Some dog owners believe their dog is completely healthy on a kibble diet, but there are some important nutrients that are not yet deemed essential under the official nutritional guidelines for pet foods.

Young animals can appear to be full of life and the picture of health but what is going on inside their bodies as they grow, mature and reach their senior years?

As dogs age, their owners may find they just don’t have the same vitality they once did. It’s often attributed to getting older but it could be a sign of nutritional deficiencies in the diet that are not yet fully understood.

Below are some nutrients that are found in a properly balanced raw diet but are often missing from commercially prepared pet foods. If your dog is missing out on these critical nutrients, consider supplementing their diet with K9 Platinum multivitamins and minerals!

Enzymes

Cooking food denatures live enzymes and can cause enzyme deficiency in your dog. A raw diet naturally provides enzymes that dogs have obtained during millions of years of evolutionary growth. Access to live enzymes allows the DNA of the cells to maintain its integrity.

If your pet can’t eat a raw diet, it’s a good idea to add a good quality digestive enzyme support supplement. Adding supplemental enzymes to the diet can improve digestion, metabolism, organ function, skin health, pet allergy symptoms and much more.

Synthetic vs Naturally Occurring Vitamins

Synthetic vitamins and minerals are “isolated” in a laboratory. They lack the cofactors and transporters found in naturally occurring vitamins.
The Organic Consumers Organization recognizes this and emphasizes that synthetic vitamins are not recognized and utilized by cells in the same manner as their naturally occurring counterparts.

Each natural-source vitamin has its own unique profile within the food that’s eaten; the enzymes and minerals that accompany it help the body absorb it. Vitamins and minerals are not used or recognized properly without enzymes. All the pieces of the diet must be present to maintain your dog’s health and vitality.

Most dry dog foods rely on synthetic vitamins and minerals for nutrition, so if you’re feeding kibble, your dog may not be getting the sustenance he needs for health.

Ideally, your dog’s nutrition should come from whole, fresh foods, but when supplementation is needed, always look for natural supplements derived from food, rather than synthetic products. Our K9 Platinum products are a great place to start, and you can get them delivered straight to your door from Pet Mineral Laboratories!