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Do you take a daily vitamin supplement? Have you considered giving a similar supplement to your canine companion? The best vitamins for dogs are specifically formulated for the species to make up for any nutritional deficiencies in their diet. With canine health issues on the rise, maybe you should consider adding a daily vitamin to your dog's diet.
Remember that you should always consult your vet or a canine nutritionist before adding any type of supplements to your dog's diet. This or any other article online should not be a substitute for veterinary advice, and what you read below is simply an overview of the best dog vitamins that may help the dog to make up for certain nutritional deficiencies.
Veterinarians agree that in certain cases, vitamins can help dogs with specific diseases, prolong lifespan, or prevent difficult conditions.
“While supplements can add up monetarily, it is possible that they might save you some vet bills in the long run by slowing down the effects of some subclinical problems,” – Dr. John Bauer, Professor of Small Animal Medicine via VetMed
The vet also says that while completely healthy dogs with very well-balanced diets don't need any supplements or vitamins, pet owners who feed their canines homemade dog food may want to add some vitamins for dogs just to be safe:
“When I formulate home diets for patients I have the owner add a human multi-vitamin. The amount will vary based on the size and breed of your dog so if you are formulating your own diet make sure to check with your veterinarian before for dosage guidelines.” – Dr. John Bauer
Always look at the ingredients in your dog's food to make sure that you're not giving him too much of a certain supplement. No vitamins or supplements can be a substitute for a proper dog diet and healthy dog food. So, if your dog's food already has a sufficient amount of iron in it, you don't want to add any more to his diet to avoid any potential issues.
When it comes to dog vitamins and dog supplements, you don't want to try and make this decision on your own. You need to consult an expert who can help you make this decision. Including any of these best vitamins for dogs in your pet's diet is supposed to aid in his overall health, but owners must be careful about any changes to their canine's diet.
Dog Vitamins | Price | Quality | Rating |
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Pro-Sense Daily Multivitamin Chewable Tablets | $ | B | 4.4/5 |
Tomlyn High-Calorie Nutritional Supplement | $ | B+ | 4.7/5 |
Nutri-Vet Bladder Control Chewables | $$ | A- | 4.2/5 |
SOLID GOLD Sea Meal Powder | $$ | A | 4.5/5 |
Vet's Best Seasonal Allergy Support | $ | B | 3.7/5 |
*Click on the dog vitamin brand for more information, prices, and nutrition. Alternatively, scroll down below to read our overview.
Below, we've listed five of the best vitamins for dogs that are most commonly bought and recommended by veterinarians to pet parents. Not all dog owners will find these dog vitamins essential for their pets, and some may need other types of supplements for the specific needs of a dog. For that, we've listed fifteen other commonly purchased vitamins for dogs as alternatives.
Please note that this list is NOT a recommendation – read FDA's stance on vitamins/supplements. There's currently no scientific evidence on the effectiveness of supplements for animals or humans. Please always consult with your veterinarian before giving your dog any type of medicine, supplements, or vitamins.
Need help with giving dogs vitamins, medicine, and pills?
Many dog parents struggle with this and don't know how to give a dog medicine, vitamins, or supplements. This is very common since we already know that our pets aren't big lovers of suspicious-looking pills. Fortunately, there's more than one way to give a dog medicine or vitamins and supplements. We've made an in-depth video and step-by-step article with advice on how to do this properly and safely.
FULL GUIDE: How To Give A Dog Medicine and Vitamins – Actionable Tips & Advice
Top 5 Best Vitamins for Dogs to Improve Health (based on pet owners' popular choice)
1 Pro-Sense Daily Multivitamin
A bottle of Pro-Sense multivitamins contains 90 tasty and chewable tablets. This nutritional supplement is formulated for adult dogs that are picky eaters or those that are unable to meet their daily nutritional requirements for various reasons. It enhances the immune system and helps those who are recovering from an illness.
- Dog vitamin reviews: Read the opinions of other pet owners
Each tablet has adequate levels of linoleic acid, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium. They also contain vitamins A, B complex, C, D3, and E, along with other minerals. Another feature that makes this product one of the best vitamins for dogs is that it is made in the USA. Dog owners with ailing and aging dogs found this supplement very helpful. Its brewer’s yeast content helped control fleas and many skin issues.
According to many buyers, their dogs showed increased appetite and improved weight. Their dogs also had more energy after a few weeks of adding Pro-Sense Daily Multivitamin Chewable Tablets to their diet. Since most dogs enjoyed the taste of the tablets and even acted like they were a treat, making them take them regularly was not typically an issue. Most owners who purchased this product found that there was no need to hide the tablet behind treats or mask a smell with anything.
