It’s not uncommon for us to take multivitamins to fill in the nutritional gaps in our diet, even if we believe we are eating a balanced diet. Like us, dogs may also need some supplement or added food to supply their diet with specific vitamins. Since they can’t do that independently, we are responsible for ensuring all their nutritional needs are met.

What vitamins should we give our dogs in addition to their regular diet? What divides vitamins that are fat-soluble from those that are water-soluble?

While fat-soluble vitamins are essential in structural and functional features like bone growth, cell membrane activities, and eye health, water-soluble vitamins are associated with metabolism and ensuring that dogs can use nutrients for energy needs.

Fat-soluble vitamins can to be stored in your dog’s liver and fatty tissue. Each has its own task to accomplish within the dog’s body. 

Vitamin A: This vitamin helps dogs maintain healthy skin and eyesight and keeps their reproductive systems functioning normally. It also helps with cell growth, vital for a growing puppy. 

Vitamin D3: This vitamin helps dogs absorb calcium and phosphorus from food, which is necessary for strong bones and teeth. Vitamin D also helps with blood clotting and immune system function.

Vitamin E: This vitamin protects cells from damage by helping them repair themselves more quickly after injury or disease occurs; it also assists in absorbing antioxidants from food sources so that the body can fight off free radicals more efficiently.

Vitamin K: Essential for blood clotting, bone formation, and protein synthesis.

Too much of a good thing isn't necessarily a good thing. Any of these vitamins taken in excess might have adverse health effects, especially on the bones. In 2019, dogs fell ill and even died from vitamin D toxicity from the synthetic vitamin mix in Hill’s canned dog food. 

Analyses revealed that some of the tainted products contained up to 70 times the recommended amount of vitamin D. There were 86 total units of 33 different kinds of commercial kibble in this single recall. Therefore, supplementation is not advised unless your veterinarian or nutritionist suggests a specific fat-soluble vitamin, as indicated in a deficiency detected in their bloodwork.

Vitamins readily available to be transported by water or blood are known as water-soluble vitamins.  Water-soluble vitamins are a group of vitamins that dissolve in water and are generally not stored in the body. They convert lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy and support a variety of bodily processes.

The following are water-soluble vitamins:

Vitamin B1: Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is a vitamin that promotes healthy brain and nervous system function. It helps with metabolism and the production of energy in cells. Vitamin B1 is also essential for healthy cardiovascular function.

Vitamin B2: Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, is a vitamin that plays an vital role in the body's ability to convert food into energy. It also helps to maintain healthy skin and red blood cells.

Vitamin B3: Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, can help prevent health problems and promote a healthy heart and skin. Niacin helps your dog's body produce energy from food. This vitamin also supports healthy digestion, circulation, and cell growth.

Vitamin B5: Vitamin B5 (also known as pantothenic acid) is an essential vitamin that helps with the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. It also helps in the production of antibodies and hormones.

Vitamin B6: Also known as pyridoxine, Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient that helps your dog maintain a healthy immune  and nervous system. Vitamin B6 is also crucial for producing red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your dog's body.

Vitamin B9: Also known as folic acid, Vitamin B9 helps  prevent anemia in dogs by helping their bodies  produce red blood cells. It also helps to support bone growth in young dogs and can help prevent heart disease in older dogs.

Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient for dogs because it helps their bodies make red blood cells, produce DNA and metabolize fatty acids and proteins.

Choline:  Choline helps with brain function, including memory and learning. Choline is also crucial for liver health and the production of DNA and RNA.

Biotin: Biotin is an essential vitamin that helps your pet grow its hair, nails and skin. It also helps with digestion, metabolism, and cell growth. 

Vitamin C: Also known as ascorbic acid, Vitamin C promotes a healthy immune system, healthy joints, and cartilage in your dog.

A water-soluble vitamin that is present in excess in your dog's body is excreted in their urine. Water-soluble vitamins are less likely to produce toxicity than fat-soluble vitamins due to their limited storage capacity, but they deplete more quickly and are more likely to become deficient.

The best way to tell if something is actually food is to check for food names rather than chemical phrases on the label. An indicator that a manufacturer might be adding synthetics if any of the components is when the food label looks like a label on a medicine bottle.

Acetate, Palmitate, Thiamine mononitrate, Thiamine hydrochloride, Thiamine Chloride, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Cobalamin or cyanocobalamin, Ascorbic Acid, Pycnogenols, Irradiated ergosterol or calciferol, dl-alpha tocopherol, menadione, and retinoic acid are all examples of ingredients found that shouldn't be in your dog's food. None of them are natural; they're all manufactured chemical derivatives.

Take a snapshot of the pet food label, including the lot number, if your dog begins to act abnormally or shows any clinical signs of illness.

Do not feed your dogs or other animals any of the recalled products. For more information, contact the manufacturer listed on the package and get rid of the products in a place where kids, dogs, and wildlife can't get to them. After a veterinary appointment, notify the FDA of any toxicity issues.

How Do I Know if My Dog Has a Deficiency?

To establish which supplements, if any, are necessary for their dog's health, dog owners should always seek the advice of a professional regarding nutrition. The components in dog vitamin supplements vary widely, and the labels aren't usually very clear about what they include. Some substances may conflict with prescription drugs or other dietary supplements. The adage "too much of a good thing" definitely applies here.

In many cases, dogs may not have a deficiency or lack a specific nutrient or vitamin. If you are trying to meet NRC or AAFCO guidelines and that’s where you believe the deficiency lies, take a look at your dog and answer the following questions:

Have you noticed any clinical signs that lead you to believe their diet is deficient?

Is their fur shiny and healthy in appearance? Or does it have a more dull look?

Does their energy seem normal or less than normal?

Are they eating, drinking, urinating, and defecating regularly?

To detect vitamin deficiencies or imbalances, you can utilize commercial testing that analyzes the gut microbiome at AnimalBiome, for example. An annual veterinary examination with a comprehensive blood work panel will also help detect any health changes. A comprehensive panel includes testing of the liver, kidneys, pancreas, blood protein levels, electrolytes, calcium, and blood sugar. 

While supplements are typically beneficial for your dog's health, you shouldn't give them to all dogs, especially if you don't know how their clinical health markers measure up. Not all dogs require supplements; giving your dog one without a good reason might do more harm than good.

Whole foods should be used to make up for deficiencies rather than commercially available supplements. Supplements are typically available without a prescription and are much more readily available to pet owners.  The ability of the body to absorb and use the nutrients, or bioavailability, is often higher in whole foods than in supplements. If you identify a deficiency, you can change your dog's diet to get the desired outcome.

If you are concerned about a deficiency, you can request a consultation with the nutrition experts at Real Dog Box or visit a holistic veterinarian to determine the next steps.

An excess of vitamins in your dog’s diet can lead to health issues and is equally or more damaging than a deficiency. 

Although vitamins are necessary for your dog’s diet, supplementation is not always required and can often be remedied by offering real food. 

If you think your dog has a deficiency, visit the veterinarian and request a full panel of bloodwork. 

Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 5th Edition 

Puotinen, C. J. (2003). Natural remedies for dogs and cats. Gramercy Books. 

Biochemistry, Water Soluble Vitamins - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf 

Fat-Soluble Vitamins - Diet and Health - NCBI Bookshelf 

Multivitamins and Iron (Toxicity) - Toxicology - Merck Veterinary Manual 

Articles from future units will be accessible once you have completed that unit.

Unit 6 - Testing Your Raw-Fed Dog's Health 

Vitamins Critical to Your Dog's Health

Feed Real Institute

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