Health of a pet starts with the quality of food they eat. It’s why we so often look to diet for general wellness, and for the management of acutely ill animals. Nutrition serves a critical role in patient care, and improving diets often helps our pets live longer and healthier lives. Unfortunately, too many commercial diets are inadequate in many of the essential vitamins and minerals needed by the animal.
The Vitamin D Example
Vitamin D is a perfect example. As one of the essential vitamins, it’s only obtained through the cat or dog’s diet. Sure some diet’s are better than others, but in general are cats and dogs getting enough?
A study out of Tufts University showed a wide range of pet food brands were insufficient in providing adequate Vitamin D.
The Case For Testing
Unlike AAFCO standards, which indicate and regulate Vitamin D3 added to food, testing an animal is required to see what the actual biologically available Vitamin D concentration is in a particular pet. As the study above demonstrated, the resulting testing shows consistent insufficiency.
Another thing to keep in mind: we’ve all heard the old saying “if some is good, more is better,” however when it comes to essential vitamins, this isn’t true. The body is a finely tuned machine with vitamins and hormones existing in a balance. Too little and problems can develop. Too much and other problems can arise. This is what makes testing such a critical part of managing diet & essential vitamin levels. Dial in the supplementation by Test – Treat – Test.
A simple blood test can tell you what the Vitamin D status is, but testing through VDI also offers a secondary value: Dosing Guidelines.
Dosing guidelines are specific to the patient and are intended to supplement the current diet. Since every animal is different, with different needs, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to supplementing essential vitamins. Getting just the right amount using the Test & Treat approach is the best practice for managing essential vitamin levels.
The Case For Testing with VDI Laboratory
VDI Laboratory offers a low-cost, convenient blood test for Vitamin D status. Once the level is determined, the lab report goes on to provide patient specific dosing requirements and then converts those to a recommended supplement that has known efficacy. It’s this complete Test & Treat solution, that makes correcting Vitamin D insufficiency simple.
Current Solutions
VDI Lab offers test and treat solutions for 3 critical essential vitamins:
Vitamin D
The original Test & Treat solution from VDI Laboratory. Vitamin D is often considered the most important hormone in the body, and is lacking in most cats and dogs. Learn More Here.
B12 (Cobalamin)
VDI offers a Test & Treat solution for B12 deficiency. Another essential vitamin, B12 is often low especially in cats with GI issues. Learn More Here.
NEW- Magnesium
VDI Laboratory has now launched a Test & Treat solution for Magnesium. Offering patient specific dosing, the VDI Magnesium Test offers a simple way to correct low Magnesium levels in cats and dogs. Learn More Here.
All three essential vitamins above are vital to the health of animals. Required for proper system function, identifying and resolving vitamin insufficiency can help pets live healthier lives. VDI offers the unique and integrated Test & Treat solution tailored to each pet. For more information on how to start offering Test & Treat solutions for your clients, contact VDI.