Select a Vitamin Supplement For Your Dog the Smart Way

Are you considering a vitamin supplement for your dog? In many cases, dogs do benefit from vitamin supplements. When properly administered, they can and do contribute to good canine health. Unfortunately, marketing and advertising campaigns aimed at taking your hard earned dollars in the name of better health for your best friend are all too common. Pet vitamin selection is an important and serious matter, and it helps to know what you’re looking for before you start shopping for a supplement for your dog

Supplements for Specific Conditions

• Poor Coat Condition: For years, dog owners have supplemented their pets’ diets with corn or cod liver oil to lubricate the skin and promote a healthy, shiny coat. There are a variety of supplements available that may help relieve skin and coat dryness, flakiness and excessive shedding. Most contain omega 3 fatty acids and are unlikely to cause harmful side effects when used as directed.


• Arthritis and Joint Discomfort: Just as many humans benefit from taking Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate, and/or methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) for relief from painful symptoms of arthritis, so too may your dog. Although no nutritional supplement can reverse or repair structural damage to joints, supplements may help reduce some of the inflammation and pain associated with arthritis. There are a variety Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate and MSM supplements now available for dogs.


• Aging: Just as humans may need additional vitamins and minerals as they age, so too can dogs. Aging dogs tend to require more vitamins and minerals as they absorb fewer vital nutrients from their food. Additionally, aging dogs may eat less food and require supplementation to take in adequate levels of water soluble vitamins, in particular. Antioxidant vitamins may also be of benefit to your aging dog. It is commonly thought they may reduce or hinder some of the natural affects of aging on the body.

Guidelines for Selecting a Vitamin Supplement for Your Dog

It is extremely important that your dog is seen by a veterinarian if you believe it is suffering from a health disorder or medical condition. Vitamin supplements are simply that – a supplemental source of essential nutrients given to compliment a dog’s diet. They are not medications and should not be considered cures or treatments for any medical condition.

Consult with your veterinarian regarding any supplements you feel your dog could benefit from taking. Chances are your veterinarian will be more than happy to discuss proper nutrition and the role of vitamin and mineral supplements in promoting your dog’s optimum health. He or she may even be able to recommend a quality dog vitamin supplement and assist with determining correct dosages. At the very least, be sure any supplements you are giving your dog are noted in his or her medical record.

Last but not least, never exceed the recommended daily dosage of a particular supplement, or guess at your dog’s correct dosage! Over-supplementation of fat-soluble vitamins in particular can occur if too much of a particular vitamin is administered.