Vitamins are known as essential micronutrients They get that name because the body needs them in small amounts and many of them must be ingested with the diet because it is not possible to manufacture them in the body. They perform very important functions, which is why the he alth of our dog will depend, to a large extent, on a balanced diet that provides all the nutrients that he needs.
In this article on our site we review the best vitamins for dogs, we explain their functions and much more so you can learn to identify if your dog may or may not have a deficit in any of them.
What are dog vitamins good for?
The Benefits of vitamins for dogs are undeniable, as they perform important and varied functions in your body. We highlight the following:
- Maintenance of skin, hair and mucous membranes.
- Formation and growth of bones and teeth.
- Metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
- Construction of tissues, blood vessels and muscles.
- Red blood cell production.
- Cell development.
- Functioning of the nervous system, vision, reproduction and heart.
- Absorption of iron, calcium and phosphorus.
- Cicatrization.
- Antioxidant effect.
- Blood clotting.
In view of its importance, it is to be expected that a prolonged vitamin deficiency or hypovitaminosis will manifest itself in the form of problems such as the following:
- Alterations in the nervous system.
- Weightloss.
- Inflammation of the lips and gums.
- Loss of hair.
- Delayed growth and maturation of cells.
- Rickets.
- Anemia.
- Decrease in the number of white blood cells.
- Digestive problems and diarrhea.
Types of vitamins for dogs
Vitamins are divided into two groups depending on whether they dissolve in fat or water. The former are called fat-soluble, while the latter are water-soluble Vitamins A, D, E and K are the fat-soluble ones. These types of vitamins can be stored in the body. For this reason, its lack will take longer to manifest itself, since the body can consume the reserves before causing problems. In this aspect they differ from water-soluble vitamins, which are hardly going to be retained in the body. Therefore, its deficiency quickly translates into clinical signs. The water-soluble ones are vitamin C and those of group B. We review the most important functions of vitamins for dogs:
- Vitamin B1 or thiamin: essential for muscles and nerves.
- Vitamin B2 or riboflavin: contributes to growth, musculature and good condition of the coat.
- Vitamin B3 or niacin: participates in the functioning of enzymes.
- Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid: plays an important role in the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
- Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine: fundamentally involved in the metabolism of amino acids.
- Vitamin B7 or biotin: contributes to the formation of fatty acids.
- Vitamin B9 or folic acid: it is very important to synthesize thymidine, which is an amino acid that forms part of DNA.
- Vitamin B12 or cobalamin: it is essential for the synthesis of myelin, which covers the axons of neurons. In this article we talk more in depth about vitamin B for dogs, its uses and dosage.
- Choline: it is essential in the composition of cell membranes.
- Vitamin C: Helps keep the urinary tract he althy. Discover in this other article all the uses of vitamin C for dogs and much more.
- Vitamin A: plays an important role in vision, growth, reproduction and skin, as we tell you in this post about vitamin A for dogs.
- Vitamin D: Crucial for bone formation.
- Vitamin E: it stands out as an antioxidant, but it has multiple uses, as we tell you in this article about vitamin E for dogs.
- Vitamin K: it is essential for good blood coagulation and in this post we indicate how to give vitamin K to a dog.
Dog vitamins for dogs
A quality diet will provide your dog with all the vitamins he needs for his he alth. We should not give him vitamin supplements on our own, as it could be counterproductive. Remember that some vitamins can accumulate in the body, resulting in damage. Therefore, if we think that our dog needs a vitamin, the first step is go to the vet so that this professional can give us a diagnosis and decide on the relevance or not to supplement.
If so, we must also follow the dose that this professional prescribes, as well as the frequency and time of administration. It is not possible to speak of a generic dose, since this will depend on the chosen vitamin, as well as its format, since we can find vitamins for dogs in tablets, drops, paste or even injectable.
How to give vitamins to a dog?
As we have pointed out, vitamins for dogs will be in sufficient quantities in a quality foodBut if the veterinarian prescribes them, the mode of administration will depend on the presentation chosen. Both the tablets and the drops or the pastecan be given by putting it directly into the dog's mouth. It is also possible to add them to the food if the dog accepts them better. On the other hand, injectable or intravenous vitamins are usually reserved for veterinary administration and in cases where dogs are very sick or have been poisoned.
Homemade Dog Vitamins
Apart from vitamin supplements, we can include in our dog's diet some foods especially rich in vitamins. These are some examples:
- Vitamin B1: pork, organ meats, fish, poultry or egg yolk.
- Vitamin B2: meat and dairy.
- Vitamin B3: meat, legumes and cereals.
- Vitamin B6: organ meats and fish.
- Biotin: liver and milk.
- Folic acid: green leafy vegetables and liver.
- Choline: egg yolk and dairy.
- Vitamin A: milk, liver, egg yolk.
- Vitamin D: fish liver oils.
- Vitamin E: olive and sunflower oils.
- Vitamin K: liver and egg.
In this video we teach you how to prepare recipes with natural ingredients in a balanced way:
Can I use human vitamins for dogs?
If you have vitamins for yourself at home, Don't give them to your dogFirst of all, only the vet can decide if he do you need vitamins or not? On the other hand, in general, it is necessary to resort to vitamins for dogs, that is, specifically formulated for use in this species, since their needs are not the same as ours and it is very important to give the appropriate dose, as we have seen that some could accumulate in the body, causing hypervitaminosis.
