How do you select the right dog vitamin from among all the dog vitamin products on the market? Researching the ingredients used in the different dog vitamin products can help to narrow your search. Generally speaking, you should select a dog vitamin product that will improve your dogs quality of life and increase life span. For optimal results, choose a vitamin that has been formulated with natural, human grade ingredients and follows the latest nutritional guidelines, as approved by the veterinary community.
The additives and preservatives contained in low grade, commercial dog food act like toxins in your dogs body. The right dog vitamin product should include vitamins that function as antioxidants to combat the effects of these substances. The toxins could cause long term damage to your dogs system and trigger the development of serious health issues.
Certain dog vitamins address a specific health problem, such as age related vision issues. Dogs experience an aging process that is similar to ours and triggers similar health issues. One of these issues involves vision deterioration. Your ideal dog vitamin should include Vitamin A, which is essential to good vision health and may reduce cataracts. Vitamin A and its precursor beta carotene are both super antioxidants that destroy carcinogens and boost immune function.
Vitamin B complex (including folic acid) and B2 (riboflavin) support eye health in general, but Vitamins C and E, along with Vitamin A, are the real dog vitamin heavy hitters when it comes to vision problems. A powerful antioxidant, Vitamin C protects the other antioxidants and stimulates the immune system through the production of antiviral substances and white blood cells. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C fights the effects of free radicals and lowers your dogs risk of developing cataracts. Vitamin E is also a powerful, free radical fighting antioxidant that works in concert with Vitamin C to support your dogs vision health.
Proper nutrition combined with lots of exercise and a dog vitamin that contains essential vitamins and minerals will slow the aging process and keep your dog in top condition. If you feed her a diet consisting of additive and pesticide free, human grade ingredients and supplement that diet with a dog vitamin that supports the immune system, you will be providing her wtih the best possible defense against vision problems.