Maca For Pets
Maca root (Lepidium meyenii) has a long history of use with animals, but is it safe to give maca to our pets? If so, how can it help our beloved companions? In this article we’ll answer those questions and more. Click on the links below to advance to any section of the article.
Maca for Pets: What You Should Know
- What Is Maca Root?
- This History Of Using Maca Root For Animals
- Is Maca Safe For Pets?
- Which Maca Is Best For Pets?
- What Research Says About Using Maca For Pets
- What Science Says About Using Maca For Livestock
- What Customers Say About Using Maca With Pets
- How To Use Maca With Pets and Livestock
- Final Words
What Is Maca Root?
Maca is a unique root vegetable that grows natively in the high Andes mountains of Peru and Bolivia. For centuries it has been a staple food source and natural medicine of people indigenous to those mountains. More recently, maca has gained worldwide popularity as a potent functional food that can naturally improve overall health and wellness in a variety of ways. People report many benefits from taking maca, but those benefits are not just limited to humans. Both livestock and pet animals have shown significant health improvements when maca root is added to their diets.
This History Of Using Maca Root For Animals
Before looking more closely at maca for pets, it’s helpful to understand a bit about the history of maca. While no one knows the exact origin of maca, we do know, from oral traditions of people native to the high Andes of Peru, how people first discovered it. The story goes that several thousand years ago people began noticing that some of their livestock were stronger, hardier and more fertile than others. They realized that these livestock were grazing in fields that contained a small root vegetable called maca. Eventually people began trying maca for themselves and began noticing similar positive effects including improved fertility and sexual functions, more energy, increased stamina and more. At that point people began cultivating maca as a consistent food source for both humans and livestock.
Since maca root is high in nutrients such as free fatty acids, essential amino acids, B vitamins, calcium and protein it became integral to sustaining life on the high mountain plateaus of the area.
Is Maca Safe For Pets?
Yes. Maca root is a food and not a drug or even a supplement. It has no known side effects and not contraindications. It has been successfully given to many different types of animals. If you are planning to give maca to any of your pets, it’s important to start with very small amounts (1g maca per 10kg, is a good place to begin). You should also monitor your pet closely to make sure that maca is agreeing with their digestive system. If you notice that you pet has unusually loose stool, reduce the amount of maca you are feeding.
Which Maca Is Best For Pets?
For all pets, we recommend gelatinized maca products over raw maca products since they have been pre-cooked to remove starch content. Tri-color maca gelatinized maca powder is the most economical and comes with the advantage of having some of the 3 maca root colors. Some people prefer to feed their animals maca root chips, which are the closest thing legally available to whole maca roots outside of Peru.
What Research Says About Using Maca For Pets
To date a number of studies regarding maca use with animals have been performed. We will summarize them by animal below. 
Dogs
Studies performed on male canines have found that maca supplementation significantly improves sperm count, sperm motility and morphology.
Cats
While scientific studies are limited, some sources suggest that maca root may offer benefits for cats, such as enhancing bone and joint health, improving skin and coat quality, and supporting hormonal balance.
What Science Says About Using Maca For Livestock
Horses
A recent study showed that maca may be responsible for improving the redox status in stallions. Redox ellow Maca composition, and particularly the presence of specific bioactive metabolites, such as glucosinolates and macamides, may be responsible for the plant antioxidant activity. Moreover, our data showed that Maca supplementation positively affected the redox status (anti-oxidant balance) and some reproductive parameters in stallions.
Poultry
One recent study shows that maca supplementation improved the body weight of poultry by over 15%. Another study showed when quail were fed maca they produced stronger and healthier eggs.
Cattle and Other Livestock
Research indicates that maca supplementation can improve sperm quantity and quality in bulls. Another study found similar results in alpaca and vicuna.
What Customers Say About Using Maca With Pets
We have had 1000s of customers provide feedback over the years regarding the benefits of maca. Here are a couple that stand out in terms of using maca for pets:
"I originally purchased the Red Maca for my female Rottweiler who was bred this cycle for her first litter. She loves the product and is in beautiful body and coat condition. Now fingers crossed for a strong, healthy, happy mom and babies. After further research I put my second dog who is an intact 10-year-old male Rottweiler who has been on prostate support products for the past 4 years. Since being on the Red Maca I have been able to reduce the prostate support by half to dosage. Great product, great price - will continue to use the product in the future." - Cathie Soter
"I found this formula called "Maca Horse Powder" for horses, which contains maca root, but I feel more comfortable with your product because it's pure and not mixed with other herbs, and I can calculate how much they're getting. Plus they don't tell you if it's the yellow or red root. I have 2 Percheron Draft horses who have Cushing and Diabetes. They are on Chaste Tree berry powder (the natural plant form of the prescription drug Vitex) And I am now adding Red Maca for additional hormonal support, as well as all the other goodness it contains." Georgiana Nedelcu
How To Use Maca With Pets and Livestock
- Whenever staring with maca we recommend to start with a small amount and gradually build up. The eventual amount for most animals would be 1 gram of maca per 10kg body weight, but start with a lesser quantity and build up over several weeks.
- Many animals like the taste of maca and if that’s the case for your pet you can simply feed maca directly. If not, it’s fine to mix maca root into their food.
- For best results stay consistent with maca – you should notice some differences in your pet in about 2-4 weeks of starting.
Final Words
While the research regarding maca and animals is expanded, early results indicate that maca has a positive effect for most pets and livestock. If you take care to give your animals maca in a conscientious way, along with support from your veterinarian when needed, there really is no downside to trying it. On the positive it may just give your pet a little energy boost and overall better health.
