What’s the Fuss about Dog Nutritional Supplements?

It's the middle of cold and flu season, so you slip a little extra vitamin C into your dog's food a the same time that you take your own. Your champion border collie is pregnant, so you give her some yogurt, mixed with raspberry leaf powder, folic acid, and bone meal powder. Sore joints? Glucosamine and chondroitin. Fleas? Garlic powder and brewer's yeast. For every stage of life, for every season, and for every condition, there seems to be a condition.

It is very tempting to supplement your dog's food with a little something extra. Looking at the crisp brown morsels that pour into your dog's bowl on a twice-daily basis it might seem hard to believe that they contain any nutrition at all, let alone all the nutrients that are listed on the bag. Certainly they must need supplementing to add some food value to them, as well as to make them taste good.

The problem with both of these scenarios is that pet food that is formulated to AAFCO standards is already balanced to provide all of the nutrients that your dog will need to maintain his condition and his health. There is no evidence that vitamin C will help your dog from catching a cold during cold and flu season, since few viruses cross between dog and human.

The case for garlic or brewer's yeast having any value as a flea preventative is still unmade. Although the folic acid will not harm your dog if taken in excess, all of that calcium will potentially cause bone spurs and joint problems if the surplus continues.

In addition to the potential ineffectiveness of many supplements, there is also the potential of throwing the dog's diet seriously out of balance if things are added to it to "improve the flavor." Artificial flavorings are rarely used in dog food, unless used to add a smoked flavor to the food. Therefore, because the flavors that are used are natural ones, there should be no need to "improve" it. If the diet is "improved" by adding flavorings, there is also the possibility of adding fat, sugar, and sodium to the food as well.

It seems simple enough to add supplements to your dog's diet. They are available everywhere and are relatively inexpensive. However, it is important to consult a veterinarian before supplementing him, due to all of the problems that might occur when you do so.

Your dog should undergo a complete physical, including blood work, prior to having supplements added to his diet. Failing to do so could create difficulties for you and your dog that last far beyond the small and temporary benefits that most supplements provide.

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