Well, Is Vitamin C Safe For Dogs?

Is Vitamin C Safe For Dogs? Well, we know it is for humans! And vitamin c is water soluble, which means the excess is excreted. That makes it quite safe. A good quality dog food should provide all your dog needs, and you might want to consider switching to one of the vet recommended dog foods if that is viable for you.Some vets recommend supplementing with vitamins, some don't.

The follwoing information I found on the website http://www.vetinfo.com/deatgrass.html may help answer your question of 'Is vitamin c safe for dogs'.

"Vitamin C use in dogs and cats is extremely hard to figure out. It is generally agreed that dogs and cats can manufacture Vitamin C and do not have a demonstratable need for it as a dietary requirement. Beyond that everything is controversial. There are many vets who do recommend Vitamin C supplementation on the theory that it is beneficial and that dogs and cats may have less problems with arthritis, more disease resistance, less cancer -- pretty much the benefits seen in people. In addition, some vets feel that making the Vitamin C enough for maintenance may not mean a dog or cat can produce enough for these other benefits. "

"Dose is also controversial. There are references that begin to cite harmful effects at doses over 500mg/day and there are references in which people tout the benefits of doses much higher than that. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and unlikely to be much of a problem except in massive doses but it seems reasonable to stick to the 500mg/day region to me. In young, fast growing breeds it seems more important to stick to the lower dosage as there is some evidence that excessive Vitamin C may contribute to hypertrophic osteodystrophy, although even that is controversial. The dose is not weight dependent, so as far as I know it is the same for dogs as for cats. " (Mike Richards, DVM; 4/27/99; www.vetinfo.com)

So, is vitamin c safe for dogs? Short answer, yes. Whether it is actually necessary is for you and your vet to decide.

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