5 Reasons Vets Are Telling Every Dog Owner to Start Supplementing in 2026
5 Reasons Vets Are Telling Every Dog Owner to Start Supplementing in 2026
Dr. Amir explains what actually changed and why "good food" alone, isn’t enough.
By Dr. Amir Anwary
Veterinarian & Founder, Vets2Pets · 4 min read
Dr. Amir explains what actually changed and why "good food" alone, isn’t enough.
By Dr. Amir Anwary
Veterinarian & Founder,
Vets2Pets · 4 min read
Dr. Amir explains what actually changed and why "good food" alone, isn’t enough.
By Dr. Amir Anwary
Veterinarian & Founder, Vets2Pets · 4 min read
For years, the advice was simple: feed a good quality food, keep up with vaccinations, and your dog would be fine. I gave that advice myself for years.
But something has shifted. I'm seeing duller coats, stiffer mornings, and dental issues turning up younger than they used to, even in dogs eating "premium" food, even in dogs with owners doing everything right on “paper”
What's changed is what we now understand about what a bag of kibble can, and can't, do on its own. Here are five reasons I now bring up supplementation with almost every owner who sits across from me and why I think 2026 is the year it stops being optional.
For years, the advice was simple: feed a good quality food, keep up with vaccinations, and your dog would be fine. I gave that advice myself for years.
But something has shifted. I'm seeing duller coats, stiffer mornings, and dental issues turning up younger than they used to, even in dogs eating "premium" food, even in dogs with owners doing everything right on “paper”
What's changed is what we now understand about what a bag of kibble can, and can't, do on its own. Here are five reasons I now bring up supplementation with almost every owner who sits across from me and why I think 2026 is the year it stops being optional.
Processing takes more out of the bowl than the label lets on
Processing takes more out of the bowl than the label lets on
Processing takes more out of the bowl than the label lets on
Most commercial food goes through high-heat extrusion to make it shelf-stable. It’s necessary for safety, but it also degrades a portion of the fragile nutrients the food started out with, omega-3s included. What's printed on the bag is closer to what went in before processing than what actually lands in the bowl.
It's one of the main reasons I now recommend a standalone omega-3 source rather than assuming the food already has it covered.
Most commercial food goes through high-heat extrusion to make it shelf-stable. It’s necessary for safety, but it also degrades a portion of the fragile nutrients the food started out with, omega-3s included. What's printed on the bag is closer to what went in before processing than what actually lands in the bowl.
It's one of the main reasons I now recommend a standalone omega-3 source rather than assuming the food already has it covered.
Joint wear starts years before you'll ever see a limp
Joint wear starts years before you'll ever see a limp
Joint wear starts years before you'll ever see a limp
By the time an owner notices their dog hesitating on the stairs, change has usually been underway for a while. Dogs are remarkably good at hiding early discomfort. Supporting joints early is a completely different job to managing pain after the fact.
This is why I now bring it up with mid-size and large breeds well before "senior" is anywhere on the chart, not after. This has been evident with my own dog Shelby, a Great Dane / Boerboel mix. I made the mistake of not managing her weight and joints from an early age and now at only 5 years old, she already has early onset arthritis.
By the time an owner notices their dog hesitating on the stairs, change has usually been underway for a while — dogs are remarkably good at hiding early discomfort. Supporting joints early is a completely different job to managing pain after the fact.
This is why I now bring it up with mid-size and large breeds well before “senior” is anywhere on the chart, not after.
By the time an owner notices their dog hesitating on the stairs, change has usually been underway for a while. Dogs are remarkably good at hiding early discomfort. Supporting joints early is a completely different job to managing pain after the fact.
This is why I now bring it up with mid-size and large breeds well before "senior" is anywhere on the chart, not after. This has been evident with my own dog Shelby, a Great Dane / Boerboel mix. I made the mistake of not managing her weight and joints from an early age and now at only 5 years old, she already has early onset arthritis.
Dental disease is the most under-treated thing I see and it’s also one of the most dangerous
By age three, most dogs already show some sign of dental disease. It's one of the few conditions owners consistently underestimate, because dogs rarely show pain from it the way we would.
A daily dental habit between professional cleanings makes a genuine, visible difference to what I see at check-ups. However, it’s not a replacement for cleanings.
