Did you know that Professional Supplement Center carries an array of quality supplement lines for dogs, cats, kitties and senior pets? Similar to their human caregivers, all pets need shelter and lots of love and attention. Additionally, pets require a nutritious diet, exercise, annual dental and medical checkups and protection from outdoor pests. Regular vet visits and preventative steps can help to support total pet wellness. In addition, pets can benefit from nutritional supplements to keep them healthy, prevent chronic disease and support health concerns. General health concerns for pets include heartworms and common parasites, intestinal issues, obesity, infectious diseases, kennel cough, urinary tract infections and bladder stones, dental disease, skin problems, joint issues, allergies and cancer.
Vitamins and minerals are as critical to a pet’s health as they are to human health, as they aid, support and help regulate bodily functions from joint health to digestion to muscle growth. Even with a well balanced, high quality diet, pets can develop vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which can sometimes have serious and long lasting health effects. In addition to overall health support, specific reasons for supplementing can include:
- Joint discomfort – Aging pets often develop painful and debilitating joint conditions. Larger breed dogs are more susceptible to joint disease than cats or smaller dog breeds. Common signs of arthritis include stiffness, limited movement and noticeable pain.
- Home cooked meals – Preparing fresh healthy meals for your pets is wonderful, but may not provide all the essential vitamins and minerals on a daily basis. Consider fulfilling nutritional gaps with a multivitamin and mineral supplement.
- Diagnosis of vitamin or mineral deficiency – In this case, your veterinarian may recommend a single supplement. Many commercial dog foods contain fillers and starches and may not contain the proper amounts of nutrients to adequately support pet health.
- Diagnosis of a disease – Often times allergies can result in dermatitis, a chronic skin disease that will progressively worsen, causing itching and discomfort. Zinc deficiency is often an underlying cause. Zinc supplementation, especially when combined with essential fatty acids, can be helpful in resolving symptoms of dermatitis and improve the quality of the skin and coat. Urinary tract infections and stones are a common pet problem. After treatment for the infection, probiotics may be recommended to help prevent recurring UTIs and support immune and digestive health.
Along with proper nutrition, daily exercise and weight management, nutraceuticals can help to keep pets healthy and comfortable as they age. As part of an overall wellness strategy, supplements that are commonly recommended for pet health maintenance include:
- Essential fatty acids – Essential fatty acids provide anti-inflammatory effects, aid body performance, boost the immune system and help maintain critical brain function. Plus, they help to maintain healthy joints and a shiny coat. Taken in conjunction with joint supplements, essential fatty acids may help ease arthritic pain and other joint symptoms.
- Glucosamine with Chondroitin Sulfate – Popular for both humans and pets, this combination formula helps maintain healthy joints, improves flexibility and assists joint cartilage hydration.
- Probiotics – Probiotics, which provide healthy microbiota to aid digestion, also support the immune system and may help reduce symptoms of stress.
- Antioxidants – Antioxidants such as vitamin C are vital to support the health of bones, blood vessels, teeth and the immune system. This essential nutrient is particularly helpful during times of sickness, stress or separations from owners and may play a role in protecting against some normal aging processes.
Multivitamins and minerals aid overall health for pets of all ages. Growing puppies must get the vitamins and minerals they need to ensure proper growth, healthy tissues and strong bones. Senior pets tend to absorb less nutrients from their food and may not meet their daily needs for optimal health. Obese pets that are put on restricted diets often lack adequate vitamins and minerals. Super active pets or pets under stress may also require supplementation of essential nutrients. Ill or recovering pets with limited appetite may not be receiving adequate daily requirements. In addition, processing and storage of commercial pet foods may destroy the nutrients they are meant to contain.
As always, it’s a good idea to discuss pet supplementation with your veterinarian before embarking on a supplement program. Remember also that not all supplements are created equally, so be sure to choose a high quality brand you trust to help your furry family member live a long and healthy life.
Professional Supplement Center offers these and many other high quality pet supplements. Questions? Call us. We would be happy to assist you.
Joint Care for Medium and Large Dogs by Nutritional Frontiers – This comprehensive and synergistic formula contains glucosamine, MSM, essential fatty acids and chondroitin sulfate in support of hip, joint and connective tissue function in dogs of all ages. These tasty chicken liver flavored chews provide the specific ingredients needed to support joint structure, flexibility and comfort for healthy, aging or injured dogs. Also available Joint Care for Cats and Small Dogs.
Canine Basic Nutrients by Thorne Vet – This complete vitamin and mineral formula contains a broad range of highly absorbable nutrients necessary for optimal health, vitality and quality of life. Canine Geriatric Basics also available to support the needs of aging pets.
Nu-Cat Bite-Sized Soft Chews by Vetri-Science – These chicken liver flavored soft chews provide complete vitamin and mineral support for cats of all ages and breeds. The formula also provides digestive enzymes, essential fatty acids and amino acids for total physical and mental wellness support.
Vetri-Probiotic BD™ Chicken Liver Flavor by Vetri-Science – This canine product contains pre- and probiotics along with digestive enzymes to support proper digestion, normal bowel regularity and gas reduction. These ingredients support healthy immune function along with microbial balance.
Small Animal Anti-Oxidant by Thorne Vet – Formulated for both cats and dogs, this complete formula provides potent plant-based antioxidants along with amino acids to aid in promoting eye, heart, blood vessel, liver, lung, skin, neurological and immune health.
References:
The Top Ten Dog Health Problems. http://www.everydayhealth.com/pet-health/common-dog-health-problems.aspx
10 Pet Health Tips. http://pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-checkups-preventive-care/10-pet-health-tips-new-year/page/0/7
- About the Author
- Latest Posts