Homevet

Some older dogs will benefit from nutritional supplements. Ageing dogs have some special needs including possibly special nutritional needs, and some of those can be supplied in the form of supplements. However, if your dog is eating a balanced commercial senior diet or even a home-cooked one that follows an intelligent recipe and meets nutritional guidelines, he or she does not need a supplement necessarily. Talk to your vet for specific advice tailored to your pet’s age, breed, and any medical conditions.

One time to consider a vitamin or mineral supplement would be if your older dog is not receiving adequate amounts of vitamins or minerals through his food. This can occur if your dog is not eating a complete balanced diet. In addition, a supplement may also benefit some older animals that tend to absorb fewer vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes through the intestinal tract, and lose more of them through the kidneys and urinary tract- i.e. if they have a certain medical condition of the kidneys or liver or intestines , or have a poor appetite.

Many supplements for older dogs are available on the market so please get veterinary advice on what might be suitable.

Another issue to take into consideration is that a large percentage of older dogs suffer from arthritis. These older pets can often benefit from vitamins and supplements, in particular items like MSM, chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine for their joints. Actually of course these supplements have to be combined with weight control measure, a proper exercise plan, and other considerations. There are a lot of different products available on the market and a lot of different strengths and purities to them also.

At Homevet we see a lot of older dogs and senior pets so we are able to advise you well on how to keep them happy mobile and healthy for this period of their life, and so they are still able to enjoy your companionship and live as normal as life as possible. At Homevet we are committed to helping pet owners complement traditional therapies with innovative solutions, supported through research and science. We also import some overseas products specifically, to come up with tailor-made plans for your pet’s health and happiness.