Are Dog Health Supplements Really Necessary?

People often wonder if they should worry about dog health supplements. After all it’s hard enough to try and work out what you yourself should be taking, given that information on nutrition tends to change every day.

The answer really depends on the quality of the food your dogs eats. Unfortunately, most of the dog owners who ask this question tend to be folk who look after their dogs well and already provide them with a good quality dog food. The majority of quality pre-prepared dog foods have added vitamins and minerals already added according to AAFCO standards. AAFCO is short for Association of Animal Feed Control Officials.

Dog health supplements are not necessary for every dog

So is adding further nutritional aids to your dog’s diet a waste of money if you already have a healthy active dog? Dog health supplements are probably a good idea if you have a senior dog, your dog is experiencing health issues, your dog is extremely active or if she is pregnant or feeding a litter. Working dogs, such as farm dogs probably need a little extra help. If your dog is stressed, this too can deplete their nutritional stores.

Even premium quality dog food may not contain the vitamins stated on the label. This is because all commercial food is prepared using high heat which tends to deplete the nutritional quality. If you prepare your own dog’s diet and it contains plenty of raw vegetables, then you have a lucky dog. Dog health supplements are a boon for the rest of us who barely have time to feed ourselves, let alone cook for our pets, but still want to give our dogs the best quality life.

Also let us not forget the AAFCO. This illustrious body does give animal nutritional guidelines, but like most official bodies, their advice tends to be a little on the “thin’ side. In other words they will recommend the bare minimum of supplementation to maintain life and prevent deficiency. In other words it’s a bit like the FDA’s vitamin RDAs for us humans!

If you have read this far and are a little confused, I don’t blame you. But there are no hard and fast rules on whether to use dog health supplements and the amounts to use. For those who baulk at the cost of adding a further item to the family budget, there is one thing you should know. If a dog’s diet is healthy and contains the corrects nutrients, your dog will likely eat less as he is getting the nutrients he needs. Dogs on a cheap diet will eat a lot more as they attempt the get the energy they need.

So if your dog is old, sick, stressed, pregnant, feeding pups, working hard or just flat out lacks vitality, then dog health supplements might just put back the spring in her step!