Dog Nutrition (VII): Supplements

Just like humans, dogs need a balanced diet and their body requires certain nutrients in order to function properly. According to FDA, dogs receive a complete and balanced diet – including necessary vitamins and minerals – from commercially processed dog food. My opinion about dog nutrition is probably known by now so I’ll just say that even though the commercial dog foods include vitamins and minerals, they also contain numerous preservatives, additives and low quality ingredients.  So, the risks are much higher than the potential benefits.

The concept of balanced dog nutrition is often associated with giving dog supplements. Dog supplements are usually synthetic vitamins and minerals that support diseases (like arthritic joints, for instance) and fatty acids that reduce shedding and improve the coat’s shine. You can find an entire list of dog supplements on Amazon, if you’re interested. Most of them have very good reviews.

No matter what kind of food your dog eats (whether raw, homemade or commercial), I would suggest adding natural dog supplements to your dog’s meals. Below you can find a list of the most common vitamins, minerals and elements required by a dog’s body and what are the possible natural sources for them.

Vitamins

• Vitamin C: green leafy vegetables, carrots, berries
• Vitamin B (complex): liver, nutritional yeast
• Biotin: beef liver, nutritional yeast, cheese, eggs, chicken breast meat, salmon
• Choline: egg yolks, beef liver, cod, wheat germ, oats
• Inositol: wheat germ, nutritional yeast, liver, brown rice, oats, vegetables
• Vitamin A/beta carotene: cod liver oil, liver, egg-yolk, carrots, dark green leafy vegetables, yellow/orange fruits
• Vitamin D: exposure to sunlight, cod liver oil, fatty fish, liver, egg yolk, dark leafy vegetables
• Vitamin E: whole grains, wheat germ and wheat germ oil, beef, seafood, apples, carrots, celery
• Vitamin K: leafy vegetables, cheese, liver

Minerals

• Calcium: dairy products, fish, ground eggshells
• Chloride: kelp, tomatoes, celery
• Magnesium: dairy products, fish, meat and seafood, apples, bananas, dark leafy vegetables, whole grains
• Phosphorus: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, bones (most dogs get too much instead of too little, often resulting in kidney damage)
• Potassium: fruit, vegetables,whole grains, blackstrap molasses, fish
• Sodium: present in many foods, also best avoided in high amounts
• Sulfur: eggs, garlic, lettuce, cabbage

Trace Elements

• Boron: honey, fresh fruit, green leafy vegetables
• Chromium: eggs, beef, whole grains, nutritional yeast
• Cobalt: vegetables
• Copper: whole grain, liver
• Iodine: eggs, seafood, kelp and other seaweed
• Iron: meat, poultry, fish, grains, fruits, vegetables
• Manganese: eggs, brown rice, whole grains, leafy greens
• Molybdenum: spinach, liver, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables
• Selenium: whole grains
• Silicon: oats, alfalfa, leafy green vegetables, whole grains
• Zinc: muscle meat, poultry, seafood, grains, eggs, seeds, nutritional yeast

As you probably know, any food can be harmful in excessive amounts. This happens with supplements too, whether synthetic or organic. Too much calcium can cause skeletal problems, especially in large-breed puppies; too much vitamin A can harm blood vessels and cause dehydration and joint pain. Excess vitamin D can prompt a dog to stop eating, harm bones, and cause muscles to atrophy.

Hope you find this post useful! Stay close!