Supplements and Your Dog

This post is dedicated to supplements. There are a lot of different supplements on the market for joint health, digestive health and other integral parts of your dog's daily life. Learn which supplements can be beneficial for your dog and at which life stage you should consider introducing them.

***Always ask your veterinarian before introducing ANY vitamins or supplements to your dog's diet!***

Joint Health

Though more common in older and large-breed dogs, any dog can suffer from joint disease, which is caused by weakening of the connective tissue, muscles, and ligaments around the joint bones. The effects of this can be made worse by overfeeding, injury, or overexercise in puppies. Genetics is often a cause as well.

Symptoms of joint disease include limping, pain during activities such as running or jumping or awkward gait, such as the bunny hop run where dogs appear to jump rather than run with their back legs. Traditional treatments include surgery and pain killers, but many supplements are also available to reduce symptoms.

One of the most common joint supplements is glucosamine, which is often paired with chondroitin to reduce inflammation and repair connective tissue in your dog's joints. Glucosamine is a major sugar that forms and maintains joint cartilage, and chondroitin inhibits enzymes that can damage the joint tissues.

Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements can be found almost anywhere, including your local grocery store. Many owners report results from these supplements, but other owners claim better results from more expensive supplements. The course you choose will largely depend on your dog's response to the supplements.

However, glucosamine and chondroitin supplements aren't always effective, especially if there is significant joint damage. It can also take several weeks to see the effects whereas prescribed painkillers often take effect immediately.

Digestive Health

One of the simplest and most effective remedies for poor digestion is to administer probiotics to your pet. Probiotics are  supplements comprised of different kinds of friendly bacteria. The ingredients in them may vary from brand to brand, as do the methods of delivery. For instance, probiotics may come in capsule, paste, liquid, or tablet form. They may even be included in some brands of commercial pet food, although this is not considered the best source since, according to some studies, certain brands do not contain the amount or even the kind of probiotics that are stated on the labels. For this reason, supplements are considered the more effective way to go.

If your dog suffers from diarrhea, constipation, or other digestive ailments, adding a simple probiotic could be the answer.