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Multi Essentials for dogs

Herbal Digestive Aid, Energy Booster, and Multivitamin for Dogs

USD $50.95
Multi Essentials for dogs USD $50.95 Add to Cart

Do Cats and Dogs Need A Multivitamin Supplement?

Pet Care Tips 3 min read
Do Cats and Dogs Need A Multivitamin Supplement?

Your pet’s nutrition is important for a healthy and happy life. With so many vitamins and minerals for pets out there, it isn’t easy to know how to choose a multivitamin for pets that will work effectively. Our NHV pet experts answer your questions about using vitamin supplements for pets.

Are Vitamins and Minerals Important?

The short answer is yes! Vitamins and minerals are essential to life. They help your pet with their overall health by helping to regulate metabolism and many other biochemical functions throughout the body.

Without vitamins and minerals, your cat or dog can develop nutritional deficiencies that impede normal functioning.

Does My Pet Get Enough Multivitamins From Their Food? Do I Really Need A Supplement?

Most popular commercial pet foods do try to meet the minimum recommendations for vitamins and minerals as set by regulating bodies like AAFCO. However, there are several key things pet parents should note:

  • These minimum recommendations are generalizations and do not take into account the individual.
  • Some pets, like those who are experiencing illness or stress, may require more vitamins and minerals.
  • These minimum requirements are set to prevent diseases caused by specific isolated vitamin and mineral deficiencies. There may be other micronutrients that will optimize health that may not be included.
  • Anytime food is processed, many of the nutrients contained in the original ingredients are destroyed. Manufacturers generally have to add vitamins and minerals back to the food.
  • The majority of pets are restricted to one brand and type of food. You may want to supplement this lack of variety with a natural pet food.
  • Although the pet food in question may meet AAFCO requirements, the quality of the food itself may be lacking and may require additional supplementation.

In addition to commercial foods, homemade diets and raw food diets also need natural supplementation to make sure your pet is getting all the right vitamins and minerals their body needs.

Is It Possible To Give My Pet Too Many Vitamins?

When possible, always choose a natural multivitamin for pets derived from natural sources.

It is possible to cause toxicity in pets when giving isolated synthetic vitamins. For instance, puppies fed high levels of vitamin D or calcium can develop skeletal problems. To fully understand why this happens, we need to look at nature, where vitamins and minerals are not isolated chemicals but work together— synergistically. When we isolate a vitamin, we may lose the balance that nature provides through other interdependent, interactive components like trace elements or phytochemicals (natural plant chemicals).

For more, let’s look at a human example where people taking synthetic beta-carotene had an increased risk of cancer, whereas people eating diets high in beta-carotene had reduced levels of cancer. Why? This is due to the fact that natural sources like whole foods contain many other carotenoids and phytochemicals not found in isolated beta-carotene supplements.

This is where choosing the right multivitamin supplement is essential. When possible, always choose a natural multivitamin for pets derived from natural sources.

Why Should I Choose Natural Vitamins Instead of Synthetic Vitamins?

The best way to give your pet the vitamins and minerals they need is from whole sources and not just isolated synthetic vitamins.

NHV Multi Essentials is a great choice for an overall daily vitamin and mineral supplement as the vitamins and minerals derived from this product are natural and from whole sources. The extract is produced from herbs (alfalfa, oat, dandelion, kelp, parsley, marshmallow, chickweed, stinging nettle, Asian ginseng, yucca, and oregon grape). All the synergistic cofactors, minerals, and trace elements that help optimize health are still available.

In short, it’s a good idea to supplement your pet’s daily diet with a natural source of vitamins and minerals.

Your pet’s health is important to us. If you have any more questions about using a multivitamin for pets to optimize their health, just leave a comment below, or contact our pet experts, and we will answer all your questions.

NHV Pet Experts

NHV Pet Experts

We have a dedicated group of pet expert professionals, including veterinarians, vet techs, and other pet professionals to guide you through any questions. We’re committed to your pet’s wellness and can offer additional tips, resources, nutritional advice, and more.

Published: April 8, 2016

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