Cats are dependent on supplies of fully formed Vitamin A because they are not able to synthesize Vitamin A from the provitamin, beta carotene.

1. TOPIC :
DEFICIENCY DISEASES IN FELINE AND
ITS TREATMENT REGIMEN
SUBMITTED BY :
CHANDRANI GOSWAMI

3.  Requirement 1600 to 2000 IU/day
 Cats are dependent on supplies of fully
formed Vitamin A because they are not able
to synthesize Vitamin A from the provitamin,
beta carotene.
 Demonstration of squamous metaplasia of
the parotid duct and respiratory tract
confirms the existence of Vitamin A
deficiency

4. CLINICALLY AND PATHOLOGICALLY,,
 Loss of appetite
 Weight loss
 Poor body coat
 Follicular hyperkeratosis
 Conjunctivitis with red discharge
 Corneal perforation leading to enucleation
 Photophobia
 Reproductive ability affected

5.  Daily requirement can be meant by
supplementing the diet with fish oils or
synthetic Vitamin A.
 The supplement can be given orally or on
food once or twice a week.
 Overdosing is disastrous and can result
skeletal demineralization.
 If Vitamin A deficiency is suspected during
pregnancy, a single large dose of 125,000 IU
may be given perenterally

6.  Requirement 0.4mg /day
 Water soluble vitamin easily destroyed by
heat, SO2 , thaiminase.
 Clinically , anorexia, vomiting, loss of
weight, dehydration is seen.
 Classic syndrome of Polyneuritis, Beri
beri in cats.
 Diagnosis can be made by injecting a
dose of Thiamine being relief of
symptoms in about 12 hours.

7.  Requirement 0.2 mg Riboflavin /day
especially on fat diets.
 This deficiency has been observed as a single
entity only in kittens fed with purified diets.
 Signs include anorexia, loss of weight, loss
of hair about the head, and occasional
cataracts.
 Diagnosis is assisted by injecting riboflavin,
as prompt recovery will follow if deficiency
exists.

8.  Requirement 0.2 to 0.3 mg/day
 This deficiency is of clinical importance
 This vitamin may be destroyed during heat
sterilization of dry or canned cat foods.

9.  Requirement is between 2.6 to 4.0 mg/day
 Cats, unlike rats cannot synthesize niacin
from amino acids and tryptophan.
 This deficiency doesn’t exist in ordinary
clinical conditions but is produced in lab
under extreme dietary conditions.
 Signs include diarrhea , loss of weight and
death of kitten in 3 weeks.

10.  Feline pellagra, however there is ulcerative
lesions in the mouth, thick saliva,
malodorous breathe and fever.
 Clinical syndrome is coupled with deficiency
of Thiamine and Riboflavin and due to
superimposed oral and respiratory infections
in lab.
 For treatment Raw meat provides the most
satisfactory dietetic treatment of multiple B
avitaminosis.
 1 or 2 parenteral injections of B vitamins
should be given 1st to stimulate appetite.

11.  PANTOTHENIC ACID
 This deficiency is produced experimentally and
not known to occur clinically
 Leads to production of fatty livers when imposed
experimentally
 Requirement 0.25 mg/day
 Deficiency of FOIC ACID, COBALAMIN, BIOTIN
OR ASCORBIC ACID(VITAMIN C) do not occur in
normal circumstances.
 If traces of cobalt are present in the diet,
cobalamin and folic acid are synthesized by the
intestinal flora.

12.  Requirement 50 to 100 IU / day
 Unlike puppies, kittens seldom have rickets,
ragged epiphyseal cartilages and rachitic
enlargements at the costochondral junctions.
 Kittens born during winter, young kittens
whose mother has been fed on meat alone,
kittens kept in dark or given a diet high in
Calcium and low in Phosphorous are all prone
to rickets.

