Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Thiamine deficiency outbreak in cats from bad dry food
By Chang, Ya-Pei et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2017·1 Graduate Institute of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Outbreak of thiamine deficiency in cats associated with the feeding of defective dry food.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats developed serious neurological problems after eating a defective dry food that lacked enough thiamine (a vitamin essential for their health). Symptoms included loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, and severe issues like seizures and blindness. After being diagnosed, most of the cats responded well to treatment with thiamine supplements and showed significant improvement within two weeks, with many returning to normal by two months. However, one cat took longer to recover, needing about six months. This situation highlights the importance of monitoring pet food quality to prevent vitamin deficiencies.
People also search for: cat seizures treatment · thiamine deficiency in cats · cat vomiting and lethargy · dry food causing cat illness · cat neurological problems after eating
Abstract
Objectives The objective of this study was to determine disease progression, association between neurological signs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and long-term outcome in feline thiamine deficiency associated with defective dry food. Methods The clinical records of 17 cats diagnosed with thiamine deficiency related to a defective dry food were examined and data collected. The thiamine level in the food was analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results The thiamine level in the food was below the recommendation of the National Research Council. Fifteen cats were fed the food exclusively. Prior to the acute development of neurological signs, most cats displayed non-specific signs such as anorexia, lethargy or vomiting. Vestibular signs of varying severity were observed in 94% of the cats, and all but one of these presented with bilateral dysfunction. Other main neurological signs included altered mentation (76%), blindness (59%) and seizures (59%). Moreover, 80% of the cats with seizures presented with cluster seizures or status epilepticus. MRI abnormalities consistent with findings reported in the previous literature were detected in five cases. MRI was unremarkable in one cat with ongoing severe neurological signs even though thiamine had been administered. Most surviving cats recovered rapidly within 2 weeks of treatment and had either returned to normal or had minimal neurological signs at the 2 month follow-up. One cat recovered slowly over 6 months. Most cats with seizures in the initial stage of the disease remained seizure free at the 24 month follow-up. Conclusions and relevance This study documented the association between feline thiamine deficiency and defective dry food. MRI examination provided valuable information in the diagnosis. However, normal MRI findings do not exclude the diagnosis of feline thiamine deficiency, especially once thiamine has been supplemented. MRI findings also may not always reflect the neurological status or severity. If treated promptly, most cats will recover rapidly with a good outcome. Occasionally, recovery may be slow and take several months.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26783020/