From "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care" by C. J. Puotenin
Dr. Wendell Belfield has found that vitamin and mineral supplements make a dramatic difference in the health of dogs and cats that developed deficiencies eating commercial pet foods. When fresh foods provide all the nutrients an animal needs, supplementation isn't necessary.
In an ideal world, our animals would all be fed fresh, whole, raw foods in fresh air and sunlight, but this is not an ideal world. Unless you provide everything your pet needs from your own farm or ranch, your pet will probably benefit from occasional supplements. If your pet has spent a lifetime on commercial pet food, the right vitamins and minerals may save its life.
Vitamin C prevents a variety of health problems, including degenerative spine disorders, arthritis, skin and coat conditions, hip dysplasia and ruptured discs.
It has the ability to improve immunity, treat viral and bacterial infections, detoxify the body, improve collagen, improve the condition of cancer patients and prevent arthritis and joint problems. Dr. Belfield also dispels the myth that large quantities of vitamin C can be toxic or cause kidney stones. The body will throw off excess vitamin C and the animal will have mild diarrhea or loose stools. If that happens, simply decrease the doseage. No more than 500 mg every few days is needed for the benefits to be achieved.
Vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin formed in the body from beta carotene, is essential for night vision, the maintenance of soft mucous tissues and normal growth. Deficiencies cause stunted growth, night blindness and other vision disorders. Beta carotene in foods such as carrots and yams converts to vitamin A in the body. Cod liver or salmon oil are also good vitamin A sources.
The B-complex vitamins (thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, biotin, folic acid, pantothenic acid and others) are vital to the health of the nervous system, and deficiencies can manifest as symptoms anywhere in the body, most often in the mouth, eyes and reproductive organs. These are among the most fragile and heat sensitive vitamins. Like vitamin C, they are water soluble and are not stored in the body. Liver and other organ meats, fish, poultry, brewer's yeast, eggs, beans, peas, dark green leafy vegetables, whole grains and dairy products are rich sources of B-complex vitamins.
Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin because exposure to sunlight manufactures it in the body. Also supplied by fatty fish, vitamin D is necessary for healthy bones. Because vitamin D is fat soluble, the body stores what it can't use and excessive amounts can be toxic.
Vitamin E is essential during every phase of life, including gestation. Animals with high vitamin E levels tend to have stronger, healthier litters and easier birthings than those with low levels. Vitamin E speeds the healing of wounds and burns, improves the assimilation and distribution of nutrients throughout the body, keeps the heart healthy, invigorates older animals, slows the symptoms of aging, protects against steatitis, a painful disease of fatty tissue resulting from diets high in the unsaturated fats of fish oils, improves the skin and coats of all animals and boosts resistance to disease. Food sources include vegetable oils, nuts, dark green leafy vegetables, organ meats, seafood, eggs and avocados.
Vitamin K regulates blood clotting and other clotting factors. It is also essential for kidney function and bone metabolism. Food sources include beef liver, cheese, oats, cabbage, turnip greens and other dark green leafy vegetables. Healthy animals on a natural diet receive ample amounts of this vitamin.
Vitamins A, C and E and the mineral selenium are antioxidants; that is, they protect fatty acids in cells from damaging oxidation. Some chronic cases responded to antioxidant therapy after conventional treatments, such as antibiotics, failed. These include ear infections, gingivitis, milary dermatisis, colitis, heart disease (valvular insufficiency) and cancer.
The amino acid taurine is essential to all mammals, especially cats. It is interesting that the taurine content of a typical mouse is more than 10 times that of most foods your indoor pet is likely to encounter, including beef, beef liver, chicken, eggs and milk. Clams are high in taurine. There is no significant vegetable source of taurine. All mammals create taurine, but cats seem to use it faster than they can replenish it. |
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