13.  Requirement 4mg/day
 Deficiency can result from eating red tuna
fish or excessive amount of cod liver oil
which has been exposed to light.
 Clinically, affected kittens are anorectic,
having difficulty in moving, tend to sit
quietly in a place.
 At necropsy, the fats of the affected cats is
very firm and yellow brown (steatitis or
yellow fat disease)

14.  Studies indicates feline requires very little
of this vitamin in their food and clinically
deficiency has not been described.
 They are probably able to fulfill their
requirements through the synthesizing
activity of the intestinal flora.

15.  CHOLINE deficiency results in the production
of fatty livers. 100mg/day is the
requirement.
 INOSITOL deficiency also leads to fatty livers.
Requirement is 10mg/day.
 Quite small amount of FATTY ACIDS are
required; 1% LINOLENIC ACID in the fat of the
diet is certainly sufficient.

17.  Requirements
 SODIUM 20 to 30 mg/day
 POTASSIUM 80 to 200 mg/day
 MAGNESIUM 8 to 10 mg/day
 The removal of excess dietary Na and K salts is
regulated through the kidney.
 In Urolithiasis, an increase in the volume and
dilution of urine can be achieved by raising the
intake of salts, particularly of sodium chloride
and potassium citrate. 1% NaCl in the diet acts
to prevent urolithiasis.
 In Nephritis, in order to reduce work of
kidney, low salt, low protein diets are given.

18.  AFFECTION AND MANAGEMENT
 In excessive loss of sodium salts, results in
prostation and death.
 In young kittens, the central hormonal
regulating mechanism for conserving water and
salts is not developed and death from
dehydration is likely to occur.
 This can be well managed by administering
sterile glucose saline solution according to body
weight s/cly or i/vly .

19.  Requirement is 200 to 400mg/day depending
upon the phosphorous content of the diet. The
Ca: P ratio in diet should be between 0.9 : 1.1
 Ca deficiency is commonly encountered but P
deficiency is not seen clinically.
 Is sometimes considered to occur genetically
rather than environmental origin. Siamese breed
are prone to this deficiency than other breeds.
 Also depends on thyroid and parathyroid
functions. Vitamin A, D And C, adequate supply
of amino acids should also be available for
normal formation of bone.

20. CLINICALLY AND PATHOLOGICALLY,
 There is fractures of vertebral column.
Lordosis in lumbar area common,
deformation of scapula.
 pelvic deformity occurs which has serious
consequence of intractable constipation. This
is the most difficult sequel of Ca deficiency.
Female cats may have difficulty during birth
of kittens, such animals should be neutered.
 Chronic constipation leads to loss of
appetite, dehydration. Affected kitten are
moribund.

21.  Young kittens with gross deformities are difficult
to rehabilitate
 Older less sick ones respond dramatically to
increases supplies of calcium by months.
 Calcium carbonate (1 to 2g/day), Calcium
Borogluconate (5g/day), Calcium Phosphate (2 to
5 g/day) should be added to diet for 2 to 3
weeks.
 Cow’s milk, bones of small animals, birds and
fish, bone salts and bone meal as 5 to 10% of
diet meet the Ca need.
 During lactation, queen can loss upto1/4 of her
Ca so should be supplied upto 600mg/day.

22.  Requirements
 IRON 5mg/day
 COPPER 0.2mg/day
 Unlike humans, rats and dogs, cats utilizes
both iron and copper in meals and don’t
suffer from iron deficiency.
 Anemia can occur in cats if fed with milk diet
with cereals low in iron.

23.  Deficient cats remain stunted and have
sparse, short coat, thickened skin and
broading of the head due to edema.they
move slowly and are affectionate and gentle.
Many have no sexual activity but females
may conceive and carry the foetuses to term
or beyond. Parturation is slow and difficult
and kittens have congenital deformities such
as open eyes and cleft palate.

24.  Little is known about effects of MANGANESE,
ZINC and COBALT deficiency in cats, although
it is assumed these minerals are essential in
trace amounts.