Do cats need extra vitamins?

Every loving owner wants his pet to be healthy and active. Therefore, many pet owners are wondering: should my cat be given vitamin supplements, or is she already getting everything she needs with food? How different in vitamin content is a balanced diet and regular food? Let’s study this issue in more detail.

The need for vitamins in cats depends on many factors – age, health, season and conditions of detention. Owners cannot independently determine this need for each vitamin, so the uncontrolled use of vitamin supplements sometimes leads to hypervitaminosis. And they can be more dangerous than a small lack of vitamins..

When do cats need vitamin supplements?

How can you tell if a cat is deficient in a particular vitamin? First of all, you need to consult a veterinarian. In some diseases, the absorption of certain substances worsens, and therefore their content in the diet should be increased.

What should alert the owner:

• peeling of the skin, hair loss;
• problems with digestion;
• poor appetite and weight loss;
• growth retardation;
• general lethargy, problems with movement.

In this case, contact your veterinarian immediately. It is not worth buying vitamins for wool or vitamins for immunity for a cat on your own, because such symptoms can be caused not only by hypovitaminosis, but also by an overabundance of certain vitamins. This happens when a cat is fed some offal or inadequate use of vitamin supplements.

vitamins in cat food Providing your pet with the necessary vitamins is easiest if you feed him professional food daily. It is produced taking into account the needs of the cat’s body in vitamins and minerals. In pet stores you will find special food for kittens, older cats, neutered animals, for cats with sensitive digestion and skin, for the prevention of hairballs in the gastrointestinal tract of cats, etc. The vitamin content of these foods is based on scientific research and allows you to maintain the health of your four-legged friend without the risk of getting hypervitaminosis.

For example, kitten food contains more omega-3 fatty acids, which play an important role in proper brain and vision development. Food for older cats contains less phosphorus so as not to burden the urinary system.

Now you know that cats should not be fed uncontrolled vitamins, even if it seems to you that they will help with hair loss. If you want to know more about the role vitamins play in the diet of pets, how to wean a cat beg for food Can you feed a pet human food, – read other articles on our website.