Nutrition: Dog supplements: how to choose them?

Almost everywhere, since they have invaded nearly every market: veterinary practices and pharmacies, whether or not they belong to the category of medicines. Parapharmacy shops, supermarket health-food or pet-product aisles, and health-food stores sell only food supplements not recognized as medicines... or not reimbursed by Social Security. This does not mean that they are necessarily bad: there are surely good ones, less good ones... And there is also plenty of snake oil! You also need to know how to choose: taking pretty little blonde evening primrose oil capsules from a transparent bottle, thoroughly warmed for hours under the lights of the attractive displays in a large supermarket, is absurd: the active ingredients in this type of oil are destroyed by light and heat! This type of food supplement, which is otherwise excellent, should be stored away from light (the packaging and bottle must be opaque or made of tinted glass)... and heat (away from the limelight, so to speak!).

By that I mean treats or rawhide bones. “Candy” offers no benefit and is mainly likely to cause... an excess that may curb Ballou’s appetite for a balanced meal, give him bad habits, and set him on the path to obesity. It is better to give him a piece of apple or a quality kibble as a reward rather than a biscuit or chocolate.

The same applies to the canine “chewing gums,” namely rawhide bones: one a day is fine, but more is too much because they contain an indigestible protein that can cause gas... and curb the appetite. Their nutritional value is low, and although chewing is healthy for toning the gums, it also deposits a layer of paste on the teeth that is highly conducive to tartar buildup. If you give these toys for their anti-tartar effect, it is better to choose a genuinely dental antiseptic bone (containing chlorhexidine).