Should you supplement your dog's diet?

Providing pets with vitamins, minerals and other nutritional components is important to the pet's health and well-being. The best way to do so is by feeding a high-quality, complete and balanced diet. Supplementing pet food often upsets the balance and may lead to a variety of health problems.

Reasons why people might supplement their pet's diet

People supplement their pet's diet for different reasons.
Some of these reasons might include:
· To increase palatability or add variety
· To feel assured the pet is receiving complete nutrition
· To enjoy a larger role in "preparing" the pet's meal.

Supplementing can unbalance the diet

It is important for concerned pet owners to realize that a quality pet food is carefully formulated to meet the caloric needs of the animal. In addition, the food provides the essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals specific to the nutritional requirements of the dog and cat. Quality foods are complete and balanced for a specific life stage or lifestyle. By adding table scraps or other supplements, the delicate nutrient balance can be disrupted.

What we know abut minerals and supplements

The interaction between different minerals is very complex. Fortunately, this is an area of nutrition that has been the focus of extensive research throughout many years. Research has shown that not only are the individual levels of minerals in a diet important, but so is the proper balance. An excess of one mineral may affect the absorption of a second, and lead to a deficiency in that second mineral.

Supplementing with meat as an example of mineral interaction

One common supplement is feeding additional meat. However, because meat contains 20 to 40 times more phosphorus than calcium, adding meat to a balanced diet will upset the calcium to phosphorus (or Ca:P) ratio which is important for proper bone development and maintenance. This may prompt the animal's body to absorb calcium from the bones in order to reach the right balance. This is often the case in older animals that experience tooth loss due to the resorption of bone from the lower jaw. Ca:P ratio should range between 1.1 to 1.4 parts of calcium for each 1 part of phosphorus.

More calcium is not always good

Excess amounts of calcium have been associated with several bone diseases affecting growing puppies.
Owners of large breed puppies, in particular, believe that their puppies require extra calcium for proper development of large bones. Adding yogurt, cottage cheese or calcium tablets to the puppy's diet will only upset the body's delicate mineral balance. Remember that large-breed puppies will consume more food and receive the calcium their bodies need by eating the recommended portions of a food specifically formulated for large and giant breeds.
The best way to support a normal growth rate is to feed growing dogs adequate, but not excessive, amounts of a balanced large-breed diet using a portion-controlled regimen.

Conclusion

Supplementing a high-quality, complete and balanced diet with vitamins, minerals or other foods is unnecessary and can upset the delicately balanced nutrient requirements of the dog in its various life-stages and lifestyles.