“Complete and balanced” is a minimum, not an optimum
That label means a food meets baseline nutritional requirements to avoid deficiency, it was never designed to be the ceiling for an individual dog's needs. An active working breed, a recovering senior, and a dog with sensitive skin all need different things from the same bag of food.
Supplementing is how you personalise, a diet that, by design, has to stay generic.
Owners are asking for this and the research is finally catching up to what vets already knew
I'm seeing far more owners walk into consultations already asking about omega-3s, joint support, and dental care proactively, not reactively. That shift is exactly why I started Vets2Pets, to make the products I already recommend in the exam room easy to actually get and use at home, without the guesswork.
If your dog seems perfectly healthy right now, I understand the instinct to wait. But joint wear, coat condition, and dental disease, chronic inflammation all build quietly, long before they're visible. Supplementing isn't about fixing something broken, it's about not waiting until it is.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individual veterinary advice. Every dog is different — talk to your vet before starting any new supplement, especially if your dog is pregnant, nursing, elderly, or on existing medication.
Vets2Pets products are formulated to support general wellbeing and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Individual results vary.
Dental disease is the most under-treated thing I see and it’s also one of the most dangerous
Dental disease is the most under-treated thing I see and it’s also one of the most dangerous
By age three, most dogs already show some sign of dental disease. It's one of the few conditions owners consistently underestimate, because dogs rarely show pain from it the way we would.
A daily dental habit between professional cleanings makes a genuine, visible difference to what I see at check-ups. However, it’s not a replacement for cleanings.
By age three, most dogs already show some sign of dental disease. It's one of the few conditions owners consistently underestimate, because dogs rarely show pain from it the way we would.
A daily dental habit between professional cleanings makes a genuine, visible difference to what I see at check-ups. However, it’s not a replacement for cleanings.
“Complete and balanced” is a minimum, not an optimum
“Complete and balanced” is a minimum, not an optimum
That label means a food meets baseline nutritional requirements to avoid deficiency, it was never designed to be the ceiling for an individual dog's needs. An active working breed, a recovering senior, and a dog with sensitive skin all need different things from the same bag of food.
Supplementing is how you personalise, a diet that, by design, has to stay generic.
That label means a food meets baseline nutritional requirements to avoid deficiency, it was never designed to be the ceiling for an individual dog's needs. An active working breed, a recovering senior, and a dog with sensitive skin all need different things from the same bag of food.
Supplementing is how you personalise, a diet that, by design, has to stay generic.
Owners are asking for this and the research is finally catching up to what vets already knew
Owners are asking for this and the research is finally catching up to what vets already knew
I'm seeing far more owners walk into consultations already asking about omega-3s, joint support, and dental care proactively, not reactively. That shift is exactly why I started Vets2Pets, to make the products I already recommend in the exam room easy to actually get and use at home, without the guesswork.
I'm seeing far more owners walk into consultations already asking about omega-3s, joint support, and dental care proactively, not reactively. That shift is exactly why I started Vets2Pets, to make the products I already recommend in the exam room easy to actually get and use at home, without the guesswork.
If your dog seems perfectly healthy right now, I understand the instinct to wait. But joint wear, coat condition, and dental disease, chronic inflammation all build quietly, long before they're visible. Supplementing isn't about fixing something broken, it's about not waiting until it is.
If your dog seems perfectly healthy right now, I understand the instinct to wait. But joint wear, coat condition, and dental disease, chronic inflammation all build quietly, long before they're visible. Supplementing isn't about fixing something broken, it's about not waiting until it is.
Built around what I actually recommend
Built around what I actually recommend
Three products cover the three things that come up most in my consultations — nothing more, nothing you don't need.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individual veterinary advice. Every dog is different — talk to your vet before starting any new supplement, especially if your dog is pregnant, nursing, elderly, or on existing medication.
Vets2Pets products are formulated to support general wellbeing and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Individual results vary.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individual veterinary advice. Every dog is different — talk to your vet before starting any new supplement, especially if your dog is pregnant, nursing, elderly, or on existing medication.
Vets2Pets products are formulated to support general wellbeing and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Individual results vary.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individual veterinary advice. Every dog is different — talk to your vet before starting any new supplement, especially if your dog is pregnant, nursing, elderly, or on existing medication.
Vets2Pets products are formulated to support general wellbeing and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Individual results vary.