Essential Vitamins for Cats: Types, Functions, Excess and Deficiency Symptoms

Cats are carnivores, and their bodies need to obtain essential nutrients from meat, including vitamins. Vitamins are vital for the health of cats, as they are involved in many important bodily functions, such as growth, development, immunity, and energy metabolism.

According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), this is the nutritional intake standard for vitamins in cats, based on the latest data released in 2016. The "minimum nutrient requirement" upper part is the content and content in 1 kg of dry weight of cat food. Each row shows the content in 100 kcal of cat food. Assuming that the calories (caloric value) per gram of food is 4 kcal. Please note that do not confuse with "mg" because the units include "µg" and "IU". "1mg = 1000 µg" and "IU = International Units". The numbers in parentheses are for cats that are growing, pregnant or lactating.

Vitamin A

Function: Production of rhodopsin/rhodopsin, epithelial cell differentiation, sperm formation, immune function, bone absorption

Minimum nutritional requirements to upper limit: 3,332 (6,668) IU to 333,300 IU, 83.3 (166.7) IU to 8,332 IU

Excess: Cervical spondylosis, tooth loss, slow growth, loss of appetite, erythema, long fractures

Deficiency: Anorexia, poor growth, hair alteration, weakness, keratosis, increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure, poor sperm formation

Vitamin D

Function: Maintain calcium and phosphorus homeostasis, bone formation, bone absorption, insulin synthesis, immune function

Minimum nutritional requirements to upper limit: 280 (280) IU ~ 30,080 (30,080) IU, 7 (7) IU ~ 752 (752) IU

