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Vitamin D Poisoning Overview
High doses of vitamin D can cause kidney failure in dogs, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Symptoms of such poisoning include vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, frequent urination, unusual drooling, diarrhea, bad breath, weakness, and weight loss.
According to the Pet Health Network, high levels of vitamin D in a dog can result in hypercalcemia, which occurs with high levels of calcium, and hyperphosphatemia, which happens when too much phosphorous is present. A dog may start to have the soft tissues become hard because of the excess minerals in the body. The kidneys are particularly at risk of this mineralization process, as are the gastrointestinal tract, the aorta, and the heart.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that helps dogs maintain strong bones. However, vitamin D is not a water-soluble vitamin, but is a fat-soluble one. This means excess vitamin D cannot be excreted in the urine, but is stored in the fat tissue and the liver.
Tests Determine Vitamin D Poisoning and Treatment
A veterinarian will conduct blood work to look at the creatinine and BUN levels to determine kidney functionality, urine makeup and electrolyte levels of calcium and phosphorous to diagnose a vitamin D overdose, according to the Pet Health Network.
The veterinarian also might order x-rays to see if soft tissue has begun to mineralize and to check for cancer or kidney/bladder stones.
Severe cases of vitamin D overdosing require 24-hour care for a minimum of the first two days. Some dogs may suffer a predisposition to chronic kidney failure the remainder of their lives if the poisoning is not aggressively treated quickly.
In some cases, dogs will be given charcoal because it binds the poison from the intestines and can successfully decontaminate the animal. A dog also might receive special antacids that bind with phosphorous, IV saline fluids to flush calcium from the body, prednisone to remove calcium and other medications to stop calcium and phosphorous from mineralizing the soft tissues.
Pet Owners File Lawsuits Against Hill’s
Several varieties of Hill’s Pet Nutrition canned dog food have been recalled due to the food potentially causing dogs to suffer from vitamin D poisoning.
Hill’s Pet Nutrition said the company found out that some of its canned dog foods contained mistakenly high levels of vitamin D because of a supplier error. The recalled dog food includes specific lot/date codes that Hill said should be disposed of or returned to the retailer where purchased for a refund.
According to USA Today, there have been reports of dogs becoming so seriously ill from excess vitamin D that they have died from kidney failure and heart attacks as a result.
A class action lawsuit against Hill’s Pet Nutrition was filed in the Central District of California on Feb. 26, 2019. According to TruthAboutPetFood.com, the lawsuit was filed against Hill’s because “their negligent, reckless, and/or intentional practice of misrepresenting, failing to test for, and failing to fully disclose the presence of toxic levels of Vitamin D in their Contaminated Dog Foods and for selling Contaminated Dog Foods that are adulterated and do not conform to the labels, packaging, advertising, and statements throughout the United States.”
The lawsuit reportedly asks for financial relieve for the pet owners and for Hill’s Pet Nutrition to be required to test ingredients and its final products for safe levels of vitamin D and similar substances.
