Here are some key points about vitamins for animals. More detail and supporting information is in the main article Vitamins are organic compounds that are needed in small quantities to sustain life. Most vitamins need to come from food. Each organism has different vitamin requirements. For example, humans need to consume vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, but dogs do not. Dogs can produce, or synthesize, enough vitamin C for their own needs, but humans cannot.
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What are vitamins
Different vitamins have different roles, and they are needed in different quantities.There are 13 known vitamins.Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble.Fat-soluble vitamins are easier for the body to store than water-soluble.Vitamins always contain carbon, so they are described as "organic."Food is the best source of vitamins, but some people may be advised by a physician to use supplements.
A vitamin is one of a group of organic substances that is present in minute amounts in natural foodstuffs. Vitamins are essential to normal metabolism. If we do not take enough of any kind of vitamin, certain medical conditions can result.A vitamin is an organic compound, which means it contains carbon. It is an essential nutrient that body cannot produce enough of and which it needs to get from food.Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble.
Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the fatty tissues of the body and the liver. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble. These are easier to store than water-soluble vitamins, and they can stay in the body as reserves for days, and sometimes months.Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of fats, or lipids.
Water-soluble vitamins do not stay in the body for long. The body cannot store them, and they are soon excreted in urine. Because of this, water-soluble vitamins need to be replaced more often than fat-soluble ones.Vitamin C and all the B vitamins are water soluble.
Brief introduction of common vitamins
Chemical name: Ascorbic acid
It is water soluble.
Deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia.
Good sources include: fruit and vegetables. The Kakadu plum and the camu camu fruit have the highest vitamin C contents of all foods. Liver also has high levels. Cooking destroys vitamin C.
Chemical names: Ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol.
It is fat soluble.
Deficiency may cause rickets and osteomalacia, or softening of the bones.
Good sources: Exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) through sunlight or other sources causes vitamin D to be produced in the skin. Also found in fatty fish, eggs, beef liver, and mushrooms.
Many animals can manufacture vitamin B3 (niacin) in their livers, converting tryptophan, an amino acid, into the vitamin, which helps the body release energy from food. Any protein-rich food will provide a good source of tryptophan.
The friendly bacteria in the guts of animals synthesize vitamin K, which is needed for blood clotting. It takes a while for the levels of friendly gut bacteria to establish in newborn animals, so these may be at risk of vitamin K deficiency. Animals that are on antibiotics to treat infections may lose their friendly bacteria and so may not get enough vitamin K until their levels of bacteria increase again.
Chemical names: Pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, pyridoxal
It is water soluble.
Deficiency may cause anemia, peripheral neuropathy, or damage to parts of the nervous system other than the brain and spinal cord.
Good sources include: meats, bananas, whole-grains, vegetables, and nuts. When milk is dried, it loses about half of its B6. Freezing and canning can also reduce content.
Chemical name: Pantothenic acid
It is water soluble.
Deficiency may cause paresthesia, or "pins and needles."
Good sources include: meats, whole-grains (milling may remove it), broccoli, avocados, royal jelly, and fish ovaries.
Vitamins are beneficial for animals
Animals eating a healthy, balanced diet, whether shop-bought or homemade, should get all the vitamins they need from their food. It’s worth checking the ingredients list on the back of the animal food pack or tin to see what vitamins it already includes – extra supplements may not be required and giving an animal too many vitamins can be harmful.
Animals that have been eating a poor quality diet, such as strays and rescue animals, or animals that have been eating the wrong food may need additional vitamins. Grazing animals that have been kept in a field where the grass is growing on poor soil may not be getting all the nutrients they need. If the animal does require extra vitamins, choose a suitable vitamin supplement formulated for the specific type of animal, and do not give human vitamin supplements or vitamin supplements designed for a different animal, as the daily recommended dietary allowance will be different.
Adding essential vitamin can help increase energy and keep healthier skin and coat for animals. More important, vitamin can help strengthen immune system if animals and then help animals ward off diseases. In addition, vitamin can also help improve liver and kidney function.
This short article shows you what vitamins are and common types of animals. At last, the article explained what do vitamins do for animals. Vitamins are essential for animals, like vitamin C and vitamin k. They have different functions. If adding extra vitamins to animals are necessary, you can select appropriate vitamins to feed. Hope this article can help you.