Hip Dysplasia in Dog - Vitamin CIt has been documented, by going back into the early 1900's that there was no hip dysplasia in dog during this time, yet today it is rampant. Commercial dog food is definitely one of the reasons. Most every breeder and dog owner in countries like the U.S. and Europe feed almost exclusively commercial dog food, as it is so convenient. Commercial dog food, by it's very nature, has no natural live Vitamin C available . Food has to be fresh to provide natural Vitamin C, like raw carrots and apples.
Dogs manufacture some Vitamin C themselves, but obviously some do not manufacture enough . Vitamin C is the most important factor in building collagen, This may also explains the many knee injuries you see in large breeds today - after all there is a lot of collagen in your kneecap.
What is COLLAGEN? Collagen is the substance that keeps your body together. Without collagen you or your dog would fall apart. Collagen needs Vitamin C. A severe Vitamin C deficiency can cause scurvy disease which killed many sailors in the past. Typical signs of scurvy are loss of teeth and joints becoming loose- just like dog hip dysplasia. To prevent scurvy, which is a very painful deficiency just like severe hip dysplasia in dog, sailors were told to eat lemons or limes daily to prevent the Vitamin C deficiency.
This theory of Vitamin C being at the heart of the hip dysplasia in dog epidemic is not new. Many veterinarians have written articles about their great success with natural foods and how they have completely eliminated hip dysplasia in their clients' dog. Yet, few dog owners are aware of how easily they could prevent this unnecessary painful problem.
A joint is not bone alone. Soft tissue -- cartilage and synovial membrane -- exist between bones to permit movement. If such tissue deteriorates, movement becomes more painful. Vitamin C is essential in the making and rebuilding of soft tissue because it promotes the growth of Collagen, a tough, stringy "mortar" that holds cells together. At the same time, the soft tissue also holds water, which maintains compression resistance to cushion the joint.
In healthy cartilage, normal cell loss is balanced by the rebuilding of cells. Under diseased or inflammatory conditions, cell loss is excessive. In the case of a dog's hip joint, this can mean that adequate cushioning no longer exists. The high demand for Vitamin C may begin exceeding the amount made in the dog's liver, so deterioration continues. Or supplemented Vitamin C may turn the process around.
In dogs, [vitamin C] can totally resolve the problems of hip dysplasia in dog and arthritis in older ones, as well as help or cure spinal myelopathy, ruptured discs, allergies, viral infections (including distemper), and skin problems. After the "cures," the pet needs to stay on C, but in lesser amounts.
The vitamin is an antioxidant, a pollution fighter that cleans toxins from the blood and tissues. It helps protect against the side-effects of some veterinary drugs (including steroids/cortisone), and it is a major pain reliever. It keeps the teeth strong in aging pets and retards the aging process.
Supplementing with vitamin C is a major disease preventive; therefore it's emphasized in the daily feeding plans. Supplementing with vitamin C can mean the difference between life and death in the case of a sick dog. Contrary to myth and rumor, vitamin C will not cause kidney stones, it dissolves them.
Suggested use is to feed before meals: 250 mg per 20 lbs of dogs body weight.
Ester-C is the best form to use. The vitamin in Ester-C is
molecularly locked to calcium, so it doesn't cause the
acidity problems normally associated with ascorbic acid (the
common form of Vitamin C), which can upset a dog's stomach.
Ester-C also has natural C metabolites that get it into the
cells faster and more effectively (common ascorbic acid is
slower getting out of the blood serum, so it passes through
the kidneys, where much of it is rapidly lost in the urine).
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