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My Pet World: Vitamin C is not a proven 'cure' for urinary tract infections

By Steve Dale, Tribune Content Agency on

LAS VEGAS, NV -- You, my readers, ask great questions, so I asked experts attending the Western Veterinary Conference here (Feb. 16-20) to answer a handful:

Q: My Tibetan Spaniel suffers from chronic urinary infections. After spending $500 to rule out tumors in the bladder, I started giving her a Vitamin C tablet every morning -- and she's never had the problem since. This was a much cheaper solution than special diets and now my dog is as healthy as can be. Any comment? -- J. M., Cyberspace

A: Dr. Mark Russak, immediate past president of the American Animal Hospital Association, who's been practicing medicine for a long time, says the rumor that Vitamin C can help prevent or even "cure" urinary tract infections (UTI) has been around for decades. However, "over all that time, there's never been definitive proof," Russak notes. "In fact, the suggestion is that it does not work."

Russak, of Berlin, CT, also says he doesn't know if your dog was on an antibiotic, which certainly could have wiped out the infection to begin with, but might have taken some time to do so. Perhaps your dog has been on a special veterinary diet, as well, which would also help to explain the improvement. The good news is, your dog is in good health.

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Q: A friend feeds her cat a homemade diet of mostly chicken, though she adds other things. I worry that this diet isn't well-rounded with all the vitamins and other thingees cats require. Can you ask one of your great experts about this? -- S. J., San Diego, CA

 

A: "Not knowing exactly what your friend is feeding her cat, it's difficult to know exactly how to answer," says Jill Cline, a Ph.D. boarded nutritionist and Royal Canin Insights Manager from St. Charles, MO. "It's possible to feed a cat or dog an appropriate homemade diet, but it's necessary to make a diet approved by a veterinary nutritionist or boarded nutritionist, so all those 'thingees' are included. Everything must be balanced for the age, lifestyle, potentially even the bred of the pet."

Cline says many pet owners begin making homemade pet food with all the right intentions, but over time develop what she calls 'recipe drift.'

"Say, white chicken meat is on sale, or people don't understand that dark meat is actually preferred. Repeatedly, if white meat is used; well, that matters," she explains. Dark meat has more iron and overall is a better choice. Details (in recipes) must be adhered to, and in the real word it's challenging."

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