Vitamin and mineral supplements
Vitamin and mineral supplements are the most important components in any
dog’s feeding. If there is a balance in the vitamin and mineral supplements, then the animal will have a healthy
life and hence, the immunity is not compromised in an unwanted way. This simply means that there the dog will be
more disease resistance against various diseases.
Pet owners should know that vitamins A, D, E, and K are the fat-soluble vitamins and others are
water-soluble vitamins. Vitamins like thiamine, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin are important for the functions of
nervous system. Deficiency of vitamin A leads to night blindness and skin lesions and deficiency of vitamin D leads
to the softening and weakening of the bones.
These problems are many a time encountered by the dog owners. Among these, vitamin A toxicities
may occur if you feed them in excessive amounts, like vitamin D. Hence, give emphasis on this while you are using
these vitamins in the dogs. Cod liver oil from selected fishes has more vitamin A in them and are universally good
feed for dogs.
All dogs may not need supplements of minerals or vitamins to live well for the moment, but it is
important for their future. If they become sick or aged or very young without proper feeding, supplementations are
required for the upkeep of health status in them. However, one has to follow the instructions of veterinarian in
this regard.
If the dogs are fed with fish in frozen conditions, then they may be suffering constantly from
vitamin B1 deficiency and hence, such dogs need to be given specifically B1. Careless supplementations of minerals
may lead to diseases and hence, veterinarians always need to be consulted on the supplementation of minerals or
vitamins.
Minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, iron, copper etc. are given more emphasis in
addition to sodium and potassium. Zinc is related to skin health and potassium is related to the muscle health and
calcium with phosphorus is related to the bone health.
However, if you feed the dog with chicken, mutton or beef along with required vegetables,
artificial supplementation of mineral or vitamin tablets may be highly reduced but supplements need to be thought
of when you are not able to maintain a balanced nutrition as this happens with most of the dogs, due to
multifaceted causes.
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