Because your typical commercial dog foods are processed (sometimes quite heavily processed) they lose some of the natural nutrients present in once-fresh ingredients.  Heat can improve the digestibility of some foods, but it can also decrease the amounts of nutrients available.  For example, the amounts of water-soluble vitamins (C and B), fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, D, and K), and some minerals (magnesium, sodium, potassium, and calcium) are actually reduced when high heat is applied to food.  This is one main reason why many pet food companies add additional supplements to their foods.  Supplemental nutrients can help make up for what’s lost during processing.

This post is part of our 2023 April blogging from A to Z Challenge!  Join us this month as we go through the alphabet, A to Z, learning more about some of the ingredients that are commonly (or not so commonly, in some cases) found in our dog’s food!

What is Niacin?

People familiar with human nutrition will probably be familiar with niacin.  Niacin is important for humans as well as dogs.  It’s a water-soluble vitamin, also known as B3.  Vitamin B3 is found naturally in foods such as bananas, nuts, seeds, legumes, brown rice, fish, poultry, and red meat.  It’s role in the body is to act as a coenzyme.  Over 400 enzymes depend on the presence of niacin to complete their functions in the body.  Niacin is required to help form cholesterol and fats, create and repair DNA, and convert nutrients into energy.  Niacin is essential for your dog’s nervous system, skin, and GI health.

Since niacin is water-soluble, when more than the body requires is taken in the excess is eliminated through urine.  Although niacin is more stable than some other water-soluble vitamins, some of this nutrient is lost from foods when they are cooked.

Why is Niacin Added to Dog Food?

Vitamin B3 plays many roles within a dog’s body.  While dog’s can actually synthesize niacin for themselves, the amount each dog can synthesize each day varies.  Because niacin is water-soluble, it cannot be stored within the body.  That, in addition to the fact that niacin, to some degree, is degraded when food is cooked, makes it a smart idea for pet food companies to supplement their foods with additional niacin.

Cons of Feeding Niacin to Dogs:

Dogs receiving niacin from food sources are unlikely to overdose.  Any excess niacin obtained through food or synthesized by the body is normally eliminated through the urine.  Dogs supplemented with additional, high dose, niacin, or who accidently consume too many supplements or human vitamins may, rarely, experience niacin toxicity.  In rare cases chronic niacin overdose can lead to side effects such as ulcers, GI upset, and liver damage.

Benefits of Niacin for Dogs:

Dog’s require niacin to preform a wide array of body functions.  An average dog requires 13 mg of niacin daily.  Luckily, because it is present in many foods and often supplemented in commercial dog foods, deficiency is rare.  Niacin deficiency is sometimes referred to as “black-tongue”.  It causes symptoms such as anorexia, weight loss, GI upset, redness and inflammation of the mouth, and can eventually lead to death.  Among other things, vitamin B3 is responsible for the following:

• Maintaining a healthy metabolism.
• Niacin helps break down fatty acids.
• The proper break down of these fats can improve skin and fur health.
• Niacin is required for the creation of energy within the body.
• It also helps support cognitive function.
• Niacin promotes proper hormone synthesis, which plays many important roles within their bodies.
• It promotes hormones that help the kidneys function properly.
• Niacin is involved in the release of corticosteroids, which help your dog better deal with stress.
• Niacin is required for the production of growth hormones, especially important for growing puppies.
• Niacin also controls the production of stomach bile and acids.
• It promotes optimal pH levels within the digestive tract.

So What’s the Verdict on Niacin?  Is it Safe as a Dog Food Ingredient?

Niacin is a necessary nutrient for dogs.  Luckily, overdose is very rare and is not normally seen.  Niacin is commonly found in foods such as fish and meat, so it’s not common for dogs to be deficient in in.  However, some dog food companies choose to add additional supplemental niacin to their recipe.  This may help make up for any of the vitamin that is lost when the food is processed.  Additional niacin obtained from food sources that’s not needed by the body is eliminated through the urine, normally within 24 hours after it is consumed.  Niacin, or vitamin B3, is safe for dogs in the amounts that it would be found in dog food.

We’ve, unfortunately, been dealing with content scrapers stealing our articles lately. You shouldn’t be seeing this article on any site other than pawprintpetblog.com! If you’re reading this article on any other site, we’d love for you to take the time to contact us and let us know and, if you have the time, stop by and visit us on our official site! Thanks you.

If you feed your dog commercial dog food, have you ever taken the time to go down the list of ingredients to learn what each one is?  It’s a daunting task!  As of today, I’m two weeks into my April blogging from A to Z Challenge, which has been focused on taking a deep dive into learning more about some of the ingredients found in commercial dog foods.  I hope you’ve learned something useful so far, and continue to stop by as we learn about a new dog food ingredient (almost) everyday this April!

This post is part of our 2023 April blogging from A to Z Challenge!  Join us this month as we go through the alphabet, A to Z, learning more about some of the ingredients that are commonly (or not so commonly, in some cases) found in our dog’s food!

What is Manganese Sulfate?

Manganese sulfate, formula MnSO₄·H₂O, is an inorganic compound that is pale pink in color.  Manganese is found naturally in seeds, nuts, whole grains, eggs, and green vegetables.

