Ester~c & Hip Dysplasia

[savingfurryfriends]

Ester~c & Hip Dysplasia


Ester-C is a buffered form of Vitamin C that is "body ready" and 4 times more available to the tissues than ordinary Vitamin C, which is highly acidic. In Ester C, the acid is buffered with calcium and processed to contain threonate, a metabolite which dramatically enhances absorption. usage is increasingly proving beneficial. Although animals can manufacture Vitamin C in their bodies under ordinary conditions, stresses such as heavy exercise, injuries or respiratory problems increase the demand for Ester-C in dogs. An important component of collagen or connective tissue, Ester C functions as a chondroprotective, anti-inflammatory and immunoresponsive substance.

Vitamin C has non nutritional properties in higher dosages. For example, the anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties of large doses of Vitamin C are widely recognized. A growing body of anecdotal evidence is accumulating from veterinary practitioners who have begun recommending Ester C vitamin ascorbates in place of ordinary ascorbates to achieve these effects.

Many veterinarians and pet owners have turned to Ester C calcium ascorbate because it is a gentle way of administering Vitamin C to dogs and horses without gastrointestinal upset. Because they have found that Ester C ascorbate is gentler in the stomachs of animals, it could be given at the higher doses necessary to achieve desired non nutritional actions.

Dr. Geir Erik Berge, a veterinarian in Oslo, Norway, gave 100 disabled dogs 30 mg/kg of Ester C three times daily for six months. To qualify for the study, a dog had to have one of the following chronic conditions involving the joints and connective tissue: severe joint injury, arthritis, spondylosis, hip dysplasia, older disc prolapse, muscle atrophy as a result of functional loss, or senile wear and tear in support and motion systems. After one week of treatment with Ester C, some 75% of the ailing dogs showed dramatic improvement in their conditions. This percentage improvement remained relatively stable for the rest of the study. At the six month mark, 78% of the previously suffering dogs had experienced a significant reduction in symptoms.

Berge concluded that dogs manufacture sub-optimal concentrations of Vitamin C in some tissues under the stress of certain ailments. He recommended high dosage supplementation with Ester C ascorbate to help correct those deficits.

Additional reading:

http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0090.htm

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NA...v27/ai_20152679

[pyrs4life54]

My little Beagle/Cocker mix (bless her heart) is starting to have problems with her hips now. Originally it was her knees only but apparently someone decided that she didn't have enough problems and needed more. She already has chronic ear infections that we really have to keep on due to allergies, and her allergies also cause her to lick her rear end to the point that it is really swollen and then one of her paws is swollen to two times the normal size due to allergies. My poor little girl, but I couldn't ask for a sweeter gal!

[PepperGirl]

SavingFurryFriends..this is a very interesting topic..thank you for sharing!

Nessa, I am really sorry to hear about your doggy. It really sucks how one dog can have many different problems..it's just not fair. It's never really fair tho. Best wishes to you guys!


-Ali

[pyrs4life54]

Peppergirl--Thank you! Yes, it is not easy and there are many times I would gladly take on her troubles if only go give her a bit of a reprieve. On the bright side however we have found some stuff that seems to be keeping her ear infections at bay.

We get her ears under control however and she develops a yeast infection on her rear. My poor girl. If it's not one problem it's another.