We try to buy everything we can for our dogs. A treat here, a new play toy there. We can never do enough for them. However, when it comes to pet supplements, it’s a less familiar area and so we’re not as sure about how to proceed.
We understand this at Tail and Fur, so we thought it was a good time to pen an article about pet supplements and whether they are good for your four-legged hero.
What Type of Pet Supplements Are There?
Pet supplements aren’t totally new, but not as many pet owners give their pets what they need. While they’ll buy that multi-vitamin and mineral supplement for themselves, their dog might go wanting.
There are many different supplements available for dogs. Some are common enough that you’d be familiar with them as an adult. For instance, fish oil capsules have been found to work well for allergies that some dogs suffer from. Probiotics too. Also, Glucosamine and a host of other supplements that we’re more used to seeing in a health food store.
Multi-vitamins can be okay for most dogs, but larger dogs find that calcium isn’t good for them and is best avoided.
What Supplement Makes Sense for a Dog?
There’s a growing amount of anecdotal reports about hemp-based supplements for our furry friends.
Much like with the current interest in hemp for humans, it stands to reason that there’s interest in whether dogs can benefit too. And the news is good.
The important thing about dog supplements is that they’re well tested for safety and benefits. Supplies also must be both purer and untainted to avoid contamination with elements that a dog’s body will disagree with. In the case of Canna Companion, they’ve researched dog supplementation for five years to ensure it will not be harmful at all. That’s reassuring to dog owners who want the best for their best buddy.
How Hemp Pet Supplements Help Dogs
For senior dogs who are finding mobility an issue now due to age or bad joints, hemp-based supplements tend to provide some relief to these problems. They are often seen to become more active and with an uplift in their overall mood.
Generally, dogs that receive hemp-based canine supplements have improved immune systems, their GI tract functions better, and they get sick less often.
For owners who don’t like having to visit the vet or find a special dog food diet is expensive and were hoping to get their dog’s digestive system to function better, there are some indications that hemp is the way forward there. Obviously, each dog responds differently, and it depends on what their internal issues are. The digestive system is complex in animals and serious problems need to be addressed by a qualified vet.
Are Pet Supplements Right for Your Dog?
There are plenty of chewy tablets on the market that provide Glucosamine tables in high doses up to 650mg for dogs.
Glucosamine is believed to offer benefits for mobility and especially joint functionality for dogs suffering from painful joints from age, birth defects or injury. Dogs with arthritic knees especially often see a benefit when being given these types of supplements.
Products such as ProSense Advanced Strength Glucosamine include other ingredients such as Vitamin C and chondroitin too. With the ProSense version, dogs weighing less than 25 pounds should only receive half a tablet, but the tablet doesn’t break apart that cleanly or easily. However, other producers have Glucosamine supplements for dogs with a reduce milligram amount making them far more suitable for smaller breeds too.
Also, as with many other supplements, giving them up to one hour prior to eating or two hours after eating allows your pet to digest them on an emptier stomach.
Pet Supplements vs The Cost of Vet Care
Treatment for animals and dogs has come on in leaps and bounds from decades ago. Just as there are cancer treatments for humans, there are also ones for dogs too. Similarly, name an ailment that dogs suffer from just as humans do, and there’s probably a vet treatment plan or operation they can have to attempt to fix it. And they’re usually not cheap!
It’s not gone unnoticed that the cost to take care of your pooch isn’t going down. Depending on what health problems they have as they get older, a senior dog especially can become costly. Not everyone has pet insurance to cover the costs and there’ll likely be some exclusions and other fees when making a claim too. However, there are plenty of new pet insurance companies like Bivvy that offer some great deals that anyone could afford!
For animal lovers, pet supplements make good sense. They can take care of their dog and he or she avoids serious illness as a result. Pet owners do need to pick and choose between the type of supplement and the brand to ensure what they’re buying will be useful.
Who’s in the Market for Pet Supplements?
The market for doggie supplements is a high growth one right now. Everyone wants to extend the life of their four-legged friend wherever possible. When there’s a supplement that can help them with better joints, improved sleep or make them happier, that’s very affordable compared to the high cost of vet treatment.
Millennials are one of the groups that are buying pet supplements. They’re focused on wellness and better health for themselves and so it only seems logical to purchase pet-friendly ones for their dog too. Middle-aged men and women are also purchasing them for dogs that are part of the family and they wish to keep them healthy for as long as possible.
For dogs that have various aches and pains or just aren’t as buoyant about life as they used to be, it’s often been found that a hemp supplement will do more for them than a vitamin or other option could. Pet owners are seeing positive results. It’s not for every pet though. It’s up to their owners to decide whether they think they could benefit from supplements and which ones to consider first. Being open-minded about it is the best approach to take.
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