Is Vitamin C Healthy For Your Pets

Many people are told that pets do not need extra vitamin C or that it is harmful to pets.
So what is the deal with Vitamin C???

Vitamin C is the body's primary water-soluble antioxidant, which makesit an important weapon in the immune system's arsenal against bacteria and viruses. It also helps protect unsaturated fatty acids, and the fat-soluble vitamins A and E from being oxidized, therefore protecting their potency. Since your pet can't manufacture it, vitamin C must be obtained through diet and supplementation.

A protective vitamin essential to over-all body health, vitamin C is especially important for neutralizing free radicals. It also:

-Helps in the production of collagen, and maintaining healthy skin.
-Promotes the healing of wounds, scar tissue, fractures.
-Strengthens blood vessels.
-Helps the body utilize iron and folic acid
-Supports the thymus gland
-Enhances T-cell production, increasing resistance to viral and bacterial infections, and some allergies.

BUT..In a few select diseases, you SHOULDN'T use Vitamin CMost of the time, and for most pets, it is a GREAT supplement.

The one SPECIFIC case you shouldn't use it is for Calcium Oxalate Stones in dogs and cats.
These are an UNUSUAL type of crystal, which formin acidic urine. If your pet is to ever have
oxalate stones, then you want to employ other methods of healing.

But I feel that it is important that you are ALL clear about this condition, and EXACTLY what you should do if it happens.

Here are my TOP SOLUTIONS:

DIET

Prevention centers on creating a urinary environment with minimalcalcium and minimal oxalate as well as creating a urine pH thatis not conducive to calcium oxalate formation.

What to eat..

High Quality but Low Protein diet, as High Protein produces elevated levels of oxalates.
There are specifically formulated veterinary diets..IN this case ONLY I advise using that diet.

What to Avoid.

OXALATES
Vegetables ~ beets, eggplant, leeks, sweet potatoes, okra, pepper
Greens ~ green beans or peppers, beets, celery, collards, eggplant,parsley, spinach, Swiss chard, chives, endive, kale, leeks, okra,rutagbega, summer squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
Legumes ~ beans, soy products including tofu
Grains ~ wheat germ
Nuts ~ allSeeds ~ sesame and tahini
Fruit ~ berries, currants, concord grapes, figs, rhubarb, lemon,lime, plums, tangerines.

WATER
Water intake is the most important factor in preventing kidney stones.The additional fluid flushes the bladder,and doesn't allow these stones to form.

POTASSIUM CITRATE
By taking potassium citrate orally, citrate levels increase in the urine. Calcium binds to citrate instead of to oxalate which is a desirable event since calcium citrate tends to stay dissolved whereas calciumoxalate tends to precipitate out as mineral deposit. Potassium citrate also helps create an alkaline urine (in which calcium oxalate stoneshave difficulty forming). Potassium citrate supplements are typically given twice a day.

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