Multivitamins for Your Dog: There are a lot of things that humans and dogs share in common, among them are nutrients. Like human beings, dogs need all the major classes of nutrients, which include water, fiber, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins. When your dog gets sick without any specific cause, they might be lacking one of these nutrients, especially those that work closely with the body’s immune system. Vitamins are the main contributors to any mammal’s immune system.
Multivitamins for Your Dog
Types of vitamins needed by Dogs
Vitamin A: Similar to humans, dogs require this vitamin to improve their vision and crucial cell functions.
B Vitamins: These come in different types, and they include thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic, B6, and folic acid. Each of these B vitamins has a specific function.
Vitamin C: It is a crucial antioxidant in a dog’s body. It removes the potentially harmful radicals in the body while reducing inflammation.
Vitamin D: Also, the same way your baby needs that sunshine to help balance minerals within the body is what makes vitamin D essential to dogs.
Vitamin K: Does your dog bleed for long when injured? The possible reason for this occurrence is the lack of enough vitamin K in the body. Its main function is to ensure that the blood’s ability to clot is retained. As such, whenever there is an injury, the blood clots within a few seconds hence preventing any further loss of blood.
There are other vitamins apart from the once mentioned above, and they are equally vital to the dog’s life. However, as they say, too much of something is poisonous. If you give your dog a lot of vitamin A, for instance, it might lead to dehydration and pains the joins. Therefore, as strive to improve the health of your dog, be keen not to harm them in the process. The best way to avoid any guesswork, it is recommended that you seek advice from your trusted vet.
Are Supplements Important to Dogs?
The short answer to this question is YES, or NO! Commercial food manufactured specifically for dogs is usually made up of almost all vitamins. A good thing about this food is that it is designed for a specific age group of dogs. As such, you will not need to worry about your puppy getting some essential nutrients. Depending on how old your dog is, you can get them senior food, adult food, or puppy food.
Once your dog feeds on commercial food, they will not require supplements unless your veterinarian advises otherwise. However, if you feed your dogs on a homemade diet, you might want to buy a variety of variety of supplements to improve their health. Although we have mentioned before that dogs require the same vitamins as humans, their sources are quite different. You should never feed your dog with human vitamins as the reaction might prove fatal to your dog. Let us look at some of the most popular multivitamins used for big dogs.
Zesty Paws Multivitamin for Dogs
If you have been to a biology class, you must have heard your teacher mentioning omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9. Omega-3, for instance, are fatty acids (DHA) containing calories that are very essential to growing puppies. However, our bodies and those of our dogs are not capable of producing their omega nutrients. As such, they will require supplements to boost the levels of omega-3, -6, and -9.
For humans, your doctor might recommend that you drink cod liver oil as one of the main remedies to omega deficiencies. This might seem gross to some people, especially the vegetarians. However, it is an important step that you must take to be healthy again. Once you do that, you will notice a few differences here and there within your body. Some of the most common signs that you lack omega include brittle hair and nails that flake easier than normal.
Similarly, your dog might be missing these vitamins in their bodies. You can add the cod liver oil in their food, but they probably won’t like it. Remember dogs are not like humans; you cannot force them to eat what they do not want. As such, a multivitamin that comes in handy during such scenarios has been produced to help you as the dog owner. Zesty Paws is composed of several vitamins required by dogs. Cod liver oil is also included in this multivitamin, but considering how it is manufactured, it will be quite hard for the dog to realize. Did you know that this oil helps reduce weight? Well, if you want your dog to be free from obesity, then this is your multivitamin of choice.
PetHonesty 10-For-1 Multivitamin with Glucosamine
Similar to the Zesty Paws vitamin, the PetHonesty 10-For-1 multivitamin manufactured by PetHonesty contains a host of vitamins. Some of the main components include chondroitin, fish oil, and glucosamine. The fact that it has focused on probiotics makes it one of the best in the market. Wondering what those are? Probiotics are live bacteria introduced into the body to help in digestion and other health-related operations. Therefore, if you have noticed that your dog is suffering from digestive tract problems, this might be your solution. If you are not sure, look out for signs like constipation, vomiting, and diarrhea. Probiotics are designed to balance the gut bacteria while decreasing the problems mentioned above.
