By Dr. Kathy Boehme
In January I watched a Frontline show on PBS regarding the use of supplements in humans; it was frightening. This is an almost entirely unregulated, 13 billion dollar a year industry. Even though “rules” are in place for their labeling and use there are few resources available to enforce them in people, let alone in the veterinary industry. There are so many supplements marketed for pets now for a variety of uses including overall wellbeing to very specific health related conditions. As of 2014 it was a $541 million dollar industry and most likely even more than that now.
As a veterinary professional I play the role of scientist and advisor when recommending supplements, which I frequently do. On a daily basis I have people bring in the supplements that they are giving their pets and ask what I think. As a veterinarian, it is very important for me to know what pets are receiving but it impossible for me to evaluate supplements based on a label. Not only are labels misleading but as shown by multiple studies, they often do not contain in the bottle what is printed on the label. At best these misleading supplements do no harm. At their worst they contain harmful adulterants or delay appropriate treatment.
In my opinion there are helpful supplements, but this is a buyers beware market and you should know that for yourself and for your pet. Do your homework before purchasing a product. I would personally never grab a supplement off a drugstore shelf or online retailer without knowing a few things.
What you should know:
- Is it clearly listed on the label what is in the product? I tend not to trust companies that claim proprietary ingredient recipes. These products often come with lots of health benefit claims but there is simply no way to look up the validity of the claims if the ingredients aren’t even listed.
- Is what is listed on the label really what is in the bottle? It is helpful if the product has been tested by an independent lab and the results confirm the label ingredient amounts. There are several labs that do this type of testing and, often for a fee, you can have their results.
- Is the product bioavaialble in the species you are giving it to? Human supplements are not always bioavailable or safe in dogs and cats. The supplement cannot work if it is not absorbed. Even manufacturers of pet supplements often do not have bioavaiability studies. That’s a problem.
- Does the company adhere to current Good Manufacturing Processes (cGMP) in the production of their supplements? These are required for human dietary supplements sold in USA although there is a problem with non compliance in human products, especially with the smaller companies.
- Is there any evidence that the product does what it claims? This can be a tough one to determine as anecdotal reports of success and testimonials do not constitute evidence. Has the company or independent researchers performed clinical trials. Are there measured improvements in the condition the supplement claims to be treating?
Also ask yourself, and your veterinarian, if your pet really does need a supplement. There are specific conditions that a supplement could be beneficial, like arthritis, kidney disease, liver disease, cancer or allergic skin disease. Most healthy dogs simply need good food and interactive play and exercise.
We are your resource for your pets specific health concerns. We can’t possibly know all the supplements on the market, especially since they change all the time, but we know the companies that we trust are trying to do a good job, have analyzed what is present in their products, have checked safety and absorption, have at least some data to support the use of their product and also support the veterinary health industry in finding out more. These companies are surprisingly rare in the often confusing and poorly regulated pet supplement industry.
Some of the companies that we do recommend are Nutramax, Vetriscience, and Nordic Naturals.
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