Vitamins for kittens: how to improve your pet's health

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Vitamins for kittens are necessary so that they can fully develop and not suffer from disorders in the formation of bones and internal organs. A cat normally feeds its cubs for quite a long time, and for kittens the best vitamins are found in mother's milk. However, more often babies begin to be separated from their mother and sent to another home from the age of one month, and therefore owners need to provide their pets with everything they need. Even the highest quality and balanced nutrition will not be able to provide a kitten’s growing body with all the vitamins it needs.

Why does a kitten need vitamins?

The cat's body has a complex biochemical structure; for its normal functioning it is necessary to maintain a balance of minerals and consume the necessary substances. Without them, the animal will develop incorrectly - vision may be impaired, bones and claws may grow abnormally, and general health will deteriorate.

Modern high-class dry food is enriched with vitamins, but if a kitten’s diet consists of natural products or budget-class food, then it needs to additionally take special complexes.

Cats cannot always give birth on their own. Sometimes pets need help from their owner. Therefore, it is worth knowing how to prepare for the birth of a cat, how to determine the gender of a kitten, and what you can name a cat.

TOP 5 drugs

You can fight hypovitaminosis if you buy the required type of vitamin separately, but it is more convenient to use multivitamins with a balanced composition. Choosing good drugs at the pharmacy is difficult; you need to take many parameters into account. To do this, you can make an appointment with a doctor, read reviews or focus on the TOP 5 drugs for women of different ages.

SOLGAR, Laboratoires INELDEA, Nature's Bounty, FINE JAPAN, INFINITY, UNIMAT - you can select a complex based on age or health status. The manufacturer offers multivitamins for girls leading an active lifestyle and for those preparing for motherhood. You can buy a special drug for women over 45 years old; for older people there are tablets with vitamin D and calcium and many other multivitamin complexes.

• Orthomol is a line of vitamin products for women, which are available in capsules, drinking liquid and granules for preparing a solution. Contains all the necessary substances to maintain health at different ages.
• Vitrum - includes micro- and macroelements in the required dosages. For young girls there are medicines from the Beauty series, and for older girls - Beauty Elit, they contain substances that allow you to strengthen your nails and maintain the beauty of your hair. There are medications for pregnancy planning that contain omega-3 acids.
• Dopelgerts Active menopause - a vitamin complex for women after menopause. The peculiarity is that it contains all the necessary substances for the prevention of heart disease and osteoporosis.
• Duovit is a drug for women that can be taken at any age. The tablets are divided into two types depending on the compatibility of the components.

If you take vitamin supplements comprehensively from the age of 20, you can maintain a high level of health. Prevention from age 50 will prevent the early development of osteoporosis. In adulthood, there are many concomitant diseases that require adjustments in vitamin intake. This was not provided for in the previous generation of drugs, but you can purchase new products that are specially designed for patients with cardiovascular pathologies, diabetes mellitus or joint diseases.

What vitamins do small pets usually need?

In dry food and vitamin complexes, everything is balanced and meets the needs of a small cat. But it is important to know what is included there and what is responsible for in the animal’s body. This knowledge will be useful for determining hypo- or hypervitaminosis.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the features of feeding kittens, as well as the pros and cons of the following brands of dry food: Farmina, Gina, Acana, Royal Canin, 1st Choice.

Vitamin A

Retinol must be supplied regularly to your pet’s body for up to 6 months. This vitamin is important for cell growth and renewal, skin and excellent vision.

Did you know? A high content of vitamin A can lead to death, so it is dangerous to eat the liver of some animals - polar bears, sharks.

B vitamins

This group includes the following substances:

• B1 is important for proper digestion of food and normal metabolism. Participates in the breakdown of carbohydrates and gives the animal energy;
• B2 - necessary for weight gain and soft, healthy coat;
• B5 - for kidney function, healthy skin and coat. Without it, dermatitis will appear, and hair will fall out during shedding;
• B6 - needed for the absorption of food, in particular proteins, to eliminate cramps;
• B12 - with its participation the pet’s liver and nervous system work.

Vitamin D

As in a human child, the vitamin helps the cat absorb calcium and is responsible for the absence of rickets and normal growth of bones, teeth and claws.

Vitamin E

It is an antioxidant that counteracts free radicals entering the kitten's body. Responsible for the pet's reproductive system and puberty.

Vitamin K

Needed for good blood clotting. Vitamin K deficiency very often causes an abundance of fish in a kitten's diet. If for some reason fish predominates in the diet, be sure to give this vitamin additionally.

For adult cats

In tablets

Polidex Multivitum

pros

• help with unbalanced diet
• preserve fur
• improve appetite
• suitable for capricious animals
• do not contain dyes or flavors

Minuses

• large tablets
• an adult animal needs 4-5 pcs per dose

From 498 ₽

Vitamins improve the condition of the coat, it stops falling out during times of stress and poor nutrition. They don’t add glitter, large ones in volume, so that the cat will eat them, you must either crush them into powder and mix them into food, or make an effort so that she swallows them. Suitable for both regular and purebred animals.

Farmavit Active for cats “Beauty and health of fur”

pros

• affordable price
• the loss stops
• a healthy shine to the coat appears
• the cat eats itself
• suitable for kittens from 3 months

Minuses

• not detected

From 182 RUR

An inexpensive product that helps restore the coat after illness or allergies. For an adult animal, 1 tablet per day is enough. Cats eat them themselves, the composition is balanced. The effect appears within a week of regular use. Suitable for those who have suffered hair loss or for prevention of furry breeds.

