Essential vitamins in the dog diet
Useful supplements are necessary not only for humans, but also for pets. After all, they also suffer from adverse environmental factors, stress and need constant support for life forces. Often this need is neglected by the owners, and this leads to poor pet health and frequent visits to the veterinarian.
Essential vitamins
Even if you feed your dog balanced dry food, you should be aware that this may not be enough for a growing body of a young dog or an adult dog that frolics daily in the park.
Generally, vets will prescribe vitamin and mineral supplements to meet all your dog’s needs. But before deciding to take vitamins, we will discuss the role of the most important ones in a dog’s diet.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A, aka retinol, improves dog’s skin condition, has a beneficial effect on bones and improves reproductive function. This vitamin is contained in carrots and sea fish.
While carrot carotene is not absorbed by the dog’s body, sea fish is often disliked by dog owners because of bones. So the best solution is to introduce vitamin A in an oil-based diet or regular fish oil.
Group B vitamins
Without these vitamins, normal metabolism would not have been possible. Their presence in the body in the required amount of beneficial effects on the renewal processes of blood and other cells.
Most of the B vitamins are contained in raw meat. But not every owner is ready to feed the raw meat to his pet because of the risk of parasite infection.
Vitamins in this group are derived from beer yeast, which is recommended for use in dog diets. As puppies grow, they need folic acid, aka Vitamin B 9, which can be obtained from cereal porridges, vegetables and cheese. But if, for some reason, your dog doesn’t get the nutrients he needs from his food, they need to be given as vitamins.
Usually B vitamins are produced as a whole complex and one tablet can provide the daily need for these substances.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Vitamin C is primarily responsible for your pet’s immunity. Due to the fact that dogs receive almost no ascorbic acid from products, as they do not eat raw fruits and vegetables. During the heat treatment process, it is completely destroyed.
The signs of C-avitaminosis are apathy, lethargy and poor appetite. And if you can’t feed your dog fruit and vegetables, give him raw liver and vitamin C as pills.
Vitamin D
This vitamin is responsible for immunity levels and regulates the metabolism of phosphorus and calcium in your dog’s body. If a puppy is deficient, he may develop rickets at an early age and adult dogs suffer from osteoporosis. Vitamin D is found in fish oil, cottage cheese and cheese.
It is also produced in your dog’s body by the sun. But you should be careful with them during hot weather as your dog may get sunstroke.
Vitamin E
It is the most powerful antioxidant, the absence of which has a negative impact on reproductive function and muscle tone. Vitamin E deficiency is rare in veterinary practice, but to maintain it at a proper level in the diet should be cereal crops, eggs and vegetable oil.
Vitamin K
Lack of this vitamin in your dog’s body can lead to liver and intestinal diseases. Puppies receive the main dose of this substance with their mother’s milk during active growth. If your dog lacks it, your vet will prescribe complex medications.
Vitamin PP
This vitamin is called nicotinic acid and when a dog is short of it, he has problems with his coat appearance and develops dermatitis. Its deficiency can also lead to CNS and diarrhoea. Failure to get rid of it in time will lead to dog exhaustion.
Choosing vitamins for your dog
The risk of avitaminosis in dogs with the right balanced diet is very rare. But if you only feed your pet natural food, you’ll need vitamin and mineral complexes.
Choose vitamins for your dog
The risk of avitaminosis in dogs with the right balanced diet is very rare. But if you only feed your pet natural food, you’ll need vitamin and mineral complexes.
Pay attention to your pet’s behaviour. If he starts chewing on inedible objects or if his coat looks dull and dry and his eyes are very tearful, see your vet. Only he or she will identify the cause and prescribe the necessary vitamin and mineral complex for your pet.