I have a senior/geriatric dog and recently went through this matter for him. Here’s what I discovered. Look up the conditions that your dog is experiencing. We found PetMD and the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) online database of articles helpful to do this. Then,…
1) Advice = Consult with your veterinarian.
1.1) Reality = Our vet isn’t holistic and so was not up on natural care products. They also were not up on a number of the research articles (from NIH website) that I brought to them regarding supplements. The vet, however, was very conversant on national brands’’ kibbles/canned and basic supplements (probiotics, Omega-3, CoQ10, etc.).
1.2) We found a holistic vet through an emergency care vet. They confirmed that several of our “extra” supplements are “standard” within this side of veterinary science. One wasn’t. They also suggested a couple of additional supplements. This holistic vet offered the following additional advice:
1.2.1) Look up online to see whether there are complaints on the product, brand or their manufacturer. If none, how do they market-brag / certify their quality and potency?
1.2.2) Using online resources, educate yourself on toxicity levels and known interactions. When in doubt, then email/come to the holistic vet for additional consultation.
1.2.3) Many supplements provide multi -symptom/cause treatment so read product ingredient labels and look for double dosing (where two products have the same or similar ingredients) and/or Ingredients with known interactions.
1.2.4) Give it enough time (6-8 weeks or so). You will likely experience “buyer’s bias” (you paid for it so you wish it will work) so get a second opinion on whether and how it is working.
