How Can I Tell If My Dog Has Zinc Deficiency?
Does your dog have a seemingly endless struggle with health problems that never seem to improve? If the issues include patches of raised, crusty skin, dull or dried out fur, or problems with digestion, your dog may be suffering from a zinc deficiency.
Zinc deficiency can be genetic in northern breeds, such as Huskies and Malamutes. It is also more common to see in giant breeds like Great Danes and Saint Bernards. Large breed dogs such as German Shepherd Dogs and Dobermans are commonly affected, too. However, having a smaller breed doesn’t mean your pet is off the hook. As with most pet-related health problems, the culprit is almost always the same: diet.
Zinc is the second most used mineral in your dog’s body, next to iron. It is a powerful anti-oxidant, and is also necessary for over 300 metabolic processes. For some of those processes it works alone, and for others it pairs with calcium, copper, and other minerals. Despite being so vital, your pet’s body has no way to store it. This means that your canine needs a constant supply of zinc in their diet to live healthfully.
To make things more complicated, only 5% to 40% of the zinc your dog consumes gets absorbed into their bloodstream, depending on the quality of the food they eat.
How To Diagnose Zinc Deficiency in Dogs
Diagnosing a zinc deficiency in dogs can sometimes be tricky. This is because symptoms can change over time, and often don’t appear to be related. It is common for zinc deficiency to be misdiagnosed as food allergies. A good indication that the problems do point to zinc, and not some other ailment, is that it’s very rare for dogs to develop a series of seemingly unrelated health conditions. Also, symptoms if zinc deficiency will always worsen over time if not addressed.
Symptoms of Zinc Deficiency in Dogs
With zinc deficiency, symptoms almost always present themselves in this order:
- Digestion difficulties, including diarrhea and appetite changes. Hair loss or dulling of the coat may occur. At this stage, food allergies are commonly misdiagnosed.
- In the second stage, dermatitis presents as patches of raised, crusty skin that may be mistaken for hot spots. Check for these patches around the groin, eyes, and muzzle area.
- Next, the immune system either overreacts or under performs. This can cause a string of seemingly unrelated health problems to occur. For many dogs, cancerous tumors may begin to form.
- After the immune system begins to unravel, the thyroid begins to malfunction. This causes rapid changes in weight, appetite, skin and coat, and can sometimes cause a persistent cough.
- Organ failure, usually of the kidneys, liver, and heart, is the second last stage.
- The final stage is seizures. This is caused because the taurine needed for brain function cannot work without enough zinc.
How to Prevent or Treat Canine Zinc Deficiency
A proper diet is the first and most important step towards preventing zinc deficiency in dogs. In fact, this deficiency is often referred to as “generic dog food disease” because many low-quality dog foods do not provide sufficient levels of zinc. Consider upgrading your pooch to a high-quality, human-grade dog food. Some of the most popular brands in Canada are Acana or Carna4. Or consider switching to a raw diet!
Puppies are more susceptible to zinc deficiency, as are pregnant and lactating dogs. If your pooch is showing any of the signs of a deficiency, consider supplementing with a good quality zinc supplement, such as Zinpro. Most dogs see significant improvements after just 3 to 6 weeks. Always see a Veterinarian if you have any immediate concerns about your pet’s health.
8 Responses
Hello Brandon, I feed Nutrisource Performance to a kennel of Seppala Sled dogs. The bag says it contains 180 mg/kg and each dog gets 2 cups of food daily. Would you say if they eat all their food daily, they are getting the proper amount of Zinc or should I supplement?
Hello Amber.
Thanks for your question about Zinc for your Seppala Sled dogs.
Nutrisource Performance dog food has 180 mg/kg of Zinc. Each dog gets 2 cups of food daily, which is about 0.2 kg of food (since one cup of dry dog food usually weighs around 100 grams).
To figure out how much Zinc they’re getting:
– Zinc content: 180 mg/kg
– Daily food intake: 0.2 kg
– Daily Zinc intake: 180 mg/kg * 0.2 kg = 36 mg of Zinc per day
According to the National Research Council (NRC), active adult dogs need about 12.5 mg of Zinc per kg of body weight each day. So, if your dogs are getting 36 mg of Zinc from their food, they should be getting enough Zinc.
If you’re still worried about Zinc deficiency or if your dogs are very active, you might want to check with a vet. They can give you more specific advice based on your dogs’ needs.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
I take a zinc supplement for immune deficiency. Can’t I just give my pup a bit of my tablet and see. I changed the diet x2 and he’s in the good stuff but still constantly itching although not quite as bad.
Human dose of zinc (?) I’d start at 1/4 tablet.
Hello, Deb.
I cannot recommend doing this as I do not know anything about your zinc supplement. I recommend using a canine-specific zinc supplement to avoid any complications.
Hi Brandon, my 7 months old oup has recently been treated for bacterial infection (impetigo) with antibiotics. But soon after she started symptoms like dull fur, hairloss, hotspots, weightloss & diarrhea. Also her paw pads are hard and cracked. Can this be zinc deficiency or is it side effect of antibiotics?
Hello, Aditi.
Thank you for reaching out about your puppy’s health concerns. It’s clear that you care deeply about your pet’s well-being, and I’m here to help provide guidance.
While it’s not within my scope to diagnose medical conditions, I can say that your puppy’s symptoms could be due to various factors. It’s possible that the dull fur, hair loss, hot spots, weight loss, and diarrhea might be related to antibiotic side effects or a response to some other health issue. Antibiotics can sometimes affect a dog’s gut flora, leading to symptoms such as diarrhea and weight loss. At the same time, hard and cracked paw pads might be related to environmental factors or a potential nutritional deficiency, such as zinc.
While it’s indeed possible that zinc deficiency could be causing some of the symptoms you’re describing, it’s also important to note that these symptoms are common to many other health conditions as well. Therefore, it’s crucial to consult with a qualified veterinary professional who can accurately diagnose the cause of your puppy’s symptoms.
To help your puppy recover from her recent infection and antibiotic treatment, consider offering her a balanced, nutritious diet, with adequate hydration. This will help support her overall health and immune system. Probiotics can also be beneficial in restoring gut health after antibiotic treatment, but I’d recommend discussing this with your vet before starting any new supplement regimen.
Remember, we’re here to help with any pet food or pet care product needs that you may have. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need assistance in choosing products that can support your puppy’s health during this time.
Best wishes for your puppy’s swift recovery.
Thank you so much Brandon for taking out time & replying. That helps.
My pleasure! 🙂