Do you have a senior dog? And you want to make sure that you are giving them the best supplements to support aging? Are you helping them with the right micronutrients necessary to keep them in optimal health? We will cover the best natural supplements you can give your dog to reduce inflammation and help prevent cancer. With these supplements, your senior dog will feel at its best as it enters its golden years.
Before we begin, note that it’s best to rely on well-known brand-name supplements when you purchase them. Their prices may be higher by a small margin, but their quality and the number of micronutrients mentioned will be accurate. If you buy medicines or supplements online, ensure you buy them through established retailers. Authorized retailers like PetCareRx will always sell you genuine products.
So, How Do You Know if a Dog Is Old Enough to Be Considered a Senior?
The way to tell whether your dog is a senior is by first determining its body size. There are three size categories for dogs in the broadest sense – large, medium, and small. Here are some examples of different breed sizes:
- Large dogs: Bullmastiff, Saint Bernard, and the Scottish Deerhound
- Medium dog: Australian Shepherd, Bulldog, and Basset Hound
- Small dogs: Dachshund, the Chihuahua, and the Shih Tzu
When they are 8, large dog breeds are considered seniors. At ten years of age, medium-sized dog breeds are considered seniors. Small-breed dogs are considered seniors once they reach the age of 11 years. If your dog has reached seniority, it does not mean that it will suddenly become sore, stiff, and inactive. Numerous supplements can support your dog’s aging process. It will also reduce stress from oxidation in their bodies.
Coenzyme 10
Coenzyme 10 is released by your body and has antioxidative properties. As your dog grows older, the levels produced in the body slowly decline. It is essential for healthy heart function, good teeth, and many other processes in the body, including neurons. Numerous supplements contain this element.
A natural way to introduce Coenzyme into your dog’s life would be to add liver or organ meat to its diet. You can feed your dog these food groups a couple of times a week, and it will get a sufficient quantity of Coenzyme. Typically, a dog needs about 10 mg of coq10 per 2 pounds daily body weight.
Perna Canaliculus
Perna Canaliculus is an effective option for dogs that can’t take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines. As a dog owner, if you want to avoid NSAIDs altogether, Perna Canaliculus is also a good option. The dosage of NSAIDs is extremely sensitive, and there are potentially dangerous side effects with the wrong dosage.
Perna canaliculus has cox inhibitors, and they work very similarly to NSAIDs. The difference is that they contain oxygenase inhibitors. These protect the stomach lining, while regular analgesic medications disrupt this lining. They contain glycosaminoglycan as well. Chondroitin protects the dog’s joints as they get older.
It is common to use omega-3 fish oil supplements for your dog. However, the Perna canaliculus has over 90 different kinds of fatty acids. Thus, they provide more than the EPAs and DHAs in fish oil. They also tend to be farmed and hence don’t accumulate mercury.
The best Perna canaliculus supplements have at least 6 percent fat in them. Anything less, and your dog will not benefit from it.
Detoxification
As dogs get older, they are at a higher risk of developing old age diseases and cancer. There are a lot of actions that you can take to encourage their detoxification process. One of the best detox supplements is phytoplankton. These are tiny little plants, and they form the lowest strata of the food chain in oceanic life. They also happen to be one of the most nutrient-dense sources of food on the planet.
They contain essential antioxidants and fatty acids. They also contain chlorophyll, trace minerals, and many more beneficial nutrients. This nutraceutical will protect your dog’s joints and add minerals that may be missing from their regular diet. And also the ones that are necessary for the detoxification pathway in the liver. It is also great for preventing cancer and other diseases through its sources of superoxide.
Thus, with these three supplements, you can immensely help your dog remain healthy throughout its life.