Many pet owners today find they benefit from taking supplements, and they want their dogs and cats to experience these benefits as well.
If adding supplements to your furry friend’s regimen has been on your mind but the pet supplement aisle feels overwhelming, here’s a simple rundown of the most common categories of supplements that can support your pet’s health throughout their life:
Multivitamins
Even if you’re feeding your dog or cat the best pet food on the market, chances are they could still benefit from a multivitamin. Commercial pet foods are formulated to be complete and balanced, but a multivitamin can help ensure your pet is getting the best possible nutrition. Pets on home-prepared diets may especially benefit, since even high-quality whole foods sometimes miss key micronutrients. A multivitamin shouldn’t be given in place of a healthy diet. Feed the best food you can afford, and supplement with a multivitamin to fill in the nutrient gaps.
Joint supplements
The time to start a daily joint supplement is now, no matter the age of your pet. The earlier in life they’re started, the likelier they are to help stack the odds in your pet’s favor, particularly if you also help your pet maintain a healthy weight. Even if your pet is approaching their senior years, it isn’t too late. Ingredients like glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid help maintain cartilage and lubricate joints. Ingredients such as MSM, turmeric, Boswellia, and yucca can help ease age-related discomfort and keep your pet active longer.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs)
Fatty acids are required for good health but are not produced by the body and therefore must be ingested. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are among the most commonly used supplements in both humans and animals. Omega-3s for pets are derived mostly from fish oil and flaxseed oil, and omega-6s come from many plant sources. EFAs may help to support a healthy inflammatory response, promote normal circulation and blood flow, and support pets’ heart health, cognitive function, vision, and skin and coat health.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants play an important role in helping to neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals, which are unstable molecules produced by the body during normal metabolic and immune system activity, as well as by external factors, such as stress, dietary deficiencies, and environmental exposures. Free radicals constantly seek to stabilize themselves by bonding to and damaging healthy cells. Antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E; folic acid; zinc; and CoQ10 may help to neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals by protecting cells and supporting long-term health.
Probiotics
The digestive tract is the largest immune-supporting organ in the body, and a healthy gut microbiome is possibly the greatest key to a long, healthy life. Probiotics contain good bacteria that can help support normal gut health when given daily, or get your pet’s gut health back on track after an illness, changes to diet, or stressful events. Probiotics are measured in colony-forming units (CFUs) and work best when given in the billions of CFUs per administration. Probiotics paired with prebiotics, which are carbohydrate-rich, plant-based fibers that feed probiotics, may have the greatest effect.
It’s important to understand that pet supplements are not magic bullets, but they can be a valuable part of a comprehensive approach to pet health, which also includes a high-quality diet, regular exercise, routine veterinary care, and a loving home. Supplements formulated by knowledgeable companies using quality ingredients that will help achieve the desired outcome of maximizing quality of life are the very best choice for this important piece of the puzzle.
