Dysregulated serum concentrations of fat-soluble vitamins in dogs with chronic enteropathy
J Vet Intern Med. 2024 Sep-Oct;38(5):2612-2619. doi: 10.1111/jvim.17107
Federica Serafini 1, Kristen M Maxwell 2, Xiaojuan Zhu 3, Elizabeth M Lennon 1
Background: In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of humans, nutrient malabsorption can result in fat-soluble vitamin deficiency, especially of vitamin D. In veterinary species, decreased concentrations of vitamin D are relatively common in dogs with chronic enteropathy (CE), but data on the status of other fat-soluble vitamins (FSVs) is lacking.
Objectives: Determine the serum concentrations of retinol, vitamin D, and α-tocopherol in dogs with CE compared with healthy dogs and compare clinical, clinicopathologic variables between CE and healthy dogs to detect associations with decreased FSVs concentrations.
Animals: Eighteen client-owned dogs with CE and 33 healthy dogs.
Methods: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), serum retinol and α-tocopherol concentrations were compared between groups. Correlations and multiple regression modeling were used to examine the relationship between serum 25(OH)D, retinol, and α-tocopherol concentrations and clinical and clinicopathological variables.
Results: Dogs with low serum albumin concentrations were more likely to have lower 25(OH)D concentrations than dogs with normal serum albumin concentration. Dogs with CE had higher serum concentrations of retinol, and variable α-tocopherol concentrations. The cause of these dysregulated vitamin concentrations is unclear and requires further study.
Conclusion and clinical importance: Dogs with severe forms of CE should be monitored for decreased concentrations of 25(OH)D. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the clinical relevance and the possible benefit of vitamin D supplementation in these patients.
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Gut problems are treated with Gut-Friendly Vitamn D (not regular)
VitaminDWiki – Overview Gut and vitamin D contains gut-friendly information
Getting Vitamin D into your body has the following chart
Getting Vitamin D into your body also has the following
If poorly functioning gut
Bio-D-Mulsion Forte – especially made for those with poorly functioning guts, or perhaps lacking gallbladder
Sublingual – goes directly into the bloodstream
Fat-soluble Vitamins go thru the slow lymph system
you can make your own sublingual by dissolving Vitamin D in water or use nano form
Oil: 1 drop typically contains 400 IU, 1,000 IU, or 4,000 IU, typically not taste good
Topical – goes directly into the bloodstream. Put oil on your skin, Use Aloe vera cream with Vitamin D, or make your own
Vaginal – goes directly into the bloodstream. Prescription-only?
Bio-Tech might be useful – it is also water-soluble
Vitamin D sprayed inside cheeks (buccal spray) - several studies
and, those people with malabsorption problems had a larger response to spray
Inject Vitamin D quarterly into muscle, into vein, or perhaps into body cavity if quickly needed
Nanoparticles could be used to increase vitamin D getting to the gut – Oct 2015
Poor guts need different forms of vitamin D has the following
Guesses of Vitamin D response if poor gut
| Bio | Form | Speed | Duration |
| 10 | Injection ($$$) or Calcidiol or Calcitriol | D - Slow C -Fast | Long |
| 10 | Sun/UVB | Slow | Long |
| 10 | Topical (skin patch/cream, vagina) | Slow Fast nano | Normal |
| 9 | Nanoemulsion -mucosal perhaps activates VDR | Fast | Normal |
| 9? | Inhaled (future) | Fast | Normal |
| 8 | Bio-D-Mulsion Forte | Normal | Normal |
| 6 | Water soluble (Bio-Tech) | Normal | Normal |
| 4 | Sublingual/spray (some goes into gut) | Fast | Normal |
| 3 | Coconut oil based | Slow | Normal |
| 2 | Food (salmon etc.) | Slow | Normal |
| 2 | Olive oil based (majority) | Slow | Normal |
10= best bioavailable, 0 = worst, guesses have a range of +-2
Speed: Fast ~2-6 hours, Slow ~10-30 hours
Duration: Long ~3-6 months, Normal = ~2 months
VitaminDWiki - Overview Veterinary and vitamin D contains:
Veterinary category hasAnimals need Vitamin D too
- Vitamin D is important for pregnancies (pigs as well as people)– Sept 2022
- Many Vitamin D similarities: people and cows - March 2022
- Several advanced-maternal-age problems reduced if given Vitamin D during pregnancy (mice in this case) – July 2021
- Poor immune system associated with low Vitamin D (dogs in this case) – June 2020
- Chicken bones, eggs, and activated vitamin D in eggs increased with 2 hours of daily UVB – Dec 2019
- Vitamin D in eggs increased 4X after UV lighting near legs was added – April 2019
- Hens with Vitamin D were better in at least 5 ways – RCT Aug 2018
Pets as well
- Critically ill dogs with good levels of vitamin D have much better outcomes (humans too) – March 2018
- Half of dogs now get cancer, it used to be just 1 percent (probably low Vitamin D)
- Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, pet birds, etc need Vitamin D
- Dogs with Cancer have low vitamin D, same as humans – Sept 2017
- Companion animals (dog, cats) need vitamin D too – March 2016
- Hospitalized cats 8X more likely to die if low vitamin D (Vit. D helps humans too) – May 2015
- Rickets increasing in dogs
Farm Vets are paid when their "patients" are healthy,
vs doctors who are paid only when "patients" become sick
Cows are routinely given 30 IU per kilogram (which would be 10,000 IU for a 150 lb person)
Same information is available on Cattle need 66 IU of vitamin D per pound
The US RDA of vitamin D for cows is 13 IU per kilogram (which would be 4,300 IU for a 150 lb 'cow')
Virtually all US farmers who raise livestock use feed that is supplemented with vitamin D
Merick Vet Manual supplement if not have UV or sunlight
26+ VitaminDWiki Veterinary pages have DOG or CAT in the title
The list is automatically updated
Note: First category in VitaminDWiki was Veterinary - they were far ahead of human doctors in understanding the imporance of Vitamin D
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