A supplement a day can keep the vet away (and save you a fortune in the long run)
By Dr Guy Sandelowsky, vet and co-founder of plant-based dog food company Omni
Owning a pet can be an expensive business. As a vet, I am constantly seeing pets with the same mobility, anxiety and gut issues on a daily basis.
Prevention is always better than cure. Of course, once your dog has a problem, there’s a drug for almost everything. But all these drugs come with side effects and ultimately people don’t want to give their dogs painkillers for the rest of their lives because in the end it will affect their kidneys and liver. This is where supplement use comes in. Supplements are a huge and growing trend for dog owners concerned about their beloved pets’ wellbeing and long-term health. They are so crucial because they tend to be much better tolerated by the animal and they reduce the need for higher doses of stronger medications.
Supplements can cost around 80 pence a day and they address a plethora of pet issues. In particular, one of the biggest problems I come across are the ‘pandemic pets’ - dogs bought during lockdown who, as puppies, saw their owners all day, every day and now see them much less as people have gone back to working in the office. These dogs typically suffer from stress and separation anxiety and supplements can really effectively calm them down.
Other common issues include mobility problems with older dogs, and general skin conditions.
Supplements cost as little as 80 pence a day and can effectively keep the vet away… (much as I hate admitting that!)
Here are the top six conditions easily treatable with supplement use:
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For joints and mobility issues. These affect dogs over six and can lead to lifetime medication. YuMove is one of the better known supplements to help with this, as well as Omni Rescue.
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For stress and anxiety - on the rise amongst animals who came into families during the pandemic and are now increasingly left alone for longer periods. Dogs in situations like this feeling anxious can be destructive in the house and so a supplement can work wonders as a sedative to calm them down. It’s also a lot cheaper than buying a new sofa!
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For skin conditions such as hair loss and waxy ears which are mostly caused by allergic reactions and are treated medically by altering the dog’s immune system.
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For diarrhoea and vomiting where probiotics make for better gut bacteria, better digestion and firmer stools. Omni Rescue stool firming supplement also includes Kaolin to absorb toxins a playful dog might ingest in the environment.
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For anal glands which should empty when your dog passes a stool but often don’t because of modern diets resulting in swollen glands, uncomfortable dogs and expensive trips to the vet.
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For dogs on home cooked diets which, despite the best intentions, can lack some essential vitamins and minerals including calcium and vitamin D.
Dr Guy Sandelowsky runs Omni which offers Omni Rescue vet-grade supplements, created clinical practitioners. Each 1-a-day soft chew supplement is made cruelty-free, sustainably and tailored to these 6 specific body systems.
