Does Your Pet Need Sunshine?

The 411 on Vitamin D and Pets.

by Christina Yeager


We all know that it's essential for humans to get proper amounts of Vitamin D, yes? But do our pets also need it? Let's find out...

Cats and dogs don't get their Vitamin D like humans do -- they obtain it through diet. We do as well, but if we get enough sun...then the diet supplement is not needed. Our pets, however, require something a bit different.

That's where Vitamin D3 comes in.

Vitamin D3 isn’t really a vitamin -- it’s more like a hormone.  It helps regulate the mineral metabolism and maintains the calcium balance in your bones.

Before we go too far...let's learn how it works (for humans) so that you may understand.
The oil that naturally comes from our skin is a type of cholesterol.  Whenever we stand under direct sunlight, the ultraviolet rays react with this oil.  The ultraviolet radiation breaks some chemical bonds in the oil so that it forms a different molecule.  This molecule is known as the infamous Vitamin D3 which is why it’s also called the “sunshine vitamin.”

Once the cholesterol is converted to vitamin D3, it is then absorbed back into the skin and enters the blood stream.  You need about 10-15 minutes of full sunshine to get enough, but most people aren’t always able to do that, so it’s highly recommended you take a supplement.  This is especially important for fair-skinned people who just can’t hang out in the sun too long anyway because they will burn.
Sounds simple enough, right? BUT...again...do our pets need this?

Cats

Cats are nocturnal by nature. They tend to hunt at night and do most of their sleeping during the day. With that in mind, cats don't get a lot of Vitamin D, do they? No. But do they need it? No. Cats do not need the vitamin to strive as other species do. Domestic cats get proficient vitamins from their food. While it's important to feed your precious kitties quality food, it's not necessary to include massive amounts of sunshine in their diet. They get along fine without the need. However, they do love to lounge in the warmth and soak up some rays!

Dogs

Here's a fact you may not know: dogs synthesize their own Vitamin D. Yep! Yet sunshine is not essential for our furry little canine friends. There is effectively no UV conversion in the skin for dogs or cats. They need to get Vitamin D from their diet.

Ok, we get that animals receive Vitamin D from diet. So does this mean they don't need sunshine?

The answer is NO.

Dogs and cats secrete the same oily cholesterol from their skin, just like us.  When they lay in the sun, that oil is, again, converted to Vitamin D3.  The difference, however, is that because they have so much hair, the vitamin ends up on their fur and doesn’t get absorbed through their skin.

When they lick their body, to groom or clean themselves, they ingest the vitamin D orally.  So maybe it’s a good thing that cats have OCD with cleaning themselves.  I mention cats and dogs, but this info applies to ALL furry mammals and also to birds.

Besides...why would we deprive our wonderful pets the chance to bask in the glorious radiance of a sunny day? Chances are, your pet is finding the only sunny spot in house and lounging luxuriously in it with pride! They love it. They don't exactly need it, but they love it.