Skip to content One of the keys to a dog’s health is its proper development and growth in the first years of life. Eating a regular feed does not always provide a growing body with all the nutrients it needs. And then it is recommended to introduce special vitamins for puppies into the diet. Vitamin supplements are selected based on the weight of the animal, breed characteristics, and a number of other factors. The veterinarian can choose the most suitable option. Consultation of a specialist in this case is mandatory, since not only a deficiency, but also an excess of a number of mineral elements and vitamins can lead to negative consequences.
The importance of a complete diet for puppies
Breeding a large breed puppy is not an easy task. Giant dogs need not only a large amount of food, but also a tightly controlled ratio of the main nutrients and biologically active substances in this food. An imbalance or lack of nutrients can be detrimental to a puppy’s development. Too many carbohydrates, the content of plant proteins reduce the cost of feed, but badly affect the future of the dog. Malnourished puppies tend to have joint and bone problems, poor teeth, prone to skin diseases and weight gain.
Healthy development. In order for a puppy to develop correctly and harmoniously, it needs a variety of nutrients. They allow for active cell growth, strengthening of bones and joints, blood vessels and the nervous system, and the muscle frame. That is why it is important to feed the animal with a balanced diet rich in vitamins, or give the latter separately.
A good supply of energy. Insufficient physical activity can lead to obesity, muscle congestion, and joint pain. A properly selected diet, rich in vitamin and mineral complex, allows the puppy to stock up on strength for daily activity.
Strengthening the immune system. Fragile young organisms, especially in the first months of life, are susceptible to many diseases due to immature immunity. To successfully resist diseases, prevent their development or quickly cope with them, a puppy needs a solid supply of nutrients in the body.
Smooth transition to adult nutrition. The puppy ceases to be such when fully grown and finishes gaining weight. At this point, the dog must be switched to adult food. To ensure a smooth transition, the animal’s body needs to be supported. And vitamin complexes are an excellent option for such support.
What useful substances do puppies need?
Vitamins
- Participates in improving vision, skin and coat condition.
- B (group). They help to normalize the work of the nervous system, are responsible for the activity of the animal.
- Indispensable in strengthening the walls of blood vessels, ensuring the correct functioning of the heart, regulating metabolism, improving the body’s immune system, preventing the development of cancer. In dogs, vitamin C is synthesized in the liver, but during active growth it may not be enough.
- Promotes the normalization of phosphorus-calcium metabolism, is needed to prevent the development of bone diseases, can have a positive effect on the work of the heart.
- Helps fight the harmful effects of free radicals on the body and is considered an excellent antioxidant.
- F (group). A combination of several fatty acids: linoleic, linolenic, arachidonic. Participate in improving metabolism in the body, remove cholesterol.
Mineral elements
- Iron. Large dogs need a lot of iron. It is necessary for the formation of hemoglobin in blood cells; without it, the normal process of hematopoiesis is impossible. To compensate for the deficiency of the substance, it is necessary to feed the puppy with liver, red meat, or give special supplements. With a deficiency, anemia develops, the puppy gains weight poorly, is ill a lot.
- Calcium. Allows you to strengthen the bones, claws, teeth of the pet. A lack of a substance can cause the development of various pathologies, including rickets.
- Zinc. Participates in the proper functioning of cells, allows you to stimulate cell division, saturation with the necessary nutrients.
- Iodine. The element helps to maintain a healthy hormonal background, is responsible for the functioning of the reproductive system, the thyroid gland, as well as the brightness and density of the coat.
- Copper. The substance is involved in the synthesis of proteins and enzymes and allows for the full functioning of the organs of the circulatory, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, excretory and other systems. With a lack of copper, the pigmentation of the coat and nasal mirror is disturbed, anemia occurs, the puppies are stunted.
Signs of a lack of vitamins in puppies
- Vitamin A deficiency
Symptoms of element deficiency are not immediately visible. The main signs of deficiency are growth retardation, weight gain, lethargy, low activity, strong thirst when refusing food. At advanced stages, there may be problems with the gastrointestinal tract, vision, and the respiratory system.
- Vitamin B2 deficiency
Symptoms, as in the first case, are refusal to eat, even a loved one, low activity. The puppy begins to lose weight. The consequences of deficiency can be vision problems, hair loss, interruptions in the functioning of the nervous system, heart, paresis of the hind limbs.
- Vitamin B5 deficiency
Symptoms are loss of appetite, indigestion, drowsiness, apathy. Vitamin is responsible for the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates necessary for normal life. The deficiency can lead to skin inflammation, growth disorders.
- Vitamin B6 deficiency
A lack of vitamin can often lead to disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. The consequences are convulsions. The first signs of a lack of B6 are increased anxiety in the dog and trembling in the paws, in advanced cases, seizures appear, during which the puppy may lose consciousness from pain.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
Typical symptoms are severe weight loss (up to the appearance of ribs) with a complete lack of appetite, sometimes a rash appears on the skin that causes itching. Lack of vitamin provokes malfunctions of the digestive system, possibly constipation or diarrhea. In advanced cases, anemia may develop.
- Vitamin C deficiency
Lack of vitamin is characterized by general weakness, low activity, drowsiness. Vitamin C deficiency in dogs is directly related to liver health, and therefore often accompanies hepatopathy.
- Vitamin D deficiency
Even if a dog’s diet contains enough vitamin D, vitamin D deficiency can arise from a lack of phosphorus and calcium, as well as little exposure to the sun. It is characterized by the following symptoms: disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, increased abnormal appetite, changes in the size of the joints, possible deformation of the bones, lameness, convulsions.
- Vitamin E deficiency
At the initial stage, there are no obvious symptoms. When neglected in puppies, the hind legs may fail, intermittent claudication is observed. Lack of vitamin can also lead to reproductive disorders and a problem in further breeding work.
- Vitamin K deficiency
The main symptom is considered hemorrhagic diathesis – an increased predisposition to hemorrhage. Because of this, any injury can lead to blood loss and related consequences: poor wound healing, suppuration, etc.
Fortunately, severe cases of vitamin deficiency are extremely rare. In puppies of large and giant breeds, hypovitaminosis and mineral deficiency are usually manifested by mild depression and loss of activity, and sometimes by the desire to eat soil, feces, and other inedible substances. But in an adult dog, errors in puppy feeding can manifest themselves as weak and fragile bones, arthrosis, early loss of teeth, the development of hepato- and nephropathies, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. To prevent hypovitaminosis and its consequences, it is necessary to enrich the animal’s diet with feed additives.
