7 Vitamins Your Dog Needs for a Healthy Life 

Your pet friends bring you boundless tail wagging, cuddling, and love. It’s no wonder that you wish to keep them as happy and healthy as they can be for many years to come. Although daily walks, playtime, and affection contribute significantly, your dog’s well-being also hinges on what they eat.  

As humans, dogs need to have the necessary vitamins to live, especially regarding energy, immunity, and mobility. Joint supplements for dogs, along with other essential nutrients, play an important role in maintaining their health.

Let’s explore the seven most essential vitamins your dog needs and how to ensure they’re getting the right amount:

Vitamin A: For Sharp Eyes and Shiny Coats

Vitamin A is great for promoting the health of your dog’s eyes and skin. It helps them see well, particularly when the light is low. It’s also crucial for growing cells and fighting germs (immunity). Vitamin A assists in skin health and making their coat nice and shiny. If your dog’s coat looks dull or their skin seems flaky, getting enough Vitamin A could help solve it. (Source: NIH)

Best Source: Liver (only use sparingly due to the high concentration), fish oil, egg yolks, and select vitamin-enriched dog food. Most root vegetables, such as kumara and carrots, contain beta-carotene, which the dog can transform into Vitamin A, although not quite as effectively as humans.

The B Vitamin Crew: Energy and Nerve Power

Vitamin B can easily dissolve in water; therefore, vitamin B is best to empower your dog’s digestive system and nerves. Vitamin B also helps turn food into energy. This helps maintain your dog’s energy and keeps them engaged in play. There are several B vitamins, like:

• Thiamine (B1)
• Riboflavin (B2)
• Niacin (B3)
• Pantothenic Acid (B5)
• Pyridoxine (B6)

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• Biotin (B7)
• Folic Acid (B9)
• Cobalamin (B12)

Each one has a special job. Some help nerves work right. Others help make red blood cells.

Vitamin C: The Immune Booster and Collagen Creator

 Dogs are unique in that they can synthesize Vitamin C in their livers, a capability that distinguishes them from humans.But things like stress, illness, or lots of exercise can mean they need more. (Source: Science Direct)

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant. It shields the dog’s skin from external elements. It’s also vital for making collagen, the main building block for skin, joint cartilage, and other connective tissues.

Other benefits of taking Vitamin C:

• The immune system works well.
• Protect the body (antioxidant).
• Supports collagen production (vital for healthy joints, skin, and faster wound recovery).
• Vitamin D: The Essential Sunshine Nutrient for Strong Bones

Human beings get Vitamin D from sunlight. Dogs don’t do this well. They need to obtain this essential vitamin through their diet. Their body stores it in fat. Vitamin D controls calcium and phosphorus levels. Strong bones and teeth depend on adequate calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D also helps muscles work and supports the immune system.

Vitamin D is key for:

• Absorbing calcium
• Strong bones
• Muscle function
• Immune health

Some of the richest dietary sources of vitamin D include fatty fish like salmon and sardines, egg yolks, beef liver, and fortified dog foods.

Vitamin E: The Antioxidant Protector

Vitamin E is an essential fat-soluble nutrient that plays a vital role in maintaining health. It acts like a bodyguard for your dog’s cells. Its main job is protecting cells from damage (from free radicals) and keeping your dog’s muscles and eyes healthy. Mihijo’s joint supplements for dogs support their immune system (fighting germs). Vitamin E helps keep fats in dog food fresh, so it doesn’t spoil quickly.

What Vitamin E helps with:

• Guarding cells against damage.
• Supporting the immune system.
• Keeping muscles and eyes healthy.
• Maintaining good skin and coat.

Good sources of vitamin E are plant oils (like sunflower oil) and nuts and seeds (but be sure they are safe and prepared right for dogs!). Leafy greens and whole grains are great sources of Vitamin E. You’ll find it added to the best-quality dog foods.

Vitamin K: The Clotting Coordinator

Vitamin K is key for helping your dog’s blood clot properly . Dogs get Vitamin K from their food. Also, helpful bacteria living in their gut can help form vitamin K. It’s rare for dogs to be low on Vitamin K, but it can happen in a few cases. One significant danger is if a dog eats certain kinds of rat poison.  

Food sources of vitamin K: Leafy green veggies (like spinach and kale), cabbage, liver, and fish meal.

Choline: Essential for Brain and Liver Health (Commonly Categorized with B Vitamins)

Choline acts like vitamin B and is essential to your dog’s well-being. It’s crucial for cell membrane construction, maintaining healthy liver function (aiding in processing fats), and assisting in neurotransmission – essentially, facilitating brain cells to communicate. Choline supports cognitive function, nervous system activity, liver health, and the integrity of cellular membranes.

Best Source of Choline: Eggs, liver, meat, fish, soy products, and peanuts (check to make sure peanuts are plain and unsalted, served in moderation). Frequently added to commercial dog food recipes.

Giving Your Dog the Best Foundation  

Each wag of their tail, hug, and enthusiastic bark begins from within how they feel. Giving them the proper nutrition and high-quality supplements empowers them to play, climb on the furniture, and burrow in bed every evening. Being a fur parent is about caring for their happiness and health in every little way. From mealtimes to play times to quiet time naps, vitamins create the invisible barrier that shields and energises your cherished pup through all stages of life.

References:

Morris PJ, Salt C, Raila J, Brenten T, Kohn B, Schweigert FJ, Zentek J. Safety evaluation of vitamin A in growing dogs. Br J Nutr. 2012 Nov 28;108(10):1800-9. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512000128. Epub 2012 Feb 28. PMID: 22370147; PMCID: PMC3513714. 

Daniel S. Gordon, Adam J. Rudinsky, Julien Guillaumin, Valerie J. Parker, Karina J. Creighton, Vitamin C in Health and Disease: A Companion Animal Focus, Topics in Companion Animal Medicine, Volume 39, 2020, 100432, ISSN 1938-9736, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcam.2020.100432. 

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