Your pup needs their greens, too!

Us humans are obsessed with the latest superfoods — but what are the vitamin and mineral equivalents of turmeric for dogs? Because we for sure want to be feeding them to our pups. 

“Functional superfoods [have] the most beneficial effects on health,” says Dr. W. Jean Dodds, DVM. “They reduce chronic inflammation and promote healing; are powerfully antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-tumor; and are even believed to delay aging.” Serving your dog the vitamins and minerals in these essential canine functional superfoods will help your dog fight disease, boost energy and maintain good health and weight in general.

So, what vitamins do dogs need everyday and what foods do they come from? For some pet parents, feeding dogs commercial food makes the most sense; it is not only convenient, but — if they select high-quality food made by companies with proven records of ingredient integrity — it provides their dogs with a generally wholesome diet. However, there are a lot of factors in commercial pet food to consider, and it might not provide your dog vitamins and minerals for a “complete and balanced” diet.

To ensure that your pup is getting the vitamins and minerals they need, you can add them to your dog’s diet with superfoods like these:

Vitamin A

Carrots, spinach, liver, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, fish oil, eggs, turnip greens

Vitamin D

Marine fish oil, fatty fish, egg yolks, dairy products, liver, beef, cottage cheese

Vitamin E

Plant oils, leafy green vegetables, seeds, wheat germ, bran, whole grains, liver

Vitamin K

Liver, leafy green vegetables, milk, cabbage, fish

Vitamin C

Fruits, vegetables, organ meats

Vitamin B

Whole grains, nutritional or brewers yeast, liver, beans, green vegetables, spirulina, nuts, dairy products

Macrominerals

Calcium

Milk, yogurt, tofu, sardines with bones, raw bones, bok choy, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower

Phosphorous

All animal tissues, eggs, fish, milk

Magnesium

Spinach, broccoli, green beans, tofu, tomato juice, beans, whole grains, seafood

Potassium, Sodium and Chloride

Fruits, vegetables, milk, grain

Microminerals

Zinc

Spinach, broccoli, yogurt, beef, poultry, whole grains, vegetables

Sulfur

All protein foods (meats, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes and milk)

Iron

Red meats, fish, poultry, shellfish, eggs, legumes

Iodine

Iodized salt, seafood, dairy products, kelp

Selenium

Seafood, meat, whole grains, brown rice, vegetables

Cooper

Seafood, nuts, whole grains, seeds, legumes

Manganese

Nuts, whole grains, leafy vegetables

Chromium

Lean meat, vegetable oils, brewers yeast

Cobalt

Liver, kidney, fruit, vegetables

Fluorine

Available in water

Molybdenum

Legumes, cereals, organ meats

Silicon

Cereals, vegetables, beans and peas