As a devoted dog owner, you’re always one step ahead of your dog’s needs: You plan for doggie daycare, schedule walks and playdates, and research the full ingredient list on every bag of dog food before it ever hits Rover’s dish.
But one area many pet owners don’t plan for is the cost of veterinary care. That’s where a dog wellness plan comes in.
A dog wellness plan is, in essence, a pet insurance policy that helps pay for routine and preventive care, such as teeth cleanings and vaccinations.
A pet wellness plan foots the bill for preventative care, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to keeping your pup in excellent condition. Promoting paws-to-tail health requires complete, balanced nutrition, and that’s where a high-quality dog multivitamin can help.
In this article, we’ll dig into dog wellness plans, along with pet care tips for making sure your dog is obtaining all the core care and nutrients they need for long-term health.
What Is a Dog Wellness Plan?
A dog wellness plan is a type of pet health insurance plan. Specifically, it’s a preventive care plan that covers routine vet visits, such as:
- Yearly dental exams and cleaning
- Vaccinations
- Spay and neuter
- Annual preventative exams
Even healthy dogs should receive annual dental care and checkups, just like their owners do.
These visits often prevent more serious problems down the road, such as periodontal disease. They can also catch underlying health concerns before they become more difficult to treat. However, the fees for preventative care can add up. Canine wellness plans can offset those ongoing expenses and make regular vet care more feasible.
Good Nutrition and Exercise Can Support Your Dog’s Wellness Plan
If you do choose to avail pet wellness plan benefits for your dog, it will help pay for preventative care costs. But if an unexpected problem arises that requires special treatment, basic pet wellness plans won’t cover it.
The best way for a pet owner to prevent the cost and stress of bigger health problems? Providing proper care for your dog every single day.
Many common dog health problems are preventable or manageable with proper care. Optimal core care for long-term canine health includes:
- Feeding your pup a high-quality diet – Always feed the appropriate food for your dog’s age and breed. Large dogs have specific nutrient needs, as do puppies, adults, and seniors. If you choose to feed your dog a homemade diet, work with your vet or a canine nutritionist to plan a balanced diet.
- Offering both canned foods and kibble – Kibble helps to maintain healthy teeth by breaking up tartar and preventing gum disease. However, an all-kibble diet may not provide enough moisture and hydration for optimum health. A mix of both canned and dry food is ideal.
- Adding a supplement to provide additional nutrients – Just like humans, dogs need essential vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients to thrive.1 If you provide your pup with raw or homemade foods, a multivitamin can be especially helpful in filling in the gaps.
- Providing exercise and mental stimulation – Avoiding excess weight is one of the best things you can do for your dog’s longevity. Depending on their age and breed, dogs need anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours of active time per day.2 Providing mental stimulation with obedience and agility training, puzzle toys, interactive play, and so on, is also key to maintaining cognitive health and happiness.
Adding Supplements for Balanced Nutrition
Of course, proper nutrition starts with choosing high-quality, AAFCO-approved food.
However, feeding your pup the best food on the market won’t help if your dog’s system can’t absorb the nutrients it contains. The fact is, many dog foods aren’t fully digestible and contain forms of nutrients that provide low bioavailability. That means the food passes through your dog’s digestive tract without breaking down well enough to release the nutrients they require.3
You can check the label for the amount of vitamins and minerals a food contains, but most dog foods do not disclose their digestibility profile.
Providing a multivitamin with guaranteed bioavailability like Vetericyn ALL-IN is an effective way to ensure that your pup receives the correct balance of each crucial nutrient they need at every life stage and in a form they can absorb. A good multivitamin can help support:
- Immune function – Look for a supplement containing vitamins A, D3, B complex, and E, along with zinc, selenium, CoQ10, and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which help support immune function.4
- Energy levels – The B complex vitamins include B6, B12, thiamine, riboflavin, and folic acid. These vitamins are heavily involved in metabolism, blood glucose regulation, energy regulation, and many other vital functions.1
- Digestion – High-quality supplements should include prebiotics and probiotics, which can support digestive health and the immune system.5 For canines, probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes, and bioperine are the optimal choice—it’s both a prebiotic and probiotic in one, and it’s a highly digestible, naturally occurring protein.
- Skin and coat – A nutritional supplement can go a long way toward supporting skin and coat health, leaving your pup looking radiant and feeling great. Look for a multivitamin that contains omega-3 fatty acids, collagen, biotin, and vitamin E.
- Joints and bones – Calcium and vitamin D3 are essential for regulating bone density. Look for a supplement that also provides chondroitin, glucosamine, manganese, and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) for maintaining joint mobility and comfort.6
Canine Multivitamins: How to Choose the Right Supplement for Your Dog
Choosing a multivitamin as part of pet wellness plans can be confusing. There are many factors to consider as a pet owner, including the specific nutrients provided, the sources of those nutrients, and whether it’s appropriately balanced for your dog’s age, size, and individual needs.
