Vitamins are important things to give your pet to help ensure they stay healthy. However, sometimes certain vitamins might not be right to give a specific breed or animal. It might also be a bit confusing to choose the right vitamins to give your pet the vast amount available. To help you, you’ll discover more information about vitamins as well as some of the top options to give your pet.
What are Vitamins?
Vitamins are a type of molecule that contains micronutrients that the body needs. While many food items contain vitamins, pills, and other items can be ingested to receive these nutrients. This is because sometimes the body doesn’t make enough or even produce certain vitamins. Due to this, vitamins help to ensure that the body gets enough nutrients to help it stay healthy.
What is a Multivitamin?
For some vitamins, you might find them labeled as multivitamins. A multivitamin means that a specific type of supplement contains more than one vitamin in it. This can be beneficial if you want to give your pet more than one vitamin type without having to invest in many different vitamins.
Types of Vitamins
There are about 13 known vitamins available.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is one of the most important vitamins to give your pets because it helps to keep their skin looking healthy and their muscles and nerves working properly.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is good to give your pets although most animals already produce it. Because of this, you don’t need to worry about giving them large amounts of it.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a tricky vitamin to give pets. This is because it’s a fat-soluble option which makes it easy for their fatty tissues to absorb it. Due to this, it can be a little problematic and could lead to toxicity in dogs. On the other hand, Vitamin D is essential for cats as it balances out the calcium and phosphorus levels in their body.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is very good for both dogs and cats as it helps to keep their immune system healthy, improve their vision, and skin allergies.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K helps to keep your pet’s blood circulation working well. However, too much of it can be very dangerous.
Vitamin B1
Also called thiamine, Vitamin B1 is yet another essential vitamin all pets need. It must be included in their diet as it helps to keep their brain functioning properly and give them a healthy metabolism.
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B2 is a vital vitamin to include in your pet’s diet. This is because it produces antibodies which can help their body to fight off illnesses.
Vitamin B3
Also known as niacin, Vitamin B3 needs to be included in your pet’s diet to help keep their brain healthy, improve their immune system, and help their digestive system work properly. This is often found in many types of meat, such as liver, beef, eggs, and poultry.
Pantothenic Acid
Pantothenic acid helps to produce neurotransmitters and increase stamina. It also works to keep their intestinal tract functioning properly. It also helps to metabolize fats.
Biotin
Biotin is important for pets as it helps to keep their skin healthy. It also helps with their digestion and muscle growth. In fact, you can often tell if your dog has a biotin deficiency by looking at their skin and coat as it will look very brittle and inflamed.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is necessary for pets who suffer from diabetes or Cushing’s disease. This is because it normalizes blood sugar and hormone production.
