Vitamins sound harmless. They are not.
Too few and the system fails.
Too many and the system crashes.
Unlike minerals, which are elements, vitamins are compounds.
They are used in tiny amounts but control major functions.
Growth. Vision. Immunity. Nerve function. Energy conversion. Hormones.
Most owners never worry about them.
But most owners have no idea how little margin for error there really is.
Vitamins come in two types:
• Water-soluble, these pass out in urine and need topping up daily, but that doesn’t mean more is better. There’s still a safe limit.
• Fat-soluble, these get stored in the body and build up over time. That makes them more dangerous when overdosed.
Just like minerals, vitamin levels in meat vary.
Some are too low. Some are too high. And some disappear during cooking.
That means even high-meat foods need correcting.
Because once vitamins overload, they start to block or distort everything else, including the 22 amino acids and 14 essential minerals your dog actually runs on.
This section shows each one, clearly and simply.
What it does, whether meat gives enough, and how much is too much.
Understand this and you understand more than 90% of dog owners ever will.
🟪 VITAMIN A
💬 What’s it for?
Vision. Growth. Immune strength. Skin and coat health. Reproduction.
💬 Can meat give it?
❌ No, muscle meat contains very little
✅ Needs adding with strict care
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: 5000 IU per kg of finished food
Safe range: 3750 to 10000 IU
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat Vitamin A (IU) Safe?
Chicken 150 🟥 No
Lamb 180 🟥 No
Salmon 280 🟥 No
Beef 160 🟥 No
Venison 130 🟥 No
💬 How much does your bag give?
If vitamin A isn’t added:
0 to 70% meat = ❌ Always too low 🟥 Dangerous
If vitamin A is added:
✅ Must stay within safe range
✅ Too much causes joint pain, liver stress and skeletal problems
✅ Too little and vision, skin and immunity decline
💬 Too little?
✔️ Poor night vision
✔️ Weak immune system
✔️ Skin flaking
✔️ Growth problems in puppies
💬 Too much?
✔️ Bone pain
✔️ Liver damage
✔️ Stiffness
✔️ Appetite drop
✔️ Birth defects
💬 System overload warning
Vitamin A is essential — but dangerous in excess
It must always be tracked
Muscle meat cannot provide enough
So, it’s added to almost every dog food
But once you go too far, the damage starts slowly and lasts a lifetime
🟪 VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE)
💬 What’s it for?
Energy metabolism. Brain and nerve function. Appetite control. Muscle contraction.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ Yes, fresh meat contains thiamine
❌ But it’s destroyed easily by heat, moisture, and long storage
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: 0.56 mg per kg of finished food
Safe range: 0.4 to 1.8 mg
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat Vitamin B1 (mg) Safe?
Chicken 0.15 🟥 No
Lamb 0.12 🟥 No
Salmon 0.34 🟥 No
Beef 0.04 🟥 No
Venison 0.06 🟥 No
💬 How much does your bag give?
Meat % in Food Thiamine from meat Safe?
0 to 24 ❌ Critically low 🟥 No
25 to 41 ❌ Still too low 🟥 No
42 to 50 ❌ Not enough 🟥 No
51 to 70 ❌ Below minimum 🟥 No
Over 70 ❌ Still lacking 🟥 No
💬 Too little?
✔️ Appetite loss
✔️ Vomiting
✔️ Neurological signs
✔️ Weakness
✔️ Head tremors
💬 Too much?
✔️ Unused excess is excreted
✔️ High doses not dangerous but pointless
💬 System overload warning
Even though B1 is water-soluble and doesn’t store easily, the real danger is deficiency — especially on heat-processed food or raw meat stored badly. Thiamine is one of the first to vanish, and brain signals are the first to fail.
🟪 VITAMIN B2 (Riboflavin)
💬 What’s it for?
Energy production. Skin and eye health. Helps release energy from food.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ Yes — especially organ meats and oily fish.
❌ But often reduced by cooking and extrusion.
