Dr. Pam Barker, DVM answers many of your frequently asked questions about HealthGUARD.

1:  I feed my dog a top-quality food that is labeled as a “complete” diet.  Are supplements really necessary?

For optimum nutrition and health, a carefully balanced dietary supplement is an essential component.  In order to prevent spoilage and increase shelf-life, even the best dog foods must be processed under conditions that diminish more fragile essential nutrients.  A so-called complete diet may not provide ideal levels of vitamins, minerals and omega fatty acids for a dog who is ill, elderly, growing or under stress.  A nutritional supplement helps to correct these deficiencies and also bring levels of those nutrients to optimal, rather than minimal levels.

2:  If my dog needs nutritional supplements, why hasn’t my veterinarian recommended them?

Veterinarians are learning more all the time about the connection between nutrition and supplementation in the prevention and treatment of disease.  Historically, Western medicine has focused on medical and surgical intervention for canine health problems and courses in veterinary colleges have reflected this philosophy.  As veterinarians look for more natural and less invasive ways to treat their patients, many are adding nutrition and supplementation to their recommendations to assure that their patients have the best of all possible health resources.

3:  How does nutritional supplementation help a dog who is young and healthy?

Every dog faces daily stress that can compromise well-being over the course of time.   Just like their pet parents, our dogs inhale pollutants in the air they breathe. They absorb toxins and allergens through their skin and they ingest preservatives and chemicals in their food and water.  Everyday living takes its toll on tissues and body organs, which must continually work to repair the damage.  Proper nutritional supplementation gives your dog’s body the tools necessary to heal and thrive.

4:  What role does nutritional supplementation play in a dog who is sick or elderly?

A dog who is recovering from illness or injury often requires an even higher plane of nutrition.  Supplementation can help to fulfill deficiencies from decreased absorption of nutrients and to assist in the body’s need for additional vitamins and minerals necessary for tissue repair.

5:  Will my dog always need nutritional supplementation?

Ideally, every dog (and every pet parent!) would receive an optimal balance of nutrients perfectly suited to their needs for that day.  They would consume exactly the calories required to maintain ideal body weight and meet their energy requirements.  Of course, the real world doesn’t work this way.  Supplementation helps to fill in the inevitable gaps that occur when we feed our dogs.

6:  My dog has a chronic health problem.  Could a nutritional supplement be helpful?

As with any medical condition, your veterinarian should be consulted when you change any aspect of your dog’s care.  Details of your dog’s diet are important for any medical condition to be managed properly.  One example of this is allergies.  Although if the problem starts with the immune system, many organs may also be affected including the skin, ears, eyes and digestive system.  The constant stress of an overworked immune system can prevent a dog from adequately digesting food and properly utilizing nutrients.  Over time, this can lead to nutritional deficiencies which further compromise your dog’s health.

7:  What are the benefits of antioxidant therapy?

Antioxidants help the body to heal itself.  In skin, blood, and digestive organs, cells have a normal cycle of use and when they become old or damaged; they are removed by the body and replaced with new ones.  In other organs, such as the brain, spinal cord and kidneys, cells that are destroyed cannot be regenerated.  Over time, this causes organ aging and loss of function.
Antioxidants assist in removing free radicals and other cell-damaging substances, therefore increasing the life of the cell.

8:  If I feed a natural or homemade diet instead of commercial dog food, does my dog still need a supplement?

As pet parents become increasingly aware of the advantages of natural, unprocessed foods for themselves and their dogs, more and more are making their own pet foods.  Fresh ingredients of the highest quality can be used to create a superb diet that is free of many of the chemicals and preservatives and by-products that are necessary in commercial pet foods.  It is often very difficult to provide the proper balance of nutrients without overfeeding your dog.  Nutritional supplementation can provide missing elements without adding excess calories.