In vetaptekas a huge selection of vitamins for dogs. How to understand the variety of the proposed options, and what vitamins to give the dog?
Vitamins for the growth of dogs
Vitamin D - prevents the development of rickets and is responsible for the strong bone system of the dog. In the first months of life, for proper growth and development of the skeleton, the puppy should receive 500 IU of vitamin D daily.
Vitamin A, or retinol, is one of the most important vitamins for growing a puppy. In addition to growth, retinol is responsible for the functioning of the liver and kidneys, vision and resistance to infectious diseases.
Many owners are trying to replace vitamin in tablets with "natural" vitamin, that is, carrots. Such attempts are doomed to failure in advance - retinol is not absorbed by the body of carnivores, so it is best to buy vitamin A in oil (even people are advised to mix grated carrots with sunflower oil).
Calcium provides the plasticity and structure of bone tissue, so its presence in the body of the animal in the right quantities is a necessary condition for growth and proper formation of the skeleton.
Important! Vitamin A and D in excess can lead to negative consequences and have the same effect on the dog's body as toxic substances. Therefore, it is not necessary to intensively overfeed even a young puppy with vitamins. The food should be balanced.
Vitamins for dogs with calcium
The amount of calcium a dog needs depends on the age of the animal.
Young puppies need a daily dose of about 500 mg of calcium per kilogram of body weight. Adult dogs need twice as much calcium - 265 mg per kg of body weight.
In addition to the formation of bone tissue, calcium is responsible for the excitability of the nervous system, blood clotting and cardiac activity.
Important! Very important for proper assimilation is the ratio of calcium and phosphorus. The ideal ratio is 1.3: 1.
Vitamins for dogs of small breeds
Under the small breeds are understood those whose adult specimens reach a weight of 2.5 kg. Dogs of small breeds include terriers, chihuahua, pygmy pinscher, Japanese hin, Chinese crested breed and others.
Small dogs usually have accelerated metabolism, they are mobile and spend a lot of energy every day on games.
Vitamin B (thiamine) is extremely important. A lack of thiamine may even lead to death. However, an excess of B vitamins leads to a disruption in the activity of the liver, especially in dwarf ornamental rocks, so owners need to specify the required amount of vitamin B for each breed.
In the vitamins for dogs of small breeds must be: phosphorus and calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, iodine, zinc, potassium, magnesium, selenium, cobalt.
Vitamins for dogs of large breeds
Dogs of very large breeds: Bernese shepherd, Wolfhound, Dalmatian, Great Dane, Landhound, Leonberger, Malamute, Mastiff, Newfoundland, Retriever, Russian Borzoi, Hungarian shepherd, Risenschnauzer, Rottweiler.
Dogs of large breeds require far more vitamins per kilogram of weight than conventional animals. Do not buy them vitamins for dogs of medium breeds with the intention of making the animal just eat twice as many tablets: not all dogs are ready to eat vitamins by handfuls. For dogs of large breeds, they sell individual complexes of vitamins.
- vitamin B5 is required in relation to 0.25 IU (international units of measurement) per kg of body weight;
- vitamin E - 2 mg per kg of body weight;
- Vitamin D - 7 IU per kg of body weight;
- vitamin A - 100 IU per kg of body weight;
Vitamins for elderly dogs
An elderly animal needs reinforcement of immunity and vitality.
It is required to increase the amount of vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, E. When selecting vitamin complexes, special attention should be paid to the content of eleutherococcus - it helps to increase vitality, but has a very negative effect on the diseased liver. Complexes with tonic substances should be bought only for dogs with a healthy liver.