Have you ever heard about all the benefits of the so-called Noootropic vitamin for your dog? Probably not. While many pet parents are super concerned about preserving their beloved pets physically healthy, providing high-quality nutrition and supplement, there is little knowledge about preserving their brain function and mental health. Well, Nootropic vitamins can do just that!
In this article, we will go over some of the vitamin-rich natural foods that you should use to ensure your dog’s brain function and psychological health.
Why are the Nootropic vitamins so important for my dog?
Every pet parent must know that brain health begins with the right nutrition. Without enough of nootropic vitamins in your dog’s daily meal, his cognitive power will fade over time. Once your dog reaches those seniors’ years, his brain will rapidly decline. As a result, the owners start to notice behavioral changes in their pets. Don’t forget to check out an ESA letter to ensure you can support behavior.
Cognitive aging in dogs is a hot and new topic in veterinary medicine. More and more scientific publications emphasize the difference between normal aging and our dog’s brain’s pathological aging.
Nootropic vitamin has a big role in neurotransmitter management and ensures alertness, awareness, and sensory function of our dog’s the brain.
Which vitamins are Nootropic?
Word Nootropic comes from the Greek phrase “toward the mind.” Nootropic vitamins, as mentioned, are the ones that support the cognitive functions of our dogs, such as motivation, memory, problem-solving, mood, and sensory perception.
All B vitamins are extremely important for maintaining a brain function in our dogs. However, the most important ones are B6, B9, and B 12. According to new researches, these three vitamins maintain homocysteine levels low. Homocysteine is a substance that, when accumulated in the blood, irritates blood vessels and lower a cerebral blood flow, which leads to low cognitive performance.
It is important to note that Omega fatty acids are not vitamins, but they are equally important to preserve our dog’s brain and eye health and avoid problems such us Cognitive Dysfunction syndrome.
Witch natural foods are rich in Nootropic vitamins?
Commercial dog food, dry and canned, are processed on very high temperatures (beyond 118 degrees), and much of the B vitamin complex, mineral, and amino acids are killed in the process. Therefore, the amount of nootropic vitamins in such a diet is minimal. That is why it is crucial to provide your dog with a complex supplement or to switch his diet to homemade to ensure the right among of his daily vitamins.
Before making any change in your dog’s nutrition, it is essential to talk to the vet. Change in his diet has to be gradual to avoid any gastrointestinal issues.
A homemade diet can take some of your time, but it will provide your dog with all the nutrients and vitamins.
B complex vitamins are hydrosol, meaning they cannot store in the organism. That being said, the dog needs to consume a B complex rich diet at least two times a day. Deficiency in Complex vitamins has a full range of symptoms, except cognitive disorders.
Here are six ingredients rich in B complex vitamins.
- The liver contains up to 100 times more nutrients than meat. The liver can be served raw or medium cooked. You must trust that the liver is of good quality. It is advisable to feed the dog with the liver at least 2 to 3 times a week, not more to avoid vitamin A overdose in your dog.
- Milk can be a good source of vitamin B and minerals if your dog does not have lactose intolerance. If you see he doesn’t have diarrhea after consuming milk, it is safe to give him a half a cup a day.
- Eggs are a great source of amino acids and vitamin B, but make sure to boil them before giving them to your dog to avoid Salmonella.
- Brewer’s yeast contains B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, and B9 But does not contain B12. Some dogs can have gas and gastrointestinal issues, so be careful about the amount you are giving to your dog. Half of the teaspoon a day with a little bit of olive oil can do wonders for your dog’s skin too.
- The heart of beef is packed with proteins, amino acids, B vitamins, iron, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc. All the internal organs must be served raw. However, the pork meat can contain the Aujeszky virus, and therefore you should avoid giving it raw.
- Kelp is a sea vegetable that contains vitamins B and also iodine for healthy thyroid function. The only downside of this is that it is quite hard to get on the market.
Our beloved companions can get slow, deaf, and even lost once they reach a certain age. The good news is that we can do things throughout our dog’s life to ensure or aging dogs’ well-being. Nutrition plays a vital part to delay cognitive aging in our pets. By providing a balanced diet rich with nootropic vitamins, we can preserve our dog’s cognitive functions and provide him with a happier life in his senior years.
About the Author
I am Maja, a thirty-three-year-old DVM living and working in Serbia. I have a lot of experience working long shifts in a small practice with dogs and cats. I love writing for Simple Smart Science, researching, and learning new skills. My main field of interest is internal medicine of pets. I am passionate about cardiology, endocrinology, ultrasound scanning, hematology, and cytology. I am also a pet parent of three senior dog ladies, three cats, and 22 y old horse.