Dog Vitamins for Shedding, Improving Skin & Muscle and Overall Health

A dog is a very important family member for many families. To help these special animals live as long a life as possible, you may need to add dog vitamins to their diets. We've captured and summarized the most current information, news, resources and videos on dog vitamins below.

My sister’s family recently experienced the death of a much loved dog. He was a very sweet pet that they rescued from an animal shelter more than 10 years ago. His sudden death from cancer made me think about dog health. I’ve summarized below some of the information I discovered about the beneficial use of dog vitamins to improve the pet’s health and vitality.

To live a long and healthy life, pets need a healthful diet, good nutrition, plenty of water and regular exercise. Sounds a lot like humans doesn’t it? Indeed, like their human family, pets face many modern health issues. We often feed them over-processed food and do not give them enough exercise. If we live in an area with high air pollution, our pets breathe the same bad air. All of these modern-life ills are contributing to a real upsurge in cancer and chronic illness in pets. A recent study said that nearly 50% of the dogs that live past the age of 10 will die from cancer. To read more about cancer in canines visit this link.

Many quality dog foods will give your pet the basic nutrients. Few pre-made foods, however, offer all the vitamins and nutrients your pet needs to live the longest and healthiest life possible.

Owners of older dogs in particular should consider vitamins. As canines age, they, like their human family members, often have a decreased appetite and consequently do not get the ideal spectrum of nutrients.

Puppies can also benefit from vitamins to insure a good start to a healthy long life with your family.

Talk to your vet about the specific needs for your pets and read the following for basic dog vitamin information.

If your dog is show signs of itching or skin distress, he may have an allergy. Visit this link for information on dogs with allergies.

Experts identify the primary vitamins as A, B complex, C, D, E and K. The A, D, E and K vitamins are fat soluble vitamins; meaning animals store these vitamins in fat cells. In contrast, the C and B complex vitamins are water soluble; meaning these vitamins are not stored within the body (except for very minute amounts).

As a result of these vitamin storage properties, the fat soluble vitamins offer the greatest health risk if over-consumed; since the body stores these vitamins. If a dog over-consumes water soluble vitamins, the animal is at less risk as the excess generally passes through the system via urine.

Vitamin A: will help promote healthy skin and decrease the likelihood of irritable skin conditions. This vitamin can also help canines maintain healthy night vision, supports strong bones and boosts their immune system. Signs your dog may need more Vitamin A in his diet include loss of weight, flaky skin lesions or fur loss.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): Supports a healthy nervous system, good metabolism and alertness. Signs your dog is deficient in B1 include loss of appetite, nerve control, and reflexes as well as general weakness.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Helps canines regulate certain hormones and can reduce the likelihood of eye cataracts. B2 is important for blood and nerve development. Dogs with a B2 deficiency my develop eye problems and exhibit poor growth.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin): Helps canines with proper circulation, good energy, strong metabolism, healthy skin and gums. Signs a canine is lacking proper amounts of B6 include loss of weight and appetite and inflamed gums.

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): Supports proper digestion; the process of converting energy from food. Signs of a B5 deficiency include hair loss, diarrhea, and early graying.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Required for a properly functioning nervous and immune systems and promotes a healthy metabolism. Signs of B6 deficiency include anemia, and skin lesions.

Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid): Required for growth and body cell regeneration. Folic Acid is also important for proper fetus development in pregnant dogs.

Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin): Promotes cell development and growth and enhances a dog’s appetite.

Vitamin C: Most dogs probably do not need extra doses of this vitamin. Canines, like most animals (with humans one of the exceptions) generate their own Vitamin C. This process may decline with age; so, so older dogs may benefit from Vitamin C. In general the other nutrients are more important to canine health.

Some experts report that Vitamin C can help ease joint pain in dogs with hip dysplasia. Also, since canines pass vitamin C unchanged through their kidneys, this vitamin can make the bladder a less hospitable place for bacteria and can help reduce bladder infections.

Vitamin D: Is very important for strong canine bones and teeth. If you notice your dog has lost some muscle tone that can indicate a vitamin D deficiency. Several breeds, notably labs and golden retrievers are more susceptible to arthritis and hip problems. Vitamin D can be especially helpful to these breeds.

