9 Best Supplements for Dogs in 2023 – Reviews & Top Picks

Millions of people worldwide take supplements every day to help them function at a high capacity and stay healthy. But what about the other members of our families: dogs?

Dogs often need a supplement for various nutrients and vitamins that are difficult to find in their regular diet. In addition, depending on your dog’s breed, you may need to give your pup supplements to boost the health of their joints and hips or other significant parts of their bodies.

If you think that your dog needs some form of supplement but don’t know which to choose or what brands to trust, here are reviews for products that may suit your dog’s nutrient needs.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (Updated in 2023)

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Zesty Paws 11-in-1 Multifunctional Bites	Full of essential vitamins and nutrients Upgrade of the eight-in-one vitamins Chicken-flavored and soft texture beloved by dogs	Check Price
Best Value		Cosequin Max Strength with MSM	Specially formulated for small dog breeds Moist and widely favorable flavor Meant for joint, skin, and coat health	Check Price
Premium Choice		Dasuquin with MSM Soft Chews	Wide range of ages and breeds Made of a dual synergistic formula Soft chew texture	Check Price
		Purina Pro Plan Probiotic Support	Supports digestive health Reduces gas Probiotic powder is a natural alternative for gut health	Check Price
		PetHonesty Allergy Immunity Supplement	Probiotics and turmeric help encourage digestive health Combined ingredients help dogs manage allergies Produced without gluten or preservatives	Check Price

The 9 Best Supplements for Dogs

Zesty Paws is a well-known brand for making a wide variety of high-quality supplements for cats and dogs. Out of all its products, one of the best overall supplements for dogs is the Zesty Paws 11-in-1 Multifunctional Bites. These chews are loaded with all kinds of good things for your pup.

These 11-in-one chews are the upgraded version of its past eight-in-one easy-to-feed chews. They have been packed with even more goodness for your dog. They are meant to support your pup’s broader functioning in life. The chews do this by supporting your dog’s immune and digestive systems, the health of their skin and coat, and their heart and organ health.

The chews contain vitamins and nutrients necessary for a dog’s continued health, like vitamins A, E, B, and C. They have chondroitin and glucosamine and OptiMSM to help encourage the mobility and continued comfort of the hips and other joints. In addition, folic acid and CoQ10 are included to support the heart. What’s more, since these chews are soft and chicken-flavored, your dog will be begging for more instead of spitting it on the floor.

Nutramax Maximum Strength with MSM Soft Chews are excellent for those pet owners who want to encourage health in their small and toy breed dogs. They are easy for small dog breeds to eat because they are made small for their mouths.

They are also moist and tasty, acting as treats for your dogs instead of nasty vitamin pills. Most dogs like them, although there is evidence that if your pup has had a health condition that affects their appetite, they might not be as interested in them.

These chews are not as focused on overall health, as they support joint health for your little pup. In addition, they have a unique formula that contains glucosamine and chondroitin. These two nutrients encourage continued mobility in your pup’s joints and cartilage health.

These soft chews also contain omega-3s that support your dog’s healthy skin and coat. Currently, they are on lists as the number-one veterinarian-recommended brand for joint support for small dogs. What’s more, these are the best supplements for dogs for the money.

Often, when you discuss supplement options with your vet, you will look at the viability of both Cosequin and Dasuquin for your pups. These are easy-to-feed soft chews that you can give to breeds ranging from small to medium dogs or those dogs that are under 60 pounds in weight.

Nutramax has developed these Dasuquin with MSM Soft Chews after 10 years of clinical use and research. It has used its research from its version of a Cosequin joint health supplement to develop the Dasuquin formulation for dogs. Although this is a cost-effective formula, when comparing other Dasuquin products, you are praying a premium price for highly effective joint support.

Dasuquin works by combining NMX1000 ASU and a decaffeinated tea made up of glucosamine hydrochloride and low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate. It’s meant to stimulate cartilage matrix production to continue the health of joints and interior cartilage.

These supplements for dogs are specifically geared toward bettering and maintaining your pup’s gut health. So, if you have a pup that struggles with their stomach stability, you can help them balance out their digestive system by giving them this probiotic supplement.

The Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements Probiotics Dog Supplement contains probiotic powder specially formulated for the intestinal microflora that lives in your dog’s stomach. This powder aids in stabilizing dogs that suffer from diarrhea.

A team of nutritionists, veterinarians and researchers helped identify the perfect amounts of nutrients to balance live microorganisms. The supplement is in the form of a powder. Although it tastes good for most dogs, it can be harder to get your pup to eat it unless mixed with wet food. You can use this powder whether you have small, medium, or large breed dogs.

Humans are not the only ones who have a propensity toward allergies. Unfortunately, the rate of allergies among canines is growing, and you will likely find that you need a supplement to help them manage their allergies.

These chews from PetHonesty Allergy Support Immunity Strength Supplement come in a package of 90, and you will give your dog a specific number based on their size. You can give these chews to various small to large breeds, making them highly usable, especially for households with small dogs.