A few buyers reported that they never got to try it on their dog because their dog just refused the tablet. Several said that the tablets were too hard to chew, while others solved this by breaking the tablet and mixing it in with dog food. Still, others complained about the smell of the brewer’s yeast. Most of the dogs got over this initial reaction, and so did most of the pet owners.
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Most helpful dog owner’s review (read the full Amazon review): “These are an awesome all-around vitamin that don’t cost an arm and a leg! My dogs would all be fat as can be if I fed the amount of food recommended on dog food bags-even the high quality feeds. I give these daily so I don’t have to worry about them not getting enough vitamins when I feed about half the recommended serving of dog food to keep my dogs from being obese. My dogs have all loved them, taking them just like a treat!”
2 Tomlyn High-Calorie Nutritional Supplement
This is a gel-type supplement that can be added to dog food or licked off the tip of your finger. It is recommended for puppies that have lost appetite or those that are not able to get their caloric requirement from their diet. The ingredients in this nutritional supplement from Tomlyn include soybean oil, which is the main source for LA and ALA. It also includes cod liver oil as the main source of EPA and DHA.
- Dog vitamin reviews: Read the opinions of other pet owners
Correct doses of the gel will provide your dog with the required protein, fat, and calcium. It also includes vitamins A, B, D, and E. A tube contains 4.25 ounces. Long-time users of the best vitamins for dogs think of this as their miracle supplement, especially for undernourished pups. It's also worked wonders for puppies under any sort of stress, such as transported pups or rescued pups.
Testimonies include many cases of hypoglycemia in very delicate puppies. A dose of this gel gave the quick boost of calories and increase in appetite needed by the puppies to survive. Ailing puppies that would not take anything were willing to eat Tomlyn High-Calorie Nutritional Supplement for Puppies, thus improving their eagerness for food.
Some customers bought this product only for occasional use, such as hypoglycemia emergencies, and not as a regular supplement or a regular part of their dogs’ nutritional regimen. However, according to a majority of buyers, they find it a great way to supplement and improve food intake in their growing dogs until they’re ready for the best vitamins for dogs formulated for adults.
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Most helpful dog owner’s review (read the full Amazon review): “My dogs love the taste of this and one of them has been sick so I wanted to make sure he was getting all the nutrients he needed. He loved it, I put it on a treat as a topper and he just eats it, I know it says wipe it in the mouth or put on your finger but it’s a bit sticky and easier to just add as a topper to a treat I know he will eat. My other dog loved it as well – highly recommend and the price for the pack was good.”
3 Nutri-Vet Bladder Control Chewables
A bottle of this supplement contains 90 chewable tablets. Its main ingredients include beef liver, pork liver, pumpkin seed powder, and a variety of beneficial roots and herbs. This supplement from Nurti-Vet is flavored with smoked ham to make it more enticing. It was formulated to improve bladder health and solve issues of incontinence.
- Dog vitamin reviews: Read the opinions of other pet owners
A tablet contains isoflavones, vitamin C, and magnesium. It is made in the USA. The time that it took for this supplement to take effect varied from dog to dog. Many reported amazing results as early as 3-5 days after their dog, with minor incontinence problems, started the first dose. Others said it worked after about a month.
Taken with vet prescriptions, the adverse effects of medicines were significantly reduced until dog owners were only using Nutri-Vet Bladder Control Chewables for Dogs. Most were greatly relieved to be using these supplements instead of medicines that had side effects. These pet parents were also able to taper these medicines until they didn’t need them anymore for their dog’s wetting problem.
While this worked a miracle for most customers, it didn’t improve the leaking problem of all dogs that took it. That’s not surprising since there are many factors that contribute to how dogs react to supplements, or medicines for that matter. Generally, most consider this the perfect solution to their dogs’ incontinence without resorting to prescription drugs. Dogs also seem to like taking it.
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Most helpful dog owner’s review (READ THE FULL AMAZON REVIEW): “We love our dogs but no one wants to find their dog asleep in a puddle of pee. Many dogs, especially fixed females. lose urine in their sleep. This works to stop that. Our 80 pound dog readily eats 3 a day and no longer floods her bed if she is overtired…”
4 SOLID GOLD Sea Meal Powder
This powder supplement is diluted in water and mixed with dog food. It needs to be administered twice daily. The ingredients in this supplement from SOLID GOLD include seaweed, flaxseed, lemon pineapple, lactose, Aspergillus Oryzae and Aspergillus Niger. It makes our list of the best vitamins for dogs because it is a good source of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fiber. It's also an excellent source of essential fatty acids and digestive enzymes.
