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When it comes to the well-being of your Great Dane, providing them with the best care is a top priority! In this article, I’ll uncover the essential supplements that can enhance the health and vitality of your beloved giant breed.
Whether you’re a seasoned Great Dane owner or considering bringing one into your family, discover the key supplements that can make a significant difference in your Great Dane’s life.
Some of the most common medical conditions affecting Great Danes that can be treated with vitamins and supplements include:
- Joint Problems
- Allergies and other Skin Problems
- Eye Problems
- Calming and Anxiety
- GI Problems
- Anal Glands
- Urinary Problems
- Heart Problems
The good news for you is that we’ve already gathered a list of the best supplements for each condition for your Great Dane.
We’ve included a few of the best supplements for each condition as well as why you should consider giving any of these wonderful supplements to your Great Dane.
What are the best supplements to give my Great Dane?
There are many different supplements that you can give to your Great Dane. These are some of the best supplements that you can give your Great Dane for any problem that you are facing.
Before starting any supplement, make sure to talk to your vet, especially if they have pre-existing medical problems.
Joint Supplements for Great Danes
Great Danes are known to have hip and joint issues that you may want to give your dog a supplement for.
Things like Glucosamine and Chondroitin are two great things that you can give your Great Dane to help with their arthritis or joint pain.
Dasuquin Soft Chews are great to give your Great Dane who is suffering from joint pain or arthritis. This supplement contains both Glucosamine and Chondroitin, as well as ASU.
Dasuquin is the #1 joint health brand recommended by veterinarians and combines the demonstrated benefits and synergies of ASU, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate. Convenient soft chews provide a simplified, tasty experience for supporting your dog’s joint health!
ASU stands for avocado/soybean unsaponifiable. This is an ingredient concentrated directly from avocados and soybeans that is very useful for joint health.
ASU has been shown to decrease the production of many substances that break down the cartilage that is found in your Great Danes’ joints.
Studies have shown that ASU, along with Glucosamine and Chondroitin, is the best thing to give a Great Dane with joint problems. This supplement also contains Green Tea extract, which is rich in antioxidants.
This makes it the perfect supplement to give to your Great Dane, who is suffering from any joint or bone problem as it also helps the whole body.
Skin Supplements for Great Danes
Great Danes may have skin issues. If your Great Dane is losing their hair, scratching, or chewing at their skin, they could benefit from a skin supplement.
Omega is great to have as a supplement to help with your Great Danes skin!
A great source of Omega is EPA, DHA, and ETA. These play a very important role in the makeup of a healthy skin barrier.
A healthy skin barrier will help keep moisture in and irritants out of your Great Dane’s skin.
Zesty Paws Omega Bites are a great source of Omega for your dog. These contain EPA, DHA, and vitamins and minerals needed for your Great Danes skin.
These not only help with your Great Dane’s skin but also their joints and immune system. These are tasty treats that your dog will love.
Your dog deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin. That’s why Zesty Paws created Omega Bites, a delicious chewable with Omega fatty acids, vitamins, and nutrients that support skin and coat health.
These treats have AlaskOmega, which is made from MSC-certified Wild Alaskan Pollock. This provided a pure and clean source of Omegas to help keep your Great Dane healthy and happy.
These are daily soft chews that you can give to your Great Dane to help with their dull, dry, and brittle coats. It also helps decrease shedding by providing your Great Danes coats with important nutrients that help promote shine, strength, and softness.
These are grain-free treats that also help support the immune system, joint and hip health, and heart activity to help keep your Great Dane active and healthy.
Jax N Daisy Shampoo is an antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic shampoo for dogs with dermatitis caused by allergies, flea bites, environmental conditions, etc. It contains natural ingredients and when combined with the gentle, effective broad-spectrum activity of chlorhexidine will help to treat many types of skin issues ailing your dog!
This is one of the best shampoos to use for Great Danes, who suffer from allergies or have a skin infection. This shampoo is antibacterial and antifungal and will keep Great Danes skin healthy and happy.
Jax N Daisy Shampoo uses these natural ingredients that are safe for your Great Dane.
- Grapeseed Oil – Grapeseed oil is high in linoleic acid, which has been shown to help treat acne, eczema, and other skin problems. The oil is very useful in moisturizing your Great Dane’s skin, promoting hair growth, and helping repair damaged skin cells.
