# Ester-C? Can I Buy The Human Kind?



## MyRescueCrew (May 8, 2008)

Quick question.

I have been reading all the amazing benefits of giving Ester-C to a dog with hip dysplasia. I'm sold, and plan to start Annie on it ASAP. Everything I've read says the same thing, for a dog around 25 pounds, she should get about 1,000mg's a day, broken into twice a day. 500mg's in the morning, 500mg's in the evening.

Question: I found a few places online, mainly german shepherd boards, that say that giving the human form of Ester-C is fine. This is because it is non-acidic unlike regular vitamin c, and is buffered down with calcium, being much easier on the GI tract unlike regular vitamin c.

Does anyone here give their dog the human brand of Ester-C? Most that gave the human brand bought the Walmart or Sam's Club brand and said they still saw amazing results with it.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

I can't figure how Ester C would do much of anything for HD. Did they say what, and why this helped the HD?


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## MyRescueCrew (May 8, 2008)

If you look online about canines and ester-c, you'll see many studies that have been done on it. I've heard about it's benefits for a long time, but with Annie's HD being so bad lately, I've only lately began to research it heavily. Almost everything I found was positive results.

It doesn't stop, or cure, HD or even reverse it. Here is a good article, though a bit dated:

http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0039.htm

The article states, and this is what I've read nearly everywhere else as well, is that the vitamin c acts as sort of a 'lubricant' for the joints. X-rays indicate that the HD and arthritis is still there, and the joints are still heavily deteriorated, however the dogs move more freely and with less pain when on Ester-C. Vitamin C also acts as a natural inflammatory as well.

I was also talking last night with the shelter co-ordinator that I know for the pound a few cities over. She was telling me her 9 year old lab mix was in so much pain and could barely move from his HD. She tried him on the Ester-C starting a couple weeks ago, at 2000mg's for his 90 pound frame. She said 2 weeks later, he's up and walking around, though a bit stiffly. She said he hasn't walked like that in over 2 years.

Anyhoo, sorry to ramble. I like the idea that in typical doses, vitamin c is safe and non-toxic, and with the positive results that I have heard, I figured it was a great thing to try for Annie's HD.

Here's a few more links, if you're interested:

http://www.yourdoghealth.com/dog_ester-c.htm

And this one, which gives many references of its sources at the bottom:

http://www.arthrix.com/phil_brown.htm


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Here is a link for the study.

http://bajaokla.com/dachback/ester_c.htm

I use to use Ester-C for my old horse. It did help.


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## MyRescueCrew (May 8, 2008)

ACM, thanks for posting that link. That's the study I was looking for but couldn't find it in my bookmarks.


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## heidiann (Feb 3, 2008)

I was told to find powdered or capsule Ester-C for our dog. I forget why we were advised to give it to him...something to do with his pancreatitis. And she said the human kind was fine. 

We've had a hard time finding it in stores in powder form though, so I haven't given it to him yet. 

I've found a canine kind on amazon though. http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Anima...?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1230864992&sr=8-17


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## MyRescueCrew (May 8, 2008)

heidiann, since posting this yesterday, I've actually talked to several others who have also said that the Walmart, Sams Club, or other store brands are what they use as well.

kvvet.com sells the powdered kind as well:

http://www.kvvet.com/KVVet/productr...alse&mscssid=20BB4CA74F0542C78D8D6F525A96CDB4


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