LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers . Joan Shim is a freelance writer and former editor at Pet Product News . ( LifeWire ) -- If you take a multivitamin every morning and perhaps a supplement or two because you care about your health , does it make sense to do the same with your dog or cat ? Stephanie Pendleton of Emerald Isle , North Carolina , would say yes . The pet supplement market has grown into a $ 1.3 billion business . Pendleton caught on to pet supplements a few years ago when she noticed that her 13-year-old cat , Sierra , was n't up to her usual antics . `` She was having a hard time jumping up on the counter , and she was n't playing as much as she used to , '' Pendleton says . `` Finally , she just spent less time up there , I think , because it was painful for her . '' Pendleton researched Sierra 's problem online , and learned about the joint supplements glucosamine and chondroitin . She asked her veterinarian , and they agreed to give the cat a product that combines both joint supplements . `` Sierra is jumping all over the place again , '' Pendleton says . Now , Pendleton is a believer in pet supplements . She gives Sierra and her other cat , 2-year-old Serenity , a multivitamin , probiotics to help their immune systems and essential fatty acids for skin and coat health . Sierra gets seven pills , Serenity four . Demand for supplements is on the rise . The pet supplement market has grown about 15 percent annually since 2000 and is now a $ 1.3 billion business , according to the National Animal Supplement Council . Simmons Market Research Bureau says approximately 17 percent of pet owners give their cats and dogs some type of supplement . A pet supplement is a product that is intended to complement the diet and help support and maintain a normal biological function . Products range from multivitamins for overall health to targeted formulas that claim to alleviate joint problems or canine cognitive dysfunction . Dr. Tim Montague , a veterinarian at Eads Animal Hospital in Eads , Tennessee , started using supplements in 1992 . He was wary at first because he did n't learn about them in veterinary school , and there were n't many on the market . But when an old professor of his recommended a joint supplement for one of Montague 's patients , he took notice . Montague 's golden retriever Ayla had an arthritic shoulder , so he also tried a joint supplement on her . `` She could barely make it up and down the stairs , but within a week after the supplement she was running and catching Frisbees in the yard , '' Montague says . `` That sold me on that product . '' He said his patients have had good success with joint supplements and he prescribes them all the time . But some substances , such as St. John 's wort , may not be suitable for pets , according to the Food and Drug Administration , and their safety and effectiveness is untested in animals . What 's more , some supplements have been found to contain lesser amounts of an active ingredient than the manufacturer claims , or substances like lead have been detected . Dr. Tod Cooperman is president of ConsumerLab.com , which independently tests supplements for humans and animals . In the past few years , his company has reviewed roughly a dozen multivitamins , joint supplements and fish oils for pets and found that about half of the products tested do n't pass . `` We have repeatedly found the quality of supplements for pets to be worse overall than for supplements for people , '' Cooperman says . With the pet supplement market burgeoning , especially online , the FDA urges pet owners to talk to their veterinarians before giving supplements to their animals , something Montague agrees with . `` People need to be careful about self-medicating , '' he says . `` I 've seen many animals harmed by people getting the wrong information over the Internet . '' Dr. John Bauer , professor of clinical nutrition at Texas A & M University 's College of Veterinary Medicine , offers four factors to consider when evaluating supplements : . 1 . Product quality How much of the functional , active ingredient is in the product ? Responsible manufacturers will have 800 numbers on the package to call with technical questions about the ingredients , and your veterinarian should know what specific questions to ask . 2 . Efficacy Is there any scientific basis to support the use of this supplement ? If information about product testing is n't available on the company 's Web site or elsewhere , call the company for details about the studies that have been performed . 3 . Tolerance . Check the list of ingredients carefully before giving a supplement to your pet . For example , a supplement might include lactose , which some cats and dogs ca n't tolerate . It 's a good idea to consult your veterinarian first to discuss how the supplements may react with any medications the pet is taking . 4 . Safety . A product 's safety should be proven . For example , the company might state in its literature that it was tested in high doses on mice and found to be safe , or the number of adverse events reported might be few to none . E-mail to a friend .
Pet supplement market has grown 15 percent per year since 2000 . FDA does not test supplements on animals . Some products do n't contain advertised amount of supplement . Comment: