Dog Vitamins

Humans take vitamins almost every day to improve their lifestyle, so why can’t dogs take them, too?

If you’re a dog parent, that question has most likely come up in conversation at some point. You’re also probably wondering if dogs need vitamins, if there are risks in giving your dog vitamins, and if you really should give them a daily dose of vitamins or not. We’ll cover all that today in this article.

Let’s get started.

What are the Most Common Vitamins?

Vitamins are generally in many food sources, but a lot of people would rather take vitamin supplements to be sure that they have an adequate amount in their bodies. The most common vitamins are:

–    Vitamin A
–    B vitamins – biotin, niacin, folate, riboflavin, thiamine, etc.
–    Vitamin C
–    Vitamin D
–    Vitamin E
–    Vitamin K
–    Choline

And yes, dogs do need these vitamins in their diet. However, the amounts that they’ll need will differ from what we typically need in our bodies.

Vitamin A for Dogs

Vitamin A can is known to be present in carrots. Just like the legend says, vitamin A will promote good vision. This vitamin will also help aid your dog with cell development, immune function, and growth.

B Vitamins for Dogs

There are several types of B vitamins, so we’ll try to cover most of them.
Thiamine will help regulate your dog’s energy levels. It will also help promote normal metabolic processes.

Riboflavin, B12, and niacin will assist in enzyme functioning.

Vitamin B6 will help improve nerve function and red blood cell production. It can also assist in immune function and hormone regulation.

Vitamin C for Dogs

Vitamin C is known for its antioxidant properties. It can help reduce inflammation and prevent sickness. These health benefits are always good to have on your side.

Vitamin D for Dogs

Vitamin D helps your dog balance and store minerals like calcium for healthy bone growth. Without this vitamin, your dog would have a difficult time maintaining healthy bones and muscle tissue.

Vitamin E for Dogs

Vitamin E helps out with daily cell functioning and fat metabolism processes. If your dog is deficient in this vitamin, he or she may have eye and muscle issues later in life.

Vitamin K for Dogs

Vitamin K is one of the primary nutrients responsible for clotting blood in your dog’s body. This vitamin is essential for maintaining healthy blood processes.

Choline

Choline is responsible for promoting healthy liver and brain functioning. Sometimes, choline is used to treat symptoms having to do with epilepsy.
All in all, your dog generally gets a sufficient amount of these vitamins in his or her daily food. If you think your dog is not getting the right amounts of each of these vitamins, speak with your veterinarian and see what the best solution is. Often, changing your dog’s food source will do the trick just fine, mainly depending on what stage of life your dog is at.

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