Navigating the World of Pet Supplements: Making Informed Choices for Dogs and Cats (Dechra Veterinary Products)

Pet supplement use continues to grow with sales reported to exceed $2.7 billion in the US, according to a recent Packaged Facts survey with 77% of sales for dogs and 21% for cats. This trend follows the trend in human supplement use where 74% of Americans report integrating supplements into their own health regimen. Pet owners are seeking products to support health and wellness particularly for mobility, skin and coat health, anxiety and pet aging. As veterinarians, we receive little guidance in our veterinary education on evaluating, choosing and recommending pet supplements for our patients in practice. As supplements have the potential to improve patient wellbeing, learning practical guidelines for choosing supplements and incorporating them into treatment plans for patients can help elevate patient care. This session will review current regulation and oversight of pet supplements as well as cautions on adverse events or potential problems with unsupervised supplement use. Cases will be presented to provide examples of successful use of pet supplements as part of a multi-modal treatment plan.