It may sound like a tangy candy or a delicious dessert, but tart cherry has many great health benefits for your dog. With powerful and effective anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, tart cherry is a perfect addition to your dog's daily supplemental routine.

Tart cherry is a natural source of plant pigment compounds called anthocyanins. These compounds have beneficial anti-inflammatory properties which can help to reduce stiffness and pain in muscles and joints.

Anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid commonly found in red, purple, and blue fruits and vegetables, have been shown to help the body recover more quickly from the muscle pain and stiffness that follows exercise or injury. And, as your dog's hardest working, most important muscle, their heart can benefit from tart cherry, too.

Other Benefits of Tart Cherry For Dogs

As an antioxidant, tart cherry helps your dog's body to fight free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause cellular damage, leading to inflammation and disease. Free radicals form naturally in the body during metabolic processes, like exercising or digesting food. They can also enter the body through outside sources, like second-hand smoke, air pollution, or household chemicals. If free radicals overwhelm the body, oxidative stress occurs. Oxidative stress has been linked to a number of serious health conditions in dogs, including cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

The anthocyanins in tart cherry work to scavenge free radicals, protecting cells from their damaging effects. This action of tart cherry may also help to protect your dog's brain from age-related cognitive decline.

Tart cherry is also a natural source of melatonin, which can help to regulate your dog's sleep cycle. Melatonin is a hormone that is produced in the body naturally. It helps to control the body's sleep-wake cycle, and can help with anxiety, stress, or insomnia.

Tart cherry is a good source of fiber, vitamins A and C, and potassium. All of these nutrients are important for maintaining healthy joints.

And, the superfood is packed with other nutrientsincluding iron, magnesium, folate, and vitamin E. These nutrients are important for supporting your dog's overall health and well-being.

Feeding your dog tart cherry as they age can help them to stay active and pain-free longer. It's a simple and effective way to give them a little extra support as they grow up and grow older.

When Should I Give My Dog Tart Cherry?

As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. For pain and inflammation, tart cherry is most effective when used regularly, before injury or advanced joint disease. While the strong anti-inflammatory effects of tart cherry can ease existing pain and stiffness, giving it to your dog before muscle or joint damage occurs can actually help toprevent the damage from occurring at all.

That said, it’s never too soon —or too late— to start giving your dog tart cherry.

How Do I Give My Dog Tart Cherry?

Now that you know of the many benefits of tart cherry for your dog —especially if they're experiencing joint pain or prone to joint disease, Wagworthy Naturals makes it easy to add this powerful superfood supplement to your dog's daily routine.

Simply give your dog a daily serving of Wagworthy Naturals Advanced Formula Hip + Joint!

Each tasty chewable tablet contains 250 mg of our proprietary Tart Cherry and Dark Berry blend, plus glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, vitamins, omegas, and more. Wagworthy Naturals' Hip and Joint formula was created especially for dogs at risk of, or currently experiencing joint issues or recovering from injury.

Click here to learn more about the unique active ingredients in WagWorthy's Hip + Joint and how they work together to slow degeneration of cartilage, provide building blocks for healthy joint tissue, and naturally reduce irritation, pain, and discomfort.