How to give vitamin to cat?
If your cat is underweight, has symptoms of an illness or has low immunity, it is normal that you want to know if you can give them some vitamins to help them.
Mostly cats adopted or rescued from the streets may even have some nutritional deficiency.
But before offering vitamins to your cat, it is important to better understand what they are for . After all, they are substances that can cause some side effect to animals.
How to best proceed with vitamins for cats? We have prepared a special article for you on this subject, check it out!
Can I give cat vitamins?
The answer is: it depends. Below are some criteria you should evaluate before giving vitamins to your cat.
Evaluate how your cat is eating
If your cat is vaccinated correctly, deformed and has a balanced diet, it is very likely that the nutrients will be balanced and he will not need supplementation.
So the first step is to know that a good cat food, both dry and wet, is completely sufficient to meet the nutritional needs of these animals.
When buying a feed, look for the Premium or Super Premium types, which tend to have more vitamins, proteins with good digestibility and are enriched with important substances for cats, such as Taurine (a very important amino acid).
Consider eating naturally
Inferior quality feeds can present harm to the animal, such as:
Larger amounts of carbohydrates than indicated.
Insufficient amounts of good absorption proteins, which can harm your animal's development.
Little amount of water, usually only 10% of what is needed daily (when we talk about dry food), which can cause dehydration and kidney problems.
These problems could be avoided with a controlled natural diet. However, good quality feed (Premium and Super Premium types) have all the nutrients your cat needs, as they are already manufactured considering the breed, age and size of the animal.
Strengthen your water intake
An important question about feeding cats is that, if they eat dry food, it is important to increase their water intake so that they do not become dehydrated.
Dehydration reduces the absorption of nutrients in the body, as well as causing many other negative consequences. If you opt for wet food, it is made up of 80% water and still contains all the vitamins, proteins and other nutrients your cat needs.
Is your cat malnourished?
It is common to find abandoned cats that did not have a correct diet before being adopted or until they were not properly breastfed.
In addition, some health conditions can cause the cat to not be able to absorb nutrients properly or even lose its appetite, causing it to reject the feed and thus become vitamin deficient. Some examples are:
Viral infections such as Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) or FeLV
bacterial infections
Renal insufficiency
Liver and pancreas problems
Among others.
Consult a veterinarian
Never self-medicate your pet, otherwise it could have serious side effects. Excess vitamins in the body can overload organs - such as kidneys and liver - and still not have the desired effect.
So, if your cat is rejecting the feed, talk to the veterinarian so that he can make the correct assessment, diagnose possible illnesses and advise on the appropriate treatments. In addition to always being important to make sure your cat is really healthy.
Perform the appropriate laboratory tests that can identify any vitamin deficiency or malnutrition and, based on this information, your cat's veterinarian will be able to indicate the supplements to be taken.
What is the best supplement for cats?
Vitamins are important for the proper functioning of the organs, for the absorption of all nutrients during food and for strengthening the immune system. Here are some essential vitamins for cats:
Taurine vitamin: prevents the degeneration of the cat's retinas (avoiding possible blindness) and heart muscle, immunity declines, reproduction failures and other health problems.
Vitamin C: important to strengthen immunity.
Supplements with brewer's yeast: they can help in the digestion and absorption of proteins, fats and other nutrients, since they stimulate the bacterial flora of cats. They are, therefore, widely used as a vitamin for the cat to gain weight.
Vitamin B12: essential for elderly cats, which often have coalmine deficiency, important for the metabolism of these animals.
Vitamin B1 (called thiamine): essential for the functioning of the brain of cats and deficiency can cause neurological problems.
Vitamin E: an antioxidant that, in cats, can affect the liver and cause yellow fat disease.
But the best supplement will always be the one that meets your cat's specific needs and, it goes without saying, it should be recommended by your veterinarian.