3 Important Supplements I Give My Large Breed Dog Every Day (How They Work And Why I Use Them)
Plus a few words on Big Supplement
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-Dr. Sami
Trends in pet health always follow trends in human health, and right now, supplements are very on trend.
Everyone loves Andrew Huberman and is quick to slurp down some AG1 (consider those incentives, btw), and it seems like every week a client approaches me about a new multivitamin or chew tablet for “stress relief.”
Don’t get me wrong — dietary supplements and holistic medicine definitely have their place. Certain supplements are extremely beneficial (even necessary, in some cases). I prescribe them every day, and as the title of this article suggests, also give some of them to my own dog.
But if you have a healthy pet and are feeding them a diet that is deemed to be Complete and Balanced by the food control authorities (and that diet is stored properly), your pet shouldn’t need much by way of dietary supplements.
If you’re giving your dog a multivitamin, please drop me a comment! I’m curious to know which one you’re giving and what you think about it.
And if I’m being honest with you, the vast majority of pet supplements marketed to you on a daily basis are complete BS. That isn’t to say that they’re dangerous (although there’s no guarantee on that either — recalls of supplements are not uncommon), but these products are largely unregulated, and there’s often little to no legitimate evidence to support that the supplement actually does what it claims.
Dr. Jen Gunther summarized it well in her recent article on Big Supplement:
“As a consumer of supplements, you incur all the risks of potentially adulterated products, whether black or gray-market pharmaceuticals, dangerous additives, heavy metal contamination, or microbial contamination. But the other issue with supplements is that you are incurring all of these potential risks with little to no proof they do what they claim in the first place as supporting studies, when they even exist, are often of low quality and/or found in predatory journals. Some papers are [even] funded by the company...”
We’ve got to be careful, people. Do your research. Look into the list of ingredients on the product label, look for supporting studies and who’s funding them, and look for the incentives of the influencer that suggested the product to you. And above all — for the love of God — please ask your vet before giving your pet anything new.
OK — hopping off the soapbox.
Here are 3 supplements that this veterinarian gives her dog every day:
Dasuquin Advanced + MSM
If you have a dog, especially a large breed dog, you’ve probably given some version of this in the past.
There are a myriad of joint supplements on the market today, and the research to support their success in reducing the severity of, and symptoms associated with, osteoarthritis is weak and variable. Why? Because these studies are frequently biased (run by the supplement company), poorly controlled scientifically, and have a low number of participants.
We also can’t ask the animal if they’re experiencing pain relief, and have to go off changes that we can outwardly see and measure.
All that being said, there is some evidence to support their benefit and we vets still recommend them. And among the joint supplements, Dasuquin Advanced + MSM is my favorite for large breed dogs.
How it works
The glucosamine and chondroitin found in Dasuquin are the main players typically found in joint supplements. These are cartilage building blocks which also have anti-inflammatory properties in the joint.
The cartilage cells of the joint produce these naturally, but their ability to do so reduces with age and disease.
MSM is a supplement that, when used in combination with glucosamine and chondroitin, is shown to reduce joint degeneration and pain.
I typically recommend this for dogs that are of a large breed, highly active, overweight, have known orthopedic issues or abnormalities, have evidence of arthritis, or are in their senior years.
Cats middle aged or older are also good candidates. Pain and arthritis frequently go undiagnosed in cats — so if there’s something that may reduce joint degeneration and pain in these guys, I think it’s worth a shot.
Pro tip!
If you’re going to buy this joint supplement, I recommend you buy it from the company itself or from a reputable source, such as your veterinarian. There are fake products on Amazon which can be dangerous for your pet (and they look just like the real deal — scary!!!)
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
My all-time favorite supplement!
This is something that you and your pet should both be getting every day. Let me tell you why:
Omega 3 FA’s (EPA and DHA) are essential fatty acids that dogs (like humans) don’t produce on their own. That means that they must be obtained by dietary means, and animals (unlike humans) need to obtain them from an animal source (i.e. salmon).
How it works
The health benefits of EPA and DHA are not to be understated, and I also prescribe them for the treatment of a wide range of common diseases:
For one, EPA/DHA is anti-inflammatory and a free radical scavenger, which is of systemic benefit.
In addition to modulating inflammation, there’s evidence to suggest that they may also enhance the activity of infection-fighting white blood cells.
For patients with renal disease (like my Luca), omega 3 FA’s reduce protein loss through kidneys, reduce blood pressure (hypertension) at level of the kidneys, and reduce inflammatory changes within renal (kidney) tissues.
