# Vit. C



## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Does anyone add C or D to their puppy or adult food? I have heard pros and cons on both ends. As far as puppies go, I don't add anything unless they are sick.


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## Julie Ward (Oct 1, 2007)

I've always added vit C. 500mg for the whippets, 1000mg for the dobermans.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

I can't remember what you're feeding, Howard, but I would not add extra vitamin D if you're feeding an AAFCO formulated diet. Messing with the fat soluble vitamins is not a good idea, particularly in a growing puppy. Vitamin E is not so bad, but vitamin A toxicity isn't pretty and vitamin D is closely tied in with calcium levels in the body. If I recall, vitamin D itself is not active, but its metabolites are and they suppress the action of the parathyroid gland. The parathyroid gland's job is to up or down regulate the availability of calcium in the blood (when the body needs calcium in the blood, it takes it out of the bone, as 99% of your body's calcium is stored there), so messing with that system if you're using a standard quality commercial diet is probably not a good idea. 

I'd recommend to all breeders using a good probiotic on their puppies, so if you're using a yogurt (Stonyfield Organic is my favorite...has 6 species in it), you'll have D in it anyways. Vitamin C isn't so big of a deal since it's water soluble. You can try it if you like and the ester C is the better way to go as it's apparently more bioavailable and easier on the stomach than ascorbic acid (standard vitamin C). Adults of a Bouv size would be fine with 1000-2000 mg a day. Young puppies just weaned maybe 100-200 mg in their food would be plenty. They do make their own, so it's not a requirement to supplement with.

One interesting fact I learned last year was that dogs and cats do a pretty poor job of making vitamin D from the sun (unlike us and most other animals) because they did experiments where they had no vitamin D in their diet at all and shaved them. They developed deficiencies like rickets.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

D, no.

C, no for me unless there's some reason (since they do make it, unlike us), but MANY others do give "extra" C as ester C. It does flush out if unneeded.

The oil-soluble vits, I do not supplement except in their food-forms..... EXCEPT E, which has not ben shown to have an OD amount even in lab tests with ridiculous levels and which is used to protect the PUFAs in oil supplements (like fish oil).

Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption in the gut and regulating adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations and for bone growth and bone remodeling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts.

The flesh of fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) contains Vitamin D3, and beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Oh, I just saw Maren's post. duh


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

BIG FAT DITTO on the no-sugar live-culture yogurt, which appears to be of lifelong benefit to pups when given early..... as do all good bugs in an infant immune system, I am reading.

Cascade has many cultures, and Nancy's too. I tend to alternate to get the most variety.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Thanks all...I'll save money and fill the truck instead.8)


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