If you pop over here because you care for your dog, feed and train them right. Most people already know that cranberries make an important part of any healthy diet. Naturally high in fiber, antioxidants, Vitamins A, C, and K, and low-calorie, cranberries are a superfood. Cranberries are linked to a lower risk of UTIs, improved immune function, decreased blood pressure, and the reduction of certain kinds of cancer and tumor progression.

Studies have shown that cranberries can help boost the benefits of your pet’s diet as a supplement that can  alleviate symptoms or reduce the occurrence of these issues. However, this is not meant as a replacement to vet treatment. We will always say first and foremost–go to the vet! Cranberries are just here to help, and they do a GREAT job! The brand we recommend is Cranimals, but first…..

How do cranberries do all these amazing things?

Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress

This is where you can thank antioxidants. “Antioxidant” is a word thrown around a lot that many people don’t know the meaning of, but rest assured it isn’t just a buzzword. Rather than being one specific substance, “Antioxidants” refers to a multitude of substances that share the same function of anti-oxidation in the body–essentially substances that prevent Oxidative Stress. Vitamins A, C, E, as well as beta-carotene, lutein, and manganese are all antioxidants.

Oxidative stress occurs when free radicals–waste substances produced by the body’s cells–are not disposed of properly. As the body operates, certain ‘waste’ molecules are produced, many of which are Oxygen species. Any regular body operation will produce cellular waste, but increased numbers of free radicals have been linked to body distress such as internal inflammation, and exposure to pollutants or radiation like cigarette smoke and UV rays.

When the wasted Oxygen molecules (as well as many other waste molecules) build up, Oxidative stress occurs, damaging cells and body function. Oxidative stress has been linked to health issues like heart disease, immune deficiency, respiratory illness, arthritis, strokes, and other inflammatory problems.

Obviously there is an important place for antioxidants in our bodies! Our bodies produce antioxidants on our own (endogenous antioxidants), but diet plays a significant role in how well our bodies can prevent oxidative stress. Different antioxidants all have different functions within the body, and are not interchangeable. This is why it’s important for us and our pets to have a varied diet! Our home-made antioxidants are not enough to fight off Oxidative stress, so eating foods high in antioxidants is a good idea.

Cranberry Antioxidants

Cranberries have an incredibly high amount of various antioxidants that play important roles in the body. In terms of cranberries and their touted healing properties, the specific antioxidants we are looking at are called “proanthocyanidins”. What these do is prevent the adhesion of bacteria to the inner surfaces of the body by disrupting the enzyme that allows bacteria to bind to the inner walls. Proanthocyanidins have been proven to help prevent build up in the urinary tract (such as in the bladder and along the urethra) and are thought to do the same with the buildup of bacteria (plaque) on the teeth. They also prevent platelets (bits of dead cells in the bloodstream) from building up and creating clots and blockages in the cardiovascular system.

In this way, the cranberries help create a somewhat repellent force for the bacteria, almost like the Teflon in your pots and pans! When the bacteria cannot bind, it cannot build up as fast or get as hard and tough. Not only does the tartar remain lighter, it’s also much easier to clean off.

Cranberry Acidity

As anyone who has drank sugar-free cranberry juice can attest, these berries are also more acidic than other berries of the same family. Our previous blog Diet Vs. Dental Health goes into more detail, but for here we will just mention that dog’s bodies are naturally more acidic than ours. Not only does the acidity of cranberries align more properly with a dog’s diet, but they are low in sugar that provides food for bacteria: because of this, cranberries help make a dog’s body an unfriendly environment to unfriendly bacteria that contribute to urinary issues and dental issues.

Contraindications

You might research the Best dog board and training package here, but what about the kind of food you feed your dogs?Too much of a good thing isn’t good… The same goes for cranberries. While cranberries are non-toxic to dogs, too many may give your puppy an upset tummy. As mentioned earlier, cranberries are not a snake oil cure-all–but they do make a great supplement!

With pets, it’s easy to just give them a little bit of whatever you have–especially because it may be cheaper. It’s incredibly important to use pet formulated cranberry supplements,  NOT human products. Cranberry supplements are often mixed with other fruits or berries that also have great health benefits and good flavour. However, many of these are toxic to dogs. Grapes and Xylitol (an artificial sweetener) as well as Alcohol make their way into a lot of human cranberry supplements, cranberry juices, or jams. All 3 of these are highly toxic to dogs and can result in great distress and tragedy–make sure to avoid these at all cost. Fresh cranberries or whole ground cranberries can be a nice snack, but they may be too tart for your dog! That’s where Cranimals comes in.

Cranimals

If you’ve seen us at pet shows or events, you’ve seen a bright red package of Cranimals on our table. There’s a reason for this–Cranimals is awesome. It’s certainly not the only cranberry supplement available for dogs, but reviews don’t lie; People and pets love it.

Formulated by nutritionist Dr. Wilma Pretorious, Cranimals is the product of the goodness of berries and the love of pets. When two of her pets passed away from cancer, she decided to use her powers and knowledge to create a free-radical fighting pet supplement. Since then, hundreds of people have sworn up and down that Cranimals has made a huge difference in their pet’s lives.

The core Cranimals supplement is made from 100% cranberry extract powder. 80% of the core ingredients are manufactured and grown directly by the company, unlike other products on the market. This way they can ensure that your pet is only getting certified organic, food-grade cranberry extract.

Cranimals has been veterinary tested and proved to reduce the incidence of UTI and heal UTI/bladder infections. Alongside the core supplement, Cranimals has a line of formulas that are designed to aid in puppy development, general nutrient boosting, detoxification, inflammation, and tear stains, among other things.

In the End…

Cranberries are awesome, and Cranimals is a sure-fire way to add these important superfoods into your pet’s diet. Contact your local pet store or online retailer to pick some up today!

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