Increased Risk for Disease
140
VitD Status
120
Sufficiency
100
80
Insufficiency
60
40
20
Deficiency
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Studies have shown that
with adequate stores of
vitamin D, inflammation is
reduced.(3) Further, low
stores of vitamin D are
associated with a wide
range of benign and
malignant diseases.(4)
160
25(OH)D (ng/mL)
Cancer is an immune
dysfunction disease.
Aberrations to the cell’s
genes cause uncontrolled
growth, and a dysfunction
to the immune process
prevents the destruction
of the aberrant cells.
Inflammation, both a
precursor and a
propagator of cancer
genesis is, in part,
controlled by vitamin D.
There is a growing body of evidence that low stores of vitamin D are associated with a wide range of
diseases in dogs and cats:
• Cancer (3,4,5,6,7)
• Heart disease (8)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (9)
• Renal disease (5,10)
• Infection (11)
• Hyperparathyroidism (5)
• Feline tooth resorption (12)
Citations:
1. How KL, Hazewinkel HA, Mol JA. Dietary vitamin D dependence of cat and dog due to inadequate cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D. General and Comparative
Endocrinology 1994, 96(1):12-8
2. Selting KA, Sharp CR, Ringold R, Backus R. Diet and circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in dogs. Veterinary Cancer Society Abstract 2012
3. Selting KA, Sharp CR, Ringold R, Backus R. Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in dogs – correlation with health and cancer risk. Veterinary Cancer Society Abstract
2012
4. Husbands B, Selting KA, Ringold R. Association of low 25-hydroxyvitamin D stores with cancer in dogs Veterinary Cancer Society Abstract 2013
5. Gerber B, Hauser B, Reusch CE. Serum levels of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol in dogs with hypercalcaemia. Veterinary Research
Communications 2004, 28(8):669-80.
6. Waskshlag JJ, Rassnick KM, Malone EK, Struble AM, Vachhani P, Trump DL, Tian L. Cross-sectional study to investigate the association between vitamin D status and
cutaneous mast cell tumours in Labrador retrievers. British Journal of Nutrition 2011, 106(Suppl 1):S60-3. doi: 10.1017/S000711451100211X.
7. Rosa CT, Schoeman JP, Berry RJ, Mellanby RJ, Dvir E. Hypovitaminosis D in dogs with spirocercosis. Journal Veterinary Internal Medicine 2013 , 27:1159-1164 (ก-Ʌ