From A to Zinc, Exploring the key vitamins & minerals for variety

Feeding your dog as widely a varied diet as possible is the key to a successful raw diet. There reasons for this are laid out in the Brand & Protein blindness blog.

Ensuring your dog receives a well-balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals is crucial for their overall health and well-being.

It’s important to note that the nutrient content in food can vary based on factors such as protein type, farming practices, and soil quality. For this reason, we do not recommend using macros to calculate a dog's diet, as true nutrient levels can differ significantly.

Vitamin A 🦴

🔹 Benefits:

✔️ Enhances immunity

✔️ Supports eye health & skin

✔️ Protects against colds & infections

✔️ Slows the aging process

✔️ Important for bone & teeth formation

⚠️ Fat-soluble vitamin – Excess accumulation over time is possible, though toxicity from food alone is rare. Avoid adding vitamin A-rich foods if your dog’s diet already contains a vitamin premix with added vitamin A.

Sources of Vitamin A:

🐾 Meat: Chicken, pork, egg, salmon, halibut, haddock, sardine, liver, kidney, brain

🌿 Herbs: Alfalfa (organic only), borage leaves, burdock root, cayenne, eyebright, fennel seed, kelp, lemongrass, parsley, peppermint, raspberry leaf, red clover, rose hips, sage, uva ursi, watercress

🥦 Plants: Carrots, squash, pumpkin, kale, spinach, broccoli, apricots, peach

Vitamin B Complex 🔋

Each B vitamin plays an essential role in energy production, nervous system function, and overall well-being.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

✔️ Supports growth & development

✔️ Strengthens the nervous system

✔️ Helps reduce stress

Sources:🐾 Liver, rabbit, chicken, turkey, pork, egg, beef, salmon, haddock, sardine

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

✔️ Supports red blood cell production

✔️ Promotes healthy skin, hair & nails

✔️ Helps prevent cataracts

Sources:🐾 Liver, heart, kidney, rabbit, poultry, buffalo, egg, fish

🥬 Dark leafy greens

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

✔️ Essential for circulation & healthy skin

✔️ Increases energy levels

✔️ Aids digestion

Sources:🐾 Rabbit, poultry, lamb, pork, ostrich, buffalo, egg, fish

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

✔️ Improves stamina

✔️ Helps wounds heal

✔️ Strengthens immune function

Sources:🐾 Liver, heart, kidney, poultry, buffalo, egg, fish

🌿 Alfalfa, nettle, yellow dock

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

✔️ Aids fat & protein absorption

✔️ Supports kidney health

✔️ Beneficial for allergies & arthritis

Sources:🐾 Liver, kidney, heart, poultry, egg, fish

Vitamin B9 (Folate, Folic Acid)

✔️ Produces red blood cells

✔️ Supports iron metabolism

✔️ Important during pregnancy

Sources:🐾 Liver, poultry, egg, fish

🌿 Rosemary, parsley, spirulina

🥬 Dark leafy greens

Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)

✔️ Prevents anaemia

✔️ Supports nervous system health

✔️ Improves digestion & concentration

Sources:🐾 Liver, kidney, poultry, egg, fish

🌿 Alfalfa, hops

Vitamin C 🍊

✔️ Enhances immunity

✔️ Supports iron absorption

✔️ Boosts anti-stress hormone production

✔️ Antioxidant for tissue growth & repair

Sources:🐾 Liver, kidney, heart, fish

🥬 Cabbage, cauliflower, berries, kale

Vitamin D 🌞

✔️ Essential for calcium & phosphorus metabolism

✔️ Supports bone & teeth health

✔️ Helps prevent rickets & immune disorders

⚠️ Fat-soluble vitamin – Dogs rely entirely on dietary sources for vitamin D. Grass-fed or free-range proteins provide superior amounts.

Sources:🐾 Egg, sardine, liver, kidney, salmon

🌿 Alfalfa, nettle, parsley

Vitamin E ✨

✔️ Powerful antioxidant

✔️ Helps prevent heart disease & cancer

✔️ Protects cell health & skin

✔️ Regulates blood pressure

⚠️ Vitamin E absorption is low – Grass-fed meats contain 4x more vitamin E than grain-fed meats.

Sources:🐾 Ostrich, buffalo, egg, haddock, sardine, kidney, brain

🌿 Alfalfa, flaxseed, rose hips

Vitamin K 🩸

✔️ Promotes liver health

✔️ Supports bone formation & repair

✔️ Fat-soluble vitamin

Sources:🐾 Egg, haddock, sardine, liver

🌿 Green tea, kelp, nettle

Essential Minerals for Canine Health

Minerals play a vital role in your dog’s growth, development, and overall well-being. They support everything from bone strength and muscle function to immune health and digestion.

