Supplements

J J 20 May 2019

Supplements For Our Furry Four Legged Friends

Do you have a furry four legged friend that you have bought supplements for? Maybe a Vet has recommended you purchase certain products for your Dog, Cat or even Horse. In this article we look into what supplements are used for dogs, cats and horses and why and when they are used. We also cover off on how much you should roughly be giving them when using supplements that are intended for humans. Before we get into to it, we should mention that it is always recommended to check with your Vet first before giving any supplements to your furry four legged friends.

Animals will generally need supplements for the following reasons:

1) They have a medical condition and a Vet has recommended a particular product to help with the condition

2) They are not getting all the required nutrients in their diet. This maybe because they are on a raw feeding diet, raw feeding diets are great for your pets but can be hard to ensure your pet gets all the nutrients they need. Supplementation can be an easy way to ensure they receive all their required nutrients.

3) Supplements for performance. Race horses are commonly given supplements to help increase their performance. Race horse owners want their horses to be at their strongest and fastest and will supplement to ensure they are getting all the nutrition needed to achieve this.

Supplements for medical reasons

Joint Issues

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate are used to help dogs, cats and horses with joint issues. These two supplements especially in combination are able to treat Arthritis, relieve joint pain and improve mobility. Another supplement that can help with joints and inflammation is the herbal extract Curcumin. Curcumin is extracted from Turmeric and is a popular natural treatment.

Amino Acids Proline, Lysine and Methionine can be helpful for horses and their joints.

Antioxidants and Liver Detoxing Supplements

Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10, Milk Thistle and Spirulina are great antioxidants and liver detox supplements.

Immune System Boosting Supplements

There are some great natural immune system boosting supplements available for our animals. The most popular and well known immune boosting supplements are the Medicinal Mushroom Extracts such as Reishi, Cordyceps, Chaga and Lions Mane Mushrooms.

A few other supplements used for medical reasons are, L-Tryptophan, which can be used for a calming effect on animals. Magnesium, which can help with muscle tremors, cramping and spooking (Horses). L-Lysine can be especially important for our feline friends who have FHV-1 herpesvirus infections. L-Lysine is commonly prescribed to treat this condition.

Nutrients for animals

If your dog, cat or horse is missing particular nutrients in their diet then the following supplements can be very helpful to keep them getting their required Vitamins, Minerals and other important nutrition:

Greens such as Kelp extract, Spirulina, Alfalfa and Oat Straw Extract contain many essential vitamins and minerals and are a great addition to a diet.

Horses in particular need B Vitamins such as B12, Folic Acid and Biotin. A Vitamin B complex can be very helpful. Biotin can be very important for horses hoof health. Calcium, Sodium and Phosphorus are also important to ensure an adequate dietary supply for horses.

Fibers are a Prebiotic and help with a healthy gut, once such supplement is Inulin / FOS. A healthy gut can be very important especially if you leave in close quarters with you pet!

Performance Supplements

Some common performance supplements used for horses are L-Arginine, ALCAR and Coenzyme Q10. These can potentially increase the athletic ability and energy of horses and then hopefully they run faster!

What is the dosage size?

Getting the right dosage can be tricky, we do recommend discussing with a Vet first before giving any supplements to your four legged friend. The dosage on a pouch of CYOS supplements is based on a 75kg person. To calculate for your pet you need to adjust dose based on their size compared to a 75kg person. i.e. a 37.5kg dog is half the size of a 75kg human so you would need to give them half the recommended dose of a person. Or for example a cat which is 4kg, you would need approximately 4kg / 75kg of the human dose. This can be very small and you may need some accurate milligram scales to measure this!