I find that many of my clients want to be told exactly which supplements or vitamins their pets need…and which they needn’t spend the money on. It’s a relatively easy thing for me to do in an individualized fashion, assuming I’ve had the chance to examine the pet fully and run basic tests on his/her blood and urine (further diagnostics, if necessary).

But I find that at some point it’s not so much about which supplements pets may need—in general—it often also comes down to the brand name of the vitamin I’d like my clients to feed their pets.

The brand? You’ve got to be kidding! That’s all hype vets tell their clients so they can sell the expensive stuff and get their markup, right?

Well, not really—or at least, not always. I’m here to tell you that studies show that supplements’ and vitamins’ ingredient lists vary widely by brand name—no matter what it says on the label. Sometimes the label’s all just damn lies. 70% X? I wouldn’t believe it…unless you trust the brand.

Unlike drugs, nutritional supplements and vitamins are not granted oversight by our heavily burdened FDA (here's their party line on this issue). There’s no one agency testing and looking into these products before and after they hit the market. Though there’s some consumer-protective oversight, it’s almost never aimed at protecting pets…or pet owners, for that matter.

That’s why your store-brand glucosamine and chondroitin purchase may seem like a great buy—but it may also contain less than half of the ingredients you think you’re paying for. That’s NOT cool. And it’s certainly NOT a good buy.

So you know, each individual company seeks to take its place in the market based on something—price, quality, distribution sources, unique packaging…whatever. In B-school language we call that “positioning.” Brands trying to make their name in the biz try to stand out for something. When it comes to vitamins and nutraceuticals, quality and price are the two most common positions taken: low price or high quality.

Recent studies showing the variability in key ingredients within certain low-priced brand names have led me and others to believe that we should all buy nutraceuticals and vitamins based on the reliability of the ingredients. Predictably, the established brand name products (who have more to lose should their products be deemed unreliable in their claims) are the ones who made the grade.

But, for me, there’s a hitch…

Most of my clients love to be told exactly what brand of nutritional supplement or vitamin to buy, much the same way I relish my hairdresser’s ample selection of products and his personalized scouring of the shelves for me. But some clients are inherently wary of being told to adhere to a given brand recommended by the one person who’s most likely to have a financially vested interest in the sale of the product.

No doubt, it’s true. If you’re my client and you buy a product I recommend at the hospital I work for, I’ll get a slice…somehow. But my alternative is to recommend you buy the same product online (usually for a sight savings, despite our low markup), or to recommend you hit the human supplement aisle at the drugstore and buy exactly what I tell you to.

Once you’re out my door, however, much as I may reiterate your need to buy a certain brand (and why), there’s a good chance you’ll be buying something else—because it’s sooo much cheaper. (So much for client compliance.)

Fatty acids (which are formulated differently for dogs than for humans), joint supplements, multivitamins, liver supplements…whatever. They’re all based on the use of great, natural ingredients. I heartily believe in using these nutraceuticals whenever a client can afford them. But too many of my clients take the half-way route, sabotaging their pets’ improvement and their belief in the effectiveness of these products…just to save a buck.

So next time your vet urges you to use a certain nutraceutical or vitamin for your pet, consider that your vet’s product line has a purpose. Though you’re most welcome to ingest a grain of salt when we bark our commands, take heed that you may not be better off ignoring our Gucci when your wallet screams “Target!” at the top of its leathery lungs.

After all, an ingredient…is not an ingredient …is not an ingredient. If the pet food recall hasn’t taught us that much…I’m not sure what will…