Vitamin D -- for pets, sunlight isn't enough

We read a great deal about vitamin D in the popular press these days. Beyond the age-old deficiency diseases, it is now reported that supplemental vitamin D in people has an influence on a wide range of conditions including cognitive function, osteoporosis, fatigue, diabetes, cancer and more.

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Greg Aldrich, Ph.D.
June 14, 2010

We read a great deal about vitamin D in the popular press these days. Beyond the age-old deficiency diseases, it is now reported that supplemental vitamin D in people has an influence on a wide range of conditions including cognitive function, osteoporosis, fatigue, diabetes, cancer and more.

Part of the reason this has been such a revelation in human nutrition is because vitamin D was classically considered a "conditional requirement." In other words, it wasn't required in the diet if you got plenty of sunshine. However, for dogs and cats, there is a subtle twist to the vitamin D story that makes it a dietary necessity-in short, sunshine doesn't do the trick.

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