Background:

Essential Vitamins 1 panel includes Vitamin D (25OHD) and Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) - two essential nutrients that are only obtained through diet.  Vitamin D, the most important hormone in the body, is responsible for supporting the innate immune system and has a role in disease prevention and management.  Sufficient levels are anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and pro-immunity.  Cobalamin is chiefly response for DNA production as a critical cofactor. This test provides patient-specific dosing guidelines for both Vitamin D and B12.

Clinical Applications:

1. Diet Changes
2. Gastrointestinal Disease
3. Inflammatory Disease
4. Cancer Patients
5. General Wellness - preventative
6. PLE Patients
7. Patients on NSAIDs or Corticosteroids

Recommendations:

Evaluating essential vitamin levels should start once the dog or cat reaches adult stages and establishes their adult diet.  Once diet has been stable for 3 months, test baseline vitamins and correct any insufficiencies with supplementation, or consider a diet change if values are considerably low.  Recheck intervals are every year once sufficient unless diet or health changes occur.