Dog Vitamins

Dog vitamins (combined with high quality meals) are a good way to help provide balanced nutrition for your dog, and ensure they are getting all the essential vitamins and minerals they need.

Latest thinking recommends giving meals to dogs that are close to their natural food (raw feeding) and while this food will contain a good amount of dog vitamins and your dog will greatly benefit from fresh ingredients and less inorganic processed substances, this type of food may not provide all the dog vitamins your pet needs.

Dog vitamins are available as a tasty gel, flavored chews, tablets, or dissolvable tablets which can be mixed with their drinking water or used to make a gravy. It is generally not difficult to get your dog to consume dog vitamin products.

Dog vitamins are available as an individual vitamin, for instance vitamin C or calcium, but usually they are a formulation of vitamins. Generally dog vitamins are formulated for the general well being of the dog but they are also available as formulations for specific uses - for example optimum brain function, liver function, or heart function, increased immunity, for seniors, or for puppies.

Chose a dog vitamin product that contains Ester C (Calcium Ascorbate), which is non-acidic, rich in calcium and other minerals and better absorbed than regular Vitamin C.

A word of warning - while vitamin deficiency is one of the most common dietary problems in dogs, it is vital not to give your dog too much of certain vitamins. The primary vitamins are A, D, E, K, C, and B complex. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble vitamins and are stored within the body in fat storage cells called lipocytes. It is important not to over supplement these dog vitamins as they can build up and cause toxicity. Vitamins C and B complex are water soluble vitamins. They are not stored within the body except in small amounts and an excess of these dog vitamins is eliminated via the urine so toxicity is not a problem.