Given the popularity of Vitamin C supplementation among people, pet parents are now questioning whether they should get more Vitamin C for dogs to treat diseases or prevent them. Let’s take a quick look at what research has to say on Vitamin C for Chihuahuas, especially.
The thought of Vitamin C conjures up images of citrus fruits like lemons and limes, and perhaps even some chalky tablets from the health food store. Vitamin C is essential in our diets; without it, we humans can suffer some ill effects. Taking large doses of Vitamin C can help fight many ailments, including the common cold.
Unlike humans, dogs do not require Vitamin C in their diet. Their bodies are truly unique in a way that dogs can make their own Vitamin C [1]. And in dogs, Vitamin C synthesizes in their liver [15].
If your dog is completely healthy, a Vitamin C supplement is often not that necessary. However, supplementing your dog’s diet with Vitamin C can be a good idea and potentially provide a lifetime of benefits.
What is Vitamin C for dogs?
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. We can find it in various foods, such as citrus, berries, and leafy greens like kale. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant.
How does it work for dogs?
In your dog’s body, byproducts of metabolism are reactive free radicals. These free radicals can cause damage to other tissues in the dog’s body. We call this process oxidative damage. Antioxidants are substances that counteract or neutralize free radicals, thus preventing damage to other cells and tissues in canines.
Many ailments in dogs cause high levels of oxidative damage, such as cancer, autoimmune disease, and mental decline. When it comes to dogs, we use Vitamin C primarily as an antioxidant, especially at high levels. The more Vitamin C available in the dog’s body, the better it works.
Why should my dog take Vitamin C?
Supplementing your dog’s diet with Vitamin C can be a useful and natural treatment for certain ailments.
High doses of Vitamin C for dogs may help treat conditions such as:
- Cognitive Dysfunction “Doggie Dementia” [2]
- Toxin ingestion, such as acetaminophen [3]
- Fracture repair [4]
- Canine ringworm [5]
- Dog arthritis [6, 7, 9]
- Cancer in dogs [8]
- Dog liver disease [11, 12, 15]
Can we use Vitamin C to prevent disease in dogs?
Yes! Veterinary experts recommend:
“BEGIN WITH A DAILY DOSE OF VITAMIN C IN THE PREFERRED FORM OF ESTER-C™ AS FOLLOWS 250–500 MG DAILY FOR SMALL DOGS, DIVIDED TWICE DAILY AND GIVEN WITH FOOD; 500–1000 MG DAILY FOR MEDIUM TO LARGE DOGS, AND GIVEN AS ABOVE, AND 1000–2000 MG FOR LARGE AND GIANT BREED DOGS.” [9]
Talk to your veterinarian about specific dosing of Vitamin C for dogs. Your canine’s health status and diagnosis will determine the best dose. Also, Vitamin C for dog supplements could interact with medications your dog is taking, and it’s vitally important to keep a close track of all treatments your canine is going through [3].
If your veterinarian is unfamiliar with using Vitamin C for dogs, seek a holistic veterinarian’s opinion. However, as with any “holistic” methods, we always ask you to approach such practices with a healthy amount of skepticism.
Can you give it to dogs with their food?
Yes, dogs can receive Vitamin C with their kibble or any other type of dog food.
Note that Vitamin C for dogs can cause problems with the acid levels in your canine’s stomach. It is best to give the dog supplements containing calcium ascorbate or sodium ascorbate instead of ascorbic acid when given food [9].
Giving a full Vitamin C supplement dose all at once can cause vomiting or diarrhea in some dogs. It is best to divide the total dose into morning and evening portions.
Better yet – feed your dog whole foods on a daily basis that naturally contain high levels of Vitamin C, such as blueberries, cranberries, apples, ginger, grape seed extract, and pomegranate.
When should we not use Vitamin C, or can it be ‘too much of a good thing’?
As a water-soluble vitamin, your dog’s body will simply flush excess Vitamin C into the urine. It does not concentrate on canine’s body tissues.
However, too much Vitamin C for dogs can increase the acidity of the stomach in some pets, possibly causing irritation or contributing to ulceration, as previously noted:
“AS DOGS CAN SYNTHESIZE THEIR OWN VITAMIN C, THE NEED FOR SUPPLEMENTATION IS CONTROVERSIAL. TO AVOID ACIDIC EFFECTS ON THE STOMACH, CALCIUM ASCORBATE OR SODIUM ASCORBATE CAN BE USED INSTEAD OF ASCORBIC ACID (STRAUS 2007; SANGHI ET AL. 2009).” [9]
Vitamin C supplementation can harm some dogs, especially those suffering from bladder stones or specific copper or iron storage liver disease [10, 11, 12].
Dalmatians are prone to developing uric acid stones. If your Dalmatian has had problems with these stones in the past, or with crystals in the urine, it is not recommended to give them any Vitamin C supplements. Vitamin C causes the urine to become more acidic, which can cause more stones to form [17].
Be sure to read the labels of all dog health supplements because Vitamin C is a popular addition to bladder health and joint support supplement products.
The bottom line
If your dog is generally healthy, supplementation with vitamin C is most likely unnecessary.
Supplementation is worthwhile if your dog suffers from a chronic condition, is stressed, shows clear signs of rapid aging, or can't produce enough Vitamin C. As mentioned below, several studies have shown that Vitamin C levels seem to be lower in dogs that are fighting diseases (i.e. parasitic skin disease, cancer, and so on).
