Episode 7: Nutritional Deficiencies and Dietary Supplements - a podcast by Dr. Robert Gaston, DVM - OneVetMed Podcast Host and Veterinarian

Episode 7: Nutritional Deficiencies and Dietary Supplements


Public Interest in Nutritional Supplementation50% of the U.S. adult population uses dietary supplements
1990-1997 400% growth in dietary supplement sales for humansCurrently growing at 15% per year
$37 billion annually85% of regular supplement users believe that dietary supplements are good for health
82% of Americans would try herbs for terminal illness{ http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdsupp.html; Boothe DM. 2004 Vet Clin Small Anim 34:7-38 ; Blendon RJ. 2001 Arch Intern Med 161:805-810 }

 Similar interest in supplement use for pets

30% of pet owners have used or have considered using dietary supplements90% of veterinarians sell some type of herbs or nutraceuticals
$20-50 million in annual sales{Boothe DM. 2004 Vet Clin Small Anim 34:7-38}

 Important Questions Concerning Nutritional Supplements

What are nutritional supplements?Terminology, Definitions, Contents
Why do we need nutritional supplements?Evidence for nutritional deficiencies - When should we use nutritional supplements?

How do we recognize/suspect the need?What nutritional supplements should we use? - What kind of nutritional supplement is best?

How do we use nutritional supplements? 

Conventional Thinking About Nutritional Supplementation“The proper role of a supplement is to correct a diagnosed nutrient deficiency”



{Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 4th Ed p. 116}However, diagnosis is difficult with current tools and difficult to recognize based on conventional definitions of deficiency

“ The most common form of veterinary supplements is a wide variety of vitamin and vitamin-mineral combinations that are used by 10% of animal owners”{Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 4th Ed p. 116}



Predominantly consist of isolated, or synthetic, vitamins“Routine use of vitamin mineral supplements is not needed when a dog or cat eats typical commercial pet food”
“…dogs and cats consuming commercial dry rations were ingesting from two to five times the daily allowance of vitamins”{Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 4th Ed p. 116}



They are already receiving potentially excessive amounts of isolated, or synthetic vitaminsThe conventional approach to nutritional supplementation is to provide more of the same isolated and synthetic nutrients that are already present in high amounts in the pet foods, expecting a better outcome

It has been claimed that insanity is continuing to do the same thing, expecting a different result 

Confusion in Terminology: What Are Nutritional Supplements?Food: (according to section 201(f) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act)

“a raw, cooked, or processed edible substance, ice, beverage, or ingredient used or intended for use or for sale in whole or in part for human consumption”“articles used for food or drink for man or other animals, chewing gum, and articles used for components of any such articles.”
This includes “dietary supplements and dietary ingredients”{ http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsbtac13.html http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fc01-1.html1  http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~ear/ims-a-30.html}

Drugs: “articles [food or non-food] intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals”“ articles (other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals”



{ http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsbtac13.html   http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fc01-1.html1http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~ear/ims-a-30.html}

 “Medical Food” originally applied to humans

For dietary management of a disease or health conditionUnder the direction of a physician
Label must state that the product is to be used to manage a specific medical disorder or condition

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