Folic Acid for Pets

• Posted on 15 March 2023
• By Dr. Jill Tack
• Posted in cataract, cats, deficiency, depression, dogs, folic acid, hardening of arteries, low cholesterol, pet nutrition, pregnancy, red blood cell production, vitamin B9
• 0

Folic acid is most commonly known as Vitamin B9 and it needed most before and during pregnancy. Besides being needed most during pregnancy, folic acid is also known to help with cataracts, low cholesterol, hardening of the arteries and depression.

What is Folic Acid?

Folic acid is most commonly known as Vitamin B9, and it is needed most before and during pregnancy. Folic acid is needed to form healthy red blood cells, especially while the fetus forms. When there is a lack of this vitamin, there is a possibility of deficiency where the spinal column does not close properly or there is little formation of brain tissue. Besides birth defects, folic acid is also known to help with cataracts, low cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, and depression.

Foods with Folic Acid

Foods that are natural sources of vitamin B9 are brewer’s yeast, lentils, dry beans, barley, brown rice, salmon, tuna, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, split peas, toasted wheat germ, most berries, cereal grains, romaine lettuce, Brussel sprouts, peas, peanuts, beets, avocados, and citrus fruit. Many of the listed foods are easy to incorporate into your dog’s diet but may take some masking to get your feline friend to eat them. It is best to puree the fruits and vegetables before adding them to your pet's diet for the highest nutrition absorption.

Deficiencies of the B vitamins can be common mostly due to their fragile state during processing and storage. Therefore, it may be necessary to use a high-quality multivitamin to ensure your cat and dog receive its daily essential dose since most of our pet food is not freshly served.

It is common to use a B-complex vitamin to get all B vitamins in the right components. Vitamin B9 often works in conjunction with Vitamin B12. You can use a human B-complex supplement for animals, but it should be used according to size. There are some great multi-vitamins on the market:

Breeding your pet

If you plan on breeding your cat or dog, I suggest a multivitamin before and during the pregnancy to ensure they have the necessary vitamins. If you are feeding a meat or vegetarian diet, it is especially important to consider a multivitamin containing B vitamins to minimize any nutrition deficiencies.

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