Can I give my dog centrum?

Can providing your pet dog with Centrum make sense? This multivitamin is, of course, designed and dosed for us humans. Domesticated animals may or may not be able to absorb and metabolize the vitamins and minerals in this popular supplement. Lets take a closer look!

Centrum is a synthetic supplement and some will question its suitability, whether it be for humans or dogs. What’s certain is that receiving vital nutrients from food is much preferred to any bottled pills and this is especially true for canines.

If you do give your dog Centrum daily, you could be introducing inappropriate levels of certain vitamins and minerals because dogs and humans have different nutritional needs. That’s why a high quality dog food is so important.

Can I Give My Dog Centrum? Answer: Not Recommended

“Complete from A to Zinc” is a clever marketing catch phrase but this supplement is not recommended for pets.

Many people swear by Centrum, but that doesn’t make it suitable for dogs. Animals have different dietary requirements and this carries over the what’s in multi-vitamins like Centrum. There is usually no valid reason to give your dog this human health supplement. It may actually create nutritional imbalances. Instead, invest your money into a very high quality dog food. Fido will have plenty of energy and live life to the fullest without Centrum.

Not all supplements are inappropriate for pets. There are excellent vitamins designed specifically for dogs which we’ll discuss.

Centrum vs. K9 Chow

Do dogs even need to be given extra vitamins, like calcium or Centrum or iron, in addition to the food they receive daily? Many do not! Interestingly, hounds actually produce their own vitamin C. That said, if you are buying a low-grade filler dog food then your best buddy could certainly be lacking in some essential elements.

Do not kid yourself. Supplementing with Centrum is not going to even things out. Rather than providing human-formulated multivitamins, just get a top notch dog food brand that contains everything they need to thrive. You won’t need to worry about giving the family dog anything else.

If you want to be a proactive pet parent, one good way to supplement is by feeding small portions of carefully selected healthy people foods.

Vitamins for Dogs

So now you know that giving your pet dog any version of Centrum, to make up for a poor diet, is definitely the wrong approach. The good news is there are vitamins which are, in fact, appropriate for dogs because they were developed with canines in mind. We give our oldest a nutritional supplement containing calcium, antioxidants and important digestive enzymes.

Forget about Centrum Silver, the Multi-Gummies, the liquid or even the kids version because none make sense for Fido in our opinion.

The Sun & Vitamin D

Get your dog outside and in the sun. That will likely do a whole lot more for them than using Centrum or other human products. The sun’s rays have vitamin D. Studies conclude that pets aren’t getting enough sunlight, but if your dog has a thick coat then getting enough Vitamin D3 could be difficult due to lack of absorption.

Such nutritional deficiencies, or for growing puppies or dogs lactating or pregnant, may require a specialized supplement with a combination of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D3.

Conclusion on Centrum

Don’t give your dog Centrum as a way to supplement their diet. This multivitamin supplement could create imbalances, with very high and inappropriate doses of certain elements. Meet your pet’s nutritional needs by feeding a quality dog food that’s designed for them. Centrum is formulated for humans and these requirements are much different than those of our pets. Improve your dog’s diet or consider purchasing quality canine-formulated vitamins. Nature will take care of the rest.

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