finding balance through conscious living
![[Recipe] Turkey, Fish and Guinea Fowl, Raw Dog Food Recipe](https://whitneyliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/RawFedDog01.jpg)
About This Meal This raw meal is higher in organ meat and fat, and low in muscle meat. Every meal should be fed as a part of a balanced raw diet of 80% muscle meat, 10% bone and 10% organ. While these percentages can vary…
We know how important vitamins A, B and D are for the health of our dogs, but what about vitamin K? It certainly isn’t talked about as much as other vitamins. Is there a reason for that? In this blog post we’re talking about the…
Vitamin E is an essential vitamin that your dog’s body can’t make. Instead, they need to eat foods that contain vitamin E. However, don’t let the word “essential” fool you into thinking that the seemingly low numbers I share below are inadequate. It’s not necessary to give your raw fed dog supplements in addition to a nutritionally balanced raw diet. In fact, vitamin E supplementation can be dangerous.
Vitamin E for dogs fed a raw diet is needed in small amounts. Natural, high-quality foods (meats, bones, organs and even eggs) have just the right amounts of what your carnivore needs.
Vitamin E is an important fat-soluble vitamin that is required for the proper function of many organs, enzymatic activities and neurological processes.
It’s also beneficial in the following ways:
Unlike vitamins such as vitamin A, Vitamin E is found in low amounts in whole animal-derived food sources. While it isn’t as “essential” as other vitamins, it’s still good to know vitamin E’s benefits and what you can feed your dog so that they do get vitamin E in their diet.
Cholesterol is naturally occurring (made by the liver) and required by the body for the proper function of your dog’s cells, nerves and hormones.
Vitamin E positively impacts cardiovascular health with its ability to reduce the activity of an enzyme that controls cholesterol production/synthesis, as needed.
It’s important to note synthetic vitamin E doesn’t seem to have the same benefits of natural forms and can actually do more harm than good, no matter how much is given. This is why it’s so important for your dog (and you!) to get vitamins and minerals from whole foods.
Free radicals break down the healthy cells in your dog’s body. This can lead to heart disease and cancer. Certain isomers of vitamin E have the power to reduce free radical damage, fight inflammation, and in turn help naturally slow cell aging. This helps your dog’s body fight off health issues like heart disease. (1)
Vitamin E strengthens the capillary walls and improves moisture and elasticity, acting as a natural anti-aging nutrient within your dog’s body.
Vitamin E helps decrease environmental damage to your dog’s hair with its antioxidant properties and by promoting circulation to the scalp. It also aids in skin moisture.
Vitamin E works to balance hormones naturally. (2)
Symptoms of a hormonal imbalance can include:
By keeping your dog’s hormones balanced, you will notice that their bodies find it easier to maintain a healthy weight and better energy levels.
Vitamin E may help decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration, which is a common cause of blindness. It’s important to note that in order for vitamin E to be effective for vision, it must also be consumed with adequate amounts of vitamin C, beta-carotene and zinc. This is another reason why your raw fed dog needs to consume vitamin E in whole food forms that are also rich in other nutrients.
Certain isomers of vitamin E have been tied to cancer prevention. Several animal studies have found suppression of tumor growth by using oral doses of tocotrienols.
Vitamin E can also improve your dog’s muscle strength and physical endurance. Vitamin E eliminates fatigue by promoting blood circulation and can also strengthen your dog’s capillary walls and nourish their cells. (3)
Vitamin E is critical during pregnancy, for the proper development of puppies because it protects critical fatty acids and helps control inflammation.
These numbers are from the USDA database and are from commercially-raised animals. Animal-derived foods from pastured and wild animals have much higher nutritional values.
Examples of “common” foods for raw fed dogs, with vitamin E:
Across-the-board the top sources of vitamin E for dogs fed a raw diet are going to be:
Keep in mind that wild-caught fish is always superior.
Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, raw 3.55mg
Trout, rainbow, farmed, raw 2.34mg
Herring, Atlantic, raw 1.71mg
Herring, Atlantic, raw 1.54mg
Mackerel, Atlantic, raw 1.52mg
Vitamin E deficiencies are rare. A vitamin E deficiency can be due to malfunctions in terms of how nutrients are absorbed. For example, in that of an under-formed, newborn puppy or much older dog.
Dogs with fat absorption problems, which is a common problem for those with inflammatory bowel disease, may also struggle with a vitamin E deficiency, in some rare cases.
But as you can see from the foods listed above, vitamin E isn’t the most naturally abundant vitamin in animal-derived foods. This tells us that, unlike vitamin A, vitamin E isn’t needed in high amounts.
In fact, the benefits of vitamin E are also found in vitamins A and B.
The bigger worry with vitamin E is toxicity through giving supplements or feeding an unhealthy raw diet that includes plant matter.
One serious side effect of feeding too much vitamin E is an increased risk of bleeding, especially in the brain.
Some studies even show that taking (feeding) high doses of vitamin E might increase the chance of having a hemorrhagic stroke by 22%.
Supplementing with too much vitamin E could potentially lead to the following health issues:
High doses of vitamin E can also cause the following in humans and dogs:
Vitamin E benefits the body as an antioxidant. As a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin E benefits include aiding in the proper function of many organs, enzymatic activities and neurological processes.
Vitamin E also helps in:
Vitamin E deficiency is extremely rare but symptoms include loss of coordination and impaired vision.
Vitamin E is unsafe when fed in supplemental form, in very high amounts.
Your raw fed dog should get their vitamin E from whole foods, from their raw diet of meats, bones and organs.
I know how much you want to make sure your raw fed dog is getting every nutrient he/she needs. I want the same thing! Below is a complete look at vitamin A for dogs. We’ll cover the benefits, warnings and ideal food sources for your…