dog supplement dog antioxidant dog health antioxidant supplement for dogs healthy aging
FAQ
What are the results that I can expect to see in my dog? This depends
in part on the health and age of your dog. Many of the dogs in middle to late years have
noticed an energy boost. Some dogs get joint relief and are more mobile. Many antioxidants
have anti-inflammatory properties and that is especially true of turmeric extract (curcumin)
and green tea. With Paws de Leon the general health of your dog should improve. You can
see some of the anecdotal benefits on our Testimonials page. Young dogs might see less
results because they are usually in the peak of health. However we have a few young dogs
that unfortunately have early onset arthritis and Paws de Leon does seem to help along with
glucosamine, chondroitin and msm. Also it appears that all dogs seem to have greater
endurance. L-carnosine, alpha lipoic acid and egcg found in green tea have been
associated with improvements in endurance in other animals. Ultimately you should notice a
healthier, happier dog.
How soon should I see results? What we've witnessed so far is that within two to
three weeks you should see an improvement in energy with those dogs that seem lethargic. A
number of owners noticed that not only did their dogs become more energetic in this period of
time but they also became more chatty. We assume this is related to the new energy the
brain is receiving along with the rest of the body. Some dogs that had become rather mute in
older age had rediscovered doggy talk. It took about two weeks for dogs with joint issues to
become more mobile. Some dogs reacted much faster and were significantly more mobile
within a week. It takes about one or two months for the improvement in coat to become
apparent. However antioxidants begin working the first day you begin supplementing and can
work alongside exercise and a good diet to help lower the risk of various diseases. So more
than just energy, chattiness and coat, we hope that our supplement can help keep your dog
as young as possible for as long as possible.
How did you choose your formula? Once we made the decision to look for natural
ingredients that could make dogs healthier and maybe extend their lives we initially looked at
hundreds of herbs and other antioxidants. We looked at the animal and human studies and
decided on about twenty compounds that had promise for dogs (as J. Craig Venter PhD. has
shown, dogs share about 85% of our genes - they have been used as research models for
humans for decades). We got rid of those antioxidants that we thought were either too risky or
just did not show enough evidence of efficacy. We continually met with a veterinarian who had a
background in reviewing clinical research. She told us what she thought had the most and least
merit for being in our formula. We went over the safety of the ingredients. We also reviewed
what we might expect to see as results of supplementing with these ingredients. Taking her
advice we decided that some compounds did not have the research or the safety profile
necessary to justify putting them into our formula. The whole process, including testing, took
about 2 years and we feel we’ve arrived at a core group of ingredients that will make a real
difference with the health of dogs and quite possibly longevity.
What testing have you done? We have done a non
clinical trial on fifteen dogs. Seven of them got blood tests and
full physicals before and after going on Paws de Leon tm . The
others were monitored via full physical checkups. We also paid
close attention to what owners were telling us. From this we
found out, for instance, that one dog gained relief from fairly
severe seizures that were occurring on a weekly basis. During
the first seven weeks on our antioxidant supplement she only
had one mild seizure. The blood tests were to make sure the
supplement was well tolerated and safe at the dosage required
for different size dogs. We found that our supplement was indeed
safe and well tolerated across breeds. We have since monitored
40 dogs for over a year on our product. No adverse affects were
found. Many health benefits have been noted. We hope to fund
a larger clinical trial on our antioxidant formula Paws de Leon tm.
Our goal is to have a process of continued testing so we can
better understand how these compounds benefit our dogs.