The availability of minerals in food can vary due to protein source, farming practices, and soil quality—which is why ensuring a balanced diet from natural sources is key to optimal nutrition.

Calcium 🦴

✔️ Builds & protects bones and teeth

✔️ Helps maintain a regular heartbeat

✔️ Prevents muscle cramping

⚠️ Young puppies require adequate calcium and phosphorus to ensure healthy skeletal development.

📍 Sources of Calcium:

🐾 Meat: Rabbit, poultry, pork, lamb, goat, egg, beef, salmon, haddock, sardine

🌿 Herbs: Alfalfa (organic only), dandelion, nettle, parsley, flaxseed, kelp, fennel seed

Copper ⚡

✔️ Converts iron into haemoglobin

✔️ Supports bone & joint health

✔️ Helps prevent anaemia

📍 Sources of Copper:

🐾 Meat: Poultry, pork, lamb, goat, egg, beef, salmon, haddock, sardine

🌿 Herbs: Sheep sorrel

Iodine 🛡️

✔️ Supports thyroid function

✔️ Helps metabolize excess fat

📍 Sources of Iodine:

🐾 Meat: Salmon, haddock, egg

🌿 Herbs: Calendula, tarragon leaf, turkey rhubarb

Iron 🩸

✔️ Essential for metabolism

✔️ Supports haemoglobin production

✔️ Prevents fatigue & weakness

📍 Sources of Iron:

🐾 Meat: Rabbit, poultry, pork, lamb, goat, egg, beef, salmon, haddock, sardine

🌿 Herbs: Alfalfa, burdock root, catnip, fennel seed, nettle, milk thistle

Magnesium 💙

✔️ Prevents calcification of soft tissues

✔️ Helps dissolve kidney stones

✔️ Supports cardiovascular health

📍 Sources of Magnesium:

🐾 Meat: Poultry, pork, lamb, goat, egg, beef, salmon, haddock, sardine

🌿 Herbs: Alfalfa, chamomile, fenugreek, nettle, parsley, raspberry leaf

Manganese 🧠

✔️ Supports nervous system health

✔️ Helps regulate blood sugar

✔️ Contributes to bone growth

⚠️ Little research exists on the exact amount needed or maximum safe intake.

⚠️ If your dog experiences repeated ligament or tendon injuries, ask your vet to check manganese levels.

📍 Sources of Manganese:

🐾 Meat: Rabbit, poultry, pork, lamb, goat, egg, beef, salmon, haddock, sardine

🌿 Herbs: Burdock root, chamomile, dandelion, ginseng, parsley, rose hips

Phosphorus 🦴

✔️ Supports bone formation & strength

✔️ Aids nerve function

✔️ Helps maintain heart rhythm

📍 Sources of Phosphorus:

🐾 Meat: Rabbit, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, egg, beef, salmon, haddock, sardine

🌿 Herbs: Burdock root, slippery elm bark

Potassium ⚡

✔️ Regulates water balance & muscle function

✔️ Supports nervous system health

✔️ Maintains healthy heart rhythm

📍 Sources of Potassium:

🐾 Meat: Rabbit, poultry, pork, lamb, goat, egg, beef, salmon, haddock, sardine

🌿 Herbs: Hops, nettle, red clover, sage, skullcap

Selenium 🔬

✔️ Protects immune system

✔️ Regulates thyroid function

✔️ Supports prostate health in males

📍 Sources of Selenium:

🐾 Meat: Rabbit, poultry, pork, lamb, goat, egg, beef, salmon, haddock, sardine

🌿 Herbs: Alfalfa, chamomile, fennel, garlic, nettle, raspberry leaf, rose hips

Zinc 🏥

✔️ Supports growth & mental alertness

✔️ Accelerates wound healing

✔️ Regulates oil glands & skin health

📍 Sources of Zinc:

🐾 Meat: Rabbit, poultry, pork, lamb, goat, egg, beef, salmon, haddock, sardine

🌿 Herbs: Chamomile, dandelion, fennel seed, milk thistle, rose hips, sage

Final Thoughts

Ensuring your dog receives a variety of whole-food mineral sources helps support their bones, muscles, heart, and immune system. By feeding ethically raised proteins, along with herbal and plant-based sources, you provide the essential building blocks for lifelong health! 🐾✨

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