Supplements are great – but for dogs? Yes! Supplements can actually be very beneficial to your dog’s health.

Just like when you buy a supplement for yourself, it’s important to get supplements that make up for where your dog lacks. Many dogs take supplements for joint pain, skin and coat, gut health, calming anxiety, and more. Here a few commonly used supplements for pups and what they do. 

Multivitamin

Vitamins are organic compounds that are often found naturally in food. Most dog foods claim to be balanced with a number of vitamins, but sometimes your dog can still have vitamin deficiencies. In that case, it’s important to make sure they are getting enough of the vitamins they need with the use of supplements. Just like humans, dogs need vitamins for growth and maintaining health. A few vitamins that dogs need most often are Vitamin E and Vitamin K. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps with cell function and metabolism. If your dog lacks vitamin E, it could end up with eye and muscle degeneration. Vitamin K is another fat-soluble vitamin that helps activate blood clotting. If your dog lacks Vitamin K, and their blood does not clot, that could end up being a fatal problem. Just remember when you are giving your dog a multivitamin, it needs to be specific to what your dog needs.

Fish Oil

Fish oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids which are found in polyunsaturated fats. Dogs, like humans, can’t produce these acids on their own and must get it from their diet or a supplement. Omega-3 acids help to balance out the omega-6 acids that dogs often get too much of with a meaty diet. Giving your dog a fish oil can help support its heart health, joint health, skin and coat, immune system, and kidney disease.

Probiotic

Probiotics are live cultures of “good bacteria” that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The SCFAs help prevent growth of harmful bacteria and disease-causing microbes that could cause problems for your pup. Probiotics help to aid digestion, thus being a great solution for dogs that experience diarrhea. The diarrhea could be from stress, diet, old age, or medications. In all cases, probiotics can be helpful to prevent and stop diarrhea. Just like any other supplement, remember that every dog has different health needs, so make sure the probiotic you are giving your dog has the strain that will be most helpful 

Glucosamine

Glucosamine is a naturally occurring, crystalline compound most often used to alleviate joint pain and arthritis. Arthritis can occur when cartilage begins to wear away and the bones start to rub against each other. This can happen because of trauma or just old age. Glucosamine is a supplement that can easily help to alleviate the pain and discomfort that dogs can get in their hips, elbows and knees due to arthritis. Some dog owners will use this supplement preventatively to keep performance dogs in good condition. With glucosamine, it may take a few weeks to see improvement, so don’t expect desired results immediately.

We can manufacture quality supplements to make sure dogs are getting the best of the best. Contact us today and let’s chat about it.