09/25/2026
Another nutritional “lack” that has shown to be another contributor to the BIG C… 😞
🐶 DOGS WITH LOW VITAMIN D HAD NEARLY 4X THE RISK OF CANCER.
Vitamin D is much more important to our dogs’ health than many pet parents realize.
In a peer-reviewed study published in Veterinary and Comparative Oncology, researchers measured vitamin D levels in nearly 350 dogs and found a striking association: the lower the dogs’ vitamin D, the greater their relative risk of cancer.
Dogs with vitamin D levels below 40 ng/mL had 3.9X the relative risk of cancer. For hemangiosarcoma, one of the most aggressive cancers in dogs, the relative risk was 4.1X higher.
As vitamin D levels increased, the relative risk progressively decreased.
Researchers also found changes in markers related to inflammation and parathyroid hormone as vitamin D increased.
☀️ And here’s what makes this especially important for dogs:
Unlike humans, dogs cannot make adequate vitamin D from sunshine. They depend getting D from their food.
🐟 Fatty fish such as salmon, trout, herring and sardines are natural dietary sources of vitamin D3 and can be healthy toppers.
But this does NOT mean we should blindly start giving dogs high-dose vitamin D supplements.
🩸 TESTING MATTERS:
A blood test measuring 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] can tell you your dog’s vitamin D status. If levels are low, you and your veterinarian can look at the diet and determine whether dietary changes or carefully controlled supplementation are appropriate.
Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so more not better: unnecessary supplementation can cause organ failure.
Considering dogs depend so heavily on healthy food for vitamin D, it raises an important question:
Do you know your dog’s vitamin D level? 🐶☀️🐟
