Don't forget to boost your dog's nutrition if he or she undergoes trauma, or a bout of illness. Vitamin E is especially important for the heart and immune response. A study from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that dogs with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy don't have enough vitamin E, and that the lower the vitamin E levels, the more severe the disease. They concluded that free radicals play a major role in this condition. Antioxidants such as vitamins E and C are just as important for our animals as they are for us.
Cats make their own C, but environmental and other stresses can deplete an animal's reserves.
Maintaining your pet's antioxidant supply might help save its life one day. Studies show that antioxidants can lessen the damage caused by traumatic injuries, heart failure and stroke. But the antioxidants must be in the animal's body already. Be aware that anesthesia is one of the things that can deplete your animal's antioxidants. Drugs used for anesthesia generate large amounts of free radicals.