If you want to administer a natural dog supplement to your pet, find out if the supplement you wish to purchase actually benefits your pet or not. Supplements are recommended for dogs that have health conditions like arthritis, joint disorders, a weak immune system and respiratory illnesses. While supplements benefit some pets, others may show no signs of improvement. The only way to find out if your dog responds favorably to dietary supplementation is to start administering the supplement.
How Do Supplements Benefit Your Dog?
Some supplements make up for vitamin and mineral deficiencies while others improve joint mobility and reduce bone degeneration. Others will boost the dog's immune system and prevent him from falling prey to various illnesses and certain allergic reactions. Supplements are particularly helpful for dogs that are recovering from severe illnesses. Since most commercially available supplements contain antioxidants and essential fatty acids, they help the pet recover quickly.
Supplement Claims Examined
Although supplements increase your pet's quality of life, there are certain things you have to keep in mind when purchasing vitamin or nutrient supplements for him. Since manufacturers want to increase sales of their products, they adopt various marketing tactics to make you believe that any given product is suited to your dog's needs.
Several supplements are labeled as natural products even though they contain small amounts of artificial ingredients. Although every package lists all the ingredients present in the product, some products may not be approved for use by the AAFCO. Besides this, manufacturers derive their ingredients from different sources. Proteins, for instance, are not always derived from slaughtered animals. Contrary to popular belief, they often come from animals that have died due to injury or illnesses. Fats are also derived from leftover restaurant grease.
Risks Involved
Since several pet food and supplement manufacturers are using poor quality ingredients to manufacture their products, pets suffer from illnesses after consuming foods or supplements that contain byproducts, fillers and artificial ingredients. This is one of the main reasons why several food manufacturers have recalled different products over the past few years.
Choosing the Right Supplement
In order to select a supplement that's suited to your dog's unique needs, first conduct a vet check and rule out underlying illnesses that your pet maybe suffering from. If your pet has specific health concerns, administer supplements that address those health issues.
Although not always true, supplements that contain high quality ingredients are more expensive than others. This is because the manufacturer will have to pay a high price to derive good quality ingredients and won't be able to sell the product at a price that's lower than the cost of its manufacture.
Precautions:
- Read product labels before purchasing them.
- Make sure that the products are specifically formulated for use in pets.
- Avoid giving your dog any supplements that are formulated for use in cats, and vice versa.
- Carefully read and follow dosage instructions.
- If the pet doesn't show signs of improvement after administering the supplements for a few months, discontinue them after obtaining vet approval.
If you want to purchase supplements to help your pet cope with arthritis, look for products that contain glucosamine and chondroitin derived from natural sources, and avoid purchasing any supplements that contain artificial ingredients.