Alternatively Speaking: The ABC’s of Vitamin D Dr. Anne Carroll DVM, CVA
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38 4 Legs & a Tail
h, winter. Time for glistening snow-covered landscapes, ice skating, snowmen… and for those of us indoors by the fire more than out in the little sun we have, time to think about our Vit D levels! This discussion may be especially pertinent this year, since among its many benefits Vit D promotes a healthy immune system for avoiding infectious disease, or reducing symptoms and duration of illness. Researchers are still investigating what this may mean for COVID, and while cases of COVID in dogs and cats are astronomically rare, and ‘one-way’ from people to pets when they do occur, Vit D is equally important for them in many other ways. So now seems a good time to talk about the role this vitamin plays in our pet’s health, and how we can ensure they have sufficient levels of this very important nutrient. Why do we care so much about Vit D? It is most well-known for its role in calcium regulation and bone growth, with deficiency causing Rickets in growing children. But there are more than 2000 genes in tissues and organs in the body that are influenced by Vit D, and it has been shown to play a role in human cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheuWinter 2021
