The story of how Dr. Kruger's Ultimate Supplement was developed is a testament to the power of love and science when they join together in a good cause.

As a young man, Dr. Charles Kruger's fondness for animals, coupled with his strong scientific interests, led him to choose veterinary medicine as a profession. While he developed his practice, he also pursued a successful career as a breeder of champion German Shepherds and Corgis .

Around 1970, a killer began stalking German Shepherd dogs. It was a sudden death syndrome that attacked the nation's most highly prized champions. Within 48 hours of first showing symptoms, the dogs would be dead.

Breeders became desperate, but no one fully understood the problem or knew how to prevent it. The devastation continued for over a decade until the early 1980s, when one particular dog was lost to the illness. Although the dog wasn't his own, Dr. Kruger was keenly affected by the loss. This was a magnificent champion, critical to the continuation of the best characteristics of the breed — and now he was gone. Motivated by this turn of events to take action on his own, Dr. Kruger determined to discover the nature of this relentless killer and find a way to stop it.

With the assistance of Helen ("Scootie") Sherlock and Judith Hale, the killer was identified as Clostridial enterotoxemia (Toxic Gut Syndrome). This virulent strain of bacteria entered the gut and multiplied rapidly, giving off toxins that paralyzed the dog's intestine, leading to death. Once underway, no surgical or medical intervention could reverse the process. Dr. Kruger realized it was vital to prevent the condition from developing in the first place.

An important clue to finding a solution was the fact that the disease primarily affects German Shepherds (although many other breeds are susceptible to a similar disorder called Bloat Torsion Complex). Dr. Kruger's investigations of the literature led him to discover that German Shepherds often have a reduced output of pancreatic enzymes, this is characteristic of many German Shepherd dogs. They don't secrete enough pancreatic enzymes to destroy unfriendly bacteria, resulting in bacterial overgrowth, and reduction of the digestibility of food. This general tendency is aggravated in show dogs, because the stress they face compromises their immune systems. Dr. Kruger came upon the idea of supplementing the dogs' diets with the missing enzymes. Then, for an extra measure of safety he would provide additional good bacteria (the Lactobacilli) that are also critical to the body's normal process of fighting off bad bacteria. And then, because he knew that even the best dog foods don't provide all the nutrients necessary for good health, he added generous amounts of all the required vitamins and minerals.

Over the next 15 years Dr. Kruger used the supplement on his own dogs and dispensed it privately through his own practice to other champion dogs and his veterinary clients. Once the supplement became widely used by champion German Shepherds, Toxic Gut Syndrome virtually disappeared, proving the correctness of Dr. Kruger's reasoning. The surprise was the improvement the dogs showed in so many other areas. Dogs who take the supplement seem to have more energy. Their digestive problems — from chronic diarrhea to chronic constipation — are relieved. Their coats become thick and lustrous and their skin problems go away. Because they receive complete nutrition from their food, many dogs actually eat less! And it doesn't matter which breed uses the supplement. They all thrive on it — and love the taste so much, they actually lick the bowl clean!

Dr. Kruger's Ultimate Supplement is legendary on the show circuit, but until now it's only been available in small quantities through the doctor's own office. Dr. Kruger has finally made his supplement available to the general public, and today it benefits dogs of every breed and lifestyle.