Are Canine Vitamins Good or Bad for your Dog?Do dogs need canine vitamins? Are vitamins for dogs necessary or can dog supplements actually hurt your dog? Decide for yourself. See the pros and cons of giving your dog vitamins! Nutritionists have made great advances when it comes to dog nutrition. They have done studies and they have a pretty good idea of what your pet needs to be healthy. If you choose a premium dog food or a dog food that says that it is “complete and balanced”, then you are probably providing everything that your dog needs and your dog won't need to take dog supplements or canine vitamins. However, there are some exceptions to this:
Old Dogs May Need Pet VitaminsElderly dogs do have requirements that younger dogs do not have. They have a greater time absorbing the nutrients that they eat. Many older dogs have health problems and need extra canine vitamins and minerals to overcome deficiencies that result from illness. In addition, some dog supplements contain hormones which can give your older dog extra energy.If you have an older dog, the most important thing that you can do is to make sure that she is getting a balanced diet. Then, work with your veterinarian, and provide dog vitamins or minerals--if they are necessary. I’ve gone into some detail below to talk about the special requirements of old dogs.
Sick Dogs May Need Dog VitaminsDogs who have an illness may need extra canine vitamins and minerals. If your dog has kidney failure, heart problems, allergies , diabetes or any number of healthy conditions, he may need to have canine vitamins to improve his immune system or keep him healthy.Overweight DogsIf your dog is overweight , you may have to put him on a diet. You have a couple of choices, of course. You can buy special low calorie food or you can reduce the amount of food that you normally feed him.If your dog is no longer eating the amount of food recommended for him, he may be falling short on nutrients. In that case, you should consider giving him canine vitamins or pet vitamins and mineral supplements.
Dogs with Vitamin or Mineral DeficienciesMy veterinary advisors tell me that there are a few dogs who have vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Sometimes the problem is actually that your dog is getting too much of a particular vitamin--which then throws off the balance of nutrients in his body. I’ll go over some of the problems that occur more commonly.Vitamin AIf your pup isn’t growing fast enough, has trouble seeing (bumps into things or doesn’t seem to follow hand signals), or exhibits skin or bone problems, he may not be getting enough vitamin A.On the other hand, if he loses weight and you don’t know why, or, if he has bone disorders, he might be getting too much vitamin A. If you feel that your dog is lacking vitamin A, you can provide extra vitamin A to your pet by giving him egg yolk (cooked), liver, corn or fish oils. Make sure you consult with your veterinarian before doing this. It's practically impossible for you to diagnose this on your own! Vitamin DIf your puppy develops rickets, he is short on vitamin D.Too much vitamin D, on the other hand, will cause diarrhea or loss of appetite. Food sources of vitamin D include fish oils and egg yolk. Just like you can get vitamin D from the sun, your dog can too. It’s healthy to give her time out in the sunshine every day! Getting vitamin D from sunshine is the healthiest and surest way of getting good quality vitamin D. Vitamin ELack of vitamin E will cause bone and muscle disorders. Also, if you have a female who doesn’t get pregnant, consider whether she is getting enough vitamin E.You can supplement your pet’s diet naturally for vitamin E by giving her egg yolk, milk, corn and whole grain cereals (without raisins--they can be harmful foods for your dog ). Vitamin KLack of vitamin K causes blood clotting problems.Liver, fish, brewer’s yeast and soy beans contain vitamin K. B VitaminsIf your pet is short on individual B vitamins, he can mature too slowly, have muscle weakness, skin and eye problems, red and ulcerated mouth, weakness or diarrhea.Supplementing with individual B vitamins is not a good idea, though, because the B vitamins occur in nature as a “B complex” and you can easily get them out of balance. If you decide to supplement your pet's diet with B vitamins, make sure the canine vitamins that you choose specify that they include "B complex". Some sources of B complex vitamins in foods, are meat, fish, liver, eggs, whole grains and rice.
Canine Vitamins for Older DogsNumerous studies have shown that good nutrition can definitely increase the life span of our dogs. As our pets get older, their needs do change. They require fewer calories and, at the same time, they need more vitamins and minerals—because they can’t absorb them as easily!Let’s go through the most common ones that they will need:
Dog Vitamins--Good or Bad?Do you have a puppy, a healthy or sick dog, or an older dog? Is your dog active or lethargic? Is your dog overweight or underweight?You need to make decisions about dog vitamin or mineral supplementation for your dog—based on your dog’s personal needs. This is best done with the advice of your veterinarian, who, along with you, knows your dog best! So, getting back to my original question—are canine vitamins good or bad for your dog? The answer, of course, is that it depends on your dog!
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