💊 The Truth About Pet Supplements

The Truth About Pet Supplements

If you have a dog, chances are you probably give them some kind of supplement — whether it’s for their joints or their coat, more and more pet owners are growing increasingly savvy when it comes to maintaining their pet’s health and wellness.

But the scary truth is that pet supplements are not just big business, they’re unregulated, with scary little data to truly prove the efficacy behind the claims being made.

The Rise of Supplements

According to Pet Food Industry, In late 2020, more dog owners (38%) and cat aficionados (19%) were treating their fur babies to supplements, a jump from 2019's figures of 29% and 17% respectively. This trend led to a whopping 21% boost in sales, skyrocketing to nearly $800 million, as revealed in Packaged Facts’ Pet Supplements in the U.S. (January 2021). These pet pamperings are often seen as a mighty shield against health woes and, best of all, no prescription needed! It's no wonder this market is bounding ahead. 

Of those who use pet supplements, here’s a breakdown of the most popular supplements in both dog and cat owners:

Lack of Regulation, Safety & Efficacy

Despite the massive rise in the use of pet supplements in recent years, there's still a lack of oversight, quality control and scientific testing on their safety and efficacy.

In 1994, Congress passed the DSHEA, defining dietary supplements and removing certain ingredients from regulation as food additives. However, the DSHEA does not apply to animal products, leading to a lack of regulation for many ingredients in animal supplements. The FDA requires animal feeds to be pure and wholesome, but many unapproved ingredients are marketed for use in animal supplements.

A comprehensive study published with the National Library of Medicine in 2020 reviewed the current regulation, quality control, safety and efficacy of pet supplements and nutraceuticals targeted towards dogs, cats and horses. 

Here’s what that study concluded:

• While the FDA regulates dietary supplements for humans, there's no specific regulation for nutraceuticals (supplements).

• The National Animal Supplement Council promotes safety standards for pet supplements but does not require efficacy studies.

• There is no regulatory mechanism to ensure the accuracy of labeling for novel ingredients in pet supplements or nutraceuticals

• Many claims about the effectiveness of pet supplements and nutraceuticals are based on subjective assessments like owner testimonials, lacking rigorous testing in well-designed clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals.

• While the efficacy of many currently used supplements and ingredients are based on clinical trials with humans or other species, results from those studies may not apply to other species due to differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

Basically with no oversight, there's no promise about what's in the supplement’s package or how strong or effective the product is. The onus is on the consumer to dig into the manufacturer's integrity and ethics to be sure the product works as promised and is the real deal.  Crazy? I KNOW.

Fortunately, there is SOME reassurance that someone is checking up on what’s going to market

NASC

There is one organization providing some much-needed oversight into pet supplements:

The NASC, a nonprofit founded in 2001, is on a mission to protect and boost the health of pets and horses across the USA. They're all about setting up solid rules on both state and federal levels so that products with the NASC Quality Seal deliver the same great quality everywhere. With a bunch of manufacturers on board, they're committed to following NASC's strict policies, standards, and guidelines, including Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), to make sure their products are safe, effective, and top-notch.

According to PetMD, here’s what the NASC Quality Seal ensures:

• A quality control manual, outlining standard operating procedures, to ensure consistent production of reliable, safe products.

• Implementation of a system to address complaints and adverse events that may occur due to the consumption of a product by animals.

• Strict adherence to labeling guidelines, including mandatory warnings for specific ingredients. These guidelines are provided by the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM) and the NASC Scientific Advisory Committee.

Manufacturers are also subject to random product testing by independent laboratories.

Okay, that makes me feel a little bit better, but it still isn’t great. With what we know now, if you’re someone who likes to stay on top of their pet’s health and wellness, I would stay it’s critical to be as informed as possible. So let’s dive into the supplements themselves.

The Top Players

Joint and Skin & Coat Supplements are the most sought-after by pet parents, so let’s give a quick breakdown on each:

Joint Supplements - For dogs with arthritis or aging dogs.

