Vitamin C for dogs

I may be totally wrong, but I think I remember hearing that dogs create their own vitamin c from daylight. That's why they lay in the sun when they can.
I dunno, maybe an urban legend but I'll look into it.

http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/nbasics.html
Yup here it is, a very informative page also. The vitamin c bit is nearer the bottom.

Vitamin C is vital to puppies of the larger breeds for bone and muscle development. Look up the subject on the internet. And look for Belfield I believe his name is. And Linus Pauling.

while dogs can manufacture their own vitamin C, supplementation is definitely not a bad idea and unless you constantly overdose, it's certainly not harmful.

please don't put too much stock into information on pet industry internet sites, especially those affiliated with places that want to sell you all kinds of products. they are the same ones that will tell you that dry kibble is the greatest thing you can feed, and that you should never feed real, raw bones because they will kill your dog.

tinaweena - it is vitamin D that is synthesized in the skin, but how much of this actually takes place depends on the coat of the dog - the denser, the less sunlight actually gets to the skin.

yup, it definitely does.

you'd want to give ester C tho, it's a nonacidic version. personally i use NOW brand calcium ascorbate, it's a powder and more easily dosed and used than tablets or capsules.

Thanks to all of the help.

Mordy : I am giving him NuPro Joint Formula with glucosamine which contains 300mg of ester C per scoop. He gets 1.5 scoop /day. Is that enough or should I still supplement it with others ?

Thanks

There are plenty of shepherds that have their front paws turned slightly outwards when they're standing straight. In terms of conformation, it's referred to as standing "east-west" with the toes pointed in opposite directions. I think it's considered a minor fault in conformation but not a physical problem for the dog.

Thanks Sheps4me .... he doesn't seem to be in pain or anything. But from what I hear, these guys [ GSDs ] won't easily complain if something is causing them pain so I just want to do what I can to help out if he actually is suffering but not showing it.

Is there a reason that you think his posture might be causing pain? Is his stance very exaggerated or are his toes just pointing out a bit when he stands naturally? An east-west conformation shouldn't cause any problems. If you want to post a photo of him taken from the front and the side, you might be able to get more opinions.

Like I said, I don't think he's in pain. He makes like a moaning sound when he's asleep though .... I don't know if that's normal. I'll post a photo of his paws .... maybe latter tonight. Thanks to all of you for the help. Please check back latter

if he's getting 450 mg per day on a regular basis already, he should be fine and i doubt there's a deficiency.

it wouldn't hurt to add 100 mg or so just to see if it makes a difference, since individual needs do vary.

I have known great vets that vow about vit. c. I give it to my dogs....

I have/had 2 dogs on it, never dia., but that's my dogs, every dog can have certain sympton to something.
I am no expert on nutrition. Speak to Mordy.... Although, I did have GREAT reaction to Missing Link Plus, Vit. C, Omega 3 fish oil and a good dog kibble. My boxer (r.i.p.) while he was on (Missing Link) did so well. But, from what I read, Mordy is the one to speak about dog nutrition here. So, I would p.m. her and get her take on it, or post it here so we can all get the F.Y.I.
Amy

in regards to vitamin C and diarrhea - the phenomenon is called "bowel tolerance". vitamin C is a natural laxative and the threshold at which individuals react by developing diarrhea can be very different.

to determine bowel tolerance, you start by giving a small amount of vitamin C, split up into 2 feedings, then increase a little bit every day, to the point where stools get a little loose but not full-blown diarrhea. once you reach this point, you can simply scale back to the last amount that did not cause a problem and go with that for a while, then try to increase it again a few weeks later.

some dogs can be weaned onto a higher dose, others just have to stick with whatever they tolerate. ascorbic acid (he regular form of vitamin C) is generally more irritating than ester C, which is buffered and non-acidic.