Joint-Protective Nutraceuticals
– A dose of about 20 mg/lb of glucosamine per day is recommended. Products designed for dogs include Dasuquin Advanced, Glycoflex II or III and others. Natural sources of glucosamine include trachea (1 oz =~ 1400 mg) and chicken feet (one foot =~ 400 mg).
The Evidence:
A 2018 meta-analysis of publications on a variety of dietary supplements for osteoarthritis in humans suggested
improvement of pain and function
with glucoasamine, chondroitin, MSM and avocado soybean unsaponifiables, although they stated that there was also a need for more higher quality evidence (2).
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
–
The recommended d
ose is 15 mg/lb of DHA. Make sure the source is tested for heavy metals. Good sources include Grizzly Salmon Oil and Nordic Naturals, but there are others as well.
The Evidence:
Two 2016 metastudies concluded that there is
evidence for the systemic anti-inflammatory effects
of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation (3, 4).
Probiotic
supplement designed for dogs
–
Two good sources are Geneflora and VisBiome (aka VSL-3).
The Evidence:
Probiotics can
reduce the severity of canine allergies
, improve inflammatory bowel disease, and boost responses to vaccines (5, 6, 7).
Antioxidants
– Antioxidants are most effective if fed in their native form. Blueberries are very high in antioxidants, and an easy way to provide them is by purchasing freeze-dried blueberries. Give about 10 blueberries for a small dog, 20 for a medium dog and 30 for a large dog once a day in their food. Available at Amazon.
The Evidence:
Two studies show that diets containing
antioxidants improved cognitive function
in old dogs (8, 9), so why not provide antioxidants to all dogs that need optimum cognitive function?
Amino acids
– Many dog foods, particularly dried foods provide the vast majority of their amino acids from plant sources, since these are cheaper.
Dogs need certain essential amino acids and other nutrients that can only come from animal sources
.
A supplement called ProBalance by AVN is recommended to ensure that your dog is receiving an abundance of the correct, animal-sourced amino acids.
This supplement has been designed by an independent, board-certified veterinary canine nutritionist to supply all of the essential, animal-sourced amino acids and building blocks for important nutrients, like taurine, that often are lacking in commercial dog food and homemade diets.
