Canine Supplements: What to Use, When to Use It?
BioStar offers an array of specialized canine supplements, but which ones are best for your dog? We have addressed some common questions to help take the guesswork out of choosing BioStar supplements for specific canine health challenges and conditions.
Quick Links for Specific Concerns:
Read on, and as always, let us know any questions you may have. You can contact us here on the website, or via email (GetFood@BioStarUS.com), or voice-to-voice at 800-686-9554. We’re always happy to hear from you and provide whatever information we can on all things equine and canine!
Joint Support
BioStar’s Juvenate K9 is the best choice for dogs with stiffness that improves with movement.
If your dog is stiff when they get up from resting, but improve after they “walk it off,” they will likely benefit from Juvenate’s circulatory support. Indian Gooseberry is known to increase production of nitric oxide, the master circulatory molecule of the body. Juvenate K9 is also a great all-around choice for supporting a healthy inflammatory response. Some customers have reported improvement within 2-3 days, but we recommend 6-8 weeks to see full benefits.
BioStar’s Trinity K9 is the best choice for dogs that are visibly uncomfortable around the clock, especially those whose mood seems affected by their physical limitations.
With turmeric, astaxanthin, and CBD from whole hemp, Trinity K9 is a powerhouse of ingredients that scavenge free radicals and support dogs with advanced mobility limitations.
Pro tip: Try Juvenate K9 and Trinity K9 together! For dogs experiencing extreme levels of discomfort, we have found that these two supplements seem to work synergistically.
BioStar’s Asta Zan 14 K9 is a good choice if you want the benefits of astaxanthin and turmeric from Trinity K9, but don’t need the advanced support from green-lipped mussels or CBD.
Flex-Well K9 and Comfort Zone K9 Ultra are from BioStar’s first generation of joint support supplements, but they remain excellent supplements to boost your dog’s diet.
Flex-Well K9 provides the body with bioavailable whole food ingredients to make its own glucosamine, which is helpful for senior dogs with normal joint wear-and-tear or dogs recovering from joint injuries.
Comfort Zone K9 Ultra combines Ayurvedic herbs turmeric and boswellia to promote a balanced inflammatory response. It is a good choice for dogs showing soreness or stiffness from a hard day of work or play.
Skin and Coat
BioStar’s Colostrum-38 K9 is our go-to for allergic reactions or immune challenges. Colostrum has the unique ability to restore homeostasis when the immune system is out of balance. It can help calm down an immune system overreacting to allergens or it can boost an immune system battling infection or parasites.
Gold Star K9 (camelina oil) is a great choice for Omegas, especially Omega 3. Camelina oil is an excellent alternative to fish oil. Boasting a balanced profile of Omegas, it is beneficial for dogs with flaky skin or a dull coat. Camelina is known as false flax, but is more shelf-stable (lower potential for rancidity, stands up better to heat) than flaxseed or fish oils.
Empower K9 (hemp seed oil) is another oil to supplement Omegas. Because of hemp oil’s GLA content, it is an excellent choice for supporting a healthy inflammatory response.
For those using oils to balance homemade diets, we recommend using camelina oil for days that poultry is the primary protein and hemp seed oil for days that beef, venison, or goat is the primary protein. BioStar’s Empower K9 hemp seed oil and Gold Star K9 camelina oil are not solvent-extracted or heat-processed; they are both cold-pressed oils providing higher bioavailability.
Calming
Among canine supplements, BioStar’s Thera Calm K9 is a great choice for dogs experiencing common moments of stress, especially thanks to its convenient treat form.
Thera Calm K9 provides a blend of three adaptogens for stress support- ashwagandha, holy basil, and Indian gooseberry. It is great to have on hand for stressful times like vet visits, stormy weather, travel, or holidays. For dogs with separation anxiety, Thera Calm K9 can be used as a treat before you leave the house, or goes great in an enrichment toy like a Kong to keep them busy and promote calmness while you’re away.
The USA-grown organic hemp biomass (THC-free) in Trinity K9 makes it a good choice for nervous, stress-prone dogs, as a daily addition to their food. It is not as fast-acting as CBD oil because it is in digestible form rather than an isolated oil, however it remains in your dog’s system longer for more sustained round-the-clock stress support.
Immune Support
The gut is the seat of the immune system, and Terra Biota K9 provides microencapsulated active probiotics to populate it with the friendly bacteria needed to thrive.
BioStar’s Colostrum-38 K9 is our go-to for allergic reactions or immune challenges. Colostrum has the unique ability to restore homeostasis when the immune system is out of balance. It can help calm down an immune system overreacting to allergens or it can boost an immune system battling infection or parasites.
Optimum K9 Senior is a powerful formula that provides support for long term health with additional support from colostrum, active probiotics, and medicinal mushrooms… plus stress support from Holy Basil.
Your dog doesn’t have to be a senior to benefit from Optimum K9 Senior! This is a great choice for puppies or rescue dogs transitioning to new homes, or any dog who could benefit from added immune support.
Metabolism Support
BioStar’s Optimum K9 Healthy Weight provides vitamins, minerals and whole body support from real bioavailable ingredients in addition to Crominex® 3+, a patented blend of trivalent chromium Indian Gooseberry, and purified shilajit. This blend works to maintain lean body mass, support energy and healthy metabolism, and supports circulation. The addition of medicinal mushrooms, reishi and cordyceps, also help to support support the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis. BioStar’s medicinal mushrooms contain all parts of the mushroom- the mycelium, spores, and fruiting bodies for full-spectrum benefits.
Listen to your intuition:
When making choices about food and canine supplements, always listen to your intuition. If something doesn’t feel right for your dog, listen to that little voice; it is your dog speaking to you.
About the Author: Emily has been BioStar’s Canine Brand Ambassador since July 2016. She graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Animal Sciences. Her passion for dogs, horses, and nutrition is a daily lifestyle that she embraces whole-heartedly. Her expertise with canine nutrition and supplements has helped spread the BioStar word across the country and has helped countless dogs. She loves photography, fostering for our local SPCA, and spending quality time with her ever-growing pack of dogs and cats.
