Thiamine Deficiency

[Calicocious]

As an FYI to those feeding raw even a commercially prepared raw diet. Thiamine deficiency or vitamin B1 deficiency is something to keep in mind. My sphynx Samara just went through this. I was surprised by the symptoms so I thought I'd share. She started with a lack of appetite that I thought was being a picky eater. So I switched between different brands and proteins trying to tempt her to eat more. She started to lose weight and had coordination issues. When I took her into the vet all signs pointed to neurological issues. The next stage of thiamine deficiency presents as neurological symptoms such as general weakness, ataxia, falling down. Once I switched her to a dry diet, which she was able to absorb the B1 from more easily, she bounced back quickly. She will need B1 supplements the rest of her life as her body has a hard time absorbing the amount that is present in her food. Thiamine levels can be checked by a blood test but not all vet's labs do the test. I have a second sphynx Phiona, a sister from the same litter, that was on the same raw diet with no issue so it wasn't the fault of the food. This was a rare issue that was unique to Samara but I wanted to share the signs in case any else ever had issues like this.

 

[admin]

As an FYI to those feeding raw even a commercially prepared raw diet. Thiamine deficiency or vitamin B1 deficiency is something to keep in mind. My sphynx Samara just went through this. I was surprised by the symptoms so I thought I'd share. She started with a lack of appetite that I thought was being a picky eater. So I switched between different brands and proteins trying to tempt her to eat more. She started to lose weight and had coordination issues. When I took her into the vet all signs pointed to neurological issues. The next stage of thiamine deficiency presents as neurological symptoms such as general weakness, ataxia, falling down. Once I switched her to a dry diet, which she was able to absorb the B1 from more easily, she bounced back quickly. She will need B1 supplements the rest of her life as her body has a hard time absorbing the amount that is present in her food. Thiamine levels can be checked by a blood test but not all vet's labs do the test. I have a second sphynx Phiona, a sister from the same litter, that was on the same raw diet with no issue so it wasn't the fault of the food. This was a rare issue that was unique to Samara but I wanted to share the signs in case any else ever had issues like this.

Thanks for the info - glad it was not life threatening.

 

[Calicocious]

Thanks for the info - glad it was not life threatening.

Thanks admin I'm glad it didn't make it to that point too but if the deficiency goes unchecked it is fatal.

 

[nfaerie]

Thanks admin I'm glad it didn't make it to that point too but if the deficiency goes unchecked it is fatal.

And if it is not fatal it can lead to things like blindness! Sorry your baby had that on raw

 

[MisterPinkk]

I feed Primal now, what can I add to her diet that could maybe supplement for any potential b1 deficiency in the raw? She gets turkey necks and pumpkin puree as well.

 

[Calicocious]

You can check with your vet, most have a multi vitamin that is in liquid form and easy to add to raw. Samara was a special case too. Her body just doesn't absorb it like it should. Raw diets tend to show this deficiency more easily than others. My other sphynx Phiona is still on the Primal with no issues. But I add the multi vitamins to hers too. Doesn't hurt to have a little extra.