Key Ingredients to Seek Out - Derived from shellfish and  animal cartilage, glucosamine and chondroitin have proven to show significant improvement in easing the pain and discomfort associated with arthritis.

• Glucosamine can help increase cartilage production and reduce inflammation. It may also aid in the rebuilding damaged cartilage.

• Chondroitin aids in keeping cartilage tissue from dehydrating and assists in cushioning impact stress. It is thought to help the body to repair damaged cartilage and help restore joint integrity. It may also help protect existing cartilage from premature breakdown.

Skin and Coat Supplements - These pet supplements are specifically formulated to provide essential nutrients, such as omega fatty acids and vitamins, that promote a healthy coat, nourish the skin, and address various skin issues that could arise from environmental issues such as allergies, and can prevent against a number of issues including:

• Allergies

• Itching

• Dry Skin

• Aggressive Shedding

• Improved Skin Regeneration

Dog skin and coat supplements are primarily composed of nutritious oils that help to maintain your dog's healthy skin and coat. Some of the best ingredients for a skin and coat supplement include:

• Salmon Oil

• Evening Primrose Oil

• Sunflower Oil

• Turmeric

What to Look For In A Pet Supplement

So…with all the supplements that are currently available, how do you sift the good from the bad? Here’s a quick checklist we think will help:

Look For Clear Ingredient Lists - Clear ingredient lists and idiot-proof instructions are vital for your pet's safety and your own sanity. The label should spell out the ingredients clearly, so you don't accidentally feed your dog something strange, like a shoe.

When picking supplements for your pooch, it's not just about what's inside but also how it's all put together. Look for stuff that's non-GMO, BSE-free, gluten-free, corn-free, grain-free, and doesn't have any fake stuff. 

Look for supplements made in a fancy-pants cGMP-certified facility in the USA if possible. This certification indicates that the facility has met strict standards for quality and purity, That way, you know your pet is getting the crème de la crème of supplements, and you can breathe easy knowing you're a top-notch pet parent.

Check the Science - Go on a little investigative adventure before buying a supplement. Check out the manufacturer's website or other trusted sources to make sure the claims about the product's effectiveness aren't just a bunch of hooey. This detective work will help you ensure the supplement is safe and actually does what it says it does for your furry friend.

Check for the NASC Badge - Make sure the manufacturer is a member of the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) when looking for a pet supplement. 

The NASC sprang into existence because folks were fretting about the quality and safety of animal health supplements and how they're made. When you spot the NASC seal on a pet supplement, it's like a gold star of assurance. It means the formula was cooked up in a facility that's been through a tough, independent audit and sticks to the NASC Good Manufacturing Practice Quality Standards.

And last but not least…

ASK YOUR VET - If nothing else, consult your vet. The hard part about everything we discussed, is that EVERY dog is different. Not only are there hundreds of breeds of dogs, but they’re each like a finger print — no 2 are alike. So when it comes to your dog, who lives in your house, who eats what you give them, who lives the very specific life they do, only your vet will be able to properly guide you on the best health regimen for your pet.

Final Thoughts

In the past year, I’ve read and heard about literally every company, big and small, getting into the pet supplements business. This is because the data shows more and more pet parents investing in the health and wellness of their pets, supplements are relatively low-cost to manufacture, and supplements can easily become a subscription business (i.e. easily-recurring revenue).

And with everyone racing to the middle (or bottom, but I’ll choose to be optimistic), it behooves us to learn more about how these supplements are made, with what ingredients, and what (little) oversight exists to ensure that we’re giving our pets the very best.

So in conclusion, talk to your vet, be a discerning pet parent, and always do your research on the products you’re buying for your pet.

I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING!!!

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After 9 amazing years with this handsome fella, he gets to enjoy retirement at home with me and my family! Thank you all for your love and... See more

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