Pet Aging. Despite the fact that your dog’s body naturally produces small amounts of Vitamin C, recent research indicates that supplementing your canines diet with additional sources of Vitamin C can significantly impact your pet’s health, wellness and aging process. Today’s recommended dietary allowance which is referred to as the RDA was initially developed to prevent the development of gross nutritional deficiency diseases such as scurvy and rickets in institutionalized individuals. The RDA was never developed to promote or maintain normal health much less optimal health or wellness.
Recently published studies suggest that supplemental sources of Vitamin C added to the canine daily diet offer many additional health benefits. Because Vitamin C is a biological antioxidant, it naturally acts as a free radical scavenger lowering levels of oxidative damage to your dogs cells and tissues. In other words, Vitamin C helps to protect your dogs body from free radical damage much like anti-corrosive’s help to prevent rust.
Not only does this potentially contribute to increased quality of life for dogs on a daily basis but optimal intake may also play an important role in the prevention of chronic or long term diseases your dog may be predisposed to and encounter as he or she ages. These chronic diseases include disorders from arthritis and diabetes to heart failure, high blood pressure, immune deficiency disorders and cancer.
In humans whose bodies do not naturally manufacture Vitamin C, according to the Linus Pauling Institute and the National Institute of Health, today’s suggested daily dosages are more than double that initially proposed by the standard RDA.
In pets similar protocols are gaining acceptance by Alternative and Holistic veterinary practitioners and with time it is hopeful that traditional mainstream veterinary medicine will take notice of these emerging pet nutritional trends as well.
What choices does a dog owner have?
Supplementing your dog’s diet with Vitamin C is easy. Vitamin C is available in a variety of forms from standardized, over the counter supplements as well as directly from food sources including oranges and orange juice. Frozen orange juice cubes taste great and make wonderful healthy summertime treats as does adding a bit of fresh O.J. to your dog’s water bowl. On the other hand offering your canine a few fresh orange slices is a low cal, tasty snack that’s healthy.
