Can Dogs Take Human Vitamins? Vet-Approved Facts & FAQs
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View 2 More +As a dog parent, you’re aware that many pups will eat almost anything they find lying out and about. So, you do your best to keep items they shouldn’t eat safely away. But accidents happen, and sometimes your dog will get into something they shouldn’t, like your vitamins.
If your canine companion has consumed some of your vitamins, don’t panic. However, you should be aware that dogs shouldn’t take human vitamins,1 and depending on their age, size, health, type of vitamin, and how much they've consumed will determine how severe the complications may be. So, the immediate step after finding out your pup has taken your vitamins is to call your vet.
What to Do If Your Pup Eats Your Vitamins
As we said, your first step should be to call your vet immediately. Chances are high that your dog will be absolutely fine after eating the vitamin, but if they consumed a whole handful of vitamins or certain kinds of vitamins, you could run into issues since vitamin toxicity is possible. Talking to your vet and letting them know just what your pup has taken and how much will make a positive outcome much likelier.
Which Vitamins Are Most Toxic to Canines?
Two vitamins, in particular, can put your pup at risk of vitamin toxicity. Which vitamins are those?
Vitamin D
Many of us take vitamin D supplements because we are deficient in this vitamin due to not spending enough time in the sun. Vitamin D is great for us, but in our dogs, it can be a different story (at least if they consume too much at a time). If your dog eats some of your vitamin D, they can experience a lack of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. In very high amounts, it could cause the calcium levels in your pet’s body to elevate enough to result in kidney damage.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is essential for everyone, regardless of species, as it helps with growth, reproduction, and more. However, it can also cause toxicity in dogs if they consume too much. Most often, this doesn’t come from a dog eating an entire bottle of vitamin A; instead, vitamin A poisoning usually occurs when canines are given cod liver oil, raw liver, or other foods high in vitamin A consumed consistently over weeks to months.
Vitamin A poisoning can cause sleepiness, irritability, and vomiting. If it happens due to long-term vitamin A consumption, your pet’s coat and skin will look dry and rough, and there could be weight loss, constipation, weakness, limited body movement, or pain.
Two Other Things to Watch Out For
The next two items aren’t vitamins but are often included in supplements.
Iron
Iron can be taken as a supplement, but it’s also in multivitamins (particularly prenatal vitamins), and it can be very dangerous for our dogs. The signs that dogs can show with iron poisoning range in severity from vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and lethargy to tremors, seizures, signs of shock, and severe effects on the heart and liver. So, you must keep any vitamin with iron away from your pet! If they have accidentally ingested iron, contact a vet straight away so they can work out if the amount ingested was toxic or not.
Xylitol
Finally, there’s xylitol, an artificial sweetener. In the case of vitamins, you’ll often find it in the chewable kind. Xylitol is toxic for our canine friends, even in small amounts. It can cause sudden hypoglycemia in dogs, resulting in lethargy, muscle weakness, and seizures. It may also cause liver damage.
Summing Up
Your dog shouldn’t take your vitamins, but accidents happen, and your pup may get their paws on some. If your dog has eaten your vitamins, call your vet immediately with a list of the vitamin's ingredients, and they will be able to advise you if any urgent action is needed. In many cases, your pup will be fine, but vitamin supplements containing vitamins A, D, iron, or xylitol can cause serious problems. The sooner you contact your vet, the higher the chances of a positive outcome.
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Featured Image Credit: NT_Studio, Shutterstock
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Misty Layne lives out in the woods in small-town Alabama with her two Siamese - Serafina & Jasper. She also has an array of stray cats, raccoons, and opossums who like to call her front porch home. When she’s not writing about animals, you’ll find her writing poetry, stories, and film reviews (the animals are, by far, her favorite writing topic, though!). In her free time, Misty enjoys chilling with her cats, playing piano, watching indie and foreign films, photographing abandoned places, and catching up on her never-ending TBR list.