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: 2.4 mg per 1000 kcal of metabolisable energy
This is around 1.8 to 2.6 mg per kg of finished dry food, depending on energy density.
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat B2 (mg) Safe?
Chicken 0.2 🟥 No
Lamb 0.3 🟥 No
Salmon 0.5 🟥 No
Beef 0.3 🟥 No
Venison 0.2 🟥 No
💬 So what does your bag give?
Meat alone? ❌ Always too low
Even high-meat dry foods need added B2.
✅ Most good foods will add it, but it must be protected from heat.
💬 Too little?
✔️ Fatigue
✔️ Poor growth
✔️ Skin flaking
✔️ Eye inflammation
✔️ Weak muscle tone
💬 Too much?
✔️ Very low toxicity
✔️ Excess is excreted in urine
✔️ No upper limit currently set by FEDIAF
💬 System overload warning
B2 is one of the first vitamins to degrade under heat. Even if the label says it’s there, your dog might not absorb enough unless it’s protected. If B2 is low, energy drops, skin worsens and appetite can fade.
🟪 VITAMIN B3 (Niacin)
💬 What’s it for?
Energy release. Skin health. Nervous system function. DNA repair.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ Yes, meat is one of the best sources.
❌ But it must be in the active form, and heat or poor gut function can affect absorption.
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: 13.6 mg per 1000 kcal of metabolisable energy
This works out as around 10 to 15 mg per kg of dry food, depending on calorie content.
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat B3 (mg) Safe?
Chicken 10.0 🟧 Risk
Lamb 7.0 🟥 No
Salmon 8.0 🟥 No
Beef 9.0 🟧 Risk
Venison 6.5 🟥 No
💬 So what does your bag give?
Even 1kg of good meat is not always enough.
✅ Needs to be added in well-formulated foods.
💬 Too little?
✔️ Lethargy
✔️ Cracked skin
✔️ Loss of appetite
✔️ Brain fog or confusion
✔️ Digestive issues
💬 Too much?
✔️ Rare, usually only with supplements
✔️ Possible flushing or liver strain at very high levels
💬 System overload warning
Niacin controls energy and cell repair. It’s easily lost during cooking and very dependent on absorption. If it’s low, the body can’t release energy properly or maintain healthy skin, gut, and nerve tissue.
🟪 VITAMIN B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
💬 What’s it for?
Energy metabolism. Hormone production. Healthy skin, coat and digestion.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ Yes, meat has some B5
❌ But not always enough, especially after cooking or dehydration
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: 4.0 mg per 1000 kcal of metabolisable energy
That’s around 3 to 6 mg per kg of food, depending on calories
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat B5 (mg) Safe?
Chicken 4.0 🟩 Yes
Lamb 3.2 🟧 Risk
Salmon 2.5 🟥 No
Beef 3.5 🟧 Risk
Venison 2.2 🟥 No
💬 So what does your bag give?
Without added B5, your food will only just hit the minimum, or miss it completely.
💬 Too little?
✔️ Skin problems
✔️ Hair loss
✔️ Low energy
✔️ Weak immune system
✔️ Digestive sensitivity
💬 Too much?
✔️ Very rare, excess is excreted in urine
✔️ Extremely high levels may cause gut upset
💬 System overload warning
B5 is easy to overlook, but essential. It links directly to energy, stress hormones and coat health. Low levels show up as a tired, itchy, dull dog, but few owners ever suspect this small vitamin.
🟪 VITAMIN B6 (Pyridoxine)
💬 What’s it for?
Protein metabolism. Brain function. Immune support. Hormone balance.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ Yes, especially fresh poultry and fish
❌ But heat destroys it fast
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: 0.4 mg per 1000 kcal of metabolisable energy
That’s around 0.3 to 0.6 mg per kg of food, depending on calories
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat B6 (mg) Safe?
Chicken 0.6 🟩 Yes
Lamb 0.4 🟩 Yes
Salmon 0.9 🟩 Yes
Beef 0.3 🟧 Risk
Venison 0.2 🟥 No
💬 So what does your bag give?