These chews work by stimulating a typical histamine response instead of allowing allergies to wreak havoc on their system. The ingredients include colostrum, probiotics, turmeric, vitamin C, and salmon oil from Alaska. PetHonesty is sure to make these supplements without any corn, soy, preservatives, GMOs, or wheat.

These soft chews from PetNC Hip & Joint Soft Chews can be widely used no matter the age or size of your dog. You will only change the dosage depending on their weight and change as they grow. The supplement is meant to help care for and maintain your dog’s hip and joint mobility. It is often recommended for early life stages in those breeds that widely struggle with joining mobility.

These supplements are veterinarian formulated and have high-quality ingredients in them, including glucosamine, MSM, and chondroitin. They are also high antioxidants that go further to support bone health and joint lubrication.

These soft chews have a natural liver flavor that makes them more palatable for those dogs that need help with their joints. They also come in a resealable bucket that contains 90 soft chews, all for an affordable price. Unfortunately, these have a few ingredients like corn starch that some pet owners prefer not to feed their dogs.

One of the great options from Zesty Paws is the Core Elements 8-in-1 Bites. These bites are meant for multifunctional health, supplementing all kinds of immune, digestive, and joint health. These supplements can be given to dogs in all kinds of age groups and breeds, depending on their weight and whether they are a puppy, adult, or senior.

These multifunctional supplements support heart health, skin health, gut function, hip and joint function, the immune system, and liver health, to name a few focuses of the supplement. In addition, they are loaded with probiotics, glucosamine, MSM, and vitamins A, E D3, C, and B-complex to round them out.

Your dog is bound to love these chews. They aren’t made with corn, wheat, or soy but instead, are healthy combinations rolled into a tasty, soft chew. They have a higher, premium price than other brands, but they have a better reputation for their palatability and effectiveness.

This American Journey Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil Supplement has a few particular ingredients that directly supplement your dog’s skin and coat health. If you have noticed that your dog suffers from any kind of dandruff or skin health or that their coat has lost some of its sheen, this supplement can help quite a bit.

This formula is a liquid formula that comes in either an 18-ounce or 32-ounce bottle. There are only three ingredients in the formula: salmon oil, pollock oil, and mixed tocopherols (a form of preservative that is not harmful to dogs).

This formula is made with a 51/49% blend of oils from wild-caught Alaskan salmon and pollock. These are packed with omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA, helping to nourish dry skin and brittle fur. The liquid formula comes in a convenient squeeze bottle so you can supplement your pet’s meal. It also boosts the flavor. The downside to the bottle’s format is the difficulty of measuring out the required teaspoon per 10 pounds of weight.

VetriScience GlycoFlex Stage III helps support a dog’s hip and other joints. The company has formulated a comprehensive joint support system that has been integrated into these soft chews. As a result, these help your pup maintain their joint health throughout all the stages of their life.

These chews are developed by a well-established brand that veterinarians have recommended for more than 30 years. The formula offers the highest levels of MSM, glucosamine, and perna canaliculus. Combined, these offer a superior joint care program.

These chews have been clinically proven to increase hind leg strength in dogs by up to 41% within only 4 weeks. It is also great for a range of ages and for pups who have recently been recovering from surgery. They are also naturally flavored with real chicken to keep your dog coming back for more each day.

Buyer’s Guide

Finding the right supplements for your dog depends primarily on what breed they are, their age, and their overall health. Pay attention to what your pup needs and how their health might suffer. For example, certain breeds will have a more significant propensity for joint issues and cartilage issues. Other dogs that suffer from allergies will need help controlling their symptoms.

Essential Vitamins for Dogs

Dogs need specific vitamins to stay healthy, such as glucosamine and chondroitin. If your dog doesn’t get enough nutrients in their typical meals or has a vitamin deficiency, you might need to supplement their diet with vitamins and nutrients in a supplement.

Ongoing Health and Considerations

You might need to talk to your vet about your dog’s dietary needs and if they need anything else to cover their total dietary needs. However, as long as your dog is eating a balanced diet, they are probably fine. If you feed them a raw diet, you might need to use multifunctional supplements that help round out their diet.

Age Range and Weight

You should consider your dog’s age and weight bracket — i.e., whether they are a small, medium, or large breed — before choosing your supplement. Some are only geared toward specific age groups or weight brackets. If your dog doesn’t fall into these or if you give them the wrong dose, it can cause diarrhea and other unhappy digestive issues.

Related Read: How Much Protein Do Senior Dogs Need?

Summary

If you have a dog that needs help with their health, such as joint support or allergy management, supplements are often one of the healthiest ways to go.

We hope that our reviews have helped you find the kind of supplements that you need. Your dog might need an all-over daily boost of vitamins, such as with the Zesty Paws 11-in-1 Multifunctional Bites, or you might have a small breed that needs a specialized supplement, such as Nutramax Cosequin Maximum Strength with MSM. Our reviews have got you covered.

Featured Image Credit: dmytro Zinkevych, Shutterstock