# human vitamin supplement for dogs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 18, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vitamin-supplement-for-dogs/430454 "2007-12-18T13:47:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vitamin-supplement-for-dogs/430454/1 "2007-12-18T13:47:37Z")
I need to give a vitamin supplement to my do to a health issue she has. I was looking at the vitamin supplements at the local pet store, and they all seem REALLY expensive. Looking at the back of the pet vitamin supplement, it looks like the exact same thing as human child supplements. My question is, is it ok to give my dog a human supplement, mainly something like Flintstones vitamins for kids? She is approx 50 pounds, so about the weight of a child. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vitamin-supplement-for-dogs/430454/2 "2007-12-18T13:51:02Z")
Don’t most dog foods contain adequate vitamin supplementation? I’d question whether your dog needs extra vitamins at all. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vitamin-supplement-for-dogs/430454/3 "2007-12-18T14:52:03Z")
Yes, that was my understanding, too, that all commercial dog food is 100% nutritionally complete. What specific vitamin do you feel your dog is deficient in, and what’s the health issue? You can run into the same problems with overdosing a dog on vitamins that you run into with megadoses of vitamins for humans. I would definitely check with my vet before I started giving my dog people-vitamins, mainly because dogs can have sensitivities and interactions with chemicals that humans aren’t bothered by, like the way you shouldn’t give dogs ibuprofen, but you can give them the related carprofen (Rimadyl). ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vitamin-supplement-for-dogs/430454/4 "2007-12-18T17:24:59Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] Yes, that was my understanding, too, that all commercial dog food is 100% nutritionally complete. [/QUOTE] If you look at a pet food’s label, you will see mention of the food meeting [AAFCO](http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/301_pet.html) standards. These are the bare minimum levels of nutrients. When the melamine scare happened last year, I began paying more attention to nutrition. I began stocking/selling ultra high end foods. It has been my observation that animals being fed better quality nutrition look a hell of a lot better than those animals at the opposite end of the spectrum (generic foods, Old Roy, etc)). For vitamin supplementation of an individual dog I would consult your veterinarian. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vitamin-supplement-for-dogs/430454/5 "2007-12-19T00:03:39Z")
Thanks for all y’alls answers so far. Just a little more background, my dog is fed a homemade diet, and our vet is happy about the quality of the diet. However, my dog has a thyroid issue and is taking generic Synthroid for it. Partly because of her thyroid issue, we just found out the dog has mites that she is currently being treated for. The vet recommended that we get her a vitamin supplement to help with her immune system, but the only supplements they had at the vet office contain wheat, and she’s allergic to wheat. So we went to the pet store to look at vitamin supplement, but they all were expensive. Looking at what is in the vitamin supplements at the pet store, they look to be pretty similar to the human vitamins. But of course, most vitamin supplements only show the RDA of the vitamins, not the amounts, and I’m sure the RDA is totally different for a dog. So, I’m looking to save some money and was wondering if I could give my dog some sort of human vitamin supplement since they are normally cheaper then dog supplements. Of course, I will double check with my vet before I actually give them to her, but I want something to be able to show the vet first. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vitamin-supplement-for-dogs/430454/6 "2007-12-19T13:46:52Z")
**Hirka** …Assuming your dog to have _Demodex canis_, could you share your dog’s age and whether the problem has been diagnosed as localized or generalized? ---
**Author:** ![Parenchyma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Parenchyma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parenchyma)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vitamin-supplement-for-dogs/430454/7 "2007-12-19T19:13:46Z")
Okay, this is enough to drag me from lurkerdom for my annual post. The main concern I would have with human vites for dogs is the risk of iron toxicosis, especially with formulations designed to provide extra iron, like some prenatal ones. In school, years ago, I had to present a case in toxicology class that demonstrated how critical a good (or lucky) history-taking can be. The case I created was about kids who unknowingly poisoned their dog by sneaking him human chewable vitamins. From the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center website: > [@](#): > > Did you know that depending on the form, iron is not only potentially toxic to pets, but can be found in a variety of forms and in many different products and substances? > Iron poisoning is the number one toxic fatality in children, and pets can be susceptible to iron poisoning as well. Some vitamin formulations are chewable and may be eaten in large amounts. Depending on the brand and formulation, as little as 2 prenatal vitamin tablets with iron can cause stomach upset in a 20 lb dog, whereas as few as 6 tablets can potentially cause more serious problems. > Depending on the form of iron and amount ingested, within the first few hours animals may initially exhibit signs of significant gastrointestinal irritation and pain, including vomiting and diarrhea which can be bloody. Subsequently, the pet may appear to recover, but approximately 12 - 24 hours following ingestion, gastrointestinal signs may reappear, along with severe depression, shock, low blood sugar, seizures, hemorrhage from blood clotting problems, fluid accumulation in the lungs, liver damage with jaundice, and possibly even kidney failure. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vitamin-supplement-for-dogs/430454/8 "2007-12-20T02:54:26Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] **Hirka** …Assuming your dog to have _Demodex canis_, could you share your dog’s age and whether the problem has been diagnosed as localized or generalized? [/QUOTE] She is a 6 year old Chow/Border Collie mix. I don’t know if its been diagnosed as localized or generalized, but she only has one little tiny patch on the very top of her head that is showing any signs of hair loss. The vet gave us a 1 part Mitaban, 20 part mineral oil solution to put on the problem site, (1 drop every day) and wants us to bring her back in two weeks. **Parenchyma** Ah, so I need to find a vitamin supplement without iron in it. Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vitamin-supplement-for-dogs/430454/9 "2007-12-20T15:18:04Z")
**Hirka** , Typically 5 or fewer discrete lesions would be considered localized and that has an excellent prognosis. Generalized demodecosis, where the entire dog is involved is often secondary to a neoplastic process and carries a grave prognosis. Treat the Mitaban (Amitraz) with respect. It is a potent, noxious chemical. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-vitamin-supplement-for-dogs/430454/10 "2007-12-20T21:35:35Z")
Did your vet mention any vitamins in particular that she wanted you to supplement?