Dog Aging Project study finds supplements are common in dogs

CURRENT FULL VERSION: Supplement use in dogs appears to be less of a niche behavior and more of a norm. In a newly published AJVR study based on Dog Aging Project enrollment surveys, researchers found that 52% of 40,367 dogs were reported to receive at least one supplement. Among supplement users, omega-3 fatty acids were the most common product category, followed closely by joint supplements. The paper frames supplement use as common enough that veterinary professionals should be proactively discussing it with pet parents, particularly in older dogs. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The finding builds on earlier Dog Aging Project work that had already pointed to heavy use of joint products in companion dogs. In a 2022 analysis of the same broader research program, 46.7% of adult dogs were reported to receive at least one daily supplement, and 87.8% of those supplement-using dogs were getting a joint support product. That earlier study also found supplement use was more common in older, larger, overweight, and purebred dogs, and in dogs with owner-reported osteoarthritis. The new AJVR paper broadens the lens beyond joint products to supplement use overall. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The newer study analyzed enrollment survey data submitted between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022. Its stated goals were to identify what types of supplements pet parents were giving and to examine whether dogs with specific diagnoses were receiving products believed to support those conditions. The headline numbers were straightforward: 20,993 dogs received supplements, and among those dogs, omega-3 fatty acids were used in 11,934 cases and joint supplements in 11,810. The authors also reported that dog-level demographic factors were more predictive of supplement use patterns than pet parent demographics. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

That pattern fits with what the earlier Dog Aging Project osteoarthritis-focused paper suggested. In that analysis, 70% of dogs with owner-reported osteoarthritis were receiving at least one joint supplement, but 37.4% of dogs without an osteoarthritis diagnosis were also getting one. The authors noted that cross-sectional data can't establish whether supplements were started after diagnosis, or used preemptively because a pet parent perceived risk. They also pointed out an evidence gap: glucosamine and chondroitin had not been shown conclusively to prevent arthritis or reduce pain in dogs or people, while omega-3 supplementation had somewhat better evidence for improving limb function and reducing pain, though with smaller effects than standard medical management. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Outside the study itself, the regulatory backdrop helps explain why this matters clinically. FDA says products marketed as animal supplements do not fall under the human Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Instead, depending on ingredients and claims, they are regulated as animal food or animal drugs. That means the marketplace can be difficult for pet parents, and product claims may not line up neatly with the level of evidence veterinarians would want. Industry groups such as the National Animal Supplement Council promote voluntary quality standards and third-party audits for member products, while other categories, such as oral health products, may carry separate evidence-based review through the Veterinary Oral Health Council. (fda.gov)

The study also lands at a time when veterinary medicine is paying more attention to how companion-animal data fit into broader surveillance systems. In an AVMA Veterinary Vertex discussion on a One Health integrated companion animal health surveillance model, researchers described the goal as bringing together animal, human, and environmental data sources that are usually siloed and often not interoperable. The point of that integration is not just better data management; it is to support more timely surveillance and risk-mitigation decisions in a landscape where veterinary and public health outcomes are increasingly interconnected. Common owner-reported behaviors, including supplement use, are the kind of real-world information that can become more valuable when linked with other health and exposure data over time.

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this study is less about proving a supplement works than about documenting how often these products are already in the bowl, treat jar, or medicine cabinet. If roughly half of dogs in a large national cohort are receiving supplements, then nutrition histories that skip over "extras" risk missing clinically relevant information. Supplements can affect gastrointestinal tolerance, caloric intake, owner expectations, adherence to proven therapies, and, in some cases, perceived response to treatment. They also create an opportunity for clinics to guide pet parents toward products with clearer evidence, better manufacturing oversight, or both. And at a population level, more standardized capture of these routine care choices could eventually strengthen companion-animal surveillance efforts that aim to connect pet health trends with human and environmental health signals. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The Dog Aging Project itself is designed as a long-term longitudinal effort, which is why these prevalence snapshots may become more valuable over time. Earlier project authors explicitly noted that future years of follow-up could help test whether dogs receiving certain supplements go on to develop conditions such as osteoarthritis at different rates, though that would still require careful control for confounding. For now, the clearest message is practical rather than causal: supplement use is widespread, especially around aging and orthopedic concerns, and veterinarians should assume many pet parents are already making these decisions before the exam room conversation starts. That same longitudinal, cross-sector mindset is also what One Health surveillance advocates are pushing for more broadly: data systems that let clinicians and researchers ask more realistic questions about how animal, human, and environmental factors interact over time. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: Watch for longitudinal Dog Aging Project analyses that move beyond prevalence into outcomes, along with any stronger profession-wide guidance on how veterinarians should evaluate evidence, quality markers, and counseling around companion animal supplements. Also watch for broader efforts to make companion-animal datasets more compatible with human and environmental health data so surveillance can move from isolated snapshots toward earlier, more actionable detection of shared risks.