Pets, like people, are individuals. As such, they have unique nutritional needs, requiring different levels of vitamins, minerals, fats, protein, fiber, and other nutrients. Even the highest quality pet foods, while providing the majority of nutrients pets need, cannot fulfill the unique nutritional requirements of every individual pet. In fact, no single food will be the right food for every pet at every life stage. Puppies/kittens, pregnant pets, lactating pets, older pets, hard-working pets, and pets with medical conditions all have different nutritional requirements. Supplements can help fulfill these requirements.

A supplement is something added to a pet’s diet on a regular basis - typically to make up for a deficiency of some sort, or to improve/enhance overall health by targeting a specific health issue. Supplements are given in many forms - a healthy food (such as yogurt, cottage cheese, or cooked eggs), a multi-vitamin, a mineral paste, fiber granules, and so on.

Pets who receive sufficient amounts of vitamins, minerals, fats, protein, and fiber experience better skin and coat condition, increased energy, higher resistance to stress, and improvements in general overall health.

Since no two pets share the same exact nutritional needs, no single food will be the right food for every pet. Further, since some pets cannot digest and metabolize all pet food ingredients, they will not receive all the nutrients provided in the food. Supplements can help fulfill each individual pet’s individual nutritional needs and deficiencies.
 
Supplements for specific life situations, events, and stages
Pets’ lives include unique challenges that can best be met with the aid of excellent nutrition. To ensure your pet is always in top form, feed a healthy, quality food, and supplement when necessary. Following are examples of pets who will benefit from supplements.

• Growing puppies and kittens may require a daily multi-vitamin to help ensure that young, growing pets get the vitamins they need for healthy tissues, strong bones, and overall good health.
• Hard-working, extremely active pets such as herding dogs, working field dogs, and police dogs typically have increased nutritional demands related to the consistent expenditure of large amounts of energy. A multi-vitamin can help provide the additional vitamins and minerals they may need.
• Pregnant pets/lactating pets typically require a multi-vitamin supplement to ensure they’re getting maximum nutrition for their bodies and their babies’ developing bodies.
• Older/senior pets tend to absorb fewer vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes through the intestinal tract, while simultaneously losing more of them through the kidneys and urinary tract. A daily multi-vitamin may help provide older pets with increased levels of antioxidants, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other valuable nutrients.
• Arthritic pets of all ages may benefit from a daily supplement containing ingredients such as Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM. A supplement such as this is highly recommended for pets suffering from arthritis, hip dysplasia, or other joint problems.
• Pets with extremely dry skin or dry coat can benefit from skin and coat supplements, which are high in fatty acids. Supplements can help moisturize skin, while restoring shine and beauty to a pet’s coat.
• Pets under stress, pets recovering from surgery, and pets with health problems/medical conditions can also benefit from supplements. These situations can cause an animal to eat less than normal, and receive insufficient levels of nutrients. A multi-vitamin supplement can make up for the lack of nutrients. If digestive disorders are a problem, supplements such as Acidophilus+ can help make digestion easier/more comfortable, boosting your pet’s desire to eat.
• Pets with allergies are often given supplements formulated especially for the skin. A supplement rich in fatty acids may help restore skin and coat condition.
• Pets on weight-loss diets generally eat less, and therefore may not receive all the nutrients their bodies need to thrive especially if not being fed a balanced “lite” diet. Multi-vitamins can provide the essential vitamins and minerals your pet’s body needs to function normally and maintain good health.

The bottom line
Regardless of what kind of food you feed your pet, you may need to add a supplement to ensure your pet has the right levels of nutrients for optimal health. Before giving your pet a supplement, carefully consider the food you are currently feeding, or the food you plan to feed. Determine the quality of the food’s ingredients, and whether the food already contains added vitamins. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has created dog food nutrient profiles, and cat food nutrient profiles which specify the percentage levels of nutrients that should be present in pet foods. Also, pay close attention to your pet’s health, your pet’s age/life stage, and any life events (such as pregnancy) that may require a boost/change in nutrition. As always, consult your veterinarian if you have questions about supplements, and whether they’d be appropriate and beneficial for your unique pet. Be sure to monitor your pet for health changes after supplementing, and contact your veterinarian if you have questions or concerns.

New compounds like Poly-MVA for Pets are being researched and utilized like never before. The impact this product is having in animal wellness programs is astounding. Currently a veterinary oncologist in Southern California is using it in his practice with over 800 animals and is having outstanding results. The ability of this product to protect and support healthy cells has pets of all ages excited. Every pet should be on this product to get the very best protection and cellular support available. In dealing with pets and cancer no other supplement is showing the potential to help so many animals that have cancer.

