By David F. Kramer
Vitamin E is an essential part of the canine diet … but why? To understand its role in the body, we need to delve into the interactions between free radicals and antioxidants.
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According Dr. Jennifer Coates, author of the Dictionary of Veterinary Terms: Vet-speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian, free radicals are “a group of atoms containing oxygen and electrons that can damage cell membranes, proteins, DNA and other parts of the body.”
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Coates says that free radicals form as a normal part of the metabolic processes that produce energy within the body, but they can also be produced at a greater rate when a pet is sick, exposed to toxins or simply becomes older. The problem with free radicals, she says, is that they have a chemical structure that essentially “steals” electrons from nearby molecules, oftentimes turning those molecules into free radicals that can go on to do more cellular damage. Holistic veterinarian Dr. Patrick Mahaney of Los Angeles, CA adds that free radical damage can be a contributing factor to “heart disease, cancer and arthritis” in dogs.
In contrast, antioxidants are molecules that can give up electrons to free radicals without becoming free radicals themselves. “This stops the cycle of cellular injury,” Coates says. Not only is vitamin E a potent antioxidant, but it also plays other roles in the body, like forming cell membranes. “All of its functions are not yet known,” Coates adds.
Vitamin E deficiencies are quite rare in dogs, according to Coates, but when they do develop, the typical symptoms can include “poor vision, neurologic abnormalities, reproductive dysfunction and an impaired immune system.”
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So vitamin E is obviously a crucial element to your dog’s diet, but does commercial dog food provide sufficient levels for your pet?
Vitamin E in Your Dog’s Diet
“Vitamin E can naturally be found in ingredients going into some commercially-available pet foods, such as green leafy vegetables, plant oils, including coconut, hemp, olive, safflower, and others,” says Mahaney. “Vitamin E may also be added to pet foods as a supplement. Vitamin E is composed of two forms of molecules, tocopherols and tocotrienols. Tocopherols are those more-commonly added to pet foods and supplements in the form of ‘mixed-tocopherols.’”
Coates adds that any commercially available pet food that meets Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards will contain at least the minimum amount of vitamin E that a healthy dog should need.
If you’d like to enhance your dog’s intake of vitamin E by using supplements, it’s probably best to check with your vet first. “If owners are seeking to achieve a medicinal effect by adding vitamin E to their pet’s supplement regimen, I recommend consulting with their veterinarian to determine the appropriate dosing and frequency of administration,” Mahaney says. “Many of my patients take nutraceuticals (food-derived substances having medicinal benefits) containing vitamin E as a natural preservative. Fish oil commonly contains vitamin E to deter spoilage, yet all fish oil products should be refrigerated once opened.”
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