❌ If B6 isn’t added back after cooking, it’s often too low, even in meat-rich foods.
💬 Too little?
✔️ Muscle twitching
✔️ Nerve problems
✔️ Mood or behaviour swings
✔️ Poor growth in pups
✔️ Lower immunity
💬 Too much?
✔️ Only seen with extreme supplements
✔️ May affect nerve signals if overdosed long term
💬 System overload warning
B6 works alongside protein. If protein is high but B6 is low, your dog can’t use it properly — which means wasted amino acids and rising internal stress. Balance matters.
🟪 VITAMIN B7 (Biotin)
💬 What’s it for?
Skin health. Coat strength. Nail growth. Fat and carbohydrate metabolism.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ Yes, especially liver and egg yolk
❌ But small amounts, and some is lost in processing
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: No fixed minimum
Typical target: 0.05 to 0.1 mg per kg of food
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat Biotin (mg) Safe?
Chicken 0.01 🟥 No
Lamb 0.02 🟥 No
Salmon 0.04 🟧 Risk
Beef 0.01 🟥 No
Venison 0.01 🟥 No
💬 So what does your bag give?
❌ Even high-meat foods often fall short. Biotin must be added or rotated in.
💬 Too little?
✔️ Hair loss
✔️ Dry, flaky skin
✔️ Cracked paw pads
✔️ Brittle nails
✔️ Lethargy or poor growth
💬 Too much?
✔️ Very rare, no toxicity seen in dogs from natural food sources
💬 System overload warning
Biotin is tiny but mighty. Skin issues often trace back to this one being low, and most dog owners never realise. It’s essential for external health but quietly drained inside by poor balance or poor absorption.
🟪 VITAMIN B9 (Folate / Folic Acid)
💬 What’s it for?
DNA formation. Red blood cell production. Supports brain and spinal cord development in puppies.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ Yes, liver and green vegetables are best sources
❌ Pure muscle meat gives very little
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: 0.18 mg per kg of food
Safe range: 0.1 to 0.4 mg
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat Folate (mg) Safe?
Chicken 0.03 🟥 No
Lamb 0.04 🟥 No
Salmon 0.06 🟥 No
Beef 0.05 🟥 No
Venison 0.04 🟥 No
💬 So what does your bag give?
❌ Meat alone is not enough, folate must be added or topped up with veg or liver
💬 Too little?
✔️ Anaemia
✔️ Weakness
✔️ Poor appetite
✔️ Birth defects in pups
✔️ Poor coat quality
💬 Too much?
✔️ Rare, excess usually excreted
✔️ Very high synthetic doses may mask B12 deficiency
💬 System overload warning
Folate is crucial for cell growth and repair, especially in young dogs. If it’s missing, growth suffers silently. It must be in place long before symptoms appear.
🟪 VITAMIN B12 (Cobalamin)
💬 What’s it for?
Nerve function. Red blood cell formation. DNA synthesis. Digestive enzyme production.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ Yes, especially from liver, kidney and fish
❌ Pure muscle meat alone is often too low
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: 0.022 mg per kg of food
Safe range: 0.015 to 0.05 mg
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat B12 (mg) Safe?
Chicken 0.005 🟥 No
Lamb 0.012 🟥 No
Salmon 0.028 🟩 Yes
Beef 0.014 🟥 No
Venison 0.010 🟥 No
💬 So what does your bag give?
❌ Most dry foods need B12 added, especially if liver or fish are missing
💬 Too little?
✔️ Fatigue
✔️ Weakness
✔️ Nerve damage
✔️ Weight loss
✔️ Digestive upset
💬 Too much?
✔️ No known toxicity, excess is passed out in urine
✔️ But very high doses may mask other issues (like folate or iron deficiency)
💬 System overload warning
B12 is small but mighty. If its missing, dogs show vague signs like fatigue or weight loss. But internally, it’s slowing nerves, blood, and digestion, and this can take months to detect.
