Does My Dog Need Supplements?

How To Optimize Your Dog’s Diet

By Aly Walansky

In this modern age of pet care, people are more concerned with their pets’ wellness than ever. We’re paying attention to ingredients, we’re buying health insurance, and we’re constantly searching for new ways to boost our dog’s nutrition. One of the most common means of doing so is by adding supplements to your dog’s diet. But, like with anything else we’re putting in our dogs’ bodies, we want to be careful we’re making the best decisions.

That’s why we spoke to the experts — vets and nutritionists — about what supplements are, which dogs need to take them, and what aspects of a dog’s everyday life they can help with. Here’s everything you need to know about dog supplements:

What Are Supplements?

A nutritional supplement is a concentrated form of an ingredient added to a pet’s diet to boost nutrition and enhance a pet’s health or wellbeing. Supplements provide and bolster essential, but often hard-to-come-by ingredients in your dog’s diet. These may not be necessary for every dog, but for some dogs, they can really help improve their quality of life. Supplements are often used to treat the following…

While CBD products for both humans and animals have already taken over your local farmer’s market, coffee shop and feed store, the “other” cannabinoid, THC (trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol), is another can of worms altogether. Many federal, state and local cannabis regulations conflict with each other and are in flux, so if you are confused, join the club! Here are the big questions most vets are wondering about:

1. Does THC have useful indications in veterinary medicine?
2. Is it safe for pets?
3. Is it legal for veterinarians to recommend or dispense THC-containing products?

This article will help provide answers to these questions.