Actually you can give more. I'll have to look it up but I've read that 1500 mg a day is the minimum goal to help with hip issues. Our Golden puppies got 1500 mg per day from 4 mos, until about 5-6 mos ...then got 2000 mg per day until about 2 yrs of age.
I believe the amount for pups that are growing, should be at around 2000 mg per day if they can tolerate it (ours always have but you have to start upping the amount over time).
With an "older" pup...older than 4 mos, start out giving 500 mg, then up it to 1000 mg after a few days, then wait a few more days then up again to 1500 mg...then again to 2,000. If the dog gets loose stools/diarrhea before you hit the 2000 mg, back it down to the prior level and stay there. That's the dog's tolerance level and is all the body can use..
Unneeded Vit C is eliminated from the body ... is not stored, so giving that amount won't hurt.
Younger pups should be supplemented (even before weaning) but the amount is gradually increased as they grow/age.
This is a really interesting article by Larry Mueller re: Hip Dysplasia and Vit C. It's been circulating around for years, and can be found all over the net. The article was written by Larry Mueller, Hunting Dog Editor, Outdoor Life 1996.
Here it is on the Working Dogs site (which has print that you can actually SEE) but it's on many other sites as well:
http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0039.htm
It explains how much to give the dogs, from birth until about 18-24 mos, while their joints are forming.
We've always given Ester C to our pups. Not a single one of our Goldens in 15 years has had HD. We've been very fortunate.
