Vitamin defficiencies & symptoms

As detailed in our post about the ingredients in pet foods, the following vitamins & minerals are added:

"Vitamin and minerals:

Choline, Chloride,Calcium Panthenate, Thaimin Mononitrate, Riboflavin Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Menadione Dimethylprimidinol Bisulfite, Ascorbic Acid, Iron proteinate, ferrous carbonate and ferrous sulphate, Copper Oxide and copper proteinate, Copper Sulfate

This content has been tested at up to 20 times higher than the recommended daily amount (toxic levels)."

However cerain vitamins and minerals need others in order to be absorbed and utalised.

For example:

In order to convert beta-carotene (a natural anti-cancer) into Vitamin A the body requires adequate amounts of zinc, protein and fats (Mercola, 2011) however there is no zinc added, the protein levels in pet food are particularly low, not all of which is digestible and the fats are not always of the right sort of quality.

A lack of vitamin A causes blindness and also diminishes the ability to fight infections - these symptoms are often noted in conventionally fed pets. It is also noted that a Vitamin A defficiency commonly causes dermatosis in Cocker Spaniels (Watson, 1998)

Whilst vitamins B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin) & B9 (Folic Acid) are included vitamins B3, 5, 6, 7 & 12 are not - these missing vitamins cause the following symptoms:

B3 - defficiency along with a defficiency of trytophan (listed below) cause Pellegra (aggression, dermatitis, insomnia, weakness, mental confussion & diarrhea). In advanced cases dementia & death.

B5 - acne & paresthesia

B6 - microcytic anemia, depression, dermatitis, high blood pressure, water retention & elevated levels of homocysteine

B7 - Impaired growth & neurological disorders

B12 - macrocytic anemia, elevated homocysteine, peripheral neuropathy, memory loss & other cognitive deficits, the autoimmune disease pernicious anemia, mania & psychosis & in rare instances paralysis.

Trytophan is not added, Tryptophan is an essential pre-cursor to Serotonin, used by the Amygdala in the brain to promote calm, a lack of Tryptophan in the body has been connected with animal agression, another symptom often noted in conventionally fed pets.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list and further research would be of extream interest. However, many of the above symptoms are very commonly seen in our beloved pets, now you know why.

refs:

Mercola (2011) Genetically Engineered Rice is a Trojan Horse: Misled by Bill Gates and Monsanto, Mercola (Internet) Available from: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/21/genetically-engineered-rice-is-a-trojan-horse--misled-by-bill-gates-and-monsanto.aspx (accessed 21/06/2011)

Watson (1998) Diet & Skin Disease in Dogs & Cats, The Journal of Nutrition (Internet) Available from: http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/12/2783S.short (accessed 21/06/2011)