I have worked in the animal health industry for 13 years and have been a pet nutritionist and advisor for many of those years. I am also a Registered Animal Medicines Advisor, and I work closely with pet owners, animal professionals and pet nutrition brands, including CAN9.
Through my work, I speak to a lot of dog owners who are looking at ways they can improve or support their dog's overall health and wellbeing. One question that comes up regularly is whether there is a place for additional nutritional support alongside their dog's normal diet.
For dogs that are already eating a complete and balanced diet, there is obviously no need to replace that food. However, many owners are interested in providing some support to their already healthy dogs, particularly for areas such as digestion, mobility, the immune system and the nervous system.
I had seen and was aware of many similar nutritional supplements on the market, but I felt there was a real issue with how supplementation was often approached.
Pet owners could end up needing to buy multiple products to support different areas of their dog's wellbeing. One product for joints, another for digestion, another for calming or the nervous system, and potentially another for general support. Not only can this become expensive, but it can also become quite difficult for owners to manage. And then there is the biggest problem of all – their dog might not even eat them!
From working directly with pet owners, I know how important palatability is. It doesn't matter how good a supplement looks on paper if you can't get your dog to take it consistently.
So, what caught my attention about CAN9?
When I came across CAN9, it was very evident to me that a lot of time and thought had gone into the product.
What particularly interested me was the way the formulation looked at the bigger picture of the healthy dog, rather than focusing on just one area.
CAN9 has been developed to provide additional nutritional support across a number of areas, including digestion, mobility, immune support and the nervous system.
From a nutritional perspective, I find this approach really interesting because we shouldn't necessarily think about a dog's health as a series of completely separate systems. The digestive system, immune system and nervous system, for example, are all interconnected, and a dog's overall wellbeing is influenced by a combination of their nutrition, lifestyle, environment and individual needs.
This is where I think CAN9 has something different to offer.
Rather than an owner having to purchase several different supplements, CAN9 brings a number of nutritional support areas together into one product.
It's not about giving your dog everything under the sun
One thing I am particularly conscious of as a nutritionist is that more isn't necessarily better. There are so many products available to pet owners now, and it can be very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if an ingredient is good, then adding more of it must be even better. That's not how I approach nutrition.
Every ingredient should have a purpose, and we need to consider how the overall formulation works together. I also think nutritional supplementation needs to be practical. If an owner has to give their dog four or five different products every day, it can quickly become a chore. If the dog doesn't like the taste of them, it becomes even more difficult.
For me, one of the appealing things about CAN9 is that it provides a simple way for owners to incorporate additional nutritional support into their dog's daily routine.
Supporting the modern dog
Our dogs live very different lives from the dogs we had years ago. Many dogs today live busy urban lifestyles, spend time in busy households, travel with their owners, experience changes in routine and are exposed to many different environmental and lifestyle factors.
Of course, this doesn't mean that every dog needs additional nutrition support. A good quality, complete and balanced diet should always be the foundation of good nutrition, and supplements should complement that diet rather than replace it.
However, I understand why owners are looking for ways to provide that extra level of support for their dogs. This is where I believe products such as CAN9 can have a place.
Why I am happy to work with CAN9
As a pet nutritionist and Registered Animal Medicines Advisor, I am very conscious of the responsibility that comes with making nutritional recommendations for pets. I want to work with brands that have put genuine thought into their products and that understand the importance of responsible, evidence-informed nutrition.
CAN9 stood out to me because of the thought that has gone into bringing different areas of nutritional support together, while also considering the practical side of nutritional supplementation for owners.
I am pleased to work with the CAN9 brand and to bring my experience in animal health and pet nutrition to the brand. Ultimately, I believe nutritional supplementation should be about supporting the dog you already have, not endlessly adding products because you feel you should.
CAN9 takes a different approach by looking at the dog as a whole and providing additional nutritional support across multiple areas in one carefully considered formulation.
And, importantly, it is something that can actually fit into everyday life, for both the owner and the dog!