Vitamins for Pets Which Stimulate the Appetite
To stimulate your pet's appetite, you may try supplementing its diet with certain vitamins and minerals. Vitamin B complex is usually recommended by veterinarians to improve a pet's appetite. It's unknown how and why B vitamins stimulate appetite.
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Administering B Vitamins
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Vitamin supplements can be administered orally, mixed as a powder into the food or given in the form of an injection.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
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Supplementing a pet's diet with vitamin B1 will help to increase the appetite. It can also function as a flea repellant in dogs, and hyperactivity in cats. An animal with a vitamin B1 deficiency may exhibit loss of appetite, seizures and brain damage.
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Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
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A vitamin B3 deficiency is characterized by loss of appetite, fatigue, apathy and mouth ulcers. It's needed more by cats than by dogs. It can be found in raw meat and brewers yeast, but as a pill supplement usually given only with the entire B complex.
Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)
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Vitamin B9 deficiencies usually create erratic and poor appetites, and supplements of it can help reduce this. A deficiency in this vitamin can also result in birth defects and reproductive problems.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
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Vitamin B12 doesn't stimulate appetite, but is crucial for the pet's ability to digest and absorb food. Cats and dogs with a deficiency in it can develop anemia, which may kill them. The best source for vitamin B12 is raw liver.
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