- Extracts of Lemon Oil – This has excellent antibacterial, and antifungal properties to help fight off any skin infection that your Great Dane may have.
- Lavender – This is best known for stress relief and decreasing anxiety. Lavender is also great for repelling insects. It helps to heal burns, acne, small puncture wounds, and decrease the aging process and keep your Great Dane’s skin cells healthy.
- Rosemary – Rosemary has great anti-inflammatory properties. It will aid in the healing of damaged skin cells. It will also promote hair growth and has antifungal and antibacterial properties to give your Great Dane’s skin cells a chance to heal.
- Hemp Oil – Hemp oil is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. It also can help prevent dermatitis, soothes irritated skin, and even has been known to soothe the symptoms of eczema. Hemp oil is a carrier oil that takes the active ingredient down into the deeper layers of skin to help your Great Dane’s skin from the inside out.
- Witch Hazel – Witch Hazel decreases inflammation, slows bleeding, and helps to draw tissues together. This is widely used to treat the itch associated with insect bites, bruises, and other minor wounds.
- Avocado Oil – Avocado Oil is another great carrier oil to help key ingredients soak into the deep layers of skin. It is a wonderful moisturizer and can increase the production of collagen. Avocado oil can also stimulate hair growth. Since avocado oil is full of antioxidants, proteins, fats, and sterolin, any damaged skin will get soft and rejuvenated.
- Vitamin E – Vitamine E is an excellent moisturizer to use on your Great Dane’s skin. It also decreases inflammation and redness, allowing their skin to heal. It is also great to decrease any scars due to damaged skin cells.
- Aloe Vera – will reduce the redness and inflammation in your Great Dane’s skin. It will also soothe any burning and itching skin. Aloe is excellent to use to help heal small wounds.
- Sage – is great for reducing swelling and controlling bleeding. Sage is also great for its antiseptic properties.
With all of these wonderful ingredients, this makes this a great shampoo to use on your Great Dane.
When bathing your Great Dane, it is best to let the shampoo sit on them for about 5 minutes before rinsing. This will allow all of these ingredients to soak into your Great Danes’s skin.
Eye Supplements for Great Danes
As your Great Dane gets older, their vision may start to decline. They may also start to develop cataracts.
By starting them on a supplement specifically for eye health can decrease the sudden progression of these conditions.
Ocu-GLO is a great supplement that you can use to help slow down the progression of cataracts or other age-related eye diseases. This supplement contains:
- Grapeseed extract: helps prevent oxidative damage
- Lutein: helps filter out harmful light wavelengths
- Omega 3’s: helps support healthy retinas and lenses
- Other Vitamins and Minerals: Helps protect photoreceptors
This supplement has been shown to really help decrease the progression of many eye diseases.
Ocu-GLO Gelcaps contain seventeen key ingredients, including powerful antioxidants, to help support canine eyesight daily.
Unfortunately, some eye conditions once they occur cannot be corrected, or if they can, it is with a very expensive surgery.
Calming and Anxiety Supplements for Great Danes
Some Great Danes may be stressed and have anxiety. Some Great Danes may pace and run around the house, destroying everything in their path because you left for work.
These are two great supplements that you can give your Great Dane to help in many different stressful situations.
Calming Care is an excellent choice to give your Great Dane with anxiety. This is a powder that you would sprinkle on their food. This supplement contains probiotics that help your Great Dane remain calm.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements Calming Care contains a strain of beneficial bacteria shown to help dogs maintain calm behavior. The science behind our therapeutic products represents a collaboration between Purina nutritionists, researchers and veterinarians.
Calming Care will help your Great Dane deal with separation anxiety, changes in their routine, pacing due to anxiety, and visitors.
Solliquin is an anxiety chew that has been shown to keep Great Danes calm and relaxed. These are tasty chews that all dogs love!
Solliquin Behavioral Health Supplement for dogs helps support balanced behavior and relaxation and should be used with behavioral modification conditioning. Intended for daily use, however, the recommended daily amount may be repeated prior to an expected stressful event.
This supplement contains L-Theanine which is commonly found in green tea. This stimulates the brain to make alpha waves that are responsible for relaxation and mental awareness.
