Vitamins and supplements for your dog

If you're feeding your pet a complete and balanced food, she should have all the nutrients she needs to stay in tip-top shape. But sometimes ensuring that your animal companion receives proper nutrition isn't that simple. Older or debilitated pets, and those recovering from surgery or illness, for example, may benefit from a boost of vitamins or nutritional supplements.

Top pet vitamins and pet supplements

Following are some of the most popular and effective supplements prescribed by veterinarians. If you think your pet's a potential candidate for any of them, please speak with your veterinarian first for recommended dosage. In some cases, it's possible to have too much of a good thing! For example, hypervitaminosis—poisoning due to excess vitamins—is actually more common in pets than vitamin deficiency. Excess vitamin A can result in bone and joint pain, while too much vitamin B can cause very dense bones and calcification of the bones or soft tissue.

Do you have a small- or giant-breed dog? Your pets may be subject to joint injuries during their growth phase or times of extreme activity. Glucosamine supplements, in combination with non-acidic forms of vitamin C, can help some animals feel more comfortable.

For golden oldies only

You may want to talk to your veterinarian about increasing your older pet's vitamin E intake. Along with beta-carotene, vitamin E can help eliminate free radicals that can lead to tissue damage and cause signs of aging, and can increase the effectiveness of your pet's immune system.

Older dog vitamins and supplements

Aging can also take its toll on your senior dog's intestinal bacteria, resulting in GI upsets. If your pet's food doesn't contain fructooligosaccharides to promote the growth of friendly flora, or gamma-linoleic acid to help maintain skin and coat, ask the vet to recommend good supplements that contain these nutrients.

Just like humans, our animal friends can become less flexible as they age. Years of wear and tear on bones and joints can break down cartilage which, in some cases, can lead to arthritis or degenerative joint disease. In addition to lifestyle changes and pain-reducing medication, veterinarians may recommend glucosamine supplements to help support joint function.

Digestive supplements

Did you know that there are many different types of bacteria in your pet's gut? Don't worry—the majority of them are beneficial, and keep your friend in good health by aiding in the digestive process and providing enzymes, B vitamins and natural antibiotic-like substances. In healthy pets, there's a balance between beneficial bacteria and pathogenic bacteria. But when the balance gets out of whack, you've got a malfunctioning GI tract and excess stress on the liver and kidneys.

To maintain overall health, many pet owners are exploring supplements known as probiotics, which contain naturally occurring beneficial bacteria. These are especially helpful for pets with appetite loss or animals who have just been dewormed. Probiotics can also help colonize friendly bacteria in young animals, who are born with a nearly sterile gut, and they're regularly given to pets following antibiotic therapy.

Help for inflammation

Allergies or skin conditions got your pet down? Talk to the vet about omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which play a vital role in healing inflammation—whether it's due to allergies, inflammatory bowel disease or even renal failure, among other conditions. Experts tell us that replacing some omega-6 with omega-3 fatty acids can lessen inflammatory reactions. The optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 for dogs, for example, is between 5 and 10 to 1. You can look for a fixed-formula food that guarantees these ratios.

And remember, play it safe and check with the vet before making any changes to your pet's diet.