What breeds have you tested your formula on? We have tested our
supplement on many breeds. We had Retrievers of every type in the test. We also had
German Shepherds, Huskys, Terriers, Poodles, Border Collies, a Corgi, a Basset, Pit Bulls, and
adorable mutts with all sorts of breeding behind them.
How does your antioxidant differ from other antioxidant
supplements for dogs? Most antioxidants for dogs deal with vitamins and minerals.
While these are good, you can often find these same vitamins and minerals in quality dog
foods these days. We have been interested for some time in an antioxidant formula that
would be significantly more powerful. As far as we could tell there wasn’t such a formula. So
we decided to make it. A few companies offer green tea pills for dogs. That’s a good start (if
they use a high quality extract that is decaf. - many use caffeinated extracts, so be careful),
but there are other herbs and compounds out there that work synergistically to allow for a
much healthier dog. Currently there is no other antioxidant supplement that comes close to
what we have here.
Has your formula changed over time or is it your original design?
Before trials we had other ingredients in our formula that we eventually felt did not merit entry
into our formula. We were focused on creating an antioxidant mix that had the most effect on
a dogs health. There were antioxidants that were good, but not great. Also safety was a key
issue. We were looking for antioxidants that had a proven safety record. Some had promise
and probably would have been safe for dogs, but we were not willing to take the chance. If
later research shows that they are both safe and efficacious than we will reconsider.
Does my dog get these same vitamins in the food he eats? And if so
can he get too much of one particular vitamin? We made the decision to
leave out all vitamins in our supplement since most quality dog foods supply the necessary
amount of vitamins that your dog needs. Some of our ingredients are in the food that dogs eat,
but they exist at less than optimal levels. L-Carnosine is found in their diet via meat. It is also a
naturally occurring dipeptide in your dog’s body. It is found in high concentrations in their
muscle and in their brain. The amount that a dog would consume from most dog food is small.
Although the amount we put in our Paws de Leon tm formula is greater than this, it is
extremely safe and has beneficial effects. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) can be found in foods such
as spinach, meats and brewers yeast. However, ALA is in such small quantities that it is not
beneficial to your dog via diet. Your dog also produces ALA in small amounts within his/her
body. ALA is crucial for dogs to produce energy, however it is not enough for the antioxidant
properties to fully accrue. ALA has been tested on a variety of animals, including dogs. It has
been found to be well tolerated and safe. The dose we put in is what we believe to be the
safest and most useful for our dogs. Even if your dog ate a full bottle of tablets, ALA should not
harm your dog. As for the other ingredients, unless you have a really good herb garden, and
your dog has been eating your herbs, then your dog will not get the other ingredients. This is a
major reason why we began this business. No other company makes an antioxidant like this.
Will the supplements improve my
dogs coat? After two months some of the
dogs coats have improved. Our formula does
include brewers yeast and molasses. These are
often ingredients that are found in skin and coat
formulas. After one month we did notice some
improvements. It appears to take a few months
for the full softer coat to grow out. Another thing
you can do is add a little bit of olive oil with your
dog’s food. That is known to help the coat. But
nothing seems to beat omega 3 fatty acids from
fish oil. We now give all our dogs a very high
quality omega 3 supplement and it has made a
huge difference to their coats within 2 weeks. If
your dog tolerates fish, it's great for their health.


Will it improve my dogs arthritis? The potential is there. Other animal studies
show that both curcumin and green tea have anti-inflammatory properties that do slow down
the progress of arthritis. One of the dogs in our study has severe arthritis and was constantly
in pain. This limited his running greatly. After two weeks on Paws de Leon his pain levels
were much lower and his energy levels were much higher. He runs constantly and seems in
far less pain after these sessions. His X-rays do not show anything structurally different after
two months on Paws de Leon, but we are hoping in time to see the progression of his arthritic
hips and other joints, slow. But we should mention there is no absolute proof that our formula
is helping this dog. That will take a rigorous study on many dogs. This formula was not
designed to address arthritis in particular, but because of the strong anti-inflammatory
properties of Curcumin, we think that it should be of benefit. Because this product should
show benefit within two to four weeks for this, it might be worth trying.
Do these supplements interfere with other doggy medications like
tylan powder (or other meds for other illness ) that my dog takes
for his irritable bowl syndrome? It is best that when your dog is on a temporary
prescription drug that you stop giving her/him Paws de Leon. The reason for this is to
minimize the chance of contraindication. For those dogs that are constantly on prescription
medication, especially those related to diabetes, renal disease, thyroid disease, blood clotting
disease, we suggest using caution and consulting with your veterinarian before use.
Although these compounds are well tolerated in most dogs, those that are receiving
medication might not react as well to them. If you decide to start your dog on our formula it is
best to start on a low dose and see how your dog does with that.
How do I know if my dog is allergic to one of the ingredients in your
product? If your dog begins itching or sneezing after beginning our supplement then there
is a chance that he or she is allergic to one, or more of the ingredients. Also red, irritated
eyes and lethargy are also signs of allergic reaction.
What other precautions
can/should I be taking to insure
that my dog is as healthy as she
can be? If you are going to emphasize one
thing, that one thing should be daily
exercise. The research is clear here.
Daily exercise, where your dog gets a good
workout is just about the healthiest thing you
can do. After this comes love and care and
diet, then supplements. A high quality diet
and not overfeeding will help keep your dog
healthy. The key here is to feed your dog in
a way that they remain slim (but not too
skinny). Obesity greatly increases the risk
of mortality for dogs, as in humans.
Is it safe for dogs of all ages?
Puppies and teenage dogs should not be
on Paws de Leon. They produce plenty of
their own natural antioxidants and are
rarely in need of any boost. But when they
have become fully grown they can begin.
One and a half to two years is a good
starting point. All ages after this can use
this supplement.
Hoppin' Ellie - she loves her some frisbee
The best thing you can do for your dogs, beyond love
and care is give them good exercise every day.
I want to know what makes YOU experts?.... You are not
veterinarians. Good question. We are not experts and that is why we continually
consulted a very highly regarded veterinarian that not only practices and has a background in
clinical research, but also knows about alternative medicine for animals. Although some of us
at DogVitals have been extremely interested in vitamins and supplements for over twenty
years, follow the research on a daily basis and are interested in extending the healthy life of
our dogs and ourselves, we would never imagine doing this for dogs without the advice and
review of veterinarians. This advice and review was crucial in formulating our antioxidant mix
Paws de Leon. In this regard we also felt it was critical that we run an informal trial to make
sure of its safety. The trial was observed by this veterinarian. All blood work was reviewed
and the supplement was found to be well tolerated and safe in our trial group. There were no
adverse affects in the blood work in these dogs. Currently we have monitored 40 dogs for
over a year and we have seen very positive results in many of these dogs, with no side
effects.
Why don’t you list the amount
of your ingredients? We use
103mg of our active ingredients per tablet,
or scoop. We would love to list a full
breakdown of ingredients, but it is the only
thing that will keep others from copying our
formula. We worked long and hard to
arrive at this formula. The whole process
took almost two years. We didn't stop until
we arrived at the best ingredients at the
appropriate and safe dose. This took lots
of research and testing. The very positive
results we have seen have proven that this
was time well spent.

