Do Dogs Need Vitamins? 6 Vitamins That Keep Dogs Healthy
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There was a time when a pet owner didn’t really think about their dog’s nutritional needs. They just grabbed a bag of kibble at the grocery store and scooped out the recommended serving size once or twice a day into a bowl. Technically, there was a time before that when people threw leftover scraps of table food out the door. But that was back when dogs lived and slept outside and not in our homes and on our beds.
Today, while kibble is still the primary name of the dog food game, consumer trends towards the humanization of pets and pet food have led to raw diets, meal customization, and even home delivery of curated dog food. So what does this change in the pet food supply chain mean for the nutritional content of your dog’s food?
Do Dogs Need Vitamins?
The answer is, absolutely. But do they need additional vitamins on top of their regular food? That depends on whether or not they’re getting what they need from their typical diet. Most commercial foods tout total nutrition and complete and balanced nutrition. Note the emphasis on most. And the additional emphasis on commercial. The discrepancies are part of why specialty dog foods from places like The Farmer’s Dog, PetPlate, Nom Nom, Ollie, Spot and Tango, Jinx, Crafted Kibble and Darwin’s Pet have become so popular. But for some dogs what’s in their food might not be everything they need based on their age, size, lifestyle and individual health conditions.
For example, some loving pet owners might not be shifting to foods with the right composition for an aging pet, or might feed a large breed a food designed for a small breed, or vice versa. And some, who have created their own dog food at home, might be inadvertently driving a pup’s deficiency in some basics. A dog with special needs for hips, joints, immune support or other conditions might benefit from vitamins above and beyond the norm.
Important vitamins For Dogs
But when it comes to the basics, at the very least, responsible pet owners should check their dog’s food label for these seven essential vitamins. (Even the AKC agrees!)
1. Vitamin A: Haven’t you heard that carrots are good for your (dogs) eyes? It turns out a Vitamin A deficiency can lead to night vision issues in our pups. Plus, dogs need Vitamin A for the optimal health of their skin, coat, muscles, and nervous system. Excellent sources of Vitamin A for dogs include, as implied above, carrots (my dog’s favorite treat), plus pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Just be careful, because you don’t want to overdose them; too much Vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin, can be toxic to dogs as their bodies don’t excrete the excess.
2. Vitamin B-complex: The B vitamins are actually a group of vitamins that each play an important role in your dog’s nutrition. You might remember these names from your own nutritional health education: biotin, folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, and pantothenic and folic acids. Think full-on energy and metabolic, plus nervous and immune system functioning. The B Vitamins are hard to get naturally; I haven’t seen dogs lining up for brewer’s yeast, kelp, or molasses EVER and we Americans aren’t really organ consumers so feeding our dogs liver, kidney or heart is a bit of a disconnect.
3. Vitamin C: Remember scurvy? It was a problem for us humans in the early 1900s because we can’t manufacture Vitamin C in our own bodies. But dogs? They can. So on the daily, they don’t need Vitamin C. But studies have shown that when dogs are sick or stressed out, Vitamin C can boost their immune system and improve their recovery. Good sources are fruits and vegetables. Oh, and those organ meats.
4. Vitamin D: We can’t really tell our pups to soak up the sun, can’t we? But we know exposure to sunlight helps the body produce Vitamin D in humans, but a dog’s body doesn’t produce it in amounts sufficient for proper functioning. So they need from their food sources to ensure they have enough Vitamin D for bone growth and maintenance, and muscular and nervous system health. Full disclosure: my dogs love blueberries, especially big ones, so sometimes those drop to the floor in this house “by mistake.” So I/we all have to be careful. Vitamin D is another fat-soluble vitamin, which can lead to toxicity if consumed in too large a quantity.
5. Vitamin E: If you’re like me, you like to get your daily antioxidants from red wine or dark chocolate. But we have to go a different route to ensure our dogs’ systems can fight those free radicals and protect cells from oxidative damage. Whole grains, wheat germ and bran are great canine sources — but those grain-free diets might lead to a deficiency in Vitamin E so look for, or prepare, foods with plant oils, leafy green vegetables, liver or animal fat.
6. Vitamin K: If you have an active dog, you’ve probably seen him or her get a scrape or two. One of my dogs is a bit of a spaz and has torn off a layer of skin searching for a squirrel in one of our holly bushes. And I have the Vitamin K in her system to thank for her blood’s ability to clot, scab, and ultimately heal. But a Vitamin K deficiency could lead to hemorrhaging, so make sure your fur baby has enough in her diet. And if they then consume some rat poison? That’s a problem because that further impedes their ability to recover. Egg yolks are an easy to provide source; so are soybeans (edamame anyone?).
Where to Get Vitamins For Your Dog
Beyond these six essential vitamins, there are even more vitamins and minerals along with protein, carbohydrates and fat, packed into most commercial pet foods . Many dog food subscriptions offer additional health benefits than store-bought dog food through recipes formulated by veterinary nutritionists.
But it begs the question: past these basics, does your dog need additional supplements? It’s clear Americans are thinking so. Approximately one-third of U.S. households with dogs use supplements. Many dog owners are successfully working with their veterinarians to support their pets’ skin and coat health with Omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., fish oil), joint health with Glucosamine (e.g., Cosequin or Dasuquin), digestive health with probiotics and/or digestive enzymes and even the effects of fighting free radicals with antioxidants. Vitamins for dogs aren’t terribly difficult to find, with plenty of options available in places like pet stores, Amazon or Nom Nom.
When striving to keep your dog healthy, the most important step you can take is to speak with your veterinarian before making dietary decisions — because what your dog eats directly affects their longevity and their quality of life. A life you enjoy together.
