Kelp (Fucus vesiculosus) is one of the components of the Dogmatters recipe. All the variations of the dog food has a precise amount of kelp (aka seaweed) minced in.

In this situation it is used as a nutraceutical. ‘Nutraceutical’ derives from the words nutrition and pharmaceutical; in other words a product that is used in feeds, and often forms part of food that has beneficial properties. Examples are nutritional supplements and herbal products. These substances can be used medicinally at higher dosages and for specific individuals. In this case the dosage tends toward the low end of the scale to be appropriate for all consumers.

Kelp is a polyphyletic group of organisms that are multicellular brown or green algae that live in or near the sea floor.

Historically it has been used for hundreds of years as food especially in Japan, Egypt and India. Medicinally the Chinese have used it for more than 5000 years.

Kelp has numerous beneficial effects on the body. I will mention only the most relevant ones for our purpose.

It has an immune modulating effect which aids in maintaining general health and allergy related problems.

It is a competent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant thus making it useful in cases with arthritis, cancer, neurological problems and allergic skin situations.

Kelp is beneficial for the skin, reducing its thickness and improving elasticity.

Usage of kelp has also rendered positive results in cases with gingivitis.

On top of everything it is beneficial for diabetes cases, as it is suspected to have hypoglycaemic properties, and has a cardioprotective function.

All these effects on our pets’ bodies make it a perfect supplement for all stages of life.  Furthermore at the correct nutraceutical dosage it is absolutely safe.