Dog Supplements That Actually Work: What I Give Georgie and Why

Last Tuesday Georgie ate my sock and acted like I’d wronged him when I took it back. He gave me this look, you know, the one where he pretends he’s a starving wolf on the tundra, not a pampered morkie who just finished a bowl of salmon and sweet potato kibble. Honestly, the drama with this dog. But it got me thinking about all the little things I do to keep him healthy, and yeah, that includes supplements. You asked what I actually give him and why, so here’s the rundown. It’s not a magic bullet, but it helps.

Joint Support: The “He Thinks He’s a Wolf” Edition

Okay, so Georgie is tiny, right? He’s maybe 10 pounds soaking wet, but in his head, he’s a majestic Timber Wolf. He jumps off the couch like he’s scaling a mountain, and he roughhouses with Teddy, who is twice his size. I worry about his little joints, especially as he gets older. I mean, he’s only five, but these small breeds can have issues.

I started with some basic glucosamine chews from the pet store, just generic stuff. They were fine, he ate them, but I didn’t notice a huge difference in his post-play stiffness. He’d still be a little stiff after a big wrestling match with Teddy, who, by the way, is a toy thief and often instigates these battles. Georgie needs to be limber enough to defend his squeaky hedgehog from the marauder.

What actually worked for us is the Nutramax Dasuquin Advanced with MSM. I get the soft chews, usually a 150-count tub for about $70–80 on Chewy. Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s worth it. It’s got glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, and MSM, plus avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU). I give him half a chew daily. Within a few weeks, I noticed he was springing around more, less hesitant to jump on and off the bed, and just generally more fluid. He even seems to recover faster after one of his intense “wolf hunting” sessions in the backyard, which mostly consists of him trying to catch squirrels and failing spectacularly. He has strong opinions about squirrels, and they are wrong.

Gut Health: Because Nobody Likes a Stinky Dog

Georgie has a sensitive stomach, or at least he pretends he does when he wants extra attention. But seriously, sometimes his poop wasn’t quite right, and his breath could peel paint. I used to just give him plain yogurt sometimes, but it wasn’t consistent enough, and he’d get gassy. You know that look, the one where they pretend they didn’t do it? Yeah, that’s Georgie. He’d blame Teddy, who is usually just trying to steal his yak chew.

I tried a few different probiotic powders sprinkled on his food, but he’s a picky little dictator when it comes to his meals. If it looks or smells “off,” he gives it a wide berth and then stares at me with those judging eyes. It was a whole production to get him to eat them.

My vet actually recommended Purina Pro Plan FortiFlora, a probiotic powder with the strain Enterococcus faecium. A box of 30 sachets runs about $35–40. The difference is that it’s literally flavorless and odorless, so I can mix it directly into his wet food or even his kibble without him noticing. He just eats it like normal. Within a couple of weeks, his digestion seemed more stable, his poop firmed up, and—I can’t believe I’m writing this—his breath improved noticeably. Less paint-peeling sulfur smell, more like regular dog breath. He’s also less gassy, which means Teddy gets falsely accused less often.

Omega-3s: For Skin, Coat, and His General Attitude

This is where I saw the most visible change. Georgie’s coat used to look a little dull, especially in winter, and he’d scratch more than seemed normal. His skin looked flaky in spots. I’d always thought small dogs just had that wispy coat texture, but I was wrong.

I switched him to Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet, which is a fish oil liquid. A 2-ounce bottle costs about $16–18 and lasts a while since he’s small. I give him about a quarter teaspoon mixed into his food each morning. The difference took maybe three to four weeks, but his coat actually got shinier and thicker. The flakiness cleared up, and he scratches way less. He also seems calmer and more focused, which I think is a real thing with omega-3s, not just placebo on my end. As a bonus, it smells fishy and he actually gets excited about his food now, which is rare for Mr. Picky.

What I Don’t Bother With

I’ve tried CBD for dogs, expensive “all-in-one” supplement blends, and collagen chews. Some of it might work for other dogs, but for Georgie, the money-to-results ratio wasn’t there. We stick with what we can actually see and feel a difference with. Your vet is the person to talk to about what your dog actually needs—I ran all of this by mine before starting, and she was supportive once she saw the results.