Vitamin B12

Cats with intestinal disease often absorb B12 poorly, so veterinarians check their B12 levels.

Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin cats need for nerve function and red blood cell production. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that cobalamin comes mainly from animal products, and complete cat foods add it to meet nutrient targets. Cats with intestinal or pancreatic disease can have trouble absorbing it, so a cat with a medical condition should have its B12 managed by a veterinarian.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Vitamin B12 is added to make sure each batch of food supplies enough cobalamin. Meat and organ meats contain it, but levels vary between ingredients, so manufacturers include a measured amount in the vitamin premix. On the label it may appear as vitamin B12 supplement or cyanocobalamin.

Cyanocobalamin is the stable, manufactured form of vitamin B12 used in most supplements and pet foods. Once eaten, the body converts it into the active forms of B12 it uses. The cyanide group in the molecule is present in a very small amount, and the form has a long record of use in human and animal nutrition.

Plants are not a meaningful source of vitamin B12. The Merck Veterinary Manual states that cobalamin is provided in the diet primarily through animal products. This is one reason cats, as obligate carnivores, rely on animal ingredients or on the B12 added to their food.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Pettings gives vitamin B12 4 out of 5 and lists it as a vitamin. It appears on 147 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. We score it alongside the other B vitamins that complete foods add. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.