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Vitamins to Lengthen Lifespan of Dog

Submitted by Michael Adams on May 23, 2010

Just as vitamins are necessary for the human body, vitamin supplements are essential for an animal to cure any deficiency and to keep it hale and hearty. Most people take the dog to the vet when it is sick and it is during this period that it is fed antibiotics and vitamins. Antibiotics, however, have no way of distinguishing between the good and bad germs in the body, attacking them equally and allowing for the disease causing germs to gain dominance.

Pets are more susceptible to diseases and other toxins as they live closer to the ground and can inhale floor cleaners and other pesticides more than we humans do. Just as our junk food diet keeps us from essential nutrients, a pet fed on canned or packet food is likely to be deficient in necessary vitamins and minerals.

Processed food contains minimal nutrients and most claims of containing a well balanced diet are usually based on inadequate knowledge of the exact nutritional requirements of animals.

Vitamins can increase the lifespan of your animals, but you must take care to not overdo it. Vitamins are classified as water soluble and fat soluble, Vitamin A provides healthy skin, Vitamin D maintains the health of your pet’s teeth and bones. Vitamin C is usually produced internally by the animal, but it may not be enough for it to meet its requirements. This Vitamin acts as an excellent antioxidant and flushes toxins out of the blood stream while Vitamin B contributes to healthy skin, bones and blood. Minerals too are important as they contribute to a healthy coat, help in digestion, help maintain strong bones and teeth, and in the growth and repair of tissues. Diseases such as arthritis and dysplasia can affect a dog’s movement and cause stiffness in its joints. Vitamin supplements are likely to ease the discomfort, and boost the energy levels of the body. If the dog is not averse to tablets, that would be the easiest bet for you, but if it is, you might want to crush the tablets and mix them with meat or in something that the dog likes like peanut butter. At any rate your animal is likely to show symptoms when there is a deficiency, but to beat that you can add essential supplements to the diet like yogurt, oatmeal, rice, carrots and broccoli. Food becomes extremely important as a source of nutrition as Vitamin and mineral supplements usually contain all the major ones, leaving out trace minerals.

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