers (as mentioned before, it shows the quality of the product) and regulation stamps. Also, look for expiration periods and storage orders. For example, almost every supplement comes in pills or chew form to offer it to dogs. Yet, many of them come in different shapes and sizes, which you should store by various means.  

Conclusion 

Just like in a human diet, sometimes dog’s diets lack essential nutrients. But supplements can be harmful if not taken properly or overdosed. So, all you have to do is a little bit of research and consult your vet. Yup, it has been mentioned a couple of times because it is an important point in choosing supplements. But, no matter how much we research or study it, the vet’s opinion on this will always matter as they know what’s best for the little pal. So, consult a vet before getting any supplements.