Vitamin B-12 is an important nutrient that is found naturally in some foods and added to others. It is also available as a dietary supplement. It is mainly found in fish, shellfish, meat, eggs, dairy products, and fortified foods. Vitamin B-12 helps make red blood cells and DNA, and it keeps your nervous system working properly.Most people with low vitamin B-12 levels either do not eat or drink animal products, or they have trouble absorbing vitamin B-12 from their stomach or small intestines. Vegetarians, vegans (strict vegetarians who do not eat any animal products), and the elderly are at higher risk for not getting enough vitamin B-12.The amount of vitamin B-12 your body needs depends on your age and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommends the following daily intake of vitamin B-12 in micrograms (mcg).If you are pregnant, the recommended daily intake of vitamin B-12 is 2.6 mcg. If you are breastfeeding, the recommended daily intake of vitamin B-12 is 2.8 mcg.
The following can make it hard for you to absorb vitamin B-12 from your stomach or small intestines:What happens if my vitamin B-12 level is low?A low level of vitamin B-12 in the body is referred to as a "vitamin B-12 deficiency." If your vitamin B-12 level is just a little low, you might not have any symptoms. However, a very low vitamin B-12 level can cause symptoms such as:If you have a very low vitamin B-12 level for a long time, it can damage your nervous system. This can cause symptoms such as numbness or tingling in your hands and feet. Damage to your nervous system that is caused by a low vitamin B-12 level can become permanent if you don't get treatment promptly.Some people who have low vitamin B-12 levels also have high levels of homocysteine (say: "hoe-moe-sis-teen"), an amino acid (a building block of protein) in the blood. If you have low vitamin B-12 and high homocysteine, you may have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.Your doctor will find out why you have a low vitamin B-12 level by asking questions about your health, giving you a physical exam, and checking your blood.
He or she may also need to do other tests.No. Over-the-counter multivitamins do not contain enough vitamin B-12 to raise a low level. Most people can prevent vitamin B-12 deficiency by eating foods that are rich in B-12. However, if you don't eat or drink animal products, or you have trouble absorbing vitamin B-12 from your stomach or small intestines, you may need to take special vitamin B-12 pills.Prescription vitamin B-12 shots can be used to treat vitamin B-12 deficiency. These shots are given every 1 to 2 days for about 2 weeks. After this, a shot is given once every month. Vitamin B-12 is also available as a prescription pill, nose spray, nasal gel, or an under the tongue medication. These may be options for patients who have used the shots to raise their vitamin B-12 level.Your doctor can tell you if a vitamin B-12 supplement or medication will affect any medical conditions you have. He or she also needs to know about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, or other dietary supplements you are taking.
Signing up for MypetMD is easy, free and puts the most relevant content at your fingertips. 1. Tell us your name.: 2. How do you like to be called?: 3. What's your email address?: 5. You have a:: By joining petMD, you agree to the Privacy Policy. Home » Dog Care Center Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) impairs an animal’s ability to digest and absorb the nutrients available in food. Because there are insufficient digestive enzymes created by the pancreas, food passes through the body basically undigested. The affected animal will begin to lose weight and have loose, foul-smelling diarrhea. Animals with EPI eat voraciously because they are not able to gain nourishment from the food they do ingest. Treatment for this condition focuses on the use of enzyme replacements in the food. Replacements are typically required for the remainder of the animal’s life. Other factors will play a role in this disease condition, and your veterinarian will need to monitor your pet long-term to see if additional supplements, such as vitamin B12, or medications are necessary to maintain control.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Deficiency Both dogs and cats with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) are at risk of developing a vitamin deficiency at some point. Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency is extremely common in cats with EPI, and is seen in more than half of dogs with the condition. Because the body can store up the vitamin under normal conditions, it may take some time before it reaches a critically low point. The reason an animal becomes deficient is that vitamin B12 is not absorbed from the food eaten by animals suffering from EPI. Dogs and cats with EPI may be additionally compromised by decreased production of a substance called intrinsic factor (IF) by the cells of the pancreas. This substance helps the body to absorb the vitamin into the bloodstream. Without sufficient IF, the animal will have even greater difficulty in getting enough vitamin B12. In the cat, the pancreas is the only site of intrinsic factor production. and when the pancreas is compromised, IF deficiency (and thus B12 deficiency) results.
Once a deficiency of B12 does occur, the animal will have difficulty gaining (or maintaining) weight, even when he or she may have been doing well on enzyme replacement therapy. The dog or cat will also become lethargic and confused. This is because vitamin B12 plays an important role in intestinal health, as well as brain function. Because of this, any animal that is not improving on enzyme replacement therapy should be checked for B12 deficiency to determine if supplementation is necessary. Your veterinarian will need to run blood tests to check your pet’s levels of B12 in the blood. Low levels of vitamin B12 are sometimes associated with another condition called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). This build-up of bacteria can lead to B12 deficiency in dogs as the organisms bind the vitamin and make it unavailable for absorption by the intestine. Treating Vitamin B12 Deficiency Those animals who are not properly treated for B12 deficiency will have a very poor prognosis and will not show improvement when only treated for EPI.