- Dog vitamin reviews: Read the opinions of other pet owners
The biggest bag of this supplement that you can order weighs 5 pounds. Smaller sizes in 1 pound and 8 ounces are also available. It is made in the USA. Customers observed a significant improvement on their pets within a month of using this product. It has been indispensable in their dogs’ recovery from various illnesses and skin disorders ever since.
The growth of shiny new coats on areas that used to be red scaly patches is proof enough for many pet owners as to the efficacy of this sea meal. Other buyers of SOLID GOLD Sea Meal Powder for Pets seemed impatient to see results after a month of administering it to their dogs. They stopped using it after seeing none. While it took only a few weeks for some to start seeing improvement, there were conditions that took a couple of months or so.
The reason most pet owners stuck to this product and unfailingly used it every day was their aversion to drugs. They’d rather wait and let this natural formulation bring results. For the majority of the buyers, this product has been extremely effective, and they’ve been using it regularly. They consider it one of the best vitamins for dogs.
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Most helpful dog owner’s review (READ THE FULL AMAZON REVIEW): “Update: Amazing results for malnourished cats and kittens and for older dogs with dry skin and age-related ailments. All of the cats we have rescued off our street have come with malnutrition, some at starvation levels, and some near death with viral infections needing isolation from others…”
5 Vet's Best Seasonal Allergy Support
Rounding out our list of the best vitamins for dogs is this anti-allergy supplement from Vet's Best that helps keep histamine at normal levels. It also enhances the immune system and improves the overall condition of your dog's skin. The main ingredients include citrus, nettle, perilla leaf, and quercetin. Brewer’s yeast, fish oil, chlorella, spirulina, bee pollen, rosemary extract, and sea algae extract are also included.
- Dog vitamin reviews: Read the opinions of other pet owners
A bottle of these best vitamins for dogs contains 60 tablets. They can be administered twice daily to dogs at least a year old. Satisfied customers who have spent thousands of dollars at the vet for anti-allergy shots were greatly relieved to find this product. This supplement proved so much better than prescription drugs, which not only increased their pet’s weight but also compromised the immune system.
Compared to huge medical bills and undesirable side effects, this was a heaven-sent and inexpensive solution for allergy-prone dogs and their owners. Still, some dogs did not react well to this product. Vet's Best Seasonal Allergy Support Supplement for Dogs either didn’t help the dog’s condition at all or it caused the dog to get sick.
These pets, especially the sensitive types, could have reacted to some of the ingredients. This only shows that one solution won’t always work for all conditions, even if they are the best vitamins for dogs. However, the natural components of this supplement may also need time to heal the dog’s condition. It’s actually the same reason why pet owners prefer this supplement – it’s from natural ingredients, so it is generally safe.
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Most helpful dog owner’s review (read the full Amazon review + PHOTOS): “We started having skin issues with my lab two years ago, when she was only 8 months old. She would scratch so much she was bleeding, and we've had to bring her into the vet countless times for antibiotic and topicals…”
15 More of the Best Dog Vitamins for Other Deficiencies
The above list of the best vitamins for dogs is based on input from pet owners and what vets often recommend using for their canines. These are essentially the most popular dog vitamins that the majority of dog owners use. However, please note that it DOES NOT mean that your pooch also needs to consume these vitamins. Before making any nutritional adjustments to your pet's diet, please consult with your veterinarian.
Below, we're listing fifteen more common dog vitamins that may help with certain diseases or prevent disorders in dogs, but please do not assume that they will. Note that there is very little research available on how effective some of these vitamins are, so use them with caution and consult with your veterinarian beforehand.
- Grizzly Salmon Oil All-Natural Dog Food Supplement
- NaturVet 90 Count Omega Gold Plus Salmon Oil Soft Chews
- Nutramax Cosequin DS Plus with MSM Chewable Tablets
- GlycoFlex 3 Hip and Joint Support for Dogs
- Diggin' Your Dog Firm Up Pumpkin Super Supplement
- Amazing Turmeric for Dogs Curcumin Pet Antioxidant
- Extra Strength Chewable Joint Supplement For Dogs
- NaturVet 70 Count Aller-911 Allergy Aid Plus
- Actistatin Canine Extra Strength Soft Chews
- RESOURCES Canine CAS Options
- Solid Gold Berry Balance Nutritional Supplement Powder
- S Adenosyl 225 (SAMe)
- Vetri-Science Cardio-Strength
- MaxxiSAMe SAM-e Supplement
- Missing Link 1-Pound Well Blend Nutritional Supplement
Now it's your turn to pitch in. Have you used any of these vitamins with your dogs, and if so, how did they work? Did you notice any health improvements in your pet? Please share your observations with other pet owners in the comments below!
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