Dinovite

Throw away your dog’s tick, allergy and flea medications right now. Actually, don’t. Because while a woman giving a testimonial in this recent radio ad for Dinovite claims that the pet supplement can replace these medications, the scientific evidence is in short supply.

“We have not paid any institution to do studies on our specific products, no,” an online customer support agent said when asked if there have been any studies on Dinovite, which in addition to dogs has supplements for cats and horses. “But each ingredient has a history of studied and reported uses and functions.”

That’s all well and good but who’s to say the ingredients — which according to Dinovite include “delicate vitamins,” enzymes, zinc and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids — won’t perform differently when combined with other substances? Could one ingredient overpower the rest? And are the doses in the ingredient studies the same as the doses in the supplement? This is why product studies and not ingredient studies rule the day when it comes to advertising substantiation.

But, hey, at least the customer support agent responded to our question. Our official inquiry to Dinovite has so far gone unanswered. We had also sought clarification on the commercial dog food brands that, according to the radio ad, cook nutrients out of their food. (The vitamins and enzymes in Dinovite are said to replace these lost nutrients.)

We didn’t bring up the company’s guarantee in our inquiry but maybe we should have. It only applies to a customer’s first order and it doesn’t cover shipping costs, which isn’t very satisfying.

If we hear back from Dinovite, we’ll let you know.

In the meantime, check with your vet before starting your pet on any supplement.

Find more of our coverage on pet products here.