Dietary Supplements

Think of it this way: To make a hot chocolate, you only need cocoa and milk. However, if you add chocolate sprinkles, a flake and whipped cream, you’ve made a far superior drink (at least in this author’s opinion!). While a dog food can contain all of the necessary nutrients for a dog to survive, the supplement is what can make them thrive and live to their full potential.

Supplements provide us with the opportunity to tailor our dog’s diet to their specific needs and provide them with the key ingredients that they as individuals need to lead their healthiest life. Supplements should generally be given long-term in order for dogs to reap the full benefits and giving them for just a few weeks is unlikely to make much of a change.

Not every dog will benefit in the same way from every supplement. For example, a middle-aged Labrador with diagnosed hip dysplasia will benefit a lot more from joint care supplements (such as Pooch & Mutt’s Mobile Bones) than a young Papillon who has no evidence of joint disease. However, that same Papillon may have a dull coat that grows slowly and could see a big difference in its fur quality if it were started on Pooch & Mutt’s Salmon Oil.

In reality, many of our dogs (especially those who are middle-aged or older) would benefit from a number of supplements rather than just one. Dogs often have more than one health issue so feeding them a single supplement may not be in their best interest. This is why we are such big fans of the Pooch & Mutt’s best-selling Bionic Biotic supplement.

Bionic Biotic contains some real superfoods such as Chicory Root and Salmon Oil.

• Chicory Root is a rich source of the prebiotic ‘inulin’ and, in fact, about half of the fibre within chicory root is made up if this prebiotic. Inulin not only provides a source of food for the good bacteria in the lower gut but is also proven to improve digestion. In fact, inulin has been shown to reduce the odour associated with faeces and to contribute to an animal feeling fuller for longer from their meal, thanks to the increased amount of dietary fibre it provides.
• Fish Oil contains lots of Omega 3 fatty acids. One key fatty acid is DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), which may improve brain function in older dogs. Omega 3 supplementation is also thought to benefit those with heart disease, thanks to its potent anti-inflammatory effects and its ability to lower blood pressure.

On top of this, our Bionic Biotic supplement is packed full of other healthy ingredients such as biotin, probiotics, antioxidants and selenium. Thus, we can potentially support and improve health in a number of areas including a dog’s skin, their gastrointestinal tract and their immune system.

By supporting each of these key areas, we can ensure our dogs are fighting fit and can potentially prevent certain health conditions as a dog gets older. So, while it may cost a little extra to add supplements to our dog’s dish each day, we may even be reducing their lifetime vet bills.