Dog Aging Project finds supplements are common in U.S. dogs

CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: A new analysis from the Dog Aging Project suggests supplements are now a routine part of canine care for many U.S. households. In a cross-sectional study of 40,367 enrolled dogs, researchers found that 52% were reported to receive at least one supplement, with omega-3 fatty acids and joint supplements the most common among dogs getting them. The paper, published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research and highlighted in an AVMA Veterinary Vertex episode released February 12, 2026, also found supplement use was more closely tied to dog characteristics than pet parent demographics, and was especially common in dogs with orthopedic conditions. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the takeaway is less about whether supplements are popular and more about how often they may be going unrecorded or undiscussed. The authors explicitly say veterinary teams should spend more time discussing supplement use, particularly for senior dogs. That matters because the evidence base varies widely by product category: the podcast accompanying the study notes omega-3s have more context-specific support, while glucosamine and chondroitin face weaker evidence, and a 2022 systematic review in canine and feline osteoarthritis found strong evidence of non-effect for chondroitin-glucosamine products. Meanwhile, FDA oversight of animal products depends on intended use, and products marketed more like foods or supplements generally do not go through the same premarket approval pathway as approved animal drugs. More broadly, the same AVMA podcast series has also highlighted the need for better integrated companion animal health surveillance across veterinary, human, and environmental data sources—part of a wider One Health push to improve how risks are detected and acted on in real time. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: Expect this study to sharpen clinic conversations around supplement histories, product selection, and evidence-based counseling as more Dog Aging Project nutrition analyses emerge. It also fits into a bigger conversation about how companion animal data are collected and connected, with better surveillance infrastructure potentially making routine supplement and health information more useful at both the clinic and population level. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)