What is an Antioxidant for Dog?
An antioxidant for dog is needed to help protect against damage by free radicals. Simply, a dog’s body requires oxygen to live, however oxygen can also damage cells. To prevent damage, the body uses its own naturally occurring antioxidants and enzymes to prevent cell damage (called oxidative damage).
The goal of using a natural antioxidant for dogs is to provide the body with enough protection to prevent cell damage. The goal is to keep the balance of oxidants (oxygen) and antioxidants at the optimal level needed to prevent disease. Different antioxidants are associated with helping protect against specific canine diseases and conditions.
An antioxidant for dog can be found in many types of products and substances. These include dog vitamins, natural remedies, supplements, enzymes, carotenoids (gives color to plants such as carrots – beta caritine), flavonoids (another plant pigment used to help with dog skin bruises), and melatonin. Antioxdiants are combined with other ingredients such as herbs to support general health or physiology (body condition) or to address a specific disease.
Natural Antioxidant for Dogs by Canine Disease – Examples of Ingredients to Look For
Veterinary studies suggest that there are select antioxidant for dogs available that can help with certain diseases including:
- The reduction of dog liver damage (vitamin E, milk thistle, flavonolignans and SAMe) and dog liver inflammation or hepatic inflammation (silymarin, SAMe, vitamin E, zinc)
- Improved respiratory health
- Immune system boost (vitamin E)
- Osteoarthritis (favonoids, superoxide dismutase).
- Diseases Related to Chronic Inflammation
- Auto-immune disease ((vitamin C, E, lipoic acid)
- Cognitive dysfunction (vitamin C, E, lipoic acid)
- Diseases related to aging (vitamin C, E, lipoic acid)
- Age related diseases (silymarin, SAMe, vitamin E, zinc)
- Ischemic inuries including skin bruising etc. (silymarin, SAMe, vitamin E, zinc)
- Cancer, (Milk Thistle plus the herbs Huang Qi and Echinacea purpurea)
The research on antioxidants only “suggest” a positive effect, with new research focused on combining different antiixoidants and their effect. Most products combine vitamin A, beta-carotine, vitamin C, vitamin E, alphalipoic acid, carotenoids, favenoids, selenium and other ingredients.
The use of antioxidants is safe if used according the manufacturers directions. If your dog is under going chemotherapy for cancer, check with your veterinarian. The safest approach for doing receiving chemotherapy is to stop the use of dog antioxidants 3 weeks prior to treatment and resume use of these products 3 weeks after treatment ends.
Antioxidants are available in their natural form, which is recommended for daily use. Products to research in this category include a natural remedy such as C-Caps, which combines multiple ingredients to support cellular health, boost the immune system, maintain normal blood pressure and to support other body functions. For example, this product can be helpful as a supportive natural therapy to help prevent disease, for use before, during and after dog cancer treatment or any disease where the severity of symptoms can be reduced by a strengthened immune system.
For more disease specific recommendations we recommend this site on dog natural remedies.