Health Care

Our pet health care range covers the everyday, over-the-counter side of keeping an animal well: vitamin and mineral supplements, probiotics and digestive support, joint and bone formulas, ear cleaners and flushes, eye and tear stain cleaners, and calming aids. It runs across several species, so the first thing to check on any pack is the animal and the dose it is written for.

Formats and how they are given

Powders and granules are stirred through a meal and suit an animal that eats reliably; Vetnex, Natural Animal Solutions and Auinpet all work this way. Syringe pastes such as Protexin Pro-Kolin+ for dogs and cats and Fibreplex for rabbits let you give a measured dose by mouth when a pet is off its food, which is usually when gut support is wanted. Tablets, capsules and chewable toppers suit a pet that takes a treat without fuss. Liquids and drops, including Vetafarm Vitasol and Troy Calcium Syrup, go into water or food. Topical products are a separate group: ear cleaners and ear flush, tear stain removers and eye cleaners are applied rather than fed. Feliway diffusers, refills and spray act on the room rather than being given to the cat at all.

Matching a product to the animal

Species matters more than brand here, because dose scale differs enormously. Oxbow Natural Science tablets are made for rabbits, guinea pigs and other small herbivores. Vetafarm's Synbiotic, Vita-C, Vitasol and Crittacare lines are bird and small animal formulas. BetaVet and Cen make horse-scale drenches, electrolytes, pellets and liniments, and Crooked Lane supplies bulk herbal powders on the same scale. Dogs and cats are the largest group. Work from the problem first, whether that is gut, joints, coat, ears, eyes or stress, then choose the product written for your species and weight. Supplements support a diet, they do not replace a diagnosis, so anything new, painful or getting worse is a call to your vet rather than a purchase.

Brands in this range

Dog and cat lines come from PAW by Blackmores, ZamiPet, Protexin Veterinary, Natural Animal Solutions, Big Dog, Vetnex, LifeWise, EAC Animal Care, Vets All Natural, Fidos, Mavlab, Dermcare, Virbac and Troy. Feliway covers feline calming, Oxbow and Wombaroo the small animals, Vetafarm the birds, and BetaVet, Cen and Crooked Lane the horses.

• Flea, tick and worm control
• Dental care
• Cat grooming supplies
• Dog grooming supplies
• Small animal supplies
• Bird supplies
• Dog omega oils
• Cat omega oils

Shop supplements by brand

Supplement ranges are easier to compare brand by brand, because each one covers the same handful of needs — joints, gut, calm, skin, coat — in its own format.

• Natural Animal Solutions — joint, gut, calming, skin, dental and omega oil ranges for cats and dogs.
• Big Dog — probiotics and supplements.
• Dog Rocks — rocks for the water bowl that help prevent new yellow urine patches on the lawn. Not a supplement: nothing is added to your dog.

Supplements support a diet rather than replace veterinary care. If a symptom is new or getting worse, see a vet before reaching for a supplement.