A healthy Shar-Pei is replete with magnesium.  Unfortunately, too many Shar-Pei are found to suffer from whole body depletion of this element.  Only about one percent of the body’s magnesium is free in the blood serum and low levels found here reflect serious deficiency.  Magnesium is one the body’s most important and most abundant minerals and is necessary for healthy life.  Why is hypomagnesemia common in Shar-Pei?

I believe this is because of their increased need for the mineral.  Magnesium is a limiting nutrient for hyaluronan synthesis (hyaluronan is the molecule over-expressed in Shar-Pei that creates their characteristic thickened and wrinkled skin).  Magnesium is also necessary to help stabilize hyaluronan in its healthy high molecular state in the pericellular matrix around and between cells where hyaluronan is protective and healing.  Magnesium is also required in over 300 biochemical pathways in the body and deficiency can lead to many problems including anxiety, tremors, bruxism, muscle cramps, difficulty swallowing, personality changes and seizures.  Magnesium therapy has been shown to help with asthma and allergies as well.  Magnesium bound to ATP creates the body’s biologically active unit of energy and also plays crucial roles in DNA and RNA synthesis and cell signaling processes.

Magnesium is central to chlorophyll, the molecule that makes leafy plants green and that creates energy from sunlight.  Chlorophyll is structurally similar to hemoglobin of blood (centered about iron instead of magnesium).  Dark green leafy vegetables are important as nutritional sources of magnesium.  Processed whole grains have had the magnesium rich portions removed and contribute to deficiency.

We recently upgraded the source of magnesium supplied in HyVitality to dimagnesium malate, a form of the mineral that is more slowly and readily absorbed and that is also found naturally in yogurt, nuts and fish.  We strive to continue to enhance the valuable ingredients in HyVitality while keeping an eye on expenses and we have improved the formula without passing on the cost increase to our loyal HyVitality customers.

A long soak in a tub full of warm water and Epsom Salts is a time-honored method of soothing stress and easing muscle soreness.  Epsom Salts is magnesium sulfate and the magnesium is absorbed through the skin, yielding the healing benefits of additional magnesium.  Do NOT use Espom Salts by mouth as it is a powerful laxative and will cause diarrhea if taken orally! 

Shar-Pei with advanced kidney disease should seek veterinary advice before considering supplementation.  Magnesium is excreted through the kidneys and failing kidneys may be unable to properly excrete the mineral leading to the opposite problem of hypermagnesemia.  Your veterinarian can measure serum magnesium levels with a simple blood test.

Too much oral magnesium given at once may cause loose stools.  We recommend dividing the total daily dosage of HyVitality to provide more steady absorption throughout the day.

Is your Shar-Pei getting enough magnesium?

HyVitality for Healthy Shar-Pei!