I was thinking I might add Vit C supplements to Daisy's diet - I have read it can help suppress allergy symptoms, (high doses though), and also I read somewhere it can help alleviate symptoms/pain of Panosteitis.
Daisy has both of these problems, so if Vit C can help, great. But how much should I give her, and how many times a day? Daisy is about 65 lbs.
Thanks!

I know it can help with skin allergies as I've used it. In my research I learned that Vit. C makes the adrenal gland produce natural steroids which helps with inflamation. Works well for arthritis.

I start my 8 week old pups with 125mg of vit. C per 25 lbs of weight and when they are a year old I give 1000 mg per day.

Start with 1000 mg and give her about 5 -7 days then add another 1000 and watch for loose stool. If this happens cut her back to 1000 for another 3-5 days and try the increase again.

My old girl had allergies and arthritis and I had her up to 10,000 mg per day until I got a grip on the situation, then weaned her back down to around 5 or 6,000 daily.

The amount you want to increase to will depend on the severity of her allergies and how she does on certain doses. She may not need as much as my girl did.

I use Vit. C with rosehips.

Also remember since this is all natural it can take time to see results 30+ days or so.

PS: I would divide her dosage between meals if you feed 2x/day once you increase above the 1000 mgs.

Before you start giving your beautiful pup high doses of Vit. C you should get your vet's opinion about it first.

You say she has allergy symptoms. What are the symptoms she's having? How long has she been having them? How old is she (I don't know)? Has she had recent vaccinations? She looks to young to have inhaled allergies as a dog generally has to go through one season of exposure to pollen and mold to develop them. There are many things that can make a puppy itch, some of which she could resolve on her own. She looks like a baby still and if she is, her developing immume system needs to mature. I would look for a specific cause for her symptoms before giving any kind of treatment and I would not supplement a puppy unless instructed or advised to do so by a vet.

Concerning her Panosteitis, you probably know already that she will outgrow it. It's like growing pains. The best thing you can do when she is having a bad day is let her rest and keep her calm. If she has a lot of pain ask your vet for an anti-inflammatory which is usually given only when the pain is bad (not continuous) and only for it's analgesic effects as it has been shown that the condition itself does not benifit from it. Dermaxx is one. Vit C. may give some relief but it too will not improve the pano, only treat symptoms and it has to be given in larger doses that takes many days of continuous dosing to build up to. Would you yourself chew on massive amounts of willow bark everyday in the event that you might get a big headache next week or would you wait until you get a headache and then just take an asprin? What if you didn't chew enough of the willow bark during the previous week because it gave you diarrhea? Which do you think would work better for your headache?

Do what's best for your dog.

Regards,
missretta

Your vet, if not holistic, will not know about the vitamine C for skin issues. They do not learn any of this natural treatment in vet school.

From your sig. your dog is at least 17 months old. You are giving Vit. C not calcium and the unused amount will be flushed from the system.

Consult with a holistic vet rather than your regular vet when considering natural supplementation.

I have been using Vit. C in this way for over 12 years and it has worked well for me. And I might add, I learned it from a vet tech and a holistic vet.

Keep in mind too that with natural supplementation for pain, etc. you can't just throw it in the diet when you see a problem and expect it to work right away (such as the statement of the willow bark above). It takes time to work and then a maintenance level must be used.

I have my 5 month old pup on Vit C due to pano. He's not limping anymore.. whether that's directly due to the Vit C or not, he'll stay on it. That being said, 17 months is rather old to develope pano. Has your pup been evaluated and xrayed by an ortho dr?

I have my 5 month old pup on Vit C due to pano. He's not limping anymore.. whether that's directly due to the Vit C or not, he'll stay on it. That being said, 17 months is rather old to develope pano. Has your pup been evaluated and xrayed by an ortho dr?

Glad its helping. What dose are you giving daily? Pano can come and go so it could be the C or maybe not.

I don't remember the OP mentioning Pano but I agree with this age of 17 months being a bit old for it. Although not unheard of. Has this dog been tested for Lyme?

As with most "natural" remedies, there's two sides of the coin:

Many breeders and veterinarians are also advocating mega doses of supplemental vitamin C. Those who promote feeding a dog with mega doses of vitamin C can be compared to the coach who wants what steroids will do for his athlete. In some cases that coach may not be aware of the problems his athlete will be facing in the future and is so happy with the immediate results he sees that he sells others on the idea that steroids are good. We know they are not. Supplemental vitamin C can do a "quick fix" for dogs, the type that the people advocating supplemental dietary vitamin C want. It will have an immediate affect on arthritis, displasia or getting the ears to stand up. Unfortunately, just like steroids in humans, it has some long term negative effects as well.

