Just like humans take their daily dose of vitamins or supplements, our pets also need to be looked after and taken care of properly. As they cannot themselves tell us if they are hurt, feeling low or are in need of any supplements. Our dogs eat the food which we provide them and will take the medicine that we are giving them. Therefore we need to think about our pets and provide them with the necessary supplements and vitamins. Vitamins for a dog can help with the growing process, their body to function properly, and help with the digestive system, which is often damaged by the monotonous food which we provide them. So, we can either give our pets a complex supplement or vitamins or take to the nearest vet to find out which vitamins are needed for our dogs.
Two types of vitamins
Vitamins for pets divide into two large groups – fat-soluble and water–soluble vitamins. The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K and they are stored in the fatty tissue and liver of your pet. While the C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12 vitamins are water–soluble, and they are stored in minimal amounts in pet’s body. The number of vitamins that our dogs intake depends on the food which we provide. If you are providing balanced home-cooked meals or specialized dog food for your pets, then there is no need to add any supplements. However, if you are thinking that your dog might have a deficit of any of the vitamins listed above, you might want to consult your vet and discuss adding supplements into your doggy’s diet.
According to the breed, lifestyle and age of your dog, it might require several different possible supplement or vitamins. The most popular of them are:
Probiotics
Probiotics are definitely the most common and popular supplements for pets. They are designed to enhance the overall health of their gastrointestinal system, improve the functioning of the digestive system, and serve as a shield against psychological and emotional stress and disorders. We might not always know what our pets are lacking, and they cannot communicate that to us either, but most of the time the problems always begin with the digestive system. Therefore in order to enhance your pup’s overall health and make sure that your pets are healthy you can start by providing the probiotic supplements to them.
Multivitamins
Multivitamins are a very common supplement not only for pets but also for humans. If we are not lacking significantly any vitamin directly, it is advised to take multivitamin supplements, which contain multiple different vitamins and provide a balanced intake of the daily doses of all major ones. And the same goes for our pets. If they aren’t lacking any specific vitamin significantly, we can supplement their diet with multivitamin complex, so that they receive enough vitamins, since not all vitamin needs can be met by the food intake. But, if we are providing this supplement, we have to carefully discuss it with our vet. Many food brands already incorporate the daily intake of everything necessary for our pet in their products, so additional intake of supplements will only cause harm to your pet. Therefore if you are feeding your doggy a specialized food which has vitamins already in the food, be careful when incorporating additional multivitamin complex into the diet of your god.
Herbal supplements
Herbal supplements are the same as the two previously mentioned vitamins but made from natural ingredients and resources. They are carefully researched and perfected in order to provide pets a sufficient intake of the needed vitamin. These herbal supplements are becoming more and more popular because many dog owners don’t want to feed their pets artificial, laboratory made vitamins and supplements. And, since many natural products and foods contain the daily dose of vitamin that your dog needs it is no wonder that dog vitamin producers have turned to natural sources to make their products.
