I gave vitC to my last litter & in whelp girl. I also give it when I think they`re stressed, like the girls in heat or if I`ve got to go away or if I`m showing. I`ve got Belfields book. http://www.belfield.com/home.html

Christine.

Christine, as a matter of interest, overdose of Vit C, and other self administered vitimins and medication can cause damage in humans and no doubt in canines, what is a safe dose per kg body weight for canines.

Hi Thordell, thought excess Vitc was pased out in urine?
The amount given for dogs is whats known as bowel tolerance, too much give them the runs, if that happens you cut back till it returns to normal. The dosage depends on the weight of the dog but anyone who`d be interested enough in giving it to their dogs can find out the exact dose by visiting canine health sites that deal with alternatives Or use a Homeopathic Vet who`d give you amounts to be used.
This site gives more info on VitC, when you click on the link click again on Holistic Health then Pet Vitamins.
http://www.caninecaregroup.net/index.htm

Christine.

Yes agree with Christine, I always understood excess Vit. C was expelled by the body via the bowel, certainly the case in humans.
With regard to doses of Vit.C I believe with dogs and humans that wherever possible it is better to give vitamins/minerals via food rather than supplements,that way the various parts of the food work together to break down the active constituents. In the case of providing vitamin C for your dog you can always add C rich green veg like broccoli/cabbage to the dogs diet, or take advice from the Holistic vet in the new article section and liquidise green veg and add this puree.

Good article Topdog

I agrre getting any vits by food is better than supps Mini, but sometimes theres a call for higher amounts than what can be gotten by eaten If say the bodies ill, the immune system is under functioning for some reason or other then those times I would use supps
Christine.

Hi Christine Yes it is necessary to use supppliments at times but I do so with care and I read the content very carefully to make sure it is as pure as possible (likewise with Tee tree oil ) In humans it has been found that boosting V/C at the start of a cold shortens the length of time one suffers and the benefits to the immune system are well known

Thank you for the info, it is always a problem if you transfer the findings of damage done to one organism (human) onto another (canine). In the first place canines do not live long enough for a good many substances that would harm us to do damage to a dog, that is why they can be treated by drugs that would not be used on people because of long term damage.

Read recently that there is a problem in humans of overdosing on Vit C long term, seem to remember it can cause damage to the mucus membrane short term and more deep-seated problems if the dosage is continued long term in an effort to ward off colds. It said that the amount that you would need to make a difference to the bodies reaction to the cold virus would cause long-term damage to the person taking it. Wish I could remember where I read it, was about supplements in general not just vit C, at the time I believed it, but I do know that some reports are very biased and are not to be trusted, just as those that encourage the taking of supplements can also be misleading or produced by the suppliers of such substances or lets face it, persons who are just cranks.

For ourselves and the dogs I prefer to let the body deal with problems if at all possible, if a person or dog have a health problem anyway then may be supplements are needed but would rather let the experts decide what and how much, I just do not feel able to decide on what extras of what my family or my dogs bodies need, or why they should need them.

Yes Thordell, idealy the body should be able to deal with a lot of its health problems itself But I believe a lot of dogs immune system has been damaged & doesn`t run as efficiently as it should, unfortunately. You say because dogs don`t live long enough then harmful drugs can be used on them because they won`t harm them.
I don`t believe that. The experts don`t know enough about our immune system & memory cells let alone dogs. There is a lot of scientific thought that drugs/vaccines etc are damageing the memory of genetic dna cells & in turn those damged cells are being inherited by future generations of dogs being born. So yes, we are *seeing* the damage done just not in the way we`d expect., just because they don`t live long enough doesn`t mean the damage isn`t being done! Damage IS being done that we can`t see.
Coupled with inappropriate diet is it any wonder why cases of allergies, auto immune diseases etc, are on the increase.
You know there are a lot of health sites around, run by experts, depends what you`re definition of an expert is For minor health probs I`d trust a person who`d been with dogs for say 20-30yrs (eg) & using alternative methods/supps etc than I would a conventional vet. For something not so minor I`d use a h/pathic vet.
As I said, there are a lot of sites/groups around where these people give their time & experience for free & they are not cranks, also a lot of articles around were we can educate ourselves on the use of alternatives & supps, what to use & when & I nearly forgot lots of books as well Just a matter of sorting the chaff from the wheat me thinks
Christine.

Christine posted Don't think I did say that at all I said Not really the same thing or at least my comment was not intended to be read in the way you have read it.

What I meant was that some drugs unsuitable for use on long-lived species can be very useful for species that do not live long enough for the long-term effects to have any bearing on the individual to be treated. In the same way as some drugs can be given to the elderly that would not be given to children as the effects of that drug have not been tested on people for use over 50+ years. We do not know about the long term use of some of the supplements popular today and as the regular use of calcium for puppies in the past, proved in the long run to cause problems, do we really know what we may be doing if we are unschooled in the giving of supplements. I’m not suggesting that you do not know, I am saying that I don’t, so it is difficult for me to assess the relevance or helpfulness of any book or paper that I may read.

Personally I feel that our own species immune systems started to let us down when we started to become obsessed with hygiene and the use of anti biological agents became prevalent, but that is just the way I feel and as you say we must, if we are able, sort the wheat from the chaff for ourselves.

Looks like I`ve read it the wrong way then Thordell, but there again I`ve just reread it & I`m still not sure I get your meaning. Me thinks I`ll read it again tomorrow cos I`m tired now & thats probably why
Christine.