Some key factors to consider include:
- Bioavailability – Some forms of nutrients are less available than others. Many supplements contain forms of vitamins and minerals that are not readily absorbed. Check the label for information about how the supplement reaches the cells. For example, Vetericyn ALL-IN supplements harness a process called endocytosis, or active transport, which allows nutrients to penetrate cell walls for maximum absorption.
- Age formulation – Quality canine multivitamins should specify the life stage they are formulated to support. Puppies, adult dogs, and seniors all have very different needs when it comes to nutrients like amino acids, sodium, and phosphorus.
- Your dog’s unique needs – Certain breeds require more specific nutritional support than others. For example, many large breeds need additional joint and support health, while others might benefit tremendously from supplements that promote skin and coat health. Your best bet? Consult your veterinarian for help with choosing an appropriate supplement.
How to Incorporate Multivitamins Into Your Dog’s Wellness Routine
Once you’ve chosen the right multivitamin for your dog, you’ll need to put some thought into how you build it into their daily routine.
Here are 4 pet care tips to get the best results from any nutritional supplement:
- Start small. When introducing any new food or supplement to your dog’s diet, it’s important to start with small doses. This will help your dog’s system adjust to the change gradually, minimizing digestive upset and other side effects.
- Give with food. Canine multivitamins are available in several forms, including liquids, chewable tablets, and powders. Liquids and powders should be mixed into food, and chewables should be given with a meal, as some multivitamins can cause nausea on an empty stomach.
- Be consistent. Consistency is key both for seeing results and for minimizing digestive side effects. Choose a time of day that fits into your routine, such as breakfast time, before your evening walk, or with the last meal of the day. Whatever time you choose, stick with it as closely as possible.
- Monitor your dog’s reaction. Any time you administer a new medication or supplement, it’s vital to observe your dog for side effects. If you notice signs of stomach upset such as gas, vomiting, diarrhea, or nausea, discontinue the supplement.
When to See Your Veterinarian
Canine supplements are generally safe, but some vitamins and minerals can cause toxicity at high doses.
This can happen if your dog’s regular food and a nutritional supplement both contain high levels of certain nutrients such as vitamin D, A, or iron, for example.7 Certain foods, such as organ meats, can also include elevated levels of certain vitamins that can cause toxicity if overfed or given alongside a multivitamin.
Signs of vitamin toxicity may include:
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Increased urination
- Increased thirst
- Drooling
- Lethargy
- Weight loss
If you see any of these symptoms, stop administering the supplement immediately and consult your veterinarian. You should also seek advice from your vet before starting a new supplement or multivitamin if your dog has impaired kidney or liver function.
Trust Vetericyn ALL-IN For Complete Dog Wellness
Giving your dog top-notch care takes commitment, and it’s not always easy: You need to provide complete nutrition, activities, exercise, and interaction every day, and take them to the vet regularly. Canine wellness plans can take some of the weight off your shoulders by making routine vet care more affordable.
At Vetericyn, we also make it easy to give your pet the best nutritional support with ALL-IN, our clinically proven nutritional supplement for canines at every life stage.
At Vetericyn, we aren’t satisfied unless we know that every one of our products is the best it can be. That’s why we’ve enhanced our ALL-IN technology to be the most effective yet, with guaranteed absorbability and expertly balanced nutritional support that’s customized for puppies, adults, and seniors. ALL-IN lets you rest easy knowing you’re giving your best friend everything they need for a healthy and happy life.
Reviewed by C. Scott Van Winkle
Scott has been with Innovacyn for the past 11 years and has been working within the Burlingame portfolio of companies for the past 23 years. Scott brings a diverse background to Innovacyn. With an upbringing as the 5th generation on his families cattle ranch, Scott has a passion for animal health and the continuous improvement surrounding agricultural practices. Scott earned marketing and business management degrees from the University of Idaho and holds an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University.
Sources:
- American Kennel Club. 7 vitamins your dog needs for a healthy life. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/vitamins-dogs-need-healthy-lifestyle/
- American Kennel Club. How much exercise does a dog need every day? https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/how-much-exercise-does-dog-need/
- Journal of Animal Science. Protein and amino acid bioavailability estimates for canine foods. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283086985_Protein_and_amino_acid_bioavailability_estimates_for_canine_foods
- Purina Companion Animal Nutrition Summit. Effects of nutrient supplementation on immune function in cats and dogs. https://www.vetcenter.purina.es/sites/default/files/article-pdf/Article%20562_Effects%20of%20Nutrient%20Supplementation%20on%20Immune%20Function%20in%20Cats%20and%20Dogs.pdf
- Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine. Diets to boost immunity. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-information/diets-boost-immunity
- Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine. How joint supplements can help with orthopedic conditions. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-information/how-joint-supplements-can-help-orthopedic-conditions
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Multivitamins and iron (toxicity). https://www.merckvetmanual.com/toxicology/toxicities-from-human-drugs/multivitamins-and-iron-toxicity