Why is Manganese Sulfate Added to Dog Food?

Although manganese is naturally present in some foods, many dog food companies also add supplemental manganese into their dog foods.  Manganese helps the body process protein, carbohydrates, and is important for proper enzyme function.  Some of these enzymes are involved in energy production and the creation of fatty acids.  Manganese helps keep the skeletal system, ligaments, cartilage, and organs, especially the liver and kidneys, healthy

Dogs require 2.3 mg of manganese per pound of dry food daily.

Cons of Feeding Manganese Sulfate to Dogs:

The effects of manganese toxicity are unknown.  It would be very difficult, if not impossible, for a dog to be exposed to enough manganese that it would result in toxicity.  The amounts of manganese found in dog foods are safe for dogs.

Benefits of Manganese Sulfate to Dogs:

Dogs require small amounts of manganese to keep their bodies functioning normally.  Symptoms of manganese deficiency include poor growth, reproductive issues, ataxia (wobbly movements, tremors, eye flickering), skin and coat abnormalities, and issues with the skeletal structure and joints.

Manganese is required for enzymes in dog’s bodies to function properly.  These enzymes, in turn, are important for many functions including energy production, fat metabolism, protein metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, bone, cartilage, and collagen formation, brain function, and immune system function.

So What’s the Verdict on Manganese Sulfate?  Is it Safe as a Dog Food Ingredient?

Manganese is not only safe (it’s considered to be one of the lest toxic trace elements), it is required by dogs for proper body function.  Manganese is not commonly found in meat.  If your dog eats a diet especially high in meat protein, it’s common for dog foods to add supplemental manganese.

We’ve, unfortunately, been dealing with content scrapers stealing our articles lately. You shouldn’t be seeing this article on any site other than pawprintpetblog.com! If you’re reading this article on any other site, we’d love for you to take the time to contact us and let us know and, if you have the time, stop by and visit us on our official site! Thanks you.

When I picked my theme for this year’s Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I figured it’d be relatively easy to find dog food ingredients that start with each letter of the alphabet.  There are some pretty crazy named supplements and such, even ones that start with “x” and “z”, letters that I found really challenging when I completed this challenge in the past.  Well, it turns out, there aren’t very many ingredients used in dog food that start with the letter “j”!  I finally came across a brand of dry food for puppies that contains juniper berries.  So j is for juniper berries, however obscure of a dog food ingredient they may be.

This post is part of our 2023 April blogging from A to Z Challenge!  Join us this month as we go through the alphabet, A to Z, learning more about some of the ingredients that are commonly (or not so commonly, in some cases) found in our dog’s food!

What are Juniper Berries?

The name juniper berries is a bit misleading because juniper “berries” are not technically berries.  They are the female cones of juniper trees.  The modified fleshy cones look more like berries than traditional tree cones, though.  They start out green and, over time, turn a purple-ish color that reminds me quite a bit of blueberries.  Depending on the species of juniper, it can take anywhere from 8 to 24 months for the berries to mature.  Juniper berries are sometimes eaten or used in recipes, and they have a long history of being used for medicinal purposes.

Why are Juniper Berries Added to Dog Food?

Juniper berries are not a common dog food ingredient.  But I did find a dog food that contains them!  They are reported to have a number of potential benefits for dogs, which I will outline below.

Cons of Feeding Juniper Berries to Dogs:

However, juniper berries are toxic to dogs.  They contain an oil called thujone.  Thujone can cause GI upset and kidney issues in dogs (and people!) if it’s consumed in large quantities.  Different species of juniper contain different levels off thujone, so some species are more toxic than others.

It’s especially important to avoid offering your dog juniper berries of any sort if he/she is suffering from kidney failure.

Enzymes found in juniper berries can also interfere with prescription medications.  If your dog is taking any prescription medications it’s important to talk with your vet before offering him/her juniper berries.

Benefits of Feeding Juniper Berries to Dogs:

If given in very small amounts, so as to avoid causing side effects from the berries being toxic, juniper berries are thought to have a number of benefits including…

• Juniper berries are an effective diuretic and can help dogs who are dealing with urinary tract infections.
• Juniper berries are thought to potentially be able to dissolve kidney and bladder stones.
• Juniper berries may help treat intestinal worms such as tape worms.
• Juniper has been shown to be able to lower blood sugar.

So What’s the Verdict on Juniper Berries?  Are they Safe as a Dog Food Ingredient?

I, personally, wouldn’t go out of my way to offer my dogs a food that contained juniper berries.  While they may in fact offer some health benefits, I’m not sure I’d feel like the potential benefits would outweigh the cons.  I was only able to find one dog food that contained juniper berries as an ingredient.  I’m sure they must include the berries in a very small amount to avoid the risk of causing GI upset and kidney issues.  I didn’t notice whether or not the food contained a warning that it shouldn’t be used for dogs experiencing kidney failure or taking prescription medication(s).  It does make me wonder how much juniper berries are actually included in the food.

If your dog is currently doing well on a food that contains juniper berries, and your vet is comfortable with you using the food, then I wouldn’t worry too much.  The negative effects of juniper berries are thought to be much more of a concern when the berries are eaten in excess.  My assumption is that any dog food that includes them in it’s ingredient list would do so in very small amounts.