Optimal doses of vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin C, and vitamin D prevent cavities and anorexia. Read more here andhere. If you are looking for good doses to start with, click here. Unfortunately, most readers believe this statement is too good to be true and will not change their behavior. As a result, the ongoing epidemic of anorexia and cavities continues.
So – maybe the story of my dog can help. Four years ago my (at the time 7 year old dog) was in poor health. Her knees were deteriorating and she had started on Prevacox – an arthritis medicine. She was having difficulting getting up and down the stairs. To address this problem, she had her right back knee operated on in 2006 and her left back knee operated on in early 2007. The operations provided substantial relief but she remained on Prevacox and continued to have trouble getting up and down the stairs. In late 2007 she had a cancerous growth on her face. It was a bad one. The dog oncologist insisted that she needed radiation. The vet felt multiple operations to remove the expected future growths were more humane. She weighed close to 60 pounds (at least 10 pounds overweight) and we were instructed to reduce how much we fed her to get her to loose weight. At this point I put her on the vitamins that I recommend for the children: 800 IU vitamin D, 1000 mg vitamin C, 125 mg time release niacin, and 100 mg of thiamine. I gave her this dose every day for 3 months. The result was astonishing. I took her off the Prevacox and she stopped having problems getting up and down the stairs. The energy she had when she was a puppy returned. The vets will back me up 100%. Four months ago she came down with a bad case of intestinal disease. As a result, the vet recommended we put her on an egg and rice diet while she was on the medication she needed. I did so. She improved dramatically but still had soft stools when the medication was completed so I kept her on the egg and rice diet. As the days went by, some voice inside me resisted returning her to her regular dog food. I kept her on the egg and rice (and vitamin) diet. Over the course of 8 weeks, she lost 10 lbs. She is now leaping in and out of our Honda CRV and trotting up the stairs. These two simple changes – adding vitamins and switching from dog food to egg and rice have reverse aged my dog. She is now 11 – old for a dog her size – and is in far better shape than when she was 6.
There is no question that the only significant change in my dog’s life was the vitamins and the switch to egg and rice. She lives in the same house, takes the same walks, lies around in the same spots. The life of a dog just isn’t very complicated. I (and my family) know what happened and why, and so do both vets who take care of her and the four assistants who work with them.
Why is this relevant? It’s hard to believe that lack of vitamins and a poor diet can really be the root cause of cavities and anorexia. My dog’s amazing recovery from multiple problems (bad joints, cancer, and obesity) proves how effective vitamins can be. My “prove it isn’t true” list is limited to vitamins and cavities. Bad joints, cancer, and obesity aren’t on the list because the evidence that vitamins are effective for these three problems isn’t compelling yet. Lots of people with bad joints, cancer, and obesity try vitamins and don’t get better. My dog’s case is also relevant because it shows just how hard it is to create change even when presented with overwhelming evidence. It also shows how easy it is to be bamboozled by commercial interests.
How on earth did we all get persuaded to feed our dogs commercial dog food from cans and bags? Eggs are terrific food for carnivores like dogs. What do you think is better food for a dog – fresh eggs or that dry stuff that’s stored in a bag a room temperature for months at a time? But everyone feeds dogs from the bag. Not feeding dog food to a dog just doesn’t feel right. There are no adds on TV encouraging you to feed your dog wholesome foods like fresh eggs. There’s no profit to be had teaching people to find wholesome real foods for their dogs. Instead, industry is trying to extract a steady revenue stream from your dog and get your dog on pills and commercial dog food. Commercial advertising has a powerful influence upon us. Few readers will change upon reading my words and the health of dogs will suffer. If people won’t switch commercial, manufactured dog food for fresh eggs because of social pressure created and reinforced by advertising, they certainly won’t feed their dogs the vitamins I recommend – an unheard of behavior.
Wholesome food and vitamin supplements for children and dogs will become the norm – I just don’t know when. At some point the behavior will nucleate in a community and spread quickly as the large middle ground of followers will do what they do – follow. When they do, the prevalence of cavities and anorexia (and many associated illnesses) will drop dramatically. There’s much to gain and almost nothing to lose by trying vitamin C, vitamin D, thiamine, and niacin.
I have a fascinating book written in late 1920's about the author's research into vitamins. This was when there was vitamin A, vitamin B and vitamin C. So only 3 vitamins known.
There is a chapter near the back of the book talking about people who had no/poor appetite, so were sickly because of this. I don't think anorexia had been "discovered" at this stage.
He successful treated these cases by putting them on a high vitamin diet. There are a few other books from the early part of 20th Century which also discuss the correlation between appetite and vitamin intake.
It seems that 100 years later we have still not learned the lesson.
David,
Thanks for stopping by with your comments. I would be most appreciative if you could provide complete references for the books you talk about in your comments.
I agree with you that there has long been powerful evidence that vitamin deficiency contributes to many diseases. I think that lesson has been learned. What's not been learned is what combination of which vitamins in what doses is reliably effective for the treatment of what diseases. I've reviewed thousands of clinical trials and most of the data is unimpressive. It's been less that three years since I identified cavities and anorexia as diseases that reliably respond to substantial doses of vitamin C, niacin, and thiamine along with vitamin D from ample sunshine. If you are aware of an earlier reference making the same recommendation I'd be very interested in reading it.
Thanks again for stopping by
the reference is:
McCarrison, Robert. Studies in Deficiency disease. Oxford Medical Publications. Henry Frowde and Hodder & Stoughton. London. 1921.
I have no ideas were I found this book (normally I can remember where each of my books are from).
The last section pg 238-245 which discusses appetite. I have re read them and they don't discuss anorexia but loss of appetite (don't know if anorexia was a term used in 1921).
Can scan in the pages and email them if you can't get hold of the book.
Does anyone know anything about vitamins and minerals (dosages and types) that would help cats?
It is rather interesting for me to read the blog. Thanx for it. I like such themes and everything that is connected to them. I definitely want to read a bit more soon.
It is extremely interesting for me to read that blog. Thanx for it. I like such themes and anything that is connected to this matter. I definitely want to read more soon.
It is great your dog got better. I am sure you enjoy her very much. Why aren't pharmaceutical companies putting in more effort to research vitamins?
Anyways, I am glad you are putting in the effort to warn and inform people of vitamins.
I enjoy reading your blogs.
Hi Steve
thanks for directing me to this information. Our dog is also having issues with arthritis and the meds that the vet put her on don't seem to be working. Maybe vitamins are the answer
Mike,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Let me know if you give the vitamins a try.
Steve
My neighbor and I had been just debating this particular subject, he is normally seeking to show me incorrect. Your view on that is nice and exactly how I really feel. I just now mailed him this site to show him your own view. After looking over your web site I ebook marked and will be coming again to read your new posts!
Dear Anonymous,
Thanks!
Steve