Tuesday, March 20, 2007 5:00 PM
People are always concentrating about how to cure diseases that affect humans, but what about animals. I think that people should care more about animals, which is why I have researched on how the deficiency of vitamins affect animals, and what we can do to help them.
Vitamin C:
-A deficiency in vitamin C is a deficiency in the healing, glandular, circulatory, immune, and regenerative abilities of the body. Vitamin C is a major factor in the formation and maintenance of bones and tissues, prevents cancer, and may prevent arteriosclerosis.
-The classic vitamin C deficiency is scurvy, with gum disease, loss of teeth, weakened bones, bleeding, bad breath, and general debilitation. -Signs of clinical scurvy have been apparent under stress.
-In dogs, [vitamin C] can totally resolve the problems of dysplastic hips (hips that have abnormal development or growth of tissues, cells or organs) in younger dogs and arthritis in older ones, as well as help or cure spinal myelopathy (any disorder of the spinal cord or of bone marrow), ruptured discs, allergies, viral infections (including distemper), and skin problems. After the "cures," the pet needs to stay on C, but in lesser amounts.
-The vitamin is an antioxidant, a pollution fighter that cleans toxins from the blood and tissues.
-It helps protect against the side-effects of some veterinary drugs (including steroids/cortisone), and it is a major pain reliever.
-It keeps the teeth strong in aging pets and retards the aging process.
-Supplementing with vitamin C is a major disease preventive; therefore it's emphasized in the daily feeding plans.
-Supplementing with vitamin C can mean the difference between life and death in the case of a sick cat or dog.
-Contrary to myth and rumour, vitamin C does not cause kidney stones. It dissolves them.
The B Complex :
-This range of vitamins is necessary for a healthy nervous system.
Cats need almost twice as much of these vitamins as dogs do for proper absorption of nutrients throughout the body.
-These vitamins require each other to work and so are taken in the B-complex unit, with occasional additions of the other single B vitamins.
-Mouth, eyes, skin, gastrointestinal tract (alimentary canal), and reproductive organs are B deficiency disease sites, as well as behavior, intelligence, and brain and nerve functions.
-Stress depletes the B vitamins, as it does vitamin C, and so does extremely cold weather.
-The individual B vitamins known to be of primary use for pets are listed in the following sections.
Vitamin B-1 (Thiamine) :
-A major issue for cats, as supermarket cat foods may not provide enough of it.
-Results of this deficiency are brain damage, seizures, and loss of movement control, potentially leading to death.
-Treatment with the vitamin by injection effects full recovery within 24 hours.
-Many cat breeders supplement with B vitamins, and B-1 also helps hyperactivity, internal muscle weakness, flea resistance, appetite, learning ability, and intelligence.
-Cats that eat fish and cats or dogs on supermarket pet foods are more likely to be thiamine deficient.
-In dogs, B-1 deficiency signs are lack of appetite, vomiting, unsteadiness, and spasticity of the hind legs.
-Dogs also respond to B-1 as a flea repellant.
-A tablespoon of brewer's yeast contains 1.25 mg of B-1, but some pets are allergic to yeast and it should not be used on cats during urologic (FUS) attacks; a B-complex-50 from the health food store contains 50 mg and may be bought yeast free cheaply.
Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin) :
-A B-2 deficiency may lead to cataracts in both dogs and cats.
-Bloodshot eyes and conjunctivitis (Inflammation of the conjunctiva, the transparent mucous membrane that lines the inner surface of the eyelid and covers the front part of the eyeball. Often called pinkeye.) are often deficiency symptoms.
-This vitamin is necessary for red blood cell formation, antibody production, food metabolism, and growth.
-Riboflavin prevents birth defects and dandruff.
Vitamin B-3 (Niacin) :
-B-3 deficiency may cause black tongue in dogs which is the equivalent to human pellagra (a disease caused by a deficiency of niacin in the diet, characterized by skin changes, severe nerve dysfunction, mental symptoms, and diarrhea).
-Niacin is an immense help in controlling seizures and reducing behavioral problems.
-It reduces cholesterol levels, improves blood circulation, and aids in central nervous system functioning.
-In cats, niacin deficiency signs are mouth ulcers; thick, foul smelling saliva that drools; weight loss and lack of appetite; and weakness and apathy, finally leading to death from respiratory disease.
-Raw meat and brewers yeast are good niacin sources; cooking destroys many B-complex vitamins.
-Because of the hot flush effect, niacin is usually given only as part of the full B-complex or as niacinamide.
-Cats need more of it than dogs.
Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid) :
-B-5 adds to animals' (and humans') longevity.
-It is important for good immune system and adrenal function, and vitamin and food utilization.
