3 Pet Supplements Your Pet Should Be Taking
When it comes to pet supplements many pet parents wonder which ones are really beneficial or necessary. Every pet should be taking the following three nutritional aids to support optimal health.
Being a pet parent to my precious 15 lb. 9 year old female terrier rescue named Lentil, I always want to make sure that she is feeling her best and as healthy as can be. I got her when she was just 14 weeks old and over the years I’ve researched some of the most important supplements to give her and some have been recommended to me by vets.
I’ve been giving Lentil a version of these three supplements for years and she’s doing great for her age. Often when I take her to the dog park people ask if she’s a puppy because she runs around like one. They’re always surprised when I say that she’s actually 9 years old!
Hopefully getting your pet on these supplements can keep your fur baby healthy for many years to come!
1. Probiotics
Many people know about the benefits of probiotics for humans, but pet-owners are slowly learning about all the similar benefits that pets can receive from taking regular probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can help populate the gut and influence the body’s microflora.
Just like humans, pets may also reap the following benefits of probiotics…
- Digestive support
- Immune system health
- Behavior and mood support
- Healthy skin and yeast balance
- Healthy urinary tract
I started regularly giving my dog probiotics after she had urinary tract issues on and off for a while. Daily probiotics along with a change in her food really helped her mostly avoid those reoccurring issues.
One 2009 study showed that probiotic use in dogs helped resolve diarrhea issues sooner than dogs taking a placebo. Probiotics can be especially helpful after antibiotic use since antibiotics can wipe out beneficial bacteria and create gastrointestinal side-effects.
Dosage amounts for probiotics are different in pets than for humans, so make sure you get a safe pet probiotic with dosage amount by pet weight. I like California Gold Nutrition LactoBif Pet Probiotics because they have 9 different clinically researched probiotics strains which are resistant to gastrointestinal barriers and adhere to intestinal cell lines…which is all to say that they are effective and well-researched!
2. Fish Oil
Fish oil is a great supplement to maintain your pet’s health in many different ways. Good quality fish oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids and DHA. There is ample research showing that these compounds help to support healthy joints, heart, brain, skin and coat.
One 2017 study found that fish oil had protective effects against collagen degradation in dogs and therefore may be a promising protective measure for joint health.
Fish oil can be a great daily supplement to add to your pet’s food. The best part about it is that both dogs and cats usually love the fishy taste so there’s no need to hide it, just drizzle it on top of their food!
Nordic naturals brand is not only made from good quality sources, but it’s also recommended for pets by the AKC.
3. Multi-Vitamin
Humans aren’t the only ones who need their daily vitamins! Although many major brands of cat or dog food have added vitamins to them, oftentimes the vitamins are synthetic and may not be fully absorbed. Deficiency in certain vitamins can contribute to various health and behavioral issues in animals, so adding a multi-vitamin to cover your bases is always a good idea.
Multi-vitamins from whole food sources are the best choice since the animals’ body will naturally know how to absorb it. Kin+Kind offers safe organic muti-vitamin powder for dogs and cats made from whole food sources like wheatgrass and seaweed. It can be sprinkled on top of food for easy daily health maintenance.