Ask your veterinarian if Vitamin C is right for your pet. It can certainly make a difference for some dogs.
Want to learn more about vitamin C for dogs?
3 most common sources of Vitamin C for dogs:
- Joint supplements, including collagen concentrate products
- Ester-C
- Fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, raspberries, apples, carrots.
Vitamin C for dogs could be a worthwhile treatment for much more than we realize now.
Improved immune function in dogs
Results of a small study (15 dogs) suggest that supplemental Vitamin C and E can increase the numbers of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. This increase could theoretically mean improving the dog’s immune system response and/or function [13].
“Three treatments (0, 30, 60 mg vitamin C) were tested in a 3 x 3 cross-over study in three periods of 36 days. Pre-prandial blood samples were taken to analyze vitamins C, E, A, retinyl palmitate and stearate, antioxidant status [Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and uric acid], biochemical and hematological analysis. Subpopulations of lymphocytes, mitogen-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation (PBMC), and serum IgA and IgG concentrations were determined.
The Results
There was a trend (p = 0.056) for an increased plasma vitamin C concentration by vitamin C supplementation. There was no evidence that dietary treatment altered neither the other plasma vitamin concentrations nor TBARS and uric acid concentrations nor the subpopulations of the lymphocytes except for the number of CD4+ lymphocytes that increased with vitamin C supplementation. There was no effect of vitamin C on serum IgA and IgG concentration. A significant time x treatment interaction was demonstrated on PBMC’s to pokeweed, with an increase observed by 30 mg vitamin C supplementation but a decrease by 60 mg vitamin C supplementation.
There was no clear evidence for an effect of dietary vitamin C on antioxidative capacity in healthy dogs fed a diet with vitamin E concentrations well above the recommendations."
Treatment of dog arthritis
A prominent holistic veterinarian, Dr. Jean Dodds, of Garden Grove, California, says this about vitamin C for dogs and arthritis:
“ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C) IS NECESSARY FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF TYPE II COLLAGEN, THE MOST ABUNDANT PROTEIN IN CARTILAGE. STUDIES INDICATE THAT VITAMIN C MAY PROTECT THE CARTILAGE, ESPECIALLY WHEN TAKEN IN HIGH DOSES.” [9]
Treatment of parasitic diseases
Most people are aware that Vitamin C plays a vital role in the dog’s body. A study in 2013 shows that decreased levels of Vitamin C correlate with generalized canine demodicosis. Generalized demodicosis is a skin infection with the Demodex mite, also known as “red mange.”
Generalized demodicosis has long been associated with poor immune function and may have a genetic component. Treating this skin condition in dogs can take several months and canines are not considered “cured” until their skin tests are negative for about a year after their last treatment.
“…VITAMIN C LEVELS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.05) LOWER IN DISEASED DOGS WHEN COMPARED TO HEALTHY CONTROL. FROM THE PRESENT STUDY, IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT GENERALIZED DEMODECOSIS IN DOGS IS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT ALTERATION IN TRACE ELEMENTS AND OXIDANT/ANTI-OXIDANT IMBALANCE AND THIS IMBALANCE MIGHT BE SECONDARY TO CHANGES CAUSED BY DEMODECTIC MANGE.” [14]
From this study, it is difficult to determine if dogs' low Vitamin C levels contribute to the disease or if the disease process caused lowered Vitamin C levels. Regardless, it may be beneficial to consider vitamin C supplementation if your dog suffers from generalized demodicosis. It has not been proven as a helpful adjunctive therapy. But it may be something worthwhile to discuss with your veterinarian.
Treatment of canine cancer
Some holistic veterinarians treat cancer with intravenous high-doses of vitamin C. Naturally, there is not a lot of research or literature that shows that this treatment is effective, but many holistic vets claim that it works. A recent study shows that dogs treated for lymphoma (with chemotherapy) have lower levels of vitamin C in their bodies. It is possible that supplementation with Vitamin C for dogs could be beneficial in fighting lymphoma in canines:
“PROSPECTIVE, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY. MEASURES OF OXIDATIVE STRESS [MALONDIALDEHYDE AND TOTAL ISOPROSTANES (ISOP)] AND ANTIOXIDANTS [ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL, GAMMA-TOCOPHEROL, OXYGEN RADICAL ABSORBANCE CAPACITY (ORAC), AND GLUTATHIONE PEROXIDASE (GSHPX)] WERE ASSESSED IN DOGS WITH NEWLY DIAGNOSED LYMPHOMA BEFORE TREATMENT COMPARED WITH HEALTHY CONTROL DOGS. THE SAME PARAMETERS WERE MEASURED IN THE DOGS WITH LYMPHOMA ON WEEK 7 OF THE CHEMOTHERAPY PROTOCOL WHEN ALL DOGS WERE IN REMISSION.” [16]
At baseline, dogs with lymphoma had significantly lower alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol but higher GSHPx, ORAC, and isoP than healthy controls. In the dogs with lymphoma, alpha-tocopherol concentrations were higher and ascorbic acid was lower after treatment.
Results of this study suggest that dogs with lymphoma have alterations in oxidant and antioxidant concentrations and that the status of some of these biomarkers normalizes after remission. Further studies are warranted to determine whether antioxidant interventions to correct these are beneficial in treating canine lymphoma.
Source: nextgendog
