So you are pursuing a healthy, home cooked diet for your dog and things are going great. But what about choosing a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement? Being nutrition-oriented, I believe nutritional supplements can not only cover us from potential deficiencies, but strengthen our bodies in many ways, if used properly.
When it comes to choosing a supplement, it’s important to consider the ingredients, source / origin and potential contaminants. For example, some pet vitamins contain numerous fillers and artificial ingredients that go against the concept of feeding a natural diet. In addition, numerous pet supplements were tested a while back and some were found to contain lead. This is clearly unsafe and should be avoided.
So when looking for multis to tack onto your dog’s healthy diet, keep in mind the following things:
- Ingredients should be only those that are necessary
- Ingredients should be natural
- Ingredients and entire product should be from reputable sources
- Product should be tested for contaminants
- Product should not overload dog with specific nutrients — you are looking for a product that can be used long term most days, and you don’t want to subject your dog to excess levels of anything
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Sarah