Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Low vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is rare in UK cats
By Ibarrola, Patricia et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2005·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hypocobalaminaemia is uncommon in cats in the United Kingdom.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency is rare in cats in the UK, even among those with gastrointestinal (GI) issues. Researchers tested 132 sick cats and found none had low cobalamin levels, while only one out of 682 samples from a commercial lab showed a deficiency. This suggests that cobalamin deficiency might not be as common in UK cats as it is in the USA. If your cat is showing signs of illness, it’s still important to discuss their nutritional needs with your vet, but cobalamin deficiency may not be a concern.
People also search for: cat vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms · why is my cat losing weight · cat gastrointestinal disease treatment
Abstract
Recent work has highlighted the importance of cobalamin deficiency in cats with a range of alimentary tract diseases. The primary aim of our study was to determine the incidence of subnormal cobalamin concentrations in sick cats with and without alimentary system disorders. Firstly, serum cobalamin concentrations were measured in a population of cats, with and without gastrointestinal (GI) disease, evaluated at a referral hospital. In the second part of the study, the incidence of cobalamin deficiency was assessed in samples submitted to a commercial laboratory specifically for cobalamin measurement. For both studies, a validated radioimmunoassay was used to measure serum cobalamin concentrations (reference range: > 150 pg/ml). In the first part of the study, 132 cats were included and none of these cats had subnormal cobalamin concentrations (median=1,172; range: 278 to >2,000). There were no differences in cobalamin concentrations between cats with alimentary system disorders, and those with diseases of other organs. In the second part, 682 samples were submitted for cobalamin assay over a period of 3 years, and only one cat had a result below the reference range (median=794; range: 147 to >2,000). Cobalamin deficiency was rare in the population tested and this may suggest that the incidence of this biochemical abnormality is less common than reported in the USA.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16011903/