What Kinds of Supplement “Stacks” Do I End Up Routinely Recommending to My Patients and Why?
Supplements always need to be tailored to the individual dog, and your veterinarian can help guide you on what supplements are a good fit for your dog. I’ll use a couple of case studies to illustrate how I might approach supplement recommendations in my practice.
“Carrot” represents a common presentation in my practice. She is an older dog at age 9, and while her owners haven’t noticed any mobility loss in her hind legs, I notice just a touch of sensitivity when I run my hands over her hips. Her owners also note that she sometimes has mild gastrointestinal upset—a.k.a. occasional diarrhea—which only happens when she goes to a boarding kennel.
When I talk to her owners, they don’t want to pursue further diagnostics such as radiographs of her hips and, at this point, want to simply continue life with Carrot after I update her vaccines. However, I recommend they stack a few supplements for Carrot.
A high-quality joint supplement is at the top of my list for Carrot. She is getting a bit older, and early signs of osteoarthritis can be subtle. I want her owners to be proactive and start her on a high-quality joint supplement, such as Happy Paws Mobility Chews, and give it consistently to support joint health over time. I also want them to start Carrot on a daily probiotic dog supplement and consider a calming dog supplement when boarding.
For dogs, stress can manifest as gastrointestinal upset (this is why I often have owners of dogs with separation anxiety report coming home to diarrhea around the house). Probiotic supplements may help support normal gastrointestinal function during times of stress. I let Carrot’s owners know that if the diarrhea persists even after trying a probiotic, then we really need to investigate it a bit further.
“Trixie” is cute, but prone to itchy skin problems, ear infections, and anal gland impactions. Her owners are frustrated. I ended up having a long conversation with them about her underlying allergies and overall management.
With Trixie, her owners already have her taking a skin and coat dog supplement, but I also recommend they stack a gastrointestinal supplement with some additional fiber to help support stool quality and normal anal gland function. In this situation, I often discuss the Happy Paws Digestive Supplement for gut health with owners, as it contains probiotics along with high-fiber pumpkin meal—ingredients commonly used to support digestive health.
The most important message I give to Trixie’s owners is that supplements are not a silver bullet that will cure their dog’s allergies and her resulting tendency toward skin, ear, and anal gland issues, but they can help support her system.
The hardest part from my perspective, when having supplement conversations with owners of dogs with underlying allergies, is convincing them to keep their dogs on veterinarian-recommended supplements consistently—especially when allergy flares can make it seem like the supplements aren’t helping at all.
What Supplement Stacks Do I Use on My Own Dogs and Why?
My dogs are a big part of my family, and they are active dogs. This past summer, my dog Dusty won two medals at the International Federation of Sled Dog Sports Dryland World Championships, running in one-dog scooter with my sister—this is, of course, a niche within a rather niche sport with a niche following of harness sports enthusiasts. In other words, there is no prize beyond getting to see my dog race and have fun, which is priceless.
An interesting thing about sled dogs is that, from their perspective, the activity of pulling is intrinsically rewarding—meaning the activity is the reward in and of itself (Serpell). It also means that, for Dusty to enjoy his sport fully and excel, my job is to provide him with all the support his mind and body need; his desire to run takes care of the rest.
For Dusty, who puts a lot of wear and tear on his joints, one of the most important things I do is provide him with a high-quality joint supplement, such as Happy Paws Mobility Chews. I prioritize natural ingredients and supplements with glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM, which are commonly used to support joint health. Flavor—a.k.a. palatability—is also important. Dusty is part Greyhound and certified royalty; therefore, he can be a bit picky. There have been many supplements over the years that haven’t met his lordship’s approval in flavor. Luckily, the high-quality organic ingredients in Happy Paws dog supplements have passed the taste test for Dusty.
Now, even though sporting events can be fun for dogs, competing will produce stress. It might be eustress (a positive form of stress: the kind of stress you might experience if you run a 5K, for example), but it is still a form of stress. For dogs, in my experience, stress can often show up as gastrointestinal upset … and that means diarrhea.
Dusty can be a bit of an anxious dog, in general, so his daily probiotic supplement is important all year round, but it is especially important when he competes. Without a probiotic dog supplement, we have had the unpleasant experience of diarrhea post-racing. This year, with consistent probiotic support as part of his routine, Dusty raced three days in a row at the world championships without breaking his stride and with his stomach behaving the entire time.
To round out Dusty’s supplement stack, I like to keep him on a skin and coat supplement. He does not have any issues with his coat; I just like to keep his fur beautiful—and with the Happy Paws Subscribe and Save program, I really don’t have any excuse not to.
Princess Natalie is my other dog, and she gets, of course, joint support, daily probiotics, and coat support for many of the same reasons Dusty does. In fact, for Princess, I feel the joint support is even more important, because she sustained an orthopedic injury a few years ago.
However, in addition to the same “core” supplements that Dusty takes, I have started Princess on urinary support. Like many female dogs, she is prone to urinary tract infections, and giving her a bladder supplement for dogs with cranberry extract may help support urinary tract health and reduce the risk of recurrence for her. It is important to note that cranberry extract cannot help once an infection is present, so I use a urinary supplement as a supportive, proactive measure—not as a replacement for diagnostics or treatment when needed.
Serpell, J. A. (2017). The Domestic Dog (Second). Cambridge University Press.
