We feed our cats and dogs the very best pet foods on the market, yet many pets still suffer from common, recurring health ailments such as constipation, diarrhea and other digestive disorders, urinary tract issues, lackluster coats and dandruff in addition to less-than-stellar overall health. Why?

Even healthy pet foods don’t include many of the nutrient-rich ingredients that provide complete wellness support for our dogs and cats. Adding these missing ingredients to your pet’s diet can create a remarkable change that is quickly noticeable.

1. Glucosamine

As pets age, their joints become a bit more fragile, a bit stiffer, and simple things like walks can be tough. To help ease joint pain, glucosamine can be an excellent supplement for your older pet. Glucosamine is used as a preventative for joints, not a treatment. Once your pet is suffering from arthritis, glucosamine can only do so much to help the joints. With moderate to severe arthritis, most animals require prescription medications and other supplements to help them.

2. Fish Oils

This supplement is most commonly used in the treatment of skin allergies. Mackerel, tuna, salmon, sturgeon, mullet, bluefish, anchovies, sardines, herring, and trout are all loaded to the gills (pun intended) with omega-3 and are common sources of fish oil supplements. The fatty acids with the greatest health benefits are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

3. Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle is a well-known “liver herb” for people and pets. The active ingredient is “silymarin” which is actively a combination of other active compounds. Milk Thistle is used for treating liver disease, kidney disease, mushroom, and other toxicities, and lead poisoning. Holistic veterinarians have used it for years to treat liver diseases of all sorts in dogs and cats. It has an excellent safety record and no known adverse drug interactions.

4. Lysine

L-Lysine is an essential amino acid that helps your pet’s body produce antibodies, hormones, and enzymes that boost the immune system. It also helps with calcium absorption (for strong bones) and collagen production (for healthy skin). Dogs and cats with chronic viral infections have responded extremely well to L-Lysine, particularly cats who have FIV or feline herpes virus.