Liquid

Canina Energy Gel

pros

• energy source
• increase appetite
• help improve digestion
• increase muscle mass
• help recover from illnesses and surgeries

Minuses

• are expensive

From 805 ₽

Liquid vitamins for young and older cats help overcome nutritional crises after stress, illness or surgery. Restore muscle tissue and improve the condition of the coat. Also used before competitions on show animals to ensure the appearance matches the event.

Agrovet protection VitTri-1

pros

• prevention and treatment of hypovitaminosis
• restore muscle tissue
• cats eat them themselves
• suitable for other pets
• Help kittens gain vitality

Minuses

• allergic reactions are possible

From 162 RUR

Inexpensive but effective drops. They are added to food, cats like them, and can be used for dogs or other pets. The coat becomes shiny and looks well-groomed. The skin softens. Suitable for fortification in winter, when there is a lack of nutrients and minerals in the body.

Lack of vitamins: how to detect and what to do

Often, owners do not know the rules for preparing a nutritious diet for a young cat or feed it “human” food. In such situations, there may be an imbalance of substances and a lack of any vitamin.

Symptoms and signs of vitamin deficiency

When vitamin deficiency occurs, your pet’s health suffers, its behavior changes, and its normal daily routine is disrupted:

• the baby becomes inactive, loses interest in games and toys, sleeps a lot;
• loses confidence in movement, appears clumsiness, clubbing, staggers when walking;
• the fur becomes dull and begins to fall out;
• sudden weight loss, lack of weight gain, protruding rib bones and spine.
• frequent illnesses.

These signs are sufficient reason to take your pet to a doctor to prescribe the necessary nutritional supplements.
Find out what diseases kittens have.

How to understand which vitamin a kitten lacks

Only a doctor can determine exactly what is missing after receiving test results.

The first “bells” of a problem may be some specific symptoms due to a lack of any elements:

• A - watery eyes, problems with digesting food, difficulty breathing;
• B - general weakness, food is poorly digested, hair loss, weight loss, problems with the musculoskeletal system;
• C - teeth fall out, the animal often gets sick, scurvy appears;
• D - rickets, curvature of bones and spine, poor growth of the animal;
• K - appetite spoils, aggression increases, and in case of wounds, the blood does not clot for a long time.

Did you know? The gap in the names of vitamins E to K is caused by the erroneous naming of discovered vitamins - it later turned out that all the newly discovered substances belong to group B.

How to choose vitamins for your baby

Only a doctor can choose the right medications or complexes after an examination and study of tests. This is how he will be able to determine what the animal is missing and what to add and in what proportion.

Find out how to properly raise a kitten.

For women over 50 years old

Menopause occurs on average at fifty years of age, but this does not mean old age. Pronounced senile changes appear only after 70 years. To help the body, you need to exercise, eat right and drink vitamin tablets, and if the symptoms of menopause are severe, take hormonal medications.

One of the most necessary medications for women of this age is calciferol. To choose which vitamin D is best for an adult woman to buy, you need to read the composition. It must include calcium in a dosage of about 1500 mg. After menopause, an effective scheme for preventing colon, endometrial and breast cancer includes:

• a diet high in fiber;
• calciferol – 1100 IU;
• calcium 1500 mg.

How to choose the right vitamins for a kitten every day

There is a fairly extensive selection of drugs on the market - they differ in release form, composition, and purpose (for example, for different breeds). Therefore, to make the right choice, it is important to have as much information about the product as possible.

It is interesting to read about the most expensive cat breeds.

Shape selection

Similar products are available in the following forms:

• tablets or capsules;
• powders;
• drops;
• gels;
• injections.

The owner decides which form to choose based on the pet’s needs and habits. Some cats do not like or cannot chew tablets; for some, water-soluble powders or gels are suitable, and for very small cats drops are needed. The doctor prescribes injections for sick and weakened animals.

Composition selection

They also differ in composition:

• complex preparations are the most popular types. Such preparations are enriched with other minerals and acids necessary for the pet;
• separate - in case of a skewed diet and the absence of a specific vitamin, you may need to purchase one specific vitamin, without additional supplements.

Important! Only a specialist can select the correct complex or type of drug. You should not choose medications without his consultation, because a mistake can cause serious harm to your pet’s health.

The following drugs, available in veterinary pharmacies, have good reviews from breeders and cat lovers:

• GIMPET Baby-tabs;
• Beaphar Kittys junior;
• 8 in 1 Excel Brewers;
• Canina cat mineral with calcium;
• Hartz Everyday Chewable Vitamins with Taurine.

Breeders of some breeds should be concerned about selecting a complex designed specifically for their cats.
So, British cats need a complex with an increased calcium content due to large and powerful bones, but Scottish Folds, on the contrary, need less calcium - so that the ears remain drooping and do not spoil the exterior.

How to give vitamins to your pet

Only a veterinarian can tell you the correct dose, based on the content of the drug, concentration and desired effect. Only by following his recommendations will you be able to achieve the necessary therapeutic effect.

When taken prophylactically or taken as a supplement, you should follow the instructions for use of the selected drug, taking into account the weight of the kitten.

Important! In any case, it is necessary to closely monitor the animal’s reaction to the start of taking medications - it is quite possible that an allergy or intolerance to any component may develop.