Vitamin D Testing

Vitamin D Sufficiency Important for Cellular Health:

Vitamin D is not a simple vitamin, but the precursor to the active hormone 1,25VitD. Well understood for its role in calcium homeostasis, vitamin D is recognized for its role in gene regulation and the maintenance of cellular health. VitD diagram Many tissues have vitamin D receptors and will locally convert 25VitD to 1,25VitD. Low stores of vitamin D are associated with a wide range of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, infection, and kidney disease.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats do not produce vitamin D from sunlight; their sole source of vitamin D comes from their diet. Recent studies have shown that vitamin D varies significantly by commercial pet food manufacturer. Further, intestinal absorption varies significantly from dog to dog, and by intact status.  Expanding models of vitamin D have generated new terminology of "Deficiency", "Insufficiency", and "Sufficiency" to define the protective effect that increasing stores of vitamin D have against disease.  Testing for 25(OH)D, the primary store of vitamin D, is your best means to objectively measure this important analyte. When found inadequate, dietary supplementation is warranted.

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Increased Risk for Disease:

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. Studies have shown that with adequate stores of vitamin D, inflammation is reduced. Further, low stores of vitamin D are associated with a wide range of benign and malignant diseases.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: