What Do Different Trace Elements Do for a Dog’s Body?

1 Role of Trace Elements in Dogs

Zinc deficiency shows as hair loss, red inflamed skin, crusting, poor keratinization, and skin ulcers, mainly on lips, toes, pads, around eyes/nose, belly, scrotum, and vulva. Causes: low zinc in food, high copper blocking zinc uptake, or high phytate (phytate-zinc can’t be used). Some breeds (Alaskan Malamute, Husky) inherit poor zinc absorption. Feed higher-zinc kibble if signs appear.

B vitamins are essential trace elements. Niacin lack causes red lips and traumatic dermatitis from itching; pantothenic acid lack causes hair loss or fading (black to red-brown to gray) and similar biotin issues, plus shoulder/back ulcers, anemia, gastroenteritis, poor appetite, and nerve harm (odd walking). Biotin lack causes skin damage, over-keratinization, hind-leg paralysis, and dry eye discharge—all bad for the dog.

Protein lack makes hair/coat keratin abnormal, lowers skin resistance, and causes damaged coat, thinning, fading, brittleness, and slowed or stopped growth, leading to scaly, greasy skin. The key coat amino acid is sulfur-bearing cystine; low sulfur amino acids in food easily cause skin problems. Without protein, the coat looks poor and the dog’s health suffers.

The body holds many trace elements; tiny as they are, they matter, and together they support health. Most deficiencies show as skin problems that easily lead to secondary disease, so don’t neglect them—like people, no trace element should be missing. If you have other questions, consult an online vet.