Friday, March 8, 2013

Pet Vitamins and Supplements


Pets Need Supplements Too

Every day before many people leave for work or go to bed they consume vitamins, minerals, and other supplements with the hope that the supplements will sustain their health.  Supplements are a great way to promote a healthy body in humans, but they can be just as beneficial for animals and pets.  If you're looking to support your pet's health a vitamin supplement could be a great way to help.  However, just like when buying supplements for yourself, it is important to read the labels and buy supplements are safe and effective.

Up to one third of the dogs and cats in the United States take supplements every day, and this number appears to be growing.  The most commonly used supplements for animals are joint support supplements, omega 3 fatty acids, probiotics, and antioxidant supplements.  These supplements exert benefits throughout the body, and when providing an animal with supplements it is essential to know what they eat on a daily basis.  A complete diet matched with a multivitamin may lead to dangerous levels of certain minerals and nutrients.  Too much calcium could harm the bones and skeleton, while high iron levels could poison the body.

Finding a brand of pet supplements that is safe and effective is incredibly important.  Many of the supplements that are sold nationwide contain chemicals that can potentially harm and damage the body's tissues.  These chemicals can disrupt hormone production and function, and they also build up within the body.  One study conducted by consumerlab.com found that as many as 60 percent of pet supplements don't have the ingredients that they claim.  A separate study by The National Animal Supplement Council found that 25 percent of pet supplements also didn't provide the promised ingredients.  Considering that pet supplements make well over one billion dollars annually this is disturbing news.

Everybody wants to make sure that when they provide their animals with supplements the animal is actually getting what the bottle claims.  Some safe, effective, and trustworthy brands that you can give your pets with confidence are:

  • Green Dog Naturals is a line of canine supplements made by Rainbow Light, which has been making pet supplements for over 25 years.  Green Dog Naturals doesn't use any chemicals, and they are 100 percent natural.  
  • Nordic Naturals is a line of safe and pure fish oils for pets.  Fish oils provide your animal with omega 3 fatty acids, and this can support healthy skin and a smooth and appealing coat.  Nordic Naturals takes every step that they can to make sure that they provide the freshest fish oil possible.  They use molecular distillation, and this helps to remove any heavy metals and unwanted materials that can naturally gather in fish oil.  Their process of molecular distillation also takes place in a vacuum, and this is to limit the heat that the fish oil is exposed to.  They also try to limit the oxidation of the fish oil, and they also work to keep the fish oils at the proper acidity. 
  • DaVinci Labs has been making high quality supplements for humans and animals since 1973.  Their supplements are safe, and all the ingredients found in their products are clearly written on the label.  
  • Kala Health produces supplements for humans and animals that meet cGMP standards.  These supplements work to safely provide your animal with a nutritional base that may help to promote their health for years to come.  

Pet supplements can be a great way to maintain the health of your animal, however many pet supplements aren't what they claim.  Because of this it is important to find a brand of pet supplements that you can trust.  Green Dog Naturals, Nordic Naturals, DaVinci Labs, and Kala Health make animal supplements that are safe and may provide amazing benefits for your pets.