Biotin (vitamin B7) is essential for maintaining your dog's skin, coat, and nails in top condition. It serves as a coenzyme in fatty acid synthesis and amino acid metabolism, directly influencing the production of keratin — the structural protein that makes up fur, skin, and nails. Dogs with dull coats or flaky skin that does not respond to other interventions sometimes show dramatic improvement with biotin supplementation. Biotin also supports glucose metabolism and helps the body use the other B vitamins efficiently. One important note: raw egg whites contain avidin, a protein that binds biotin and prevents its absorption. Cooking the egg deactivates avidin, which is why cooked eggs are a better biotin source than raw.
A cooked egg provides about 10–15mcg of biotin — a medium dog needs approximately 30–100mcg of biotin per day. Cooked eggs, sweet potato, salmon, and peanut butter are good food sources. If your dog has chronic skin or coat issues, ask your vet about biotin supplementation — it is safe and often helpful.
0.0% of daily nutrient intake
Vitamin B7 (Biotin) makes up 0.0% of your dog's total daily nutritional requirements by weight. That's a tiny amount — but it matters.
Dull, dry coat, hair loss (particularly around the eyes and muzzle), scaly or crusty skin, brittle nails, and lethargy. Dogs fed raw egg whites regularly are at particular risk because avidin blocks biotin absorption. Deficiency can also occur with long-term antibiotic use that disrupts gut bacteria which produce some biotin.
Biotin is water-soluble with an extremely wide safety margin. No adverse effects from dietary or supplemental excess have been reported in dogs. It is one of the safest vitamins to supplement for coat and skin support.
| Life Stage | Size | Min | Max | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | medium 10-25kg | 30 | 100 | mcg | No formal NRC minimum, but 30–100mcg supports healthy skin and coat. Gut bacteria also produce some biotin. |
| Senior | medium 10-25kg | 30 | 100 | mcg | Senior dogs with dry skin or thinning coat may benefit from higher biotin intake for ongoing skin and coat maintenance. |
Source: general veterinary consensus
