Do not feed anything with synthetic vitamins! When you see specific vitamins listed in the ingredients label, that's telling you they are synthetic. Whole foods – that are minimally processed in a well-balanced diet – provide all the essential vitamins necessary for nutritional needs. When reading a pet food label, remember less is more.
Pets should get their vitamins from eating real food, not added in. Check the ingredient label. If you see a bunch of vitamins listed those are synthetic and are not good.
The fewer ingredients there are on the pet food label, the better the food.
A laundry list of vitamins on the ingredient label means they are synthetic… that means dangerous and not nutritious.
Pet food manufacturers purchase their vitamin pre-mix from the same suppliers. If one pet food is bad, then they may all be bad.
Case in point: In 2019, Hills Science Diet had a major recall for Vitamin D pet food toxicity, which harmed thousands of pets. Within 60 days, multiple pet food manufacturers recalled their food because they got their vitamin premix from the same manufacturer.
I often get asked this question when people are trying to decide what food to feed their pets. It’s Rather Simple: If the vitamin is listed in the ingredient list, it is synthetic and added after the fact. Look for words like acetate, chloride, gluconate, hydrochloride, nitrate, or succinate for minerals. Any words that have “Oxide” and “sulfate” forms of minerals (for example, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or copper sulfate) are also synthetic compounds. Vitamins and minerals are just part of the various foods we eat. They are not stand-alone ingredients. Try to find an ingredient list for an egg. Eggs are a great source of vitamins A, B, E, and K, but you’ll never see those listed as ingredients.
So what’s wrong with synthetic vitamins and minerals? Scientists have yet to determine how well synthetic vitamins and minerals are absorbed and whether the body can fully utilize them. We know synthetics are incomplete and, therefore, cannot perform the full range of biological processes that actual vitamins and minerals do. This is why you often hear that synthetics are less bioavailable than natural vitamins and minerals.
Additionally, your dog’s body is full of nutrient receptors that attract vitamins and minerals as they are digested. Synthetics saturate these receptors and block them from absorbing natural nutrients.
What’s the lesson? Feed real food. Your dog’s food should contain as few ingredients as possible in your pet food.
Dr. Judy Morgan (2025 Holistic Veterinarian of the Decade): “Synthetic Vitamins and Minerals in Pet Food.”
If you were to analyse the DIY diet today, more than likely it may be deficient in vitamins B, D, and E, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, potassium, and iodine. The ratio of calcium to phosphorus may also be way off the mark.
If you’re going to DIY, at least feed a home-prepared diet that meets the recommended allowances for dogs (per the NRC). If need be, get some education and seek guidance from a qualified nutritionist and/or a holistic vet; they know about fresh foods and can guide or formulate a meal plan for your individual. There are resources which can help educate you on basic and advanced nutrition that dogs need… How many people know anything about nutrients and what they do?
From Dr. Louden:
1. LOWER BIOAVAILABILITY
Natural vs. Synthetic: Synthetic vitamins and minerals are often not as easily absorbed and utilized by the dog’s body compared to their natural counterparts. The body may recognize and process naturally occurring nutrients more efficiently.
Efficacy: The effectiveness of synthetic nutrients can vary, sometimes requiring higher doses to achieve the same benefits as natural forms, which can lead to imbalances or overdosing.
2. POTENTIAL FOR OVERDOSING
Concentration: Synthetic vitamins and minerals are highly concentrated, which increases the risk of overdosing. Excessive intake of certain vitamins, such as vitamin A or D, can lead to toxicity.
Imbalance: Over-reliance on synthetic nutrients can cause imbalances, as they might not be accompanied by the natural cofactors and enzymes found in whole foods that aid in their proper absorption and function.
3. POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS
Digestive Issues: Some dogs may experience gastrointestinal upset, including nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, when consuming synthetic vitamins and minerals.
Allergic Reactions: Synthetic additives can sometimes cause allergic reactions or sensitivities in dogs, particularly if the source materials include allergens.
4. NUTRIENT INTERACTION
Absorption Interference: Synthetic nutrients might interfere with the absorption of other essential nutrients. For example, high levels of synthetic calcium can inhibit the absorption of magnesium and zinc.
Balance Issues: Proper nutrient balance is crucial. Synthetic additions can disrupt the natural balance, leading to deficiencies or excesses of other nutrients.
5. LONG-TERM HEALTH CONCERNS
Artificial Sources: Continuous consumption of artificial vitamins and minerals may have unknown long-term health impacts, as they do not interact with the body in the same way as naturally derived nutrients.
Quality and Purity: The quality and purity of synthetic vitamins can vary widely. Lower-quality products might contain contaminants or be less effective.
6. LACK OF PHYTOCHEMICALS AND CO-FACTORS
Missing Components: Whole foods contain a complex matrix of nutrients, including phytochemicals, enzymes, and co-factors that work synergistically. Synthetic vitamins lack these components, potentially reducing their overall effectiveness and health benefits.
