Dog Aging Project finds supplement use is common in dogs

CURRENT FULL VERSION: Supplement use is common among U.S. dogs, and the new Dog Aging Project analysis puts numbers behind what many clinicians already see in practice. The study, published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research and discussed by AVMA’s Veterinary Vertex, found that 20,993 of 40,367 dogs, or 52%, were reported to receive supplements. Among dogs getting supplements, omega-3 fatty acids and joint supplements were the leading categories, each used in more than half of supplemented dogs. In the podcast discussion, authors and editors also framed the landscape around a practical “big three” of omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine/chondroitin, and probiotics. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The findings build on earlier Dog Aging Project work that examined joint supplement use specifically. That 2022 analysis described joint supplement administration as already high in a large U.S. dog population and found dogs with osteoarthritis were substantially more likely to receive joint supplements than dogs without an owner-reported OA diagnosis. It also underscored an important limitation that still applies here: much of the Dog Aging Project’s nutrition and supplement work relies on pet parent survey responses, although the broader project also incorporates veterinary medical records for many participants. (frontiersin.org)

The newer AJVR study used Dog Aging Project survey responses gathered from January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2022, to evaluate both the types of supplements dogs were receiving and how use tracked with demographics and health conditions. According to the PubMed record, dog demographic characteristics were more strongly associated with supplement use than pet parent demographics. Supplement use also varied by life stage, and the clinical relevance statement was direct: veterinary professionals should spend more time discussing supplement use and efficacy with pet parents, especially those with senior dogs. The Veterinary Vertex discussion added that joint supplement use rises with age, while probiotic use appears to peak earlier in life. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

That message fits with the broader clinical landscape. In orthopedic care, supplements are often used alongside weight management, rehabilitation, analgesics, and therapeutic diets, but the evidence base is uneven. A systematic review in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine found poor evidence of efficacy for many nutraceuticals aimed at osteoarthritis, with the clearest support in dogs for diets supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids. Cornell’s Riney Canine Health Center also notes that omega-3s may help some dogs with joint disease, while emphasizing veterinarian-guided use. (academic.oup.com)

Industry and professional commentary appears to be converging on the same practical point: pet parents are already using these products, whether or not the evidence is strong for every ingredient. The Veterinary Vertex episode on the new paper framed the discussion around the “big three” categories, omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine and chondroitin, and probiotics, and highlighted that use patterns shift across life stages, with joint supplement use rising with age and probiotics peaking earlier in life. That kind of life-stage pattern may help explain why supplement conversations are no longer limited to geriatric visits. (veterinaryvertex.buzzsprout.com)

There is also a larger data-story behind studies like this one. In a separate Veterinary Vertex discussion on a One Health integrated companion animal health surveillance system, guest Lauren Grant described the goal as bringing together diverse human, animal, and environmental health data sources that are often siloed and incompatible. The idea is that better integration could support more realistic analyses, enhanced surveillance of companion animal health outcomes, and more timely risk-mitigation action in a veterinary and public health landscape that is increasingly interconnected. That broader framing helps explain why large, structured pet datasets such as the Dog Aging Project are attracting attention beyond any single nutrition or supplement question.

Why it matters: For veterinary teams, this is less a story about whether supplements are popular and more a story about how common unscripted nutrition interventions have become. If half of dogs in a large national cohort are taking supplements, medication reconciliation should routinely include OTC products, chews, powders, and oils. Clinicians may also need to be more explicit about what is known, what is uncertain, product quality concerns, possible interactions, and when a therapeutic diet or proven pharmacologic approach may be more appropriate than an add-on supplement. At the same time, the study illustrates the value of building companion animal datasets that can eventually plug into broader One Health surveillance efforts rather than remaining isolated within individual clinics or research projects. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The study also matters because the Dog Aging Project is designed for longitudinal follow-up, not just cross-sectional snapshots. With more than 45,000 enrolled dogs as of the project’s 2023 executive summary, plus annual surveys, biospecimen cohorts, and veterinary record integration, the platform could eventually help answer harder questions about whether supplement use predicts better outcomes, reflects underlying disease burden, or simply tracks with highly engaged pet parents. In a broader One Health sense, more interoperable companion animal health data could also help researchers ask more complex questions across animal, human, and environmental domains. For now, the clearest takeaway is operational: ask about supplements early, document them carefully, and counsel pet parents with the same rigor used for prescription therapies. (content.dogagingproject.org)

What to watch: The next meaningful development will be outcome-based Dog Aging Project analyses that move beyond prevalence and examine whether commonly used supplements are associated with incident disease, progression, mobility, cognition, or longevity over time. Longer term, watch for efforts to make companion animal datasets more interoperable with human and environmental health data, which could strengthen surveillance and risk mitigation in a true One Health framework. (content.dogagingproject.org)