My dog vomited at 3 a.m. almost every day during the summer of 2022. You can tell the sound of a dog. It was difficult to diagnose the cause because she gobbled up her mess before I got to it.
I tried to keep Scout away from them, but it didn't work. A hyper yellow Lab puppy is concerned when he starts to seem tired.
Scout vomited up a hair ball. The hairball was wrapped around a brillo pad that was too large to move through the dog's stomach. The vomiting stopped once the object was removed. Scout had a different reason for needing treatment, which was that the object had slowed down her absorption of vitamins. Proper functioning of blood cells, nerves, and many other critical processes in the body is done with the help of B12
I teach nutrition and food science to college students, but I missed the B12 deficiency that my puppy was suffering from. Even though B12 deficiency is a common health problem, doctors can be blind to it in people.
B12 is only found in food from animals. One ten-millionth of an ounce is how much B12 humans need a day. Overall health and quality of life are affected if B12 isn't present.
One of the main symptoms of B12 deficiency is fatigue, which affects daily life activities.
Depression, confusion, memory loss, and difficulty maintaining balance are some of the symptoms. If the vitamins are not addressed, some of these can be permanent.
Health care providers may overlook the possibility of a B12 deficiency if they don't screen for it. A healthy diet seems to rule out a deficiency of vitamins. I didn't consider a B12 deficiency as the cause of her problems because I knew Scout's diet was sound.
People who eat a plant-based diet need to take B12 supplements in the correct amounts. Hundreds of millions of Americans who consume B12 may be at risk because of certain conditions.
B12 absorption begins in the mouth and ends at the end of the small gut. Our saliva mixes with our food when we chew. The substance in saliva that protects B12 from being destroyed by stomach acid goes to the stomach with the food.
Two substances that are important to B12 absorption are produced by specific cells in the stomach Lining. The stomach acid splits food and B12 apart, allowing the vitamins to bind to saliva. The stomach's contents are mixed with the intrinsic factor in order to travel into the first part of the small intestine. Pancreatic juices release B12 from R-protein and give it to intrinsic factor. B12 can be absorbed into cells and used to form red blood cells.
A B12 deficiency usually involves a breakdown at at least one of these points.
The body can't absorb B12 without saliva, and it won't bind to the saliva's R-protein. There are a lot of drugs that can cause dry mouth. Opioids, inhalers, decongestants, antidepressants, blood pressure drugs, and Valium are used to treat anxiety.
Each year, 100 million prescriptions are written in the US.
Low levels of stomach acid could be a contributing factor to B12 deficiency. Anti-ulcer drugs reduce stomach acids. The use of these drugs may be linked to B12 deficiency, but that doesn't mean the need for the medication isn't important.
The production of stomach acid can decline with age. There are more than 60 million people over the age of 60 in the U.S. Acid-reducing drugs may increase the risk of B12 deficiency in this population.
B12 absorption is dependent on the production of gastric acid and intrinsic factor in the stomach. The stomach lining can be damaged.
In humans, stomach lining problems can be caused by chronic inflammation, gastric surgery, and other conditions.
A common cause of B12 deficiency is insufficiency of the pancreas function. A third of patients with poor pancreas function have a deficiency.
Metformin, a drug used by 92 million Americans to treat type 2 diabetes, has been linked to B12 deficiency for decades.
A typical well-check exam includes only a complete blood count and a metabolic panel, neither of which can be used to measure B12 status. You should see a doctor if you have symptoms of a B12 deficiency, as well as one of the risk factors. There is a need for a lab workup and discussion with a physician to rule out the possibility of inadequate B12 levels.
A complete blood count and a B12 test were run on my dog Scout because of her symptoms. These are places for humans to start. After a few months of taking oral B12 supplements, Scout's symptoms were gone.
The type of treatment and length of recovery depends on the severity of the B12 deficiency. It can take up to a year for a full recovery.
Treatment for B12 deficiency can be done through the nose or under the tongue. It is best to work with a health care provider to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment if you take a B12 supplement.
The Conversation is a news site that shares ideas from academic experts. Diane Cress is a faculty member at Wayne State University. Do you like this article?
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