By Cheryl Sternman Rule

Just as Americans have become increasingly overweight, so too have their pooches packed on pounds: roughly 40 percent of dogs in the U.S. now are considered overweight. So when Topeka-based Hill’s Pet Nutrition (a pet-food company) contacted Robert F. Kushner, M.D., obesity expert and professor of medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, to brainstorm ways to address the pet and people obesity epidemics simultaneously, he was intrigued. “The cause of pet obesity is the same as human obesity: overeating plus under-exertion,” says Kushner. But there’s one difference, he says: “People cause pets’ obesity.” Ignoring portion sizes, offering copious treats and skimping on dog walks all contribute to pets’ added girth.

Research shows that when people embark on weight-loss programs with supportive friends, they do better. Would it matter if the friends happened to be furry and walk on four legs? Kushner wondered.

In a study published last October in the journal Obesity, Kushner and his colleagues followed 36 people paired with their dogs and 36 people without pets through a year-long weight-loss program. Both groups met regularly with a dietitian, who counseled participants on healthy eating, setting calorie goals and ways to increase physical activity. A veterinarian taught pet owners about dog health and suggested activities to foster bonding with their pets. (The dogs also consumed a calorie-controlled diet.)

Turned out, the dog owners didn’t lose more weight than their “petless” peers. They did, however, say that the dogs made exercise more enjoyable. Seeing their pets slim down also inspired them to stick with their own healthy habits.

Bottom line: “If you don’t have someone to walk with, get a dog,” says Kushner, the proud owner of Cooper, a spotted Havanese. Or borrow one: walk an elderly neighbor’s pet or exercise rescued dogs at a shelter.

By David Twiddy, AP Business Writer

Two Chinese businesses and a U.S. company were indicted Wednesday, February 6 in the tainted pet food incidents that killed potentially thousands of animals last year and raised worries about products made in China.

Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co.; Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products Arts and Crafts I/E Co.; and Las Vegas-based ChemNutra Inc. were charged in two separate but related indictments.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas City said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received consumer reports suggesting 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs died after eating food contaminated with the toxic chemical melamine.

U.S. Attorney John F. Wood said authorities haven’t been able to substantiate all those reports, but “as for pet deaths, we think it’s in the thousands.”

One of the indictments charges Xuzhou Anying Biologic, located in China’s Jiangsu Province, and Suzhou Textiles, in Suzhou, China, with 13 felony counts of introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce and 13 felony counts of introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce.

The indictment also names Mao Linzhun, Xuzhou’s owner, and Zhen Hao Chen, Suzhou’s president.

ChemNutra and company owners Sally Quing Miller, a Chinese national, and her husband, Stephen S. Miller, were charged with 13 misdemeanor counts of introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce, 13 misdemeanor counts of introduction of misbranded food into interstate commerce and one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The indictments allege that Suzhou Textiles, an export broker, mislabeled 800 metric tons of tainted wheat gluten manufactured by Xuzhou to avoid inspection in China. Suzhou then did not properly declare the contaminated product it shipped to the U.S. as a material to be used in food, the indictment says.

It also says the shipment was falsely declared to the Chinese government in a way that would avoid a mandatory inspection of the company’s plants.

“The defendants intended to deceive the Chinese government in addition to consumers,” Wood said.

According to the indictment, ChemNutra picked up the melamine-tainted product at a port of entry in Kansas City, then sold it to makers of various brands of pet foods. The indictment alleges that Xuzhou added the melamine to artificially boost the protein content of the gluten to meet the requirements specified in Suzhou’s contract with ChemNutra.

Wood said adding the melamine, which would allow it to pass chemical inspections for protein content, was cheaper than actually adding protein to the gluten.

He added that prosecutors aren’t alleging that the Millers and ChemNutra knew that the product was toxic, only that they were aware the product had been shipped into the U.S. under false pretenses and failed to notify their customers.

“Millions of pet owners remember the anxiety of last year’s pet food recall. These indictments are the product of an investigation that began in the wake of that recall,” Wood said.

Steve Stern, a spokesman for ChemNutra, said the Millers “deny the allegations by the Justice Department in the strongest of terms and look forward to the opportunity to prove their innocence at trial. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Miller had any intent to defraud or knowledge of any wrongdoing.”

Wood said the Chinese government is cooperating with the investigation and shut down Xuzhou shortly after its connection to the melamine scare was discovered last year.

In addition, Chinese officials signed an agreement in December increasing inspections on a number of products, including pet food ingredients, Wood said.

“Since this issue came to light, steps have been taken to protect consumer safety,” Wood said.

He added that Chinese authorities took Linzhun into custody at the time his company was shut down, but he said he didn’t know if Linzhun was still in custody.

The U.S. doesn’t have an extradition treaty with China, meaning there’s no legal way to force China to hand over Linzhun or Chen, Wood said. But federal authorities have alerted Interpol and other law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for them if they leave China.