If you love your pet, you want to keep him or her as healthy as possible. In order to do this, you will want to make sure that your animal has all the nutrients that he or she needs to survive and live a healthy lifestyle. You will want to make sure that your pet has all the minerals needed to coordinate body functions and maintain normal activities. While a lack of minerals can be a concerning health hazard for your pet, too many minerals can also be dangerous.
That is why it is significant for you to have a delicate balance between too many minerals and too little minerals. You will want to choose dog foods that have a balanced level of these helpful vitamins. Dog food manufacturers need to make sure that all minerals can survive processing and storage and must also be of good quality so that they can be absorbed by your dog or cat.
Most of the essential minerals your pet needs come from fruits and veggies. Just like these fruits and veggies are good for us, they are very healthy for our animals. Sometimes, the minerals your pet needs will have to be sourced through a powder. This is because the minerals in raw fruits and vegetables often can’t survive the processing. Some of the most important minerals that you will need to obtain for your pet are macro minerals. These include calcium, phosphorus, chloride, potassium, magnesium, sodium and more.
If your pet doesn’t have adequate amounts of these important health boosters, than your animal will probably have weak bones and other deficiencies. Young animals that have over supplications of these minerals may develop abnormalities and development issues. Still, a large dog without calcium may obtain a fracture easily. Calcium and phosphorus are also essential when it comes to muscle growth, blood coagulation, and the nervous system function.
Dogs also need sodium and chloride to control the balance of fluids in the body. If there is an imbalance of these important elements, then it will result in hair loss, dehydration, fatigue, or the potential for paralysis. If your pet doesn’t have enough potassium, then his or her heart will not beat normally, which can lead to a cardiac abnormality. Without sulfur, your animal will have a dull coat and poor skin and nails. Sulfur also helps your animal to heal when ill or injured and detoxifies the body of dangerous disease-carrying bacteria. In addition to macro minerals, your animal also needs to obtain trace minerals. These are only need in very small amounts, but are essential in a healthy diet.
These include iron, zinc, copper, iodine, magnesium, and selenium. Iron is important for the oxygenation of red blood cells and the maintenance of the immune system, zinc also helps to support the immune system and aids in digestion. You may be wondering where all of these minerals will come from? Thankfully, if you can find a trustworthy pet food, the minerals may all be inside the kibble. You should talk to your veterinarian to see what pet kibbles or wet foods he or she recommends.
Many times a vet has experimented with foods and can tell which ones have all the minerals that are important for your pet’s health. If the kibble that you feed your dog or cat is lacking an essential mineral, you may be able to give your pet a powder with that important element. You can purchase many mineral powders at pet stores and sprinkle them over your pet’s food when it is eating time. Contact a local veterinarian if you want more information about feeding your dog properly!