EPO Canine

Hi Chris,

After having a really good look at the benefits of all the claimed active ingredients I am of the same opinion as Joe that this product is likely to have very limited benefits for greyhounds on a healthy diet, and any claims of it having a similar effect as EPO must be taken with a grain of salt.

Product active ingredients.

Vitamin C - 125 mg
Vitamin B-3 - 2.5 mg
Vitamin B-6 - 3.1 mg
Folic Acid - 100 mcg
Vitamin B-12 - 75 mcg
Iron 1 mg

All of these are standard supplements needed to increase red blood cell production.

EPO Blood building complex (patent pending) - total 353 mg

Echnacea Purpurea Extract - This was popularly believed to boost the immune system, however a double blind scientific study has found this substance to have no clinically significant effects.

Yellow Dock Extract - This plant extract is reputed to be beneficial in detoxifying the blood and liver. However the only proven use is as a treatment for chronic constipation.

Dandelion Extract - While this plant has been used for generations to treat various diseases, it’s main use is as an diuretic. While research shows that it does assist in reducing fluid retention, it unfortunately causes a corresponding reduction in the body’s metabolic rate. Because greyhounds do tend to suffer from dehydration the use of a diuretic is certainly not a good idea, nor is slowing down the metabolic rate.

Choline Bitartrate - This is an essential nutrient, and is required for memory function and muscle control. Dietary sources are fatty meat and also eggs.

Inositol - This substance is a carbohydrate commonly found in various foods as widely separate as oranges to bran. It is not considered an essential nutrient as it is produced by the digestive system from glucose.

PABA - Was once widely used in sunscreen lotions to reduce UV skin damage. However in 1980 studies suggested that PABA could in fact increase cellular damage, and as it also caused skin allergies in susceptible individuals it has largely been discontinued as a sun screen agent.
As a nutritional supplement a number of beneficial claims have been made without any scientific proof to back up these claims.

Common food sources include liver, brewers yeast, kidney, molasses, mushrooms, and whole grains.

Lutein - Common food sources include green leafy vegetables, also found in egg yolk and animal fats.
Supplementation would only be of benefit if the greyhound was on an extremely poor diet.

Lycopene - This is the red pigment found in red fruits such as tomato’s, and in vegetables such as carrots and red peppers.
As it is considered a powerful anti-oxidant supplementation can be of benefit.

Boron - This is considered an ultra trace element that is essential to healthy plant life. Its role in animal health is not clearly understood but is considered of benefit as a trace element.

Nickel - While nickel is a toxic element, it plays an important role in the biology of micro-organisms and plants. Its role in animal health is not clearly understood but is considered of benefit as a trace element.

Vanadium - This metal is considered an ultra trace element that is known to be required in minute quantities to maintain growth and fertility.
It is considered a controversial dietary supplement often taken by body builders to increase sensitivity to insulin.

Lipoic Acid - This substance is found in almost all foods, however it is not always biologically readily available, and therefore supplementation has some possible benefits.

As I have said earlier none of the above ingredients have any special role in boosting red blood cell production, and only a few are of any benefit to a greyhounds general health, and in most instances are all found in the basic diet fed to most racing greyhounds.

Cheers,
Tom