Keeping your dog healthy long-term means that you need to pay keen attention to what your dog is eating. Not all dog food is the same; some cheaper brands have more filler in the food than healthy ingredients. That is not to say that more expensive dog foods are filled only with great ingredients.
One of the best ways that you can make sure that your dog is getting all of the right ingredients packed with vitamins and minerals is to make some of the dog food yourself.
Photo by hannah grace on Unsplash
But what do dogs really need when it comes to vitamins and minerals?
Dog Nutrient Profile As They Grow
When your dog is a pup, it will need nutrients that are designed to support the rapid rate at which its body and brain are developing.
Puppy food will usually be softer and easier to digest and still packed with everything they need. You'll need to keep an eye on the gums, too - because as their teeth come through, only eating dry food could be painful.
After some discussion with your vet, you might decide to add some extra supplements into their diet - and this can help with a glossy coat, bright eyes, and happy digestive tracts.
There are two different nutrient profiles that you should be aware of when it comes to your dog - one is the growth and reproduction phase of life, and the other is maintenance.
Puppies, lactating dogs, and pregnant females need a different nutrient count and a much higher vitamin and mineral requirement. Their bodies are working much harder in these stages than at any other time in their life.
The maintenance stage is when they are out of the puppy stage and not pregnant or lactating (or just a male dog). The aim here is to make sure that the food they eat supports their general needs across the board.
What Vitamins And Minerals Does My Dog Need?
Just like humans, dogs need to have a set amount of vitamins and minerals every day to keep healthy. Not only that but dogs need, and don’t make omega-3 fatty acids (and some other fatty acids), read up on the benefits on this link.
Each one plays an essential part, and that is why it is important to check the dog food that you are feeding them - and make additions like supplements where needed.
Minerals
Did you know that a dog needs chloride? Or what about copper? Minerals aren't something that we often think about - but they are essential. Here is what they need and why.
Copper
Copper is essential for bones, connective tissues, and forming college, which gives your dog a beautiful coat. Copper aims with the development of red blood cells and pigmentation of the skin and coat.
Zinc
Zinc aids growth reproduction improves the immune system protein digestion, supports healthy skin, regulates thyroid function, and helps heal wounds too. Poke, lam, liver, brewer's yeast, and eggs have plenty of zinc in them.
Iron
Iron is essential for transporting oxygen through the body, as well as helping to support the immune system. Iron can be found in legumes, fish, red meat, and eggs.
Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the main components of enzymes and bones and has a significant impact on neurotransmission.
Calcium & Phosphorus
Phosphorus and calcium work together and are essential for teeth and bones. These both help with the following:
Contraction muscles
Blood coagulation
Hormone secretion
Nerve impulse transmission
Dilation and constriction of blood vessels
Calcium helps to keep blood flow constant and your dog's heart rate stable too. If your dog doesn't get enough calcium, it will be leached from the bones, so calcium is a must.
Chloride, Potassium & Sodium
There are three electrolytes that are considered primary to dogs. Socium, chloride, and potassium. These electrolytes keep the fluid balances correct within your dog.
Vitamins
Alongside all of those minerals, there are plenty of vitamins that your dog needs to stay healthy. Making sure that your dog's diet has enough of all of these things is essential because, without them, deficiencies can cause health problems.
Here are the more essential vitamins:
Vitamin A
B Vitamins (the B family)
Vitamin C & D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Choline
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a must for immune system function, body cell growth, and healthy eyesight. You can find this vitamin in carrots.
B Vitamins
The whole B family plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of your dog's health. B9 is folic acid, B6 is pyridoxine, B12 is riboflavin, and B1 is Thiamine.
All of these serve different purposes in the body. Some help with metabolism and others help with hormonal regulation. Since the whole B family of vitamins plays a role, it is a good idea to get familiar with them - and see where your dog's source is coming from.
Vitamin C
Dogs can produce Vitamin C themselves, but the amount they produce isn't enough to support the body's needs. Vitamin C helps with cognitive aging and reduces inflammation in the body.
Vitamin D
When you get out often with your dog, they will be making plenty of vitamin D already. We associate vitamin D with sunshine - but getting outside regularly is usually a great start. Most often, a vitamin D supplement is the best thing to do for your dog.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is the building block of a beautiful coat and bright eyes. It offers support to cell functions and metabolism. Deficiency in vit E can be a contributing factor to reproductive problems and muscle degeneration.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K helps with blood clotting and is something that many people associate with a newborn human baby shot. Dogs need it too! One of the reasons that it is essential to make sure your dog is kept away from poisonous substances is because it reduces the body's ability to use vitamin K, and that can cause a dog to bleed out.
Choline
A must for dogs because it supports liver and brain function and is used to help to treat epilepsy in dogs.
So as you can see, there are plenty of things that your dogs need to live a healthy and long life! Make sure that you are offering them a balanced and nutritious diet - and some fun toys: Crafting Reality with Sara: Gifts for Pets!
