Choosing Supplements, Canine Aging and More with Dr. Leilani Alvarez
A Facebook Live event recap
Veterinarians and canine sports competitors from around the world participated in a special Facebook live Q&A seminar with Dr. Leilani Alvarez, DVM, DACVSMR, about supplements, canine aging and more. If you missed the January event hosted by Antinol®, watch below or click here for the video.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, about a third of U.S. dog owners use supplements to help their dogs lead long, happy, healthy lives. While it can be hard deciding on one supplement over another, Dr. Alvarez puts her faith in the research behind the products.
Dr. Alvarez recommends keeping these four points in mind when researching supplements:
- Does the supplement come from a well-established company?
- Has it been tested and verified by a third-party laboratory?
- Are there published safety and efficacy studies related to it?
- Pharmacokinetics/Bioavailability
She said she doesn’t trust information coming directly from the manufacturing company, even if it’s well-established. She focuses on choosing products where third-party testing is obvious on the label, such as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) labels.
“I really want to hold supplements to the same standard that we do pharmaceutical drugs,” Dr. Alvarez said. “Because if we don’t, we are opening ourselves up for the fact that they might not work and that they could potentially be dangerous.”
Other presentation points
During the Facebook Live discussion, Dr. Alvarez answered questions on how to be sure a supplement is working, whether dogs can have different responses to the same supplement, and how to separate legitimate claims about a product from the promotional ones. She also addressed the possibility of giving a dog too many supplements and the research involved before using multiple products, such as Antinol® and glucosamine chondroitin, for example, with each other.
To watch the full Q&A session video, click here. Additional questions can be sent to Antinol® at contact@vetzpetz.com.
About Dr. Alvarez
Dr. Leilani Alvarez is the Director of Integrative and Rehabilitative Medicine at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. She is a board-certified diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and certified in veterinary acupuncture, canine rehabilitation and advanced Chinese herbal medicine. Dr. Alvarez graduated with high honors from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and completed her internship and residency at the Animal Medical Center. She has been practicing integrative veterinary medicine for over a decade and leads one of few traditional residency programs in canine sports med/rehab. In addition to running a busy integrative and rehabilitation practice, Dr. Alvarez is a frequent lecturer at national and international conferences, teaches interns and residents and has published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Her research interests include geriatric medicine, regenerative therapies, and joint supplements.