Collagen — it’s a highly beneficial protein for humans. But did you know that it also offers a ton of health benefits for dogs?

Think of collagen as a vital structure holding your dog’s body together. It’s a vital part of your dog’s joint, coat, and digestive health. In this article, we’ll dig into the benefits of collagen for your dog and how you can incorporate it into your pet’s diet.

Read on!

Understanding Collagen

Collagen is a protein and one of the primary building blocks of the body (both in humans and dogs). It’s found in the skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

It’s crucial for the body’s structure, strength, and elasticity. In dogs, collagen supports joint health and helps maintain a shiny coat. Dogs can also gain strong and resilient skin.

Collagen also helps with your dog’s healing and repair processes, improving their overall vitality and mobility. With aging, your dog’s collagen production declines — that’s where adding collagen to your dog’s diet becomes beneficial.

Benefits of Collagen for Dogs

Considering giving your dog collagen? Here are the main benefits your pet can get:

Joint Health

Collagen is a great way to stimulate the health of your dog’s bones, cartilage, joints, and blood vessels. It also prevents mobility issues due to joint pain and problems as your dog grows older.

For example, osteoarthritis — it’s one of the most common joint diseases in both humans and dogs. It’s a painful and degenerative disease that affects your dog’s joints.

Luckily, collagen peptides can help significantly reduce your dog’s pain and joint tenderness, according to a 2021 study. This reduction in pain greatly improves your dog’s quality of life.

Skin and Coat Health

Collagen is a great way to improve our dog’s coat and appearance. It encourages fur growth and promotes healthier skin, mainly because your dog's dermis is mainly composed of — you guessed right — collagen.

Natural causes such as aging, alongside stress and pollution can reduce your dog’s collagen. Supplementing with high-quality collagen supplements and powder can keep your dog’s skin and coat healthy. As a bonus, collagen may also improve your dog’s nails.

Digestive Health

Collagen improves your dog’s digestion. The lining of your dog’s stomach and intestines is made of collagen, and it keeps food and acid within the walls of your pet’s gastrointestinal tract.

Giving your dog collagen improves the strength of these tissues. It also prevents leaky gut syndrome, too!

On top of that, collagen breaks down proteins, which are a key part of your dog’s metabolism. This enhances your dog’s ability to convert food into fuel.

Appetite

More on digestive health, collagen improves your dog’s appetite, too. Collagen supplements are often made from animal protein — an appetizing treat for your dog. 

Adding collagen supplements to each of your dog’s meals will make him or her excited to wolf down their food. Collagen sticks, for instance, can be flavored naturally or wrapped in beef to entice your dog.

So, if your dog seems to lack the appetite for their food, collagen might be a great help.

Sources of Collagen for Dogs

Collagen comes from animal proteins and some non-animal sources. The most common natural sources of collagen for dogs include:

• Marine collagen: comes from the skin, scales, bones, and fins of fish. Since marine collagen has low molecular weight, it’s easily absorbed by your dog’s body.
• Bovine collagen: comes from the bones, hides, and cartilage of cattle. This is best for the enhancement of your dog’s skin, bone, and gut health.
• Porcine collagen: comes from the bones, skin, and connective tissues of pork.
• Fowl collagen: comes from chicken, turkey, duck, and other domestic poultry. This is ideal for cartilage support.

Vegetable sources include:

• Leafy greens
• Berries
• Beans
• Red and yellow vegetables

Collagen Chews

You can opt for collagen chews if your dog loves to chew. Backstrap and beef tendons are good sources of collagen, and your pet will savor every moment of chewing them.

Raw bones may also be an option. The connective tissues on knuckles, shoulders, and kneecaps are great sources of collagen for dogs.

Bone Broth

Bone broth is perfect for improving your dog’s gut lining health. You can easily make bone broth yourself if you don’t have access to commercially made ones.

Simply cook the bones on low in water with apple cider vinegar for 24 hours. Strain all the bone, add turmeric, coconut oil, or garlic to the broth, and let it cool completely.

You can refrigerate the broth for up to three days. Use the broth as a food topper or as a way to hide other supplements or medication your dog takes.

Collagen Supplements

If you want convenience and consistency, collagen supplements — such as those from Under The Weather Pet — can be a great choice. They come in many forms and suit different needs and preferences. They include:

• Powdered collagen: is easy to mix with food or water. They break down into smaller peptides, making them easy to absorb.
• Liquid collagen: is also easy to mix with food or water. It’s a more straightforward way for your pet to take collagen.
• Collagen chews: are a fun way to give your dog some collagen. They double as tasty treats for your dog.
• Capsules or tablets: are good for dogs that can tolerate them. They’re combined with other joint-supporting ingredients such as chondroitin and glucosamine.

When choosing a collagen supplement, choose one that’s specifically formulated for your dog’s needs. With regular use, they can make collagen intake as easy as cake for your pet.

Why Give Collagen To Your Dog

Collagen offers a wide range of health benefits to dogs, helping maintain healthy skin, bones, joints, and gut health. Help your dog stay happy and healthy by giving him or her quality collagen.

Under The Weather Pet offers delicious and 100% health supplements for your pet. Check out our products here.

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Written by: Min Lee

If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your pet, know the pet's health history, and can make the best recommendations for your pet.