Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

Symptoms Low Vitamin D Levels and Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms, caused by low vitamin d level, in dogs is not that often seen. But, you need to be aware of the symptoms vitamin d deficiency. Why? Rickets and osteomalacia can still strike and hurt your dog - perhaps for ever.

Low vitamin d level and symptoms low vitamin d levels in dogs depends on the age of the dog. It's different symptoms depending if vitamin d deficiency is seen in a young growing pup or an older dog.

Dog breed is of great importance as well. Bigger dogs growing faster the smaller breeds and therefor much more sensible to vitamin d deficiency.

The most important vitamin d deficiency diseases in dogs are:

Rickets

This is seen in young dogs only.

One reason for this disease is too low levels of vitamin d. This will affect the normal development of the bones. It is both mineralization and vascularisation problems in the normal bone development.

Vitamin d deficiency symptoms in dogs having rickets is pain when moving, lameness, difficulty in rising, stiff gait and typically swelling of the ends of the long bones.

Sometimes you can see bowed legs as the long bones becomes too soft and too week. Fractures is seen as well in some dogs.

You can see complete recovery if the deficiency is corrected. But, only if no fractures has occurred.

In the first place it is the primary to avoid any vitamin d deficiency. As well any calcium and phosphorus alterations as this will increase the risks of bone development problems.

It is worth to remember that even if the amount of calcium and phosphorus is normal, low vitamin d levels cause rickets.

Dealing with the nutritional needs in fast growing dogs especially is difficult. You need balance between calcium,phosphorus, vitamin d and the age - don't experiment.