Niacinamide for Use in Canines

Veterinarians use niacinamide as a standard treatment for a variety of canine diseases. As one of the B-complex vitamins, niacinamide suppresses the inflammatory process, according to the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), and often is used as a first-line approach for autoimmune skin and nail diseases in dogs. For such cases, treatment with niacinamide usually includes concurrent administration of the antibiotic tetracycline.

  1. Niacinamide and Tetracycline

    • While niacinamide is known to help suppress inflammation in dogs through one biological pathway, the antibiotic tetracycline can suppress inflammation through another route, according to VIN. Using the two medications together provides a complementary approach to autoimmune diseases--conditions in which the immune system reacts aggressively to healthy tissue--that otherwise might first be treated with steroids to interrupt the inflammatory process. In some difficult cases, veterinarians also will add a steroid to the combination of niacinamide and tetracycline to bring a condition under control.

    Applications

    • The canine diseases that respond best to niacinamide and tetracycline involve the skin and nails. In these disorders, the immune system of the dog attacks healthy tissue as if it were a foreign element that needs to be destroyed. The reasons for this immune-system dysfunction usually are unknown, according to the Canis Major ̶0;Dog Owner̵7;s Guide." When healthy dog tissue comes under attack, skin rashes and nail disintegration can develop. Niacinamide and tetracycline together help the immune system stop this inflammation process.

    Dosing

    • The dosages of niacinamide and tetracycline together depend on the disease being treated. For skin diseases such as discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), which causes crusty lesions on the nose and lips, vets recommend 250 mg each of niacinamide and tetracycline a day for small dogs and 500 mg each for larger dogs, according to the website VetInfo.com. Another group of skin diseases, collectively referred to as pemphigus complex, also can be treated with similar doses of niacinamide and tetracycline but usually only after steroids have proven ineffective, according to VetInfo.com.

    Side Effects

    • Niacinamide generally causes few side effects in dogs, although when it does, those effects can include lethargy and anorexia, according to the website Veterinary Medicine. In some dogs mild gastrointestinal upset--particularly vomiting--also has been seen with the use of niacinamide.

    Scientific Evidence

    • Evidence for the effectiveness and safety of niacinamide in canines comes from several scientific studies. A 1992 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that the use of niacinamide and tetracycline combined for DLE in particular produced excellent results with no serious side effects. Other studies have found that the use of niacinamide and tetracycline in dogs does not interfere with the long-term protective effects of canine vaccinations.