Vitamin D: A Predictor of Diseases in Dogs and Cats
Serum Vitamin D, a Prognostic Biomarker of Diseases in Dogs and Cats
Antunes, Sarah 2025-12-12 Master's thesis Embargoed access
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin well-known for its key role in regulating calcium and phosphate homeostasis in bone metabolism. In canines and felines, vitamin D is considered an essential micronutrient because, unlike other mammals, they cannot synthesize it through skin exposure to sunlight. Consequently, it is imperative that dogs and cats obtain their complete vitamin D requirements exclusively from dietary sources to satisfy their nutritional needs. In dogs and cats, as in human medicine, the most precise indicator of vitamin D status is the measurement of metabolite 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). There is no consensus regarding the precise level at which vitamin D deficiency is diagnosed. This absence of a uniform standard for the measurement of 25(OH)D between different research groups or laboratories may hinder the establishment of a consensus on the reference range for 25(OH)D.
In human medicine, the assessment of vitamin D status is integral to the evaluation of disease severity, progression and it is used as a prognostic biomarker in autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, neurological diseases and inflammatory bowel disease.
In veterinary medicine, this assessment of vitamin D status has been used as a biomarker for diseases affecting the gastrointestinal, renal, cardiovascular and immune systems, as well as infectious diseases and oncology. Likewise, this biomarker can assist in predicting the probable course and outcome of a disease, facilitating risk stratification and supporting veterinarians in making informed decisions regarding treatment strategies. There is growing evidence underscoring the potential of vitamin D metabolite as a biomarker, with the capacity to assist in the prediction of outcomes associated with a variety of diseases. The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive literature review on the use of vitamin D as a reliable prognostic biomarker for various diseases in dogs and cats.
The present literature review revealed a growing interest and preliminary evidence in the clinical assessment of vitamin D as a tool for evaluating disease severity, evolution and as a prognostic indicator in dogs and cats. A comprehensive review of the extant literature was conducted, encompassing 48 studies that were meticulously analyzed. Finally, the field would benefit from further research that employs standardized methodologies, thereby contributing to a better understanding of the potential of vitamin D as a prognostic biomarker in canines and felines.
Related in VitaminDWiki
- Vitamin D is great for dogs and cats too
- Dogs with Cancer have low vitamin D, same as humans
- Half of dogs now get cancer, it used to be just 1 percent (probably low Vitamin D)
- Dogs health increased by Vitamin D
- Dogs, like humans, need vitamin D for many reasons
- Critically ill dogs with good levels of vitamin D have much better outcomes (humans too)
- 75% of pet dogs do not get enough vitamin D from their food