My dog has hypothyroidism and is on medication for that. Can my
dog use your supplement? Our first recommendation on medical issues is
always to consult your veterinarian. Bacopa (herb) is an ingredient in our formula that has
the potential to make the thyroid gland produce more T4 which is thyroxine. So you might
have to lower the dose of the thyroid stimulating medication if your dog is showing signs of
hyperthyroidism – and you can monitor it on two levels. One is merely watching the energy
levels of your dog and the second is to get a T4 test after a few weeks of supplementing. If
your dog is overly energetic, and or nervous and irritable, or if your dog is excessively
panting, then chances are the Bacopa in our supplement is causing too much T4 to be
produced. To date we have not seen this. If that is the case you can either stop our
antioxidant formula or you can decrease your dogs medicine. Either way the symptoms
should leave quickly.
This is fairly common to humans since people on T4 meds often find that birth control pills
and large amounts of aspirin affect their T4 levels and they just adjust their medicine
accordingly.
We aren’t using a lot of Bacopa, just enough to raise a dogs level of internal antioxidants so
you might not see any difference in your dog on either the energy or the blood level. Either
way I think that if you decide to begin supplementing your dog you should get a T4 test after
a few weeks to make sure your dog is doing ok.
How do I get my dog to swallow the pills or powder? We hope your dogs
will like the natural flavors enough that they’ll just inhale it like a treat. However we all have
known dogs that are a little bit more finicky than others. We own one right now. We’ve found
that mixing tablets, or powder in with their food helps. If you are using tablets you can break up
the tablet into small pieces. We designed the tablet so that it can be easily divided. The
second trick is to place the tablet in soft cheese, or cover it with soft cheese - like cream
cheese. One of our dogs actually figured this one out when he was on a long course of
antibiotics and he would roll the cheese ball around in his mouth until all the cheese was off the
pill and then he would spit the pill out. In which case the third trick is no trick at all. You open
the dogs mouth and place the pill on the back of their tongue and quickly close their mouth and
hold it closed while rubbing their neck so that they swallow. If that doesn’t work you could
always mash the pills up and put in tomato sauce. Lycopene is an antioxidant that we
considered for this formula and it is abundant in tomato sauce. We regularly pour tomato sauce
on top of their dinners, which have their pills in it. We also pour vegetable and chicken stock on
their food. Any pill covered with this becomes remarkably tasty.

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How long will one bottle last?
For a dog of about 50lbs you can expect
two months supply with the tablet bottle
and about a three month supply with the
powder. Smaller dogs can expect more
and larger dogs less. Suggested daily
use based on weight is on each bottle of
tablets and powder.
Do you have different doses for different size dogs? Absolutely. We
designed this supplement on a per kilogram basis. Small dogs will get a half tablet, while some
large breed dogs might get five or more tablets. However, despite size, dogs metabolize
compounds differently, just like people. A 300lb linebacker can be extremely sensitive to
compounds, where a 120lb person might need a lot more of a medicinal compound to work.
But in general the guidelines we put on the bottle are the ones that should work for most dogs.
For those dogs that are either unusually sensitive, or not sensitive, you can lower, or up the
dosage as you see fit and as your dog seems the most comfortable and healthy on.

Our final ingredient list has been locked in
since the trial began. We will continue to
review new supplements, or new
information on older supplements and see
if we want to make any changes to our
formula deck. For now we are extremely
pleased with the results of the ingredients
in Paws de Leon tm and it would take
compelling evidence for a change in our
ingredient list.