Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Vitamin E absorption in English Cocker Spaniels with retinal disease
By McLellan, Gillian J & Bedford, Peter G C·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2012·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Oral vitamin E absorption in English Cocker Spaniels with familial vitamin E deficiency and retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of English Cocker Spaniels with retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy (RPED) and vitamin E deficiency were tested to see how well they could absorb vitamin E given by mouth. The results showed that while these dogs absorbed the vitamin, their peak levels were lower than those of healthy dogs. However, most of the affected dogs still maintained normal vitamin E levels for several hours after taking the supplement. Based on these findings, giving these dogs vitamin E twice a day at a dose of 600-900 IU could help bring their vitamin E levels back to normal.
People also search for: English Cocker Spaniel vitamin E deficiency · RPED treatment for dogs · how to give vitamin E to dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Retinal Pigment Epithelial Dystrophy (RPED) with neuroaxonal degeneration in English Cocker Spaniels (ECS) is associated with systemic vitamin E deficiency in the absence of dietary insufficiency. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of ECS with RPED to absorb orally administered vitamin E and establish a basis for vitamin E supplementation in affected dogs. ANIMALS STUDIED: 8 RPED-affected ECS and five clinically normal dogs. PROCEDURES: An oral vitamin E tolerance test (OVETT) was conducted in each dog. Blood samples were obtained prior to and at 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 120, and 240 h following oral administration of 90 iu/kg of RRR-α-tocopherol. Plasma alpha tocopherol (αTOC) content was measured by normal phase, high-performance liquid chromatography, and indices of vitamin E absorption calculated. RESULTS: There was marked variation in OVETT results between individuals. In RPED-affected ECS, mean peak plasma αTOC concentration (17.87 ± 13.21 μg/mL), attained after administration of a large oral dose of the vitamin, was significantly lower than the mean peak plasma αTOC concentration attained in normal dogs (47.61 ± 17.17 μg/mL; P < 0.005). However, the plasma concentrations achieved in 7/8 RPED-affected dogs remained within the normal reference range for plasma αTOC in vitamin E-replete dogs, for at least 12 h postdose. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin E-deficient ECS with RPED are capable of absorbing orally administered vitamin E. Twice daily administration of 600-900 iu tocopherol is likely to restore plasma vitamin E concentrations to the normal range in most affected dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22831287/