When Should You Start Giving Your Dog Supplements

Many pharmacies and grocery stores are stacked with supplements. There are so many options available for not only us but also for our dogs. We consume supplements every day as a part of our daily routine so shouldn’t our dogs take advantage of this too? Dietary supplements range from heart health to joint stiffness, arthritis, coat care, and digestion. Giving your dog supplements have shown many benefits to their dig owners.

Many dogs supplement Australia such as MSM, glucosamine or chondroitin are easily available and largely consumes by dogs.  These supplements improve joint health and provide flexibility, strengthen cartilage and joints and reduce inflammation with natural relief. Many dogs need supplements as soon as they stop growing up. The breed of the dog and the weight also play an important role in dietary supplements.

So if you are wondering when your dog needs supplements, don’t wait for them to limp around and have a very hard time hopping the couch.

This is the right place to answer all your questions related to dog supplements!

PREVENTION

Prevention is better than cure. You don’t have to sit and wait around for your dog to limp around and then start giving them supplements. The symptoms can be as small as your dog not being able to jump or hop on the sofa. For joint health, it is very important to be proactive. It is very important and essential for your dog’s health to start giving them supplements in their junior years. When your dog is younger the supplements help them to produce enough of the proteins to prevent any further problems.

The body’s ability to strengthen joint and build muscles decreases as the body does not produce enough essential protein for them. Not producing enough protein leads them to a ton of joint issues like hip and elbow dysplasia, arthritis and many more. With the help of these supplements, your dog will have a happy healthy life with less joint issues that can harm them in many ways in the future.

Here are some signs that your dog may need supplements:

• Having difficulty in sitting down or standing up
• Excessive panting
• Joint swelling
• Favoring one leg

DEPENDS ON THE BREED

The breed is a very important factor in deciding when to start giving supplements to your dog. Early and severe symptoms of arthritis, joint inflammation and elbow, and hip dysplasia are very common in the early ages of the following breed. These breeds should be given supplements as early as twelve months old as their bodies stop growing in one year. This may look a little early but they show very early signs of joint pain and prevention is better.

• American Staffordshire Terrier
• Chowchow
• Bloodhound
• Great Dane
• Basset Hound
• Bernese Mountain
• Catahoula Hound
• Neapolitan Mastiff
• Chesapeake Bay Retriever
• Pug
• Dachshund
• Shih Tzu
• German Shepherd
• Golden and Labrador Retrievers
• French bulldog
• Pit Bull
• Norwegian Elkhound
• Old English Sheepdog
• Rottweiler
• Saint Bernard

WEIGHT

Obesity can cause a ton of problems in both humans and dogs. Obesity and being over-weight is completely unacceptable. Obesity is the root cause of joint issues. This might sound harsh but being over-weight is completely unacceptable. An obese dog decreases his quality of life by his over-weight. When your dog is becoming over-weight, that’s when you should take him to a vet and come with a solution.

When there is a lot of weight to carry on the dog’s legs. The extra weight is forced for the legs to carry and the weight causes pain to the legs. When while walking the dog’s legs are painful, they prefer to sit and not walk, this causes more obesity as they become inactive.

Just when you start to notice your dog gaining weight, take him to a vet and start a proper healthy diet and exercise. Supplements are necessary but they can’t do miracles, only losing weight will get him relief from pain and not cause further issues.

Supplements can’t provide relief from being obese and over-weight. So a healthy diet and exercise become very important.

SOME COMMON SUPPLEMENTS

Fish Oil

The most common supplement for dogs is fish oil as it contains omega-3 fatty acids. Fish oil helps with shine and improves the quality of the coat and prevents skin allergy. Some research may say that this helps with heart health and joint pain reduction. They also claim to treat arthritis and reduce inflammation. 

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are also very common supplements for a dog’s health as they help with inflammation and provide treatments for heart diseases. They protect the body against harmful molecules that can harm cell membranes. They help with fighting free radicals and convert food into energy. These are also great for cognitive dysfunction. Some of them are also even great for side effects of aging like memory loss. Antioxidants are very common for dogs.

Glucosamine

Glucosamine is the most common and popular supplement available for dog’s health. It is very effective in treating arthritis and has very little to completely no side effects to it. They even help improve mobility and relieve joint pain. Glucosamine even helps with reducing pain and increasing mobility in dogs. These come in forms of treats, powder, and pills. This is basically an amino sugar and is found around the joint naturally and helps build cartilage. They are usually taken out of shellfish’s shell. These can also be made in the laboratory. This is the most common and important supplement for your dog.

Probiotics

Probiotic is also very common in a dog’s supplement and is found in the form of yeast naturally in the body. They help with intestinal health and digestion. They can solve any digestive problems and even treat diarrhea. Probiotics are being used in an increased amount not only for humans but also for dogs. These come in the form of capsules, powder, chew-bones and even in form of yogurts.

HOW TO CHOOSE A SUPPLEMENT

Now that you know how important providing supplement for your dog is, following are some ways you can choose a supplement according to your dog:

• When choosing a supplement, make sure the number of active ingredients in the supplements is enough. Compare the number of active supplements with different brands. Many brands that are low in quality and are usually cheap have a very less quantity of the active ingredients. Active ingredients are MSM, Chondroitin, and Glucosamine.
• When buying supplements for your dog, make sure they have a mix of active and beneficial ingredients. Don’t go for one of the active ingredients rather try to buy a supplement that has all of them. This will be a little bit more expensive but it will surely be more effective and way more beneficial for your dog’s health. So make sure to spend money on a well-rounded supplement.
• When buying supplements for your dog, make sure you check the manufacturing method as it plays an important role in the nutrition value. Glucosamine tablets are made with manufacturing methods including high heat and heat destroys nutrients so keep this in mind and check the method. Cold-pressed manufacturing methods may be more expensive but are filled with nutrients and are more bioavailable to your dog. They are a lot better than the heat manufactured ones. In this case, it might be better to choose quality over money as your dog’s health is very important!

CONCLUSION

Supplements are not only important for humans but also for dogs nowadays. Pharmacies are stocked with supplements that can be given to your dogs on a daily basis. When it comes to the quality of your dog’s life, supplements play an important role as joint health is very important. If you are still wondering when to start giving your dog supplements, the answer is now! Don’t worry if your dog is old and you still haven’t given him any supplement because today is better than never! We hope this helped you with choosing the right supplement and giving your dog a better and happier life. Cheers to years of fetch and fun!

This blog was contributed by Christine Rudolph. If you would like to submit a blog please email cynthia@newyorkdognanny.com