Vitamin D Requirements For Cats

While for us humans is quite simple to get vitamin d by exposing ourselves to the sun in addition to getting it from specific foods for cats there is only one way of getting the needed level of vitamin d.

Vitamin d requirements for cats.

Marchnwe in may 2015 the university of edinburgh vet school announced the results of a study showing that seriously ill cats with high levels of vitamin d in their blood were more likely to be alive one month later than cats with low vitamin d levels. How do cats get vitamin d. Too much can cause overly acidic urine which can lead to crystal formation and a lifethreatening blockage. When ingested in exorbitant levels however this fat soluble vitamin i e stored in the fatty tissues of the body and liver can cause serious health issues.

For example unlike dogs cats require dietary sources of vitamin a arachidonic acid and taurine. Before buying a supplement ask your veterinarian which kind if any is best suited for your cat s life stage and medical condition. Indeed this chimes with work done in the human field. Vitamin d toxicity in cats.

The need for vitamin d depends to a large extent on the ratio of calcium to phosphorus. As this ratio becomes either wider or narrower than the optimum the requirement for vitamin d increases but no amount will compensate for. Pro vitamin d3 7 dehydrocholesterol in the skin of dogs and cats has a much lower concentration than that found in the skin of species that can convert 7 dehydrocholesterol to. Dogs and cats unlike humans and most other species are unable to naturally convert very much vitamin d in their skin when exposed to ultraviolet light.

A too high level of vitamin d can be toxic to the body especially with cats. That is from their diet. It also promotes the retention of calcium thus aiding bone formation and nerve and muscle control. Too much can be toxic.

Cats have some dietary requirements that are different from those of dogs and can develop nutritional deficiencies when fed diets formulated to meet the nutritional needs of dogs. The sun can t help cats create vitamin d in their bodies because of their fur.