-It is essential in fighting allergies, inflammations, asthma, and infections. -Vitamin C and B-5 together are highly important for skin diseases and allergies in both cats and dogs.
-The presence of allergies or infections is considered a B-5 deficiency symptom.
-It also helps animals to combat stress, reduce depression, and ease anxiety.
Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine) :
-B-6 deficiency symptoms include failure to grow and thrive, epilepsy (Any of various neurological disorders characterized by sudden recurring attacks of motor, sensory, or psychic malfunction with or without loss of consciousness or convulsive seizures), anemia (A pathological deficiency in the oxygen-carrying component of the blood, measured in unit volume concentrations of hemoglobin, red blood cell volume, or red blood cell number), water retention, and kidney stones or kidney damage in dogs and cats.
-Its deficiency is also implicated in artery disease, cancer, arthritis, asthma, and allergies in pets and people.
-B-6 is essential for the metabolism of protein (and more protein is often needed by cats than by dogs).
-It is required in the utilization of some minerals for a healthy nervous system, red blood cell production, good brain function, and a strong immune system.
Vitamin B-9 (Folic Acid) :
-B-9 deficiency results in reproductive problems, birth defects when the mother is deficient, weight loss and anemia, erratic appetite, low energy, seizures, eye discharge, depression and anxiety, as well as decreased immune function in both cats and dogs.
-Red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis, and protein metabolism depend on this vitamin.
Vitamin B-12 (Cobalamin) :
-B-12 deficiency in humans results in anemia that, if left untreated, leads to death; dogs can also suffer from B-12 deficiency anemia, but how much they (or cats) actually require is unknown.
-Supplementing pregnant females with vitamin B-12 results in stronger, larger, and healthier young, with better disease resistance.
-This vitamin prevents nerve damage, aids fertility, and promotes normal growth and development.
-It is necessary for normal digestion and proper food absorption; raw liver is the best animal food source.
Biotin :
-Biotin deficiency results in hair loss and in hair and skin disorders in cats and dogs, but the exact requirements for it are unknown in both.
-This B vitamin is essential for thyroid and adrenal health, strong nervous systems and nerve tissue, healthy reproduction, normal sweat glands and bone marrow, and healthy skin.
-It is necessary for utilization of fat, proteins, and carbohydrates in the body.
-Biotin is a cure for dogs that eat their feces; they may be looking for this vitamin, which is produced to some extent in the intestines. Raw egg whites contain an enzyme that depletes biotin. For this reason, eggs fed to pets should be cooked to deactivate this enzyme.
Vitamin D :
-Vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets, a bone deformity disease that dogs may be more prone to than cats.
-This vitamin prevents osteoporosis (A disease in which the bones become extremely porous, are subject to fracture, and heal slowly, occurring especially in women following menopause and often leading to curvature of the spine from vertebral collapse) and hypocalcemia (an abnormally small amount of calcium in the blood), and is essential for normal teeth, bones, and growth; and in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus.
-Vitamin D in nature is formed on the animal or human skin by sunlight
-indoor cats have no way to synthesize it for themselves and the vitamin is not included in most pet foods.
-Cod liver oil is a prime source.
-Little is known about animal requirements, but tropical zoo animals deprived of sunlight in northern winters need supplements to prevent crooked bones.
Vitamin E :
-Vitamin E is one of the wonder vitamins, and both dogs and cats need supplements.
-It is essential for healing diseases of the circulatory system (and preventing them), including heart tachycardia (excessively rapid heartbeat) and arteriosclerosis (degenerative changes in the arteries, characterized by thickening of the vessel walls and accumulation of calcium with consequent loss of elasticity and lessened blood flow).
-It promotes fertility, slows aging, prevents cataracts, boosts the immune system, protects the body against pollutants and cancer, and heals the skin.
-Vitamin E prevents steatitis (inflammation of fatty tissue) in cats and boosts muscle power and endurance in working dogs.
-It helps in dissolving tumors, especially in breasts, and in relieving posterior paralysis and disc problems in dogs.
-The vitamin oxygenates the blood and improves the function of all internal organs; its antioxidant abilities protect the lungs.
-In humans, vitamin E deficiency disorders include heart disease, muscular dystrophy (faulty or inadequate nutrition or developmentfaulty or inadequate nutrition or development) , brain and neurological problems, and reproductive failures.
-Doses range from 100 IU per day for cats to 400 IU or more for larger dogs (in healing disease).
-Diane Stein used up to 800 IU per day on a 45-pound puppy for a period of 3 months with good results and no side effects; higher doses resulted in vomiting.
-Wendell Belfield used amounts of 1200 IU per day to cure cats of steatitis, a vitamin E deficiency disease. This is one of the vitamins to supplement daily as part of a routine diet; it is a must for cats that eat fish and for dogs with skin ailments.
