There’s no question that your four-legged companion is a full-fledged family member, but did you know that many of your nutrient needs also apply to your dog? Increasingly, pet owners are seeking out vitamins and minerals that provide their animals the same nutrition insurance they rely on; in fact, according to Nutrition Business Journal, U.S. sales of pet supplements reached an astonishing $1.4 billion in 2008, growing 7.4 percent over the previous year—faster than the sale of human supplements (which grew 6.3 percent). “Even if you’re making your own pet food and trying to do your best, there’s often not enough nutrition in food due to processing and nonorganic farming practices,” says Nancy Scanlan, DVM, former president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and president of the Veterinary Botanical Medical Association. Here are five good-health options to help keep your pet’s systems humming.

Antioxidants

“Based on my clinical experience and study of animal nutrition, I believe the high use of [conventional] tick and flea products, antibiotics, and harmful chemicals and pesticides in commercial dog food, plus air and water pollution, causes many animals eventually [to develop] liver, kidney, and heart disease. Antioxidants help protect and repair the body from the DNA damage that leads to these conditions,” says Ihor Basko, DVM, CVA, an international lecturer in holistic veterinary medicine. Scanlan suggests antioxidant vitamins E and C, taken together, to reduce disease-promoting inflammation. “They’re helpful for joints, skin, and the heart, and they both have some anticancer effect,” she says. For big dogs (60 pounds or more), Scanlan recommends 400 IU of vitamin E once a day and 500 mg of vitamin C twice a day for general health. Specific problems may merit larger doses; check with your vet.

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