Well & Good Dog Multivitamin
Sometimes it can be hard to feed your dog on a multivitamin simply because it is not appealing to them. If you have come across this problem before, we are glad to let you know of our best solution; the Well & Good multivitamin from Well & Good. I know some of us to prefer taking in sweet medicine that your mouth will enjoy, yet it is helpful to your body. Similarly, dogs are happy to feed on tasty stuff. The Well & Good multivitamin comes packed with fiber, omegas, proteins, and essential vitamins.
Unlike most multivitamins, this is flavored to the liking of any big dog. When I first bought it for my dogs, I was worried that they wouldn’t like it. However, the meaty taste included in it made it one of the best meals. It is quite strange, though, that there is no indication on the packaging that says the multivitamin is flavored. Nonetheless, you can still try it and see how it works out for your dog. The manufacturers recommend that you give 3.25-inch for every 10 pounds. Therefore, if your dog is weighing 80 pounds, you will need 260 inches or eight 3.25-inch ribbons. You can mix the paste with the dog’s favorite food in case they don’t like it as it is. The Well & Good multivitamin is one of the best alternatives to dry biscuit treats.
Hemp & Hips Senior Large Breed Multivitamin
Up until this stage, the multivitamins mentioned in this article are suitable for dogs of any age group. However, that is not the case with Hemp & Hips multivitamin, which is crafted specifically for large breed dogs of senior age. It is composed of hemp and is designed to help the hips of older and larger dogs – that is where the name originated from. Hemp is used to making various commercial products including shoes, clothes, paper, and food. The hemp oil, on the other hand, comes from the food strains available in hemp plant; as such, there is very little toxicity. This oil is another good source of omega-3. It has anti-inflammatory properties that help fix the joint problems in dogs, hence ensuring that they continue moving smoothly despite their age.
Other nutrients and products contained in this multivitamin include MSM, chondroitin, glucosamine, Devil’s Claw root, and spirulina. The latter contains a lot of nutrients and aids in digestion, inflammation, and allergies. The Devil’s Claw root extract, on the other hand, has pain-relieving properties and also prevents inflammation. As you can see, almost each of the nutrients available in this multivitamin is perfectly suited for aging dogs.
MightyBites Liquid Multivitamin
If your dog is not a fan of biscuit and paste multivitamins, it is time to change your tact. There are many liquid multivitamins out there, but the MightyBites multivitamin stands out. With a juicy beef taste, there is no way your dog will resist this meal that turns out to be a medicine. You can feed it to your dog using a number of ways; one of them is by mixing it with wet food and let your dog feast on it. The main reason why the MightyBites stands out is the fact that it contains about 50 vitamins. As such, it is among the most complete multivitamins in the market. Some of the things included include pumpkin seed, broccoli powder, seaweed, and Aloe Vera.
Superfood Chewable Multivitamin
Finally, there is this other impressive multivitamin manufactured and distributed by Zesty Paws. It comes handy whenever you want to see your dog benefit from supplements while not adding more vitamins to their diet. These chewable treats contain carrot, coconut milk, spirulina, pumpkin, blueberry, and sweet potatoes. With all of these and more ingredients put together, you can be sure of a perfect meal for your dog. Some of the benefits include improved liver and heart health and reduction of inflammation. If you are looking for a perfect alternative to supplements with a lot of vitamins, then this one fits the bill.
In Conclusion
Now that you are aware of all the best multivitamins on the market remember to pick the right packet for your dog. Remember that age is one of the main determinants when choosing some of these multivitamins. Therefore, if you are not keen, you might find yourself buying the Hemp & Hips multivitamin, yet your dog is still young. Whenever you are not sure about what you are doing, it is recommended that your vet and explain to them the issue. This way, you will get the best advice, which ensures that your dog does not suffer unnecessary health problems.
