Introduction

We all want our dogs to live healthy and long lives, and so we do all that we can to ensure that our dogs are as healthy as they can be. In the last decade vitamins for dogs have emerged on the pet market, and these products are intended to keep dogs in tip top shape. However a daily vitamin for dogs is only recommended in specific cases and in some instances too many vitamins can cause harm.

Helpful Guidelines

As long as you are feeding your dog a pet food that has a seal of approval from the Association of American Feed Control Officials your dog is most likely getting all the vitamins and nutrition needed; these diets are specifically formulated to provide the exact amount of vitamins, calories, and fats that dogs need. If you are feeding your dog a home cooked diet, then it is recommended that you give your dog a daily vitamin. It is almost impossible to meet all of the vitamin requirements your dog needs through a home cooked diet; in this case a daily vitamin will ensure that your dog is not missing any necessary vitamins.

If your dog is pregnant, nursing, recovering from an illness, and in any kind of extra strenuous activities as in the case with working dogs or training dogs, then your dog may gain benefits from extra vitamin supplements. In these cases you should talk with your veterinarian about which vitamins to use and how long they should be given.

There are some reported cases, though rare, of dogs becoming ill from being given too many vitamins by their well meaning owners; in some cases pet owners who had dogs that were ill tried to use vitamins to help the dog recover but ended up giving them way too much. If you wish to give your dog vitamins talk to your veterinarian first, and always follow the recommended dose on the vitamin’s label.