Top Senior Dog Supplements For Whole Body Health

Did you know that there are numerous natural supplements for senior dogs to help them slow down the aging process?

Watching your pet slow down as they age is frustrating and can be overwhelming.  You want the best for them and to keep them feeling healthy and happy for as long as possible.

There are many areas that can be affected as your dog ages, from their cognitive function to pain and inflammation in their joints.

Fortunately, there are a lot of natural senior dog supplements and vitamins you can use to help your furry friend feel their best as they get older.  Keep reading to learn about some of the best supplements for your senior dogs.

When does your dog become a “senior”?

Let’s start with how to know if your dog is actually a senior.  

This will depend on their body size because smaller dogs tend to have longer lifespans than larger dogs.

But typically a large breed dog is a senior at 7 years of age, a medium-sized dog is a senior at around 8-10 years, and your smaller breed dogs are seniors at 10 years of age.  

Just because your dog is a senior though doesn’t mean that now they’ll just become stiff and sore and not as active.  

There are many great supplements we can use to support overall aging while reducing oxidative stress in the body.  Learn even more about natural pain control with your senior pets here. 

Common Symptoms of Inflammation or Degenerative Changes in Senior Dogs

• Slowing down
• Trouble going up the stairs, jumping onto the bed/couch, or into the car
• Lameness/limping
• Sudden aggression when touched in certain areas
• Excessively licking certain areas on the body
• Changes in cognitive function
• Not being as social - isolating themselves in another room
• Sleep pattern changes

These are just a few of the common changes you may notice as your dog starts to age.

Top Natural Supplements for Senior Dogs

CoQ10 for Dogs

The first supplement that really helps aging pets is CoQ10.  

CoQ10 is a natural antioxidant that your body produces naturally.  However, as your dog ages, it naturally declines.  

This antioxidant is essential for protecting the heart, good dental health, and many other organs, including the brain, in your pet’s body.  

There are numerous supplements that have this nutraceutical present in them.  

Or you can add freeze-dried liver and organ treats into your dog’s life a few times a week which are a great natural source of CoQ10.  

When using a supplement for of CoQ10, the dosage is typically 10mg/kg of body weight per day.  But make sure to check with your veterinarian prior to starting a new supplement. 

Here a few brands that we like and recommend: 

• Vetriscience CoQ10 for Pets
• RX Vitamins CoQ10 for Pets

Green-Lipped Mussel for Dogs

The next supplement that is essential for your aging dogs is green-lipped mussel.  

This is a great safe and effective alternative for dogs, especially for those pets who can’t tolerate NSAID pain medications or for pet parents who want to avoid these types of drugs and potential side effects.  

Green-lipped mussels are COX inhibitors and work similar to NSAIDs, but they are different because they have lipoxygenase inhibitors that protect the stomach lining.  GI upset and ulcers are common side effects of conventional pain medications due to lacking the lipoxygenase inhibitors.  

They are also a great source of glycosaminoglycans, specifically chondroitin.  This strengthens your dog’s joints and keeps them healthier as they age.

You may be using omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fish oil and wondering how this is different from marine fish oils. 

However, green-lipped mussels actually contain more than 90 different fatty acids, providing more than just the EPA and DHA from fish oil.  Also, they are more ocean-friendly too and do not accumulate heavy metals, which can build up in farmed fish and deep water fish, like tuna. 

When looking for a good green-lipped mussel supplement, make sure to pick one that has at least 6% fat content, otherwise, your dog won’t gain much benefit.

Here are a few brands of green-lipped mussels that we recommend: 

• Northwest Naturals 
• K9 Natural 
• Super Snouts Joint Powder
• Standard Process Canine Musculoskeletal Support
• Standard Process Canine Flex Support

Detoxification Support for Dogs

And finally, the last area of support that is essential for your senior dogs is detoxification support.  

Your older dog is at an increased risk of degenerative diseases and cancer, but there’s a lot you can do to support their detox pathways to keep them feeling healthy and help remove toxins out of their body.  

My favorite detox supplement is phytoplankton.  

Phytoplankton are tiny, microscopic plants that are at the base of the food chain in the ocean and are one of the most valuable sources of nutrition on earth.  They contain essential fatty acids, trace minerals, chlorophyll, antioxidants, and more!

This amazing nutraceutical helps your dog’s joints, adds important minerals that are necessary for the detoxification pathways in their livers, and is a great antioxidant that can help prevent cancer and other diseases through its highly available source of superoxide dismutase which is essential for protecting cells and removing toxins.

There are numerous detox pathways that must be working properly so that your pet doesn't build up toxins internally. Standard Process Canine Hepatic Support is an easy way to use whole foods, herbs and glandulars to help open these pathways to support your pet long-term. 

To learn more about how to safely detox your pets, head here.

As you can see, just adding these supplements, CoQ10, green-lipped mussel, and phytoplankton, into your senior dog's life can add up to making a huge difference in optimizing their overall health.

More Natural Pet Health Information

• Grab your FREE PDF on the Top 5 Ways to Optimize Your Pet's Health! 

• Inquire about our Healthy Holistic Pet For Life Blueprint program for even more guidance with your pets.  

You may be spending hours and hours researching what is the best way to raise your puppy and other fur family and feeling lost, stuck and confused on what is the best path forward.  Many pets are developing diseases early in life that are expensive, shortening their lives, and are stressful for pet parents to endure watching their pets not feel well.  We’ve created a program that guides you through the 5 pillars of health to help you gain confidence in the essential areas of pet health that will help reduce disease from occurring, keep your pets healthy and happy, reduce vet bills and help you feel empowered and confident as a pet parent to tackle anything.  The best part is you gain access to an incredible worldwide community of pet parents and weekly 2-hour Q&A’s with Dr. Katie to gain further clarification and get your questions answered.  If you’d like to learn more, make sure to schedule a call with us here: Healthy Holistic Pet For Life Application

*Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinarian or doctor. Dr. Katie Woodley cannot answer specific questions about your pet’s medical issues or make medical recommendations for your pet without first establishing a veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Links in the blog are typically affiliate links that let you help support us.