For the last 75 years or so, our pets have been fed an ultra-processed diet. This food, a term I use loosely, is made using a process that destroys almost every nutrient in the ingredients used. The manufacturers replace the lost nutrients, often in synthetic form, and list them as ingredients, leading consumers to believe that vitamins are ingredients in their food, not that vitamins come from their food.
Real food is just food. A carrot is a carrot. There are no ingredients except for carrots. If you eat a carrot, you get what is in that carrot. If you were to eat an ultra-processed carrot, you would get something artificially made to look like a carrot and have the benefits of the carrot artificially added after the fact. Why not just eat the carrot?
Because so many pet parents who feed fresh food are concerned about where their pet’s vitamins and minerals are coming from if they are not listed on the ingredient panel, I have compiled a list of the foods that contain the essential (the body cannot produce on its own) vitamins and minerals your pet needs. If you are concerned that your pet is not getting enough nutrients, feed them the foods containing them.
Note: This is not an all-inclusive list of sources, just enough to give you an idea.
VITAMIN A
Chicken, pork, egg, salmon, halibut, haddock, hake, sardines, liver, kidney, brain, tuna
VITAMIN C (Ascorbic acid)
Liver, kidney, heart, fish
VITAMIN D
Beef, elk, egg, sardine, liver, kidney, salmon, tuna
VITAMIN E
Ostrich, buffalo, elk, egg, halibut, haddock, hake, sardine, kidney, liver, brain
VITAMIN K
Eggs, halibut, haddock, hake, sardines, liver
VITAMIN B6 (Pyridoxine)
Liver, heart, kidney, rabbit, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, hake, sardine
VITAMIN B12 (Cyanocobalamin)
Liver, heart, kidney, rabbit, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, hake, sardine
VITAMIN B1 (Thiamine)
Liver, rabbit, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, sardine
VITAMIN B2 (Riboflavin)
Liver, heart, kidney, rabbit, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, hake, sardine
VITAMIN B3 (Niacin)
Rabbit, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, hake, sardine, tuna
VITAMIN B5 (Pantothenic acid)
Beef, poultry, seafood, organ meats, eggs, and dairy
VITAMIN B7 (Biotine)
Beef liver, eggs, dairy, bananas, nuts, seeds, pork, salmon, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms
VITAMIN B9 (Folate)
Eggs, leafy greens, avocado
CALCIUM
(found in the bone of any animal ) rabbit, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, hake, sardine
COPPER
Chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, hake, sardine
IODINE
Salmon, haddock, hake, seafood, egg
IRON
Rabbit, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, hake, sardine
PHOSPHOROUS
Rabbit, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, hake, sardine
MAGNESIUM
Rabbit, chicken, turkey, pork, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, sardines
POTASSIUM
Rabbit, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, sardine
ZINC
Rabbit, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, salmon, halibut, haddock, hake, sardine
SELENIUM
Rabbit, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, goat, ostrich, buffalo, egg, beef, elk, salmon, halibut, haddock, hake, sardine
NATURE KNOWS BEST
As you can see, everything your pet needs can be found in animal sources and real food. Nature has ensured this since there is no Chewy website for wild animals. This list also visualizes the importance of rotation. Although many animal sources were listed multiple times, no one source provided every vitamin and mineral, making it impossible to get everything from a single protein source — the egg comes close.
Feed these foods in a variety so your pet gets what it needs. That is how it is done in nature. Is there a GNC or CVS in the woods where the wolves go to get extra zinc? Don’t overcomplicate things. If you don’t know how much of any nutrient you need and have survived this long, does it make sense to know your pet’s exact requirements and provide them daily?
Lastly, there is a real risk of causing harm when you try to chase individual nutrients. Each of these vitamins and minerals works with each other synergistically. If you take an individual one and start to supplement it because you heard on the internet that raw-fed dogs are often deficient, you risk affecting how your pet absorbs and utilizes other vitamins. This is what leads to deficiencies and toxicity, not feeding real food! Don’t chase individual nutrients! Feed a variety of real foods and get out of the way.
I hope this helps pet parents understand where the nutrients are coming from in their pet’s diet. For people who understand that a complete diet for a carnivore includes meat, bones, and organs, this shows how those items provide everything your pet needs. Those of you who feed 80/10/10 grinds as a base or in a rotation do not need to feel like you are doing something wrong! It also shows why incomplete homemade diets, i.e., chicken and rice or ground beef and broccoli, cannot provide everything the dog needs and require supplementation. Feed a complete diet with real food rather than with supplements or paying someone $900 for a recipe. — Kelly Bone
“Synthetic or Natural: The Power of Whole Food Ingredients” by Dr. Judy Morgan.
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