Vitamin E: Enhances canine cardiovascular systems and healing. This vitamin helps reduce the damage of free radicals.

If you feed your dog canned or dry dog food, you may want to consider supplements. Many commercially produced dog food includes fillers and often low-grade materials.

You should speak with your vet about your specific dog. Several online resources provide additional information.

Consumer Labs reviews joint supplements for dogs

Pets.Web.MD also provides information dog vitamins and supplements.

Top Rated Dog Vitamins

A word of a caution: be sure to check out the selling company before you purchase dog vitamins from a Web site. Check to see if the seller has a veterinarian on staff with clear research about the quality of the vitamins. Also check with the Better Business Bureau to see if the selling company has a good track record on accepting returns.

Unfortunately, independent clinical trials for dog vitamins are rare. While the FDA oversees animal supplements, there is no independent research and consequently little information on the safety of pet supplements.

Here are tips from veterinarians for selecting quality dog supplements

• Know the supplements you need and look for those. Make sure you read the label
  
• Look for companies that provide: a lot number for their product, which indicates they do have some quality control; and complete company information, including a phone number.
• Visit the company's Web site and see if they sponsor independent research about the efficacy and effectiveness of their products.
  
• Be careful of extreme claims.
• As mentioned, talk to your vet. Also, consider buying vitamins from your veterinarian. The researchers at Consumer Labs reported that supplements sold by vets had better quality.

Here are a few top-rated vitamins.

Pet Naturals Daily Best Soft Chews Dog Vitamins. Comments: Dogs seem to love these vitamins and eat them as treats. One user cautions that you must close the package very tightly or the vitamins dry out. You can purchase them at Petco

Castor & Pollux Like Treats Natural Dog Vitamins. Easy to use. Effective. No side effects.

Canine Multi Essential Dog Vitamins will fill in the nutritional gaps typical of even a good natural diet. These high quality, easily absorbed vitamins will help your stay healthy and energetic.

Healthy Select Adult Dog Vitamins. The Healthy Select Enzymes and Probiotics Supplements for Dogs is listed as a customer favorite at Petco. Probiotics is one element recommended for supplementation by many vets.

Lifes Abundance Food & Vitamin Combo for Small. This daily nutritional system combines a weight-loss formula for dogs with a multi-wellness food supplement. This combination helps meet your dogs daily dietary needs. The product is top quality and only includes ingredients that are USDA APHIS certified. This certification meets the rigorous European standards, which require food to be free of compromised (dead, diseased or dying) plant or animal matter. The manufacturer makes the product fresh every six weeks; so products do not sit in warehouses or shelves to age over time. For purchasing information, see the amazon listing below.

FURminator deShedding Tool with FURejector.

This is highly recommend rated dog grooming tool, especially for owners of dogs that shed excessively. Some customers report a decrease of 90% of the dog fur on their floors and furniture after they regularly use this tool on their dogs. The product includes a very convenient FURejector feature that speeds up the grooming process.

FURminator Waterless deShedding Shampoo and Conditioner for Dogs and Cats, 8 Ounces

This shampoo and conditioner is a great alternative for giving your dog a water bath. Useful if you do not have time for the full bath, if your dog really hates the bath or in its too cold to do it outside. To use it you simply brush your dog first, then spray him with the product, rub it in, and towel him off. Your dog is clean dry in less than 30 minutes.

FURminator deShedding Supplement for Dogs, 32 Ounces ($15.99)

Users report a significant decrease in their dog's scratching within 1 week of using this product. They also say their dogs like the taste so much they come running when they see the bottle. Some owners even report a dramatic decrease in vet visits for treatments related to scratching.

If you have health questions about some specific issues for your dog, you may find the following resources useful:

The ASPCA has a great web site and experts on hand to answer questions. This site gives information on canine health and tips for dog owners. Visit this link for information about dog care.

You can also find great information on dog health (including vitamins and supplements) from the  American Veterinary Medical Association. The AVMA also offers many very useful documents on a range of pet health issues, such as selecting a veterinary to understanding vaccinations.

Feed your dog a good diet with the right dog vitamins and nutrients (from food and/or supplements) and your pet can be a healthy member of your family for a long time.