Vitamin C dosage

In short, many people do give their dogs Vitamin C for a number of health reasons. Some dogs have trouble with Vit C as ascorbic acid and do better with other buffered forms such as Ester C.

Combining Vit C with bioflavinoids helps dogs with allergies and a specific form of bioflavinoid, quercetin, is especially good at reducing allergic reactions in dogs. I used that for Chance for his allergies.

What is particularly interesting is that dogs (and other animals), unlike humans, are capable to a certain extent of manufacturing their own Vit C and tend to have variable levels of circulating Vit C in their blood. In humans we know Vit C to be more or less a water soluble vitamin and must replace it daily through our diet. See this article for an interesting report about the use of Vit C in dogs:
Benefits of Vitamin C to Your Dog
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/1_7/features/5309-1.html

The criteria you can use for dosage is to start at a moderate dosage and raise it slowly about 100 milligrams at a time until it results in loose stools, then back down from that dose. A dog the size of a Giant Schnauzer would do well with 1000 milligrams a day.

I have always recommended using vitamins and supplements manufactured for humans rather than dogs because there is more scrutiny of the quality of these versus the abject lack of attention paid to the manufacture of canine supplements. Pick a company that takes pride in the purity of their product. I like Nature Made and there are a few others that provide the best quality.

So both my dogs get a daily B-50, fish oil capsules plus a daily Vit E. Cassie also gets CO Q10, turmeric (curcumin), and a human grade Glucosamine Chondroitin Complex that includes MSM, herbal blend, more turmeric, Boswellia serrata and hyaluronic acid. This is expensive but I have always felt it was worth it, or at least I hoped it was….

At Cassie’s appointment with the surgeon to prepare for her upcoming knee surgery, he asked me if I used any supplement for her for arthritis. I told him what I use and he was very pleased with what I was giving her, I guess this is a highly recommended complex of glucosamine chondroitin. I started it two years ago on her and he said that has helped her a lot and to keep using it.

my best, patrice

Ha, I knew you would ask me that. I can’t find it anywhere but at BJ’s, it’s called Generation Earth and there are no other brands that have this exact same blend. I wish they would put it up on the website so I could refer people to it. BJ’s will occasionally have coupons and I can get it for $10 off. I can never figure out their special house only products, they fail to advertise them well, but they are very good. I wonder if Costco has something like this?