If you are feeding your dog or cat an AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) certified diet (grain-free or not) and your pet is young and healthy, you can rest easy as it is highly likely they are having all their nutritional needs met. However, if your dog or cat has a chronic disease or condition, they may benefit from a nutritional supplement.
Common Pet Diseases
Here are some common diseases we see in our veterinary patients:
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Cushing’s Syndrome (Hyperadrenocorticism)
- Addison’s Disease (Hypoadrenocorticism)
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
- Neoplasia (cancer)
- Joint Disease (including Osteoarthritis)
- Ligament or tendon damage
- Skin diseases (allergies, chronic ear infections, bacterial & fungal infections)
- Autoimmune disease (Feline Leukemia, FIV, Pemphigus, Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia)
Each of these diseases/conditions taxes your pet’s body in a unique way. As veterinarians, we treat them with a variety of necessary prescription and non-prescription medications.
Nutritional supplements are another way your pet’s quality of life can be enhanced despite their disease. They are designed not to treat the disease itself, but to provide support to the bodily systems that are stressed through the disease state.
There are a number of supplements available to support your pet’s system taxed by disease; our veterinarians can recommend the appropriate one for your companion’s specific condition.
Please do not hesitate to call Colorado Springs Veterinary Surgery and Rehab Center if you have any questions about supplements for your dog!