The importance of food supplements for a dog

By Chanaka de Silva

Today in a world where everyone seems to be running somewhere but getting nowhere, the one who suffers most is the dog. Everybody seems to be busy. Everybody has some problem. When dog get sick they have to be treated on the run. So they all want instant remedies.

Man today has limited his time by pretending to be efficient. Today no one wants to cook much. Eating out is the done thing. They do not want to bother to prepare food for the dog. So they all buy dry food. When they see the label that promises it to be a complete diet they are happy. They can pat themselves on their back. They have done their best. After all the food is imported. It must be better than what we prepare. This way we console ourselves.

All this seem ok till a dog gets sick. Then what do we do? We run to the Vet and mumble, generally that it did not eat for so many days. The vet gives some injections and the dog eats the next day and we are happy. But, does the dog recover with that one visit to the vet.? No. Recovery is, if at all generally slow. Why? Because the dog is already under the stress of a bad diet.

As mentioned in my previous article, the healthy dog is one that is basically fed well. A well balanced diet gives the dog the strength to resist disease, while a poor diet invites disease and makes recovery a very slow process.

When the dog is taken to a vet, except for a few dog lovers, others ask the servant when the dog ate last and tells that to the vet. Many people like to think that once a dog starts to eat it has fully recovered. They never check the gums to see if the they are still pale, and never check to see it there are red spots on the belly. They simply wait to see the dog eat.

A basic diet in this country is made up of leftovers which hardly make for a balanced diet. Proteins are at a minimum, eggs are never heard of. All this leads to a dog developing various chronic conditions.

When drugs are given to us we know how bad we feel. The after effects make us feel lethargic. We get sore throats and bad stomachs. We sometimes vomit. All this is because of the stress caused by the drugs. It is then safe to presume that the dog too feels the same because it must be going through the same stress.

Sometimes a vitamins are given with the drugs. Most people think that continuing the vitamins after the prescription is harmful to the dog, or so they say. Vitamins help the body in its daily functions. Vitamins help the body repair itself and Vitamins clear all the free radicals from the body. This alone helps the body perform better. Especially in time of stress more vitamins are needed to perform this task.

Vitamins are of two types/ water soluble and fat soluble. The water soluble ones are vitamin B and C. while the A , D and E are fat soluble.

The unutilized water soluble vitamins pass out of the body with the urine. Very large doses may have some side effects. However the benefits are greater. In the case of fat soluble vitamins the unutilized are stored in the liver. Here again the doses required to cause toxicity have not been certified under every circumstance. However it is better to be a safe than sorry. In the case of a dog that is already malnourished it is better to go the extra mile and try to save the dog.


When a disease remains long in the system it damages the internal organs. Here is the real damage. When the kidney and liver get affected it is like slow poisoning. It is really a slow death. You think that drugs should do it. Most vets will not tell you about vitamins. Then you can watch your dog die slowly. So then what is the solution for the average dog owner how genuinely wants to have a healthy dog? He has two options one is to learn nutrition or two he has to use supplements in the dog‘s diet.

What supplements do
Supplements balance shortfalls in the diet. As mentioned before when the food is lacking in
Quality it is obviously lacking vitamins and minerals. Besides the proteins and fats these are the two most important things in a diet.

The function of vitamins I briefly explained above. Minerals also have an equally important part play in helping the body grow, maintain and repair itself. The lack of certain minerals can cause certain diseases for which a proper diagnosis are not reached. Though many vets will try to go on symptoms they will never check on the diet and recommend correctives

Supplements like Brewer’s yeast have been known to be one of the most beneficial of all supplements. This residue yeast which does not rise, contains a lot of nutrition. Several of supplement tablets are made with this. Dogs also like to eat it has a meaty taste. This can be easily added to food, made an ingredient in a recipe and easily fed to the animals.

When a supplement like this is given daily or at least regularly you will find that over a period of time it has balanced many of the shortfalls in the diet. There is no substitute for a complete diet. But supplements help and dogs need them.