Omega 3 FA’s also support brain health, and I often prescribe them as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for canine mental health issues such as Canine Cognitive Dysfunction or anxiety.
Circling back to joint health — we know that omega 3 FA’s reduce joint inflammation and pain in patients with osteoarthritis.
And last, but certainly not least, is the benefit to the integument (skin) system. Omega 3 FA’s improve the function of the natural skin barrier — sealing in moisture and keeping out irritants. They help to ease allergy symptoms and reduce the need for prescription allergy medications, like steroids. With the prevalence of inflammatory skin conditions in dogs and cats today, I often prescribe omega 3 FA’s as a first line treatment.
Many commercial diets contain EPA and DHA, but because the animal food control authorities have only set minimum standards for EPA and DHA in animals, most over-the-counter diets don’t contain high enough levels.
EPA and DHA are also relatively unstable in the food and readily breakdown when stored improperly or kept for long periods, so check with your vet if you should be topping up with a fish oil supplement.
Pro tip!
The dose of EPA and DHA recommended for support/treatment of various systems/diseases varies, and I find that the dose recommended on the label of pet fish oil products often doesn’t cut it. So make sure you confirm the appropriate dose for your pet with your veterinarian.
Probiotics and prebiotics
What’s the difference?
Probiotics are living cultures of good bacteria that can be introduced to the gut in *hopes* of altering gut microbial populations.
Prebiotics are essentially food for those good bacteria. They are indigestible, primarily soluble fibers that, when given consistently, can alter the composition or activity of the intestinal microbiota. In my opinion, if you’re giving probiotics, it’s best to offer some prebiotics as well.
How it works
There’s lots of talk these days about the intestinal microbiome and we’re constantly learning more about it’s connection to gastrointestinal, nervous (brain), and immune health, amongst others.
However, there’s still a lot we don’t know. What formulations should we be giving and how much do we need to give? How long do we need to give it to achieve the desired effect? The jury is still out.
Not every dog needs to receive probiotics daily, but prebiotics are easy to offer at home. My dog has a sensitive GI tract and has diarrhea *not infrequently*, so I try to give a bit of both.
Probiotics:
Visbiome and Fortiflora are my two favorites. Dogs seem to love them (esp Fortiflora) and I find that they increase food palatability for dogs that aren’t feeling well and have a poor appetite.
Fortiflora recently came out with a new formulation called Fortiflora PRO Synbiotic Action which is a probiotic+prebiotic combined in one. That’s good stuff. It’s available for dogs and cats, but I typically only use/prescribe this for illness, not prophylactically.
A natural source of probiotics is of course greek yogurt, and I put a bit of that on a lick mat from time to time, but my Labrador would have to eat a lot more of it to see any probiotic benefit.
Prebiotics:
I go the natural route and offer my dog bananas, apples, and leafy greens each day (yes, my Labrador eats salad). Just be careful, here — you should always introduce new foods (especially those high in fiber) slowly, or risk your pet developing diarrhea.
Also: please be careful what you read on the internet. Common prebiotics for people include garlic, which is toxic to dogs and cats. It’s always best to check with your vet before offering anything new to your pet.
The other obvious indication for probiotic/prebiotic use is for pets that are receiving antibiotics, as these wreak havoc on the microbiome. If your pet is prescribed antibiotics (for whatever reason), ask your vet if a probiotic/prebiotic supplement is right for your pet.
‼️ AND ON THAT NOTE: Any time a vet tries to prescribe your dog an antibiotic like metronidazole (Flagyl) for acute diarrhea, politely decline and tell them you would like probiotics instead (and/or other appropriate therapies, depending on your pet’s specific case). It will do your pet a world of good in the long run, and recent studies show that dogs who do NOT receive antibiotics for acute diarrhea get better just as quickly as those that do. So, what’s the point?!
Many a soapbox descended — that’s all from me for now.
Dr. Sami
Do you have questions about a specific supplement? Drop me a comment and I’ll either address it in an upcoming article or respond to you directly ⬇️
If you’ve read this far, it’s time for a quiz! Answer this question correctly and receive a free virtual consultation to use yourself or gift to a friend!
Which of the following is a risk of dietary supplements?
No one is monitoring if the product actually does what it says. Supporting studies are often biased or of low quality.
Negative drug interactions can’t be predicted.
No enforcement of good manufacturing practices, so contamination with bacteria, yeast, mold, or heavy metals is possible.
All of the above.
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