When you’re choosing pet vitamins and supplements to add to your dog’s diet, it can be overwhelming to try and figure out which nutrients Fido needs to keep his body healthy. There are more options on the market than ever before, so it makes it tough to figure out which supplements are right for your pet. Today, we’re breaking down a complex of essential nutrients your dog absolutely needs each and every day — B-Vitamins. Keep reading to learn what they are, they’re essential for your dog and how you can add them to his diet.
What Are B-Vitamins?
When you hear the term ‘B-Vitamins’ it’s actually referring to a group, or complex, of multiple vitamins all in the ‘B’ family. ‘B-Vitamins’ include 8 compounds that are key to your pet’s overall wellness and all work together to support your pup and his body. While some of their functions overlap, they’re all uniquely important and serve your dog in different ways.
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Vitamin B1, or Thiamine helps your dog break down carbs and sugars and transform them into fuel for his body. It also plays an important role in cognitive function and is key to your doggo’s mental health!
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Vitamin B2, or Riboflavin helps your dog break down nutrients and converts them into other B-vitamins. It’s also important to help metabolize fats and other compounds your dog has consumed to create energy that keeps your pup playful all day long!
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Vitamin B3, or Niacin plays a major role in metabolic function! Its’ responsible for transforming the food your dog eats into a substance his body can actually use to produce energy. It also helps communicate between different areas of your dog’s body to ensure everything is working in harmony!
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Vitamin B5, or Pantothenic Acid gets carried throughout your dog’s entire body! And it’s essential when it comes to creating new enzymes, proteins and fats within your dog’s body.
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Vitamin B6 contributes to a whole lot of enzymatic functions within your dog’s body. It’s key for healthy brain development, necessary for a strong immune system and helps Fido metabolize Amino Acids.
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Vitamin B7, or Biotin helps keep your dog’s skin, coat and nails strong. It’s also important for metabolizing carbs, proteins and fats in your dog’s body.
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Vitamin B9, or Folate helps Fido absorb and utilize the vitamins he ets everyday. It also contributes to the overall metabolic process and helps ensure he’s getting the nutrients he needs from each meal!
- Vitamin B12 helps with cognitive and neurological function. It also plays a key role in your pup’s metabolic function, particularly when it comes to breaking down fat and protein.
The Benefits Of B-Vitamins For Dogs
While some B-Vitamins are more popular than others, they’re all essential to Fido’s overall health, especially his metabolism and absorption of nutrients from food. But, supporting these key functions in your dog’s body isn’t the only thing that B-Vitamins can do. They’re also good for your dog because:
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B-Vitamins Support Healthy Digestion: When you add them toFIdo’s diet, expect to see an improvement to his overall digestive wellness. B-Vitamins play such an integral role in metabolizing ingredients that they can seriously influence your dog’s digestive health. Making sure they’re plentiful and ready to support his GI system, helps with overall gut health and digestive wellness.
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They Give Your Dog Plenty Of Energy: If you notice your pup is a little extra slow or sluggish, he’d likely benefit from a B-Vitamin boost! Adding B6, B12 and other B-Vitamins to Fido’s diet can help ensure he is fueled and ready to take on the day, even if he’s been for a long walk and gone to the dog park.
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B-Vitamins Help Fido Maintain Healthy Skin & A Strong Coat: Your dog needs a healthy coat to keep him healthy and protect him from environmental toxins. And, skin health is key when it comes to overall wellness. Vitamin B7, in particular, helps ensure your dog’s skin and his coat are healthy enough to support his health.
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They’re key for a healthy immune system: Did you know that the majority of your dog’s immune system actually lives in his digestive tract? That means that in order to protect immune function, you need to help Fido maintain healthy digestion, too. And B-Vitamins certainly do that! They benefit his immune system by making sure his digestive tract is functioning at its best.
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B-Vitamins Can Protect Against Pests: When you feed Fido a diet that’s rich in B-Vitamins, or you add them to his dog bowl as a supplement, you’re helping repel pests! B-Vitamins have been shown to help ward off creepy crawlers that can cause harm to our dogs — like fleas and ticks.
How To Add Pet Vitamins And Supplements To Your Dog’s Diet
If your dog is not consuming enough B-Vitamins on a daily basis, it could lead to deficiency, which is not healthy for your dog and can cause some uncomfortable symptoms. Your vet should be able to let you know whether or not your pup has a vitamin deficiency by administering a blood test, though B-Vitamin deficiency is pretty rare in dogs. What’s more common, though, is that your dog doesn't consume the optimal amount of B-vitamins to best support his health. And in this case, the fix is simple: add a supplement to his diet.
Look for a multivitamin that’s formulated with the optimal dose of B-Vitamins for your dog. Or, choose a supplement that includes B-Vitamins and a blend of additional ingredients that will support your dog in the way he needs it most. Like, trying a flea & tick supplement formulated with B-Vitamins and additional pest-repellent ingredients that will keep pesky creatures at bay. Or, try a skin and coat supplement that’s formulated with B-Vitamins and an ingredient list filled with Omega-3 Fatty Acids and antioxidants to help protect your pup’s skin.
However you decide to add B-Vitamins to your dog’s diet, make sure you get the go-ahead from your vet first and introduce the supplement to your dog’s diet gradually to avoid stomach upset.
PetHonesty Products That Are Full Of B-Vitamin Nutrition
Harness the flea-fighting power of B-Vitamins by adding Flea & Tick Defense Chews to your dog’s diet. They’re packed with ingredients that fleas, ticks and other parasites absolutely despise, so they are less likely to bother your dog! This formula includes B-Vitamins, garlic, coconut oil and more, all of which have been studied for their effects on pests. It’s a formula that’s chemical and toxin-free, but effective when it comes to supporting your pet.
Sources:
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/vitamins-dogs-need-healthy-lifestyle/