GI Supplements for Great Danes
If your Great Dane has GI issues such as vomiting or diarrhea, there are many great supplements that you can give them. These are two great probiotics that can help get your Great Dane’s GI system back to normal.
Proviable is a great supplement to give to your dog who has diarrhea. This contains beneficial bacteria to help restore your Great Dane’s natural intestinal flora.
This product comes as a paste that you would give your dog and a capsule that you sprinkle on your dog’s food. After a few days of taking this supplement, your dog’s diarrhea should stop, and they should be back to normal.
Proviable-KP is a kit that includes Proviable-KP paste plus 10 Proviable-DC sprinkle capsules to help re-establish healthy intestinal balance. Proviable-KP paste contains kaolin and pectin to help maintain stool consistency.
This can be long-term for dogs who have sensitive stomachs. This would help keep the normal intestinal flora balanced.
Purina Pro Plan FortiFlora is a great probiotic that you can even give your Great Dane every day. This is great at preventing any GI problems in your dog.
Some Great Danes can have stress diarrhea when they take car rides, during thunderstorms, or stay at a boarding facility. Adding this supplement to their food during these times can help prevent diarrhea.
Fort flora is a nutritional supplement that been formulated using a special strain of probiotic that has been proven to promote intestinal health and balance. It contains a guaranteed amount of live active cultures to ensure its effectiveness!
This supplement contains beneficial bacteria that promote a healthy GI system. In the form of a tasty beef-flavored powder. This can easily be mixed into your Great Dane’s food or into
Anal Gland Supplements for Great Danes
Most Great Danes do not have problems with their anal glands, but if they do, this is a great supplement to give them. Anal glands are two scent glands that are located near your dog’s rectum.
They are supposed to express these every time that they poop to leave a scent. If they do not express them, they can get impacted and infected. This would leave you a smelly messy situation to deal with.
Glandex is a very popular supplement that can naturally help your Great Dane be able to empty its anal glands. Glandex contains natural fibers that will help bulk up your Great Dane’s stool to make it easier for them to express their anal glands.
Glandex's patented scientific formula works in multiple ways to support healthy anal glands and is a better alternative to frequent anal gland expressing which can further irritate the anal glands. Glandex uses a unique fiber blend to help promote bulky and firm stools, which in turn supports the natural emptying of the anal glands every time your pet defecates.
If you are constantly needing to take your Great Dane to the vet or groomer to have their anal glands expressed, you may want to consider giving them Glandex.
Urinary Supplements for Great Danes
If your Great Dane has a urinary tract infection, bladder stones, or incontinence, these are two great supplements to give to them to help strengthen their bladder and prevent future bladder infections.
If your Great Dane has urinary incontinence, you can give them VetriScience Bladder Strength. This supplement contains a plant estrogen to help your Great Dane be able to control its bladder.
This product contains Rehmannia glutinosa and Phytoestrogens. These are two female hormones that are found in plants. These will help maintain a higher level of estradiol in your Great Dane.
Bladder strength for dogs contains pumpkin seed powder, Rehmannia glutinosa, wild yam extract, saw Palmetto, and olive leaf extract. The combination of these ingredients supports normal hormone levels, renal function and bladder muscle strength. Bladder strength is safe for long-term daily use.
Estradiol is an estrogen hormone that will help keep your Great Dane from urinating when they are sleeping.
If your Great Dane has a bladder infection, Zesty Paws Cranberry Bladder Bites would be a great supplement to give them. This helps promote bladder and urinary health.
This supplement comes as a tasty chew that all dogs love to eat. This will help flush bacteria out of the bladder and help your Great Dane quickly return to normal. These treats are also grain-free, so they will not upset your Great Dane’s GI system.
Zesty Paws' Cranberry Bladder Bites are great-tasting soft chews with ingredients that promote kidney, bladder, and urinary tract health to help dogs feel their very best.
Cranberry is great at naturally helping with the urinary tract, as well as is a very tasty snack for your Great Dane. This supplement also contains marshmallow root to help make it more comfortable for your Great Dane when they urinate.
Not only are these good for your Great Danes’s urinary tract but also the GI tract and immune system, making them a great supplement to give your Great Dane every day.