Supplemental vitamin C has been clinically tested and proven to cause problems. One test conducted in 1980, by Teare et al., showed that supplemental vitamin C can aggravate skeletal disease induced by overfeeding protein, energy, and calcium to Labrador Retriever puppies. The test by Teare et al. is shown on page 38 in the US Government National Research Council's publication, Nutrient Requirements of Dogs - Revised 1985. That single NRC publication cites 24 test done with vitamin C and dogs. The 24 test were done to find out if dog food should contain any vitamin C. The conclusion the members of the National Research Council drew from all of those test was that dog food should not contain any vitamin C.

Feeding a dog vitamin C may have a negative affect on both the dog's liver and kidneys. Feeding vitamin C to a healthy dog can affect that dog's liver the same as feeding thyroid medication would affect the healthy dog's thyroid gland. It could shut the gland down. Any time we take over the function of a healthy gland with dietary supplements or medication, the gland slowly atrophies. The effect it has on the dog's kidneys is because most forms of vitamin C that are found in dog foods or supplements are not the same as the molecular form the dog is able to produce naturally. The different dietary forms of vitamin C like: Ascorbic Acid (in an "L" form), Sodium Ascorbate or Calcium Ascorbate are all synthetic water soluble forms. They end up in the dogs kidneys where they change the uric pH while waiting to be discharged from the dogs body. This change in the natural pH within the kidneys puts additional stress on them and can cause many problems.

The Morris Animal Foundation has released the findings of a survey determining the main causes of death for dogs in the United States. The second and sixth leading causes cited in that report were kidney disorders and liver failure. Supplemental vitamin C may not cause a dog to die as fast as a bullet from a gun or accidents (the #1 reason) but all indicators point to the fact that it does cause glandular problems which can lead to a dog's death. It works very slowly and can rob years from a pet's normal life span.
http://home.att.net/~wdcusick/013.html

In any event, I wouldn't start giving 10,000 mg a day, or any other mega-dose of anything, without consulting my vet

I have read studies that contradict nearly everything on that webpage. In fact there have been many recent studies that show moderate doses (1-2 mg) of Ester-C is beneficial to joint and skeletal problems.

I have read studies that contradict nearly everything on that webpage.
I wasn't advocating it as truth. Merely pointing out that there's two sides to the issue and that I would consult a vet, rather than go with advice from a chat forum.

Use common sense. Why would you not take the word of your vet who has many years of studying and understanding the physiology of your dog? Individuals who read a study on the web may not interpret the findings correctly without the background necessary for conclusions. Just because someone uses a term such as breeder attached after their name does not make them an authority on all dogs, only their own dogs.

Your vet, if not holistic, will not know about the vitamine C for skin issues. They do not learn any of this natural treatment in vet school.

Not true, my vets are not holistic vets, and 2 out of my 3 vets have actually recommended Vitamin C for my severe HD boy.

I personally would not recommend starting a dog or a puppy on a high dosage of vitamin C. It will flat out cause diarrhea. I would also suggest ester C, as opposed to vitamin C, as it is known to be more gentle. I would start with small dosages and work up. I recommend asking your vet also, prior to giving:)

Jen

Glad its helping. What dose are you giving daily?

He gets 1000mg daily

I would also suggest ester C, as opposed to vitamin C, as it is known to be more gentle.

Ester C is calcium based and shouldn't be giving to puppies.

Ester C is calcium based and shouldn't be giving to puppies.

My vet said Ester-C was fine after 6 months. At 6 months dogs can regulate their calcium intake.

He gets 1000mg daily



Ester C is calcium based and shouldn't be giving to puppies.

The amount of calcium ascorbate from ester C is extremely low, 8% or lower. Yogurt has a higher %...Putting that aside I personally agree, however I would not give vitamin C to a pup either..

Jen

Not true, my vets are not holistic vets, and 2 out of my 3 vets have actually recommended Vitamin C for my severe HD boy.

I personally would not recommend starting a dog or a puppy on a high dosage of vitamin C. It will flat out cause diarrhea. I would also suggest ester C, as opposed to vitamin C, as it is known to be more gentle. I would start with small dosages and work up. I recommend asking your vet also, prior to giving:)

Jen

Glad to hear your vets are up on this.

If you will go back and read my post, I recommend going slowly with the increase and not just starting out on High doses to avoid loose stools. It must be increased to bowel tollerance and cut back if necessary.

I do not give Ester C to young pups because of the calcium as already mentioned. I give Vit. C with rose hips and only 125mg per 25 lbs of weight and would never give hi doses to a growing pup for any reason.

If you will go back and read my post, I recommend going slowly with the increase and not just starting out on High doses to avoid loose stools. It must be increased to bowel tollerance and cut back if necessary.


hmm Patty my statement was not directed to you personally with dosage:) Notice I went into another paragraph? Also notice that I only "quoted" the issue about vets not knowing about vitamin C?

My other statement was made in general, not directed to you:)

Jen

My mistake then. Thought it was and just wanted to clarify. :-)

My mistake then. Thought it was and just wanted to clarify. :-)

No problem:)

Jen

No problem:)

Jen

Just noticed your sig statement. Gotta Love It:thumb4: