All about vitamin C in dogs.

1. Vitamin C &
Your Dog

2. Hello!
Dr. Preethi Sudarshanie Dassanayake
(B.V.Sc.,M.Sc., MBA)
Consultant Veterinary Surgeon from Sri Lanka.
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3. Vitamin C
➝ Freely soluble in water.
➝ Insoluble in ether, benzene and chloroform.
➝ Unstable organic acid.
➝ More stable in an acid than alkaline medium.
➝ Susceptible to light, high temperature, oxygen,
alkali, humidity and heavy metals.
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4. Vitamin C
➝ Is a white to yellow-tinged crystalline powder.
➝ Occurs in two forms.
➝ They are L- ascorbic acid (reduced form) &
dehydro-L-ascorbic acid (oxidized form).
➝ Both reduced and oxidized forms are biologically
active.
➝ However, D- ascorbic acid is inactive.
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5. Vitamin C
discovery:
• Discovered by Albert
Szent- Gyorgyi (1893 –
1986) an eminent
hungarian biochemist.
Later, in 1937 he received
Nobel prize in medicine
for discovery of Vitamin
C.
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6. Structure
• Chemical formula- C6 H8 O6
• Molecular mass -176.14 g/ mol
• Contains 4 hydroxyl groups in
positions 2, 3,5 and 6.
• -OH group in position 2 has pKa,2
=11.6.
• -OH group in position 3 is acidic
(pKa =4.17).
• -OH group 5 & 6- acts as a
secondary and primary alcoholic
residues respectively.
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7. Vitamin C synthesis
➝ By British chemists in
1933 – 1934.
➝ Their names- Sir
Walter Norman
Haworth and Sir
Edmund Hirst.
➝ At the same time, but
in independent Polish
laboratory by Tadeus
Reichstein.
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8. “ ➝Your healthy pet dog
can be synthesize
vitamin C within the
body. Mainly in liver.
Therefore, no need to
supply with food”
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9. “ ➝The rate of vitamin C
synthesis in the liver
of dog can be
expressed as 5 μg
/mg of protein/hour.
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10. Excretion & storage
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 Excretes mainly via urine.
 Found in liver, adrenal
glands, pituitary gland,
spleen, pancreas and
brain.

11. Vitamin C deficiency symptoms
➝ Bleeding gums.
➝ Delayed wound healing.
➝ Muscle weakness.
➝ Painful joints.
➝ Weak bones.
➝ Bad breath.
➝ Scurvy
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12. Scurvy (canine hypertrophic
osteodystrophy)- CHO
➝ Bleeding gums.
➝ Loose teeth.
➝ Anemia.
➝ Swollen gums.
➝ Coiled hair.
➝ Perifollicular hemorrhages.
➝ Ecchymoses in the skin of lower limbs.
➝ Femoral neuropathy.
➝ Painful joints & effusions within joints.
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13. Breeds more susceptible for CHO
➝ Great Danes.
➝ Labrador Retrievers.
➝ Boxers.
➝ German Shepherds.
➝ Saint Bernards.
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14. Functions of vitamin C
Let’s start with the first set of slides
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15. Functions of vitamin C
➝ Essential for the synthesis of collagen & elastin.
➝ Supports wound healing process.
➝ Inhibits potent carcinogenic nitrosamines.
➝ Regulates glucocorticoids synthesis in adrenal
gland.
➝ Maintains immune-competence in stress.
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16. Functions….
➝ Stimulates phagocytic activity of leukocytes.
➝ Stimulates formation of antibodies.
➝ Supports reproduction (high concentration in
seminal fluid).
➝ Anti-inflammatory.
➝ Anti-oxidant.
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17. Supportive treatment:
 Kennel cough.
 Cancer.
 Infectious diseases in
respiratory tract.
 Degenerative joint
disease.
 Abscesses.
 Hip dysplasia.
 Wound healing.
Uses of vitamin C
Preventive purpose:
 Before vaccination.
 After vaccination.
 When exposed to
contagious disease.
 During pregnancy.
 During lactation.
 For maintain healthy
gums.
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18. Place your screenshot here
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Sources:
• Papaya.
• Citrus fruits.
• Mango.
• Pineapple.
• Watermelon.
• Kale.
• Broccoli.
• Tomato.
• Snow peas.
• Bell Peppers.
• Cantaloupe.
• Kiwi fruit.

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Thanks!
Any questions?
You can find me at
➝ dassanayakepreethi@gmail.com

20. Credits
Special thanks to all the people who made and
released these awesome resources for free:
➝ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival
➝ Photographs by google image.
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