🟪 VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID)
💬 What’s it for?
Tissue repair. Collagen formation. Antioxidant defence. Immune system support.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ Yes, especially raw liver or fresh organs
❌ But easily destroyed by heat, light, and storage
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF: No official minimum
Dogs can make their own vitamin C in the liver
But… stress, illness or age can increase demand
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat Vitamin C (mg) Safe?
Chicken 2.0 🟥 No
Lamb 3.5 🟥 No
Salmon 5.0 🟥 No
Beef 2.5 🟥 No
Venison 3.0 🟥 No
💬 So what does your bag give?
❌ Almost nothing, vitamin C is destroyed in nearly all commercial processing
✅ Good brands may add it back in, but few do
✅ Can be topped up naturally with berries, liver, or gentle supplements
💬 Too little?
✔️ Slow healing
✔️ Weak joints or gums
✔️ Immune suppression
✔️ Low energy
✔️ Poor coat
💬 Too much?
✔️ Loose stools
✔️ Kidney strain in very high doses
✔️ Can interfere with copper or iron balance if abused
💬 System overload warning
Vitamin C is often dismissed because dogs make their own. But in reality, chronic stress, illness, or poor diets can drain those reserves fast. If the skin, joints or immune system seem off, this quiet vitamin might be your missing link.
🟪 VITAMIN D (CHOLECALCIFEROL)
💬 What’s it for?
Calcium absorption. Bone growth. Immune regulation. Nerve and muscle function.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ Yes, mostly in oily fish and organ meats
❌ Muscle meat alone gives very little
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: 11 IU per kg of bodyweight per day
In food: around 500 IU per kg of finished food
Safe range: 375 to 1000 IU
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat Vitamin D (IU) Safe?
Chicken 40 🟥 No
Lamb 30 🟥 No
Salmon 600 🟩 Yes
Beef 20 🟥 No
Venison 15 🟥 No
💬 So what does your bag give?
❌ Unless oily fish or added vitamin D is present, most foods will fall short
✅ Must be carefully balanced with calcium and phosphorus
⚠️ Excess is toxic, fat-soluble means it builds up over time
💬 Too little?
✔️ Bone weakness
✔️ Poor growth
✔️ Low energy
✔️ Weak muscles
✔️ Immune dysfunction
💬 Too much?
✔️ Kidney damage
✔️ Calcification of tissues
✔️ Appetite loss
✔️ Vomiting
✔️ Heart issues
💬 System overload warning
Vitamin D is one of the most dangerous vitamins to overdose. Unlike water-soluble ones, this stays in the body, and once it tips over, the damage is brutal. It must be calculated, not guessed.
🟪 VITAMIN E (TOCOPHEROL)
💬 What’s it for?
Antioxidant defense. Protects cells. Supports skin, eyes, and immune health.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ Yes, especially in fresh meat and fish
❌ But easily lost during processing or long storage
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: 10 mg per 1000 kcal of metabolisable energy
That’s roughly 7 to 12 mg per kg of dry food, depending on calorie content
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat Vitamin E (mg) Safe?
Chicken 1.0 🟥 No
Lamb 1.2 🟥 No
Salmon 3.5 🟥 No
Beef 0.9 🟥 No
Venison 0.8 🟥 No
💬 So what does your bag give?
❌ Meat alone is never enough
✅ Most dry foods add it as mixed tocopherols
⚠️ But even when added, it can degrade over time if poorly stored
💬 Too little?
✔️ Cell damage
✔️ Muscle weakness
✔️ Eye problems
✔️ Skin flare-ups
✔️ Immune dysfunction
💬 Too much?
✔️ Low risk, very high levels might interfere with blood clotting
✔️ Usually only seen with excessive supplementation
💬 System overload warning
Vitamin E is your dog’s internal shield, and without enough, cell damage builds quietly. It’s one of the most fragile vitamins and one of the first to drop below safe levels if storage or heat ruins the batch.
