Niacin was the third B vitamin to be identified as a dietary essential for its role in treating the deficiency disease “black tongue” in dogs and a disease with a similar etiology, pellagra, in humans. The discovery was tied to pets and humans consuming diets nearly monopolized by grains and deficient in quality proteins.
Since the late 1930s, incidence of these diseases is almost unheard of. Today, while no significant consumer controversies are prevalent on pet enthusiast blogs or customer service hotlines regarding niacin in petfood, we can’t become complacent and overlook its importance.
