The Role of Supplements in Supporting Your Pet’s Holistic Health
When it comes to our pet’s nutrition, a balanced diet is paramount for ensuring their overall health and wellness and that’s why many pet owners will introduce dietary supplements into their day-to-day feeding routines. These are intended to play a complementary role in offering nutritional support as a source of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to provide the necessary components that may be tougher to otherwise introduce into a regular dietary regimen or vital for addressing specific health issues as recommended by a veterinarian.
The key thing to remember is that a nutritional supplement should remain just that - a supplement and not a substitute for a balanced diet provided to your pet every day.
What Defines a Nutritional Supplement?
Supplements are intended to be offered as an enhancement to the nutritional intake of your pet’s diet, often for the purpose of helping a pet receive certain necessary nutrients for which the animal may have a deficiency or some difficulty retaining through diet or other natural sources.
These nutrients typically include some or all of the following: proteins, vitamins, fiber, fatty acids, amino acids, dietary components that aren’t always supplied at sufficient levels in the pet’s daily food intake. A daily supplement can help boost the pet’s immunity response, increase energy, improve focus and mental acuity, and protect your pet’s overall health by lowering the risks of illness and disease.
This is particularly important for aging pets, who might need additional support getting the nutrition they need in their later years when their nutritional requirements have shifted and they are at an increased risk of developing serious medical conditions.
How Nutritional Supplements Can Benefit Your Pet’s Health and Well Being
There are many different kinds of supplements on the market, each one touting the benefits of their specially formulated combinations of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that have been scientifically developed to target a variety of health attributes in household pets.
There are many reasons to give your dog or cat a dietary supplement if it will enhance your pet’s quality of life through these health benefits and improvements:
Improve Mobility
Joint problems brought on by arthritis can make it much more difficult for pets to live happy, normal lives free of pain. If your dog or cat is getting along in years and you’ve noticed they have become less active or lost interest in physical activities that always brought them joy, it could be due to swelling and inflammation of the joints caused by arthritis.
A nutritional supplement rich with Omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin can improve your pet’s joint health by reducing the swelling and inflammation and improving your pet’s mobility without pain or discomfort.
Support Immune Function
Supplements that are chock full of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E, along with minerals like Selenium, Copper, and Zinc, all of which are powerful antioxidants that can benefit dogs and cats alike, are critical for boosting the immune system and keeping your pet healthy. These nutrients are found in a variety of foods, from certain types of fish to fruits and vegetables, that may be a challenge to get your pet to eat or may not be found in the foods they normally consume.
A dietary supplement with these and other nutrients can ensure they have a strong immune system to ward off illnesses and health conditions that could reduce your pet’s lifespan.
Stimulate Proper Digestion
Good digestive health is crucial for ensuring that your pet absorbs the nutrients in their food while also preventing digestive tract and stomach issues and protecting peak immune health. There are many dietary supplements available containing probiotics and enzymes to maintain a healthy gut and promote healthy digestion.
Good digestion also means your pet won’t have appetite issues or problems going to the bathroom. Both of which are critical for supporting optimal overall health and wellness.
Talk to Your Veterinarian First
These are just some of the many ways that supplements can help your pet live their best life, there are many other ways that dietary supplements can promote your pet’s holistic health.
But knowing which supplements will be most effective for supporting your pet’s specific needs is best determined by consulting a holistic pet care expert. This ensures a thorough analysis to identify any deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, or nutrients and the appropriate dosage levels to address them.
Many conventional vets are not trained in nutrition and may not be able to offer knowledgeable advice, but a veterinarian with proper training can guide you towards the supplement that is right for your pet and advise you on dosing times and guidelines so you aren’t giving your pet too much or too little.
Leave Nothing to Chance
Be sure to carefully review the dosing requirements on the label of the supplements you decide to give your pet. These will often have important instructions and recommendations as to how much and how often you should be giving the supplements to your pet.
Seek recommendations from your holistic pet care expert on preferred brands. Many brands on the market promote a holistic lifestyle and diet, incorporating all-natural and vegan ingredients into their products.
Always read what’s in the bottle before you decide to administer it to your pet, that way you leave nothing to chance and you can rest assured you are always promoting their best possible overall health and well being.