One of the biggest wishes of being a pet owner is our pets grow up healthily and safely. But they all have different health conditions and are facing different issues every day. The most common illnesses usually take place in their kidney and urinary system, joint health, cardiovascular, immune system, liver, and gastrointestinal.
It seems giving extra nutrition to them at least can help prevent bad things from happening. But do you know how to choose the correct dog / cat supplement to meet their real needs?
As we get older, our body functions slowly decline. While we can't stop it from happening, we can try to slow down the rate of aging as much as possible. Some will start improving their lifestyle by doing more exercise and have a healthy diet; some will try to slow down their pace of living and reduce sources of stress. But it is difficult for people living in urbanized cities like Hong Kong to comply with the above two ways, so most of them choose to take additional vitamins and supplements.
In fact, cats and dogs need to face the same problems as we do, and it is also difficult for them not to follow their owner's lifestyle. Therefore, owners choose to feed our furry friends with pet supplements. In this article, you will find what ingredients you need to pay attention to when picking health care products for the 6 most common pet health issues. We also highlighted some of the supplements for dogs and cats to you based on the ingredients.
Kidney and Urinary System – D-Mannose
For the kidney and urinary system, you can pay attention to whether the product contains D-Mannose. D-Mannose is a glucose-like monosaccharide that is also found in many nutritional supplements.
When D-mannose passes through the urinary system, the bacteria will be taken away and excreted through the urethra. Therefore, it can be used to prevent Urinary Tract Infection or Urethritis. Fruits and vegetables such as cranberries, apples, oranges, peaches, cauliflower, and green beans also contain small amounts of D-mannose.
The following products contain D-Mannose as active ingredient:
VetriScience
UT Strength Pro Canine (Urinary Tract Supplement)
Liver – SAM-e (amino acid)
Liver disease is one of the top killers of pets. To prevent liver illnesses, you can choose supplement products containing SAM-e (S-Adenosyl-L-methionine). SAM-e is an essential amino acid for the body, mainly composed of methionine, adenosine triphosphate, B12 and folic acid.
It is extremely helpful in synthesizing sulfur compounds needed by the body and detoxification; it also protects the liver from damage and has antidepressant effects. SAM-e is difficult to obtain from natural ingredients, and most SAM-e is synthesized in the body.
The following products contain SAM-e as active ingredient:
Joint Support - Glucosamine, Chondroitin, GLM & GAGs
The problem of joint aging is something that every dog and cat must suffer. But each pet has different effects with different ingredients, some with significant effects; some might not. So the only way to take good care of their joints is to keep trying until you find the most effective formula.
There are 4 popular active ingredients for joint maintenance: Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Green Lipped Mussel (GLM) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). They all play a role in joint repair and maintenance. We will analyze each ingredient and its efficacy in the next article.
Glucosamine:
Paw Nutrition
Pet Glucosamine 120 Tablets
It is developed by British veterinary experts. The formula contains sufficient and appropriate amount of active ingredients.
Chondroitin:
Blackmores PAW
Oseosupport cats 60 caps
Aid in joint health and the relief of arthritic symptoms in your cat. The symptoms of arthritis may include lameness, stiffness, pain and a reluctance to run & play.
Green-Lipped Mussel (GLM):
LINTBELLS
YuMOVE ADVANCE 360 CATS
Its fastest-acting and most concentrated formula for the support of the metabolism of joints in the case of osteoarthritis.
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs):
Paw Nutrition
Pet Advanced Hip N Joint
Improve joint degeneration and joint flexibility. Promote cartilage regeneration and repair.
Gastrointestinal system - Probiotics
Like humans, probiotics would be a great help on pets’ digestive health. Consuming probiotics can help repair the microbial balance to maintain body function. Different factors can lead to an imbalance of microbes, such as stress, seasonal changes or dietary changes.
You can try feeding probiotics to improve the intestinal environment for your pet if they are having below symptoms.
- Indigestion
- Decreased appetite
- Vomiting
- Bad breath
- Stool changes (constipation, soft stools, diarrhea, gastroenteritis)
Probiotics can be found in dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and milk. However, most of the pets cannot consume dairy products, so it is difficult to obtain probiotics in their daily diet.
The following products contain Probiotics as active ingredient:
Paw Nutrition
Probiotics x Prebiotics
Capable of producing various digestive enzymes, enhancing absorption ability. Promotes peristalsis and intestinal waste excretion
Cardiovascular - Omega-6, Omega-3 fatty acids
Linolenic acid and linoleic acid are one of the fatty acids. They are also necessary components in the composition of polyunsaturated fats. Moderate intake of unsaturated fats can effectively reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the body, maintain healthy blood vessels and also make your pet have healthy skin. The well-known Omega 3 and Omega 6 are a kind of linolenic acid and linoleic acid.
Since a pet's body cannot synthesize fatty acids on its own, it must be obtained from the daily diet. You can find linolenic and linoleic acids in fishes, seeds, soybeans and walnuts..
The following products contain linolenic acid and linoleic acid as active ingredient:
Immune System Support - L-Lysine
Lysine is an essential amino acid that cats and dogs cannot synthesize by themselves. It has a wide range of effects, can help absorb calcium, maintain a healthy immune system etc. It also has resistance to herpes viruses which most cats carry.
Lysine can be found in the daily diet from fishes, poultries, meats, or beans.
The following products contain Lysine as active ingredient:
VetriScience
Vetri-Lysine Plus
All of the above pet supplements and brands can be found on Barkmall.
Barkmall provide a one-stop online shopping on pet supplies and services, from new-born to senior pets; soft chew treats, dog foods and cat foods to medical supplies and supplements; pet hotel to pet grooming; you will find a perfect match for your beloved cats, dogs, small animals, birds, fishes, exotic pets.
Barkmall also provides a free shipping membership – Bark First, to lower down your costs on pet supplies, and Auto Ship product subscription service to let you never miss ordering for pets.
We must remind all of you once again, the above supplements, vitamins and minerals mentioned cannot be used as treatment or a cure for a disease. But it can only help prevent or improve the physical condition of pets; nor can those products be taken in excess or even replace their diets. If you are in doubt whether you should buy your pet supplement, consult your veterinarian immediately.
Pawsmag gathered and sorted out the common types of pet health care products and analyzed the active ingredients. We hope you will find it useful and can easily choose the right supplement for your cats and dogs now!