The holidays are right around the corner, and like many pet owners, you’re probably wondering what you should give to your furry friend in their tiny pet stocking. After all, our pets are family members and deserve something to unwrap and enjoy during the holidays, too!

In addition to new toys and home accessories like pet beds, many pet parents gravitate toward treats as holiday gifts for their cat or dog. But there may be a much better alternative you haven’t considered before: supplements!

Although “supplements” sounds more like “medicine” and less enjoyable than tasty treats, here are four reasons why supplements actually make better holiday gifts than treats for your furry friend.

1: They pave the way for great health

The major benefit of supplements is that they are often used as preventative care or active treatment to help your cat or dog stay healthy. Natural supplements pave the way for great health for your pup or kitty by bolstering their minds or bodies in the specific ways they need—whether that’s in their joints, their minds, their immune systems or something else.

Giving your pet supplements for the holidays is much more than a temporary treat that doesn’t do anything for your pet’s health. Supplements provide long-lasting care your pet can experience for the rest of its life.

2: They’re just as tasty

Dog or cat treats are named as such because they are supposed to be delicious. Your pets gravitate to them for their strong aroma and taste. However, many pet supplement manufacturers are making supplements that smell and taste just as delicious as treats do!

When you give your dog a piece of joint support jerky instead of the average treat, or your kitty a liquid dose of tuna-flavored immune support, they’re likely to gobble it up just as fast, but will actually get supportive formulas that are good for them instead of extra calories with little nutritional value.

3: They’re less risky

Treats are okay to give to pets in moderation, but they certainly shouldn’t make up a large portion of your furry friend’s diet. Unfortunately, many treats are high in calories and filled with extra carbohydrates and ingredients that are not only not nutritional, but also potentially bad for your pet’s health.

Giving your pet a lot of treats each holiday season could potentially lead to problems like obesity and diabetes over time. Not only are these things harmful to your pet’s health in the long term—possibly even leading to premature death—but they can also be very costly to treat.

Instead, giving your pet natural, tasty supplements can reduce those health risks, both by being more nutritionally dense and by targeting particular health problems and working to prevent or alleviate them.

4: They show your pet you love them

When your pet gets a tasty treat bag in their stocking or under the tree during the holidays, they feel special and loved. When you swap those treats out for supplements, your pet will still be excited to get something tasty, and you know that the supplements are a great choice for their health.

Overall, your pet will still have the opportunity to feel loved in the holiday season, and you’ll know you’re doing everything you can for their health and happiness.

Choosing the right supplements

If you’re choosing to include supplements in your pet’s gift pile—either alongside or instead of treats—you’ll want to take some time to find the right ones for your pet. There are a lot of options of varying quality on the market, so be prepared to do some research to find the ones that meet your pet’s needs.

If your pet has a specific health problem already, there may be a supplement that helps to relieve its symptoms in a natural way. If your dog’s breed is predisposed to certain health problems, such as arthritis, there’s likely a supplement designed to prevent them. Or, if you’re simply aiming to give your pet the best chance at a healthy life, then consider immune or probiotic supplements to promote general wellness.

Always speak with your vet before giving your pet supplements to ensure they won’t interact with medications your furry friend may already be taking or aggravate existing conditions.

Once you find the right supplements for your pet’s lifestyle and health, you can sit back and enjoy the excitement on your pet’s face when it discovers you’ve gotten them a tasty and nutritional alternative to treats, wrapped up in a pretty package!