🟪 VITAMIN K (PHYLLOQUINONE & MENAQUINONE)
💬 What’s it for?
Blood clotting. Bone strength. Helps bind calcium in the right places.
💬 Can meat give it?
✅ A little, mostly from liver and fermented meats
❌ But pure muscle meat gives almost none
💬 What does your dog actually need?
FEDIAF says: No fixed minimum
But safe range in research: 0.2 to 0.5 mg per kg of food
💬 How much does 1kg of real meat give?
Meat Vitamin K (mg) Safe?
Chicken 0.03 🟥 No
Lamb 0.02 🟥 No
Salmon 0.04 🟥 No
Beef 0.01 🟥 No
Venison 0.02 🟥 No
💬 So what does your bag give?
❌ Most dry or raw meat diets will be far too low unless it’s added
✅ Often included via K1 (plant-based) or K2 (fermented ingredients)
💬 Too little?
✔️ Easy bruising
✔️ Internal bleeding
✔️ Poor bone strength
✔️ Slow wound healing
💬 Too much?
✔️ Natural sources are safe
✔️ Only synthetic K3 (menadione) causes risk at high doses
✔️ K3 is banned in some countries for pet use
💬 System overload warning
Vitamin K controls clotting and calcium direction. Without it, bones weaken and internal bleeding becomes a risk. Muscle meat doesn’t contain enough, and if the food doesn’t say it’s added, it probably isn’t.
🟪 Final Word: Where Overload Truly Begins
This is where it happens.
Not with one mistake. Not with one bag of food. But slowly. Silently. Through well-meaning overfeeding, poor formulation, and the blind trust that “more is better.”
Vitamins don’t just top up systems, they control them.
They unlock enzymes, trigger hormones, and build the signals that make life feel smooth and comfortable.
But every single one has a tipping point.
And when one goes over, it drags the others with it.
Most people never notice.
Because dogs don’t complain, they adjust.
They stretch out more. They sleep more. They avoid the stairs.
They stop zooming, but they still wag.
And you feel proud that they’re happy.
Because they still look at you like a hero.
But this is how it begins.
The 22 amino acids? They love high meat. They work best when the engine is strong.
But once the wrong vitamin builds, or the wrong mineral spikes, the whole system starts to unravel.
✔️ Proteins misfire
✔️ Organs lose clarity
✔️ Joints dry out
✔️ Nerves miss signals
✔️ Skin flakes
✔️ Energy fades
✔️ And nobody connects the dots
This is what delivers years of mild discomfort that never quite needs a vet
But always steals quality of life.
And by the time it’s obvious?
The tail still wags, but the fire’s gone.
And the final months are spent searching for answers that were buried in a bowl years ago.
Now here’s the part most people get wrong:
They say
❝But my dog was on the same food for years and lived way past the UK average❞
And our answer is simple.
Well done.
Genuinely, brilliant. That’s a result to be proud of.
But nobody is saying all dogs will drop dead from this.
Some adapt. Some survive it. Some beat the odds.
But let’s not pretend they were in peak condition.
Let’s not pretend that missing or overloaded nutrients didn’t affect mobility, energy, skin, organs or mood.
Let’s not pretend that the dog was thriving, just because they were surviving.
What you saw was a personality, fighting through discomfort.
Because that’s what dogs do.
They don’t complain. They just cope. Until they can’t.
We don’t write these plans because we’re opinionated.
We write them because we’ve seen thousands of dogs, and the pattern is always the same:
Too much.
Too long.
Too late.
✔️ This is where balance matters
✔️ This is why numbers matter
✔️ This is how you protect them
It’s not just about avoiding deficiency.
It’s about staying in the zone, where nothing is blocked, nothing is wasted, and nothing builds to overload.
That’s what creates ease. Comfort. Longevity.
That’s what keeps the tail wagging , for the right reasons.
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Read it and you will be able to stand in a room of 100 dog owners and know more than over 90 percent regarding nutrition.
Your dog, if it could talk, would worship you even more than it already does. 🐾