If you’re a cat owner, your first and foremost concern is probably your cat’s health. Nutrients obviously play a large role in preserving health, but it may surprise you to know that not every nutrient is a necessity. A prime example of this is vitamin C and its effect on cats. Today, we’ll be explaining how giving vitamin C to cats can be too much of a good thing by explaining what it does, how it’s made, and what effect it can have on cats.
Why Eat When You Can Self Produce?
Humans and certain other animals are incapable of producing vitamin C within their own bodies. As such, they are forced to rely on foods or supplements to obtain it. However, cats (and dogs) possess an enzyme known as L-gulonolactone oxidase (GLO) which is necessary for the synthesis of vitamin C. As such, they are generally capable of producing the vitamin C they need to live, and do not need to obtain it through other sources.
Understanding the Process
The process through which cat livers produce vitamin C is as follows:
- The synthesis of vitamin C begins with glucose. Glucose can be converted into various intermediates through a series of enzymatic reactions.
- Glucose is converted into UDP-glucuronic acid, after which it is converted into gulonolactone.
- Finally, the L-gulonolactone oxidase in cat livers oxidizes the gulonolactone into ascorbic acid, that is, vitamin C.
This biochemical pathway allows cats to produce the vitamin C they need without having to consume it through external sources.
Vitamin C and Cat Health
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that provides living beings with a vast range of health benefits, from protecting your cells to boosting your immunity. However, as cats can produce their own vitamin C, giving them extra vitamin C is unlikely to provide them with additional benefits.
In fact, long-term consumption of vitamin C can actually prove dangerous to cats. As Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, it is expelled through the body through urine. However, as cats can already produce their own vitamin C, giving them too much extra vitamin C can lead to kidney-related issues, such as the formation of kidney stones.
This is especially true for cats suffering from kidney disease, as kidney disease makes it difficult for cats to metabolize the vitamin C in their bodies. In such cats, the aforementioned issues can cause even more damage to their already weakened kidneys, leading to deteriorated kidney functions.
A Proper Diet Above All
A proper and nutritionally balanced diet is vital for preserving your cat’s health. However, most high-quality commercial brand cat foods already contain all the nutrients that your cat needs, so there is no need to overly supplement your cat’s vitamin C intake. It is unlikely to have the desired effect, and if taken too far, it can actually have the opposite of the intended effect!
In conclusion, most cats do not need to be fed vitamin C, regardless of whether it is obtained via foods or supplements. While a small amount of vitamin C consumption is unlikely to hurt a cat, repeated and/or excess consumption can be incredibly detrimental to their health. This is especially true for cats with kidney disease, whose kidneys are particularly vulnerable to damage.
Please remember - your cat’s health starts with you! What you know and don’t know can have long-reaching effects on your cat’s health! It’s important to stay well-informed, and we at Greycoat Research will do our best to keep you aware of the things you need to know to keep your beloved cats healthy.