Heart Supplements for Great Danes
Great Danes are known to have heart problems. If your Great Dane has been diagnosed with a heart condition or has a family history of heart problems, it is best to give them a supplement to help their heart function better.
By starting them off young on a supplement designed for heart health, you can help prolong their life.
VetriScience Cardio Strenth is a great supplement to give to your Great Dane if they have a heart condition or a history of a heart condition in their family. This supplement contains these ingredients:
Taurine: Taurine helps your Great Danes’ heartbeat properly, helps electrolyte balance, and decreases the amount of potassium lost.
Coenzyme Q10: Coenzyme Q10 helps support oxygen flowing to the heart
L-Carnitine: Carnitine helps with fat metabolism and helps maintain a healthy cholesterol level in your Great Dane.
Cardio Strength is designed to support heart muscles, reduce oxidative stress, and support cardiovascular functions. It also contains ingredients to support circulation and better utilization of oxygen.
These wonderful ingredients can make sure that your Great Dane’s heart is working at optimum levels.
Does My Great Dane Need to Take Supplements?
While most Great Danes are going to get all the nutrients that they need from their food, there are certain medical conditions that you can give a supplement to your Great Dane to treat or even prevent.
The three most common reasons that people give their pets supplements are joint problems, skin problems, or bladder problems. Many times, the supplements are easier on your dog’s system than many prescription medications, and they are just as effective.
If you are feeding good quality dog food, some of these ingredients may be found in their food. A tasty treat that you are already going to give them will help them get a little bit more.
This will help to get your Great Dane back to its normal life and would be a great choice.
Final Thoughts On Supplements for Great Danes
There are many wonderful benefits of giving supplements to your Great Dane. All of these supplements contain ingredients that your Great Dane can benefit from.
These supplements are backed by research to show that they actually help. Giving these supplements to your Great Dane can help make them more active, and less painful, and extend their quality of life!
Note: For more information about caring for a Great Dane, please make sure to consider my book “The Great Dane Puppy Handbook“.
The Great Dane Puppy Handbook takes all of the need-to-know Great Dane info and packages it together into a single, concise resource. Save yourself time, money, and frustration by avoiding the most common mistakes made by Great Dane owners!
Most supplements can be either given only when there is a problem or can be given daily to help prevent any issues with your Great Dane. Make sure that you consult your vet about starting your Great Dane on any of these wonderful supplements.
Before you go, make sure to also take a look at my article on the best supplements for Great Dane puppies.
Do you have any thoughts on DHA supplements for puppies?
Would you recommend giving a Dane with no hip issues, a joint supplement as preventative care? Or are these supplements more of a “you got it, you get it”?
I have wondered this myself. Should I start giving my puppy joint supplements as a preventative measure as a way to avoid hip problems in the future?
I have read that Green Tea isn’t necessarily good in a dog’s diet. I see it is in Dasuquin. Any thoughts?
Hi Zach,
We have an 11 month old blue great dane at home and we love her to bits. Unfortunately she really suffers from these red pimples/sores under nose. We have tried 3 different bowls (stainless steel and ceramic), chlorhexidine wipes/spray, sudocrem and vitamin B supplements. Unfortunately nothing has worked and she’s been placed on antibiotics twice to alleviate the sores. They just keep coming back. We’re really desperate and hope you have some advice for us.
warm regards,
Jaco
How often are you washing out the bowls? I’d wash them out thoroughly each day to see if that helps.
Hi Zach, thanks so much for your response. We’ve been washing her bowl after every meal for the passed 3-4 months but the sores/acne just keep coming back after every antibiotic treatment.
Hi Jaco,
My great dane was getting bad sores/rashes on his belly. The vet said it looked like a bacterial infection and gave us medicated shampoo and I was putting antifungal cream on the spots. It wouldn’t go away. It just so happened that the food I was feeding him was getting to pricey (nutro ultra large breed) so I switched his food. From the time he was a pup until now 2.5 yrs, I’ve tried a few different foods (from puppy to adult) and it seemed like the foods that had chicken in it really irritated his skin. I ended up going with wholesomes sensitive skin & stomach large breed salmon dry dog food and his skin cleared up nicely. Also as a reply to this article I have been giving him zesty paws 8-in-1 bites since he was a pup.