A-Z dog health Articles

Unfortunately, many dog foods, toys and environments are ridden with toxins that can have a negative impact on your dog's well-being. As the leader of the pack, it's our job to look out for our four-legged companions. Here's a list of things to consider to ensure your dog's health is optimized and they're not in need of a doggy detox.

Top 6 Considerations For Your Dog's Health

1. Dog Food: Organic vs Processed

Just like human food, our furry best friends thrive on a non-processed diet. Kibble that uses pesticides, fillers and/or meat by-products isn't the healthiest for dogs. We wouldn't do well if we only ate packaged, processed foods our whole lives, and neither does your dog. Using a dog food that is made with organic ingredients is the best option for your dogs health. Just like we thrive on organic material, so do our dogs. 

2. Dog Toys: Select Non-Toxic Materials

We love spoiling our pets with new toys. Toys help our dogs exercise, stimulate their mind and senses and are a good bonding tool. However, since toys go in your dog's mouth, along with everything else they find, it's important to choose toys that are made out of natural, non-toxic materials to ensure Fido isn't ingesting nasty chemicals. Always check that the toys are made from non-toxic, BPA-, Phthalate-, and latex-free materials and are FDA compliant. You can also choose toys made of other natural materials, such as loofah, hemp, food-grade silicone, rawhide-free bones and chews, and natural dog treats and toys that use cotton or vegetable dyes. 

Items and materials to avoid include: vinyl, plastic that's chemically contaminated, pig's ears, rawhide and nylon.

3. What They Pick Up Outside

While most dogs are curious about sniffing around outdoors, some breeds are more inclined to keep their nose to the ground. It's important to watch what your four-legged friend is picking up while in the park or on your daily strolls. Things to watch for are food waste, rocks, cigarettes, garbage, pinecones and chemically treated grass. All of these things can be extremely toxic or harmful to your pet's health. If your dog does enjoy eating grass, perhaps consider using a pet probiotic or get them a grass patch from the pet store to ensure they aren't ingesting lawn care chemicals along with their snack. 

4. Parasites

Knowing where your dog is drinking from and roaming around is important for parasite prevention. Whether you use a topical parasite and worm prevention, keeping your dog away from open puddles and stagnant water can help avoid the risk of parasites and disease. Using filtered water at home can also enhance your pooch's health and lower the liver's need to filter out toxins. 

5. Dogs Gut Health

Giving your furends gut a boost is an important part of maintaining their health. Pets gut health is just as important as humans. If it's in jeopardy, your dog can't absorb necessary nutrients, keep a health bacteria balance, or fully fight inflammation. Just like when our gut health is out of whack, our body can't heal other areas as well; the same goes for your dog. 

6. Popular Items That Are Toxic to Dogs

• Sanitizer: Don’t let your pet lick your hands after applying
• Certain Food Items: Chocolate, Grapes, Avocado, Onion, Garlic
• Essential Oils: Tea Tree oil is very toxic to pets if ingested, applied topically, or inhaled. Other oils in the same family as tea tree are also toxic to dogs.
• Chemical Cleaning Products: These get on your dog's paws, and they then ingest the material

Keeping chemicals out of your dogs reach will help them stay healthy and not overload their tiny organs. Providing your pet with the healthiest diet, toys and looking out for what they're picking up off the ground, as well as adding dog-friendly supplements to support their everyday health, can boost or support their organs and ensure your dog is thriving. 

As fellow pet lovers and dog owners, we understand that you love your dogs and want the best for them. At National Nutrition, we want what's best for your pets too, which is why we have a range of high-quality natural supplements for dogs to support all breeds. You will be happy to learn that we have recently expanded our pet health section to include even more natural products to help give your dog everything they need for a long and healthy life.

Every day, we get a lot of questions about which products are best for your furry friend. That's why we created this list of our top supplements for dogs, so you can make sure your dog is getting all the nutrients they need to thrive in every area of their life.

Continue reading as we answer some of the most common questions we get from pet owners, including those about joint health, digestive health, coat and skin health, fleas and ticks, mood support, and our top pet supplement picks.

Joint Supplements for Dogs

For those of us who have dogs who love to play and run around, joint health is an important thing to keep in mind. Your dog can't tell you when their joints are hurting, so it's important to support their joint health before it becomes painful. 

There are several supplements for dogs out there that can help with joint pain and discomfort, but we like NaturPet's Joint Care. This product is an all-natural formula that supports joint health in dogs (and cats, too!). 

We love it because it cleanses calcium deposits from the joints and reduces inflammation, plus it alleviates the arthritic pain associated with aging in your furry best friend, allowing them to spend more time doing what they enjoy; running, jumping, and playing.

Dogs' Digestive Health

The digestive system is an important part of any animal's health, including dogs. If your dog has trouble digesting food or has irregular bowel movements, it could mean they need attention. With dogs, we don't always know what they have been eating, which makes taking care of their digestive systems super important.

BiologicVet's BioDigest is a plant-based probiotic and prebiotic formula designed to support the digestive and immune systems. BioDigest helps maintain proper gut pH, intestinal health, and flora in the digestive tract. Most human probiotic strains are not acid-resistant enough to survive the digestive tract of cats and dogs, so using a clinically proven, acid-resistant strain like Pediococcus acidilactici is essential to get the benefits and results pets need.

Parasites are also a common reason for digestive upset in dogs. Parasites can be transmitted through contact and ingestion of contaminated food, water, and feces. They can also be carried by fleas or lice. If your dog has become infected with parasites, you may notice a change in appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, and vomiting. NaturPet's Intesti Care is an all-natural way to de-worm your pet by working with the parasites' life cycle and supporting joint health. The simple supplement can do double duty for dogs and cats.

Supplements for Dogs' Skin & Coat Health

Many dogs are prone to itchy, dry, and flaky skin, which can be a sign of underlying health problems. 

BioSkin & Coat from dog supplement maker BiologicVet provides a source of antihistamines and nutrients that support the skin of your pet. When used regularly, it helps alleviate allergies, stops skin irritations, and supports healthy immune and hormone function. BioSkin & Coat is tasty and easy to give to your dog, and it contains BioFibre for optimal absorption. Simply mix into raw, moist, or dry food.

Another excellent supplement by BiologicVet for coat and skin health is BioFats Omega 3-6-9, an all-natural source of fatty acids. It helps your dog maintain healthy skin and a shiny coat. Fatty acids are known for their ability to reduce inflammation, support cardiovascular health, and promote proper brain function.

Lastly, if something's bothering your dog's paws, you may want to try NaturPet's Paw & Skin. Paw & Skin is a natural healing cream that was formulated to support cracked feet, itchy skin, infections, and hot spots.

Flea and Tick Prevention

Fleas and ticks are a common problem for dogs, especially in the summer when they spend more time outside in warmer temperatures. 

NaturPet's Fleeze Topical is an all-natural supplement for dogs that works as a preventative measure against ticks and fleas. It contains essential oils that help ward off these pests without harmful chemicals or pesticides. Simply sprinkle on your dog's fur or bed to help ward off those unwanted bloodsuckers.

Dogs Mood Support

One of the most important benefits of feeding your dog a healthy diet is that it helps improve their day-to-day mood. However, certain situations can cause anxiety in your pet. If your best friend gets stressed during travel, daycare, kennels, thunderstorms, fireworks, or simply being left alone at home while you're at work, Be Calm by NaturPet can help. Thanks to all-natural calming herbal ingredients like valerian root, black cohosh, lemon balm, and passionflower, Be Calm can help calm and soothe your dog when they experience anxiety.

Be Calm is also safe for dogs of all ages and can be given daily to help your dog stay calm and relaxed. If you have a dog that suffers from separation anxiety or is just a little bit nervous around new people, this calming supplement could be the answer you've been looking for.

Best of all, all products from NaturPet and BiologicVet are natural and completely safe for your furry best friend, so you can feel good about giving your dog the very best from these product lines.

There have never been more options than before to support your dog's health naturally. At National Nutrition, we have recently expanded our pet care section to include all of these effective products that we know you'll love. If there's a concern that we haven't addressed, one of our expert educators can help guide you to the right product for your furry friend. Either stop by in person or online and speak with one of our educators to find the right product for your fur baby.