Every morning, especially as we get older, most of us take a few different supplements to tackle health or cosmetic concerns. While your pet might not need a collagen or biotin pill, they could have some of their own little irritants that can't be addressed by even the best of diets. This is where supplements can help.
“Dogs, like humans, may benefit from supplements to address nutritional deficiencies or specific health concerns that their regular diets may not adequately cover,” says Dr. Brett Levitzke, the medical director and founder of the Veterinary Emergency and Referral Groupopens in a new tab. These could include diabetes, stiff joints, tummy pain or even allergies.
Navigating life with a new pet? Head to littleKin!
littleKin™ is Kinship’s home just for puppy and kitten parents. Bop over to check out expert advice, new pet tools, and special deals—all curated for your newest family member.
“Prioritizing holistic and preventative daily health routines is crucial to enhancing their longevity and well-being. While nutrition forms the cornerstone of a dog’s health, supplements play a vital role in addressing their essential biological needs,” Dr. Levitzke says. “Issues like digestive health, joint mobility, and stress management opens in a new tabare common concerns that can worsen with age. By integrating supplements early on, we can proactively manage these issues and support our dogs’ overall health and vitality throughout their lives.”
As always, any decisions you make about supplements should be made in line with your vet’s advice, and you should take new changes slowly. Above all, remember that supplements aren’t a replacement for a great diet and overall health and fitness.
“Supplements should be chosen based on your dog’s specific health needs and should complement a balanced diet,” Dr. Levitzke adds. “Quality ingredients and reputable manufacturers are important considerations to ensure the supplements provide the intended health benefits for your dog.”
Here are some supplements you could incorporate to tackle your dog’s concerns.
If you have a senior dog: Glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, and green-lipped mussels
As our beloved pets age, it can be hard watching them struggle with things they once found easy. Dogs who are getting older may struggle with their eyesight, inflammation, and especially joint concerns like arthritis.
“Look for supplements including joint-supporting ingredients like glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, and green-lipped mussels to maintain mobility and reduce joint stiffness and antioxidants such as vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) to support a healthy immune system and protect against age-related illnesses,” Dr. Levitzke says.
When your dog gets itchy, raw skin, it can be difficult to watch, especially as they often scratch and scratch, making it worse. If there are no obvious allergy triggers, you’re left with no choice but regular oatmeal baths, which is time consuming.
When diet doesn’t offer any obvious answers, you can try supplements that contain ingredients to lower inflammation. The best supplements may lower histamine levels in case there are allergy issues, but will also feature soothing ingredients for the skin and coat like salmon oil, sunflower oil, turmeric, chamomile, and primrose oil.
We’ve all met a dog that’s impossible to calm down, no matter how much exercise they get. Maybe they’re a rescue, maybe they’re reactive, maybe there’s really no obvious reason for them to be that way at all. While environmental changes can have a more long term effect, supplements can help.
Dr. Levitzke recommends supplements that contain naturally calming ingredients like valerian root and chamomile. “They may offer benefits such as mood enhancement, improved cognitive function, better sleep quality, and reduced hyperactivity and destructive behavior.”
It’s never pretty when a dog regularly gets an upset stomach, and we don’t need to tell you the symptoms. While you should always go to the vet and address dietary or medical issues first, if you’ve tried all that with no luck, supplements can help.
“Dogs with stomach issues can benefit from supplements that promote digestive health and soothe gastrointestinal discomfort,” Dr. Levitzke says. “Consider supplements containing probiotics to maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria and improve digestion, digestive enzymes to aid in the breakdown of food and enhance nutrient absorption, and fiber-rich ingredients like sweet potato to regulate digestion and promote regular bowel movements.”
Just like us, our dogs get seasonal allergiesopens in a new tab that give them sniffles, itchy skin, and other annoying symptoms. These reactions can be confusing and even itchy for your dog, especially because it’s basically impossible to get them to stop scratching.
On top of giving them a basic antihistamine to target the source of their pain, you should try supplements that contain soothing ingredients like chamomile, apple cider vinegar and omega-3. Zesty Paws offer a bundle that comes with wild salmon oil, colostrum, a probiotic blend, and apple cider vinegar. This unique combo helps to balance everything out during allergy season, bringing their histamine levels down to a better place.
Just like people, female dogs can get UTIs. While more serious ones that feature symptoms like blood in their urine might need a trip to the vet, there are ways of managing recurrent, less serious UTIs at home. In fact, the right supplement could even prevent them.
If your pup’s UTI isn’t serious enough to warrant antibiotics, the only answer is high concentrations of cranberry. Cranberries have the natural power to maintain normal pH and optimal bladder function, while some supplements may also contain ingredients like echinacea, which provides immune support that can help with overall health and recovery.
If your dog is a little older or is a rescue, especially, they might have multiple concerns that you’re looking to tackle. Maybe their skin is a little flaky, and their joints hurt, and you’re concerned about their stomach health.
In that case, it’s best to take the same route you would for a person and try a multivitamin. A good multivitamin, like this one by Zesty Pawsopens in a new tab, should contain ingredients like glucosamine, probiotics, chondroitin, and other ingredients that support skin health, gut function, the immune system, liver health, and more.
Marianne Eloise is a writer for outlets like The Cut, the Guardian and the New York Times. She is also the author of an essay collection Obsessive, Intrusive, Magical Thinkingopens in a new tab. She has been going on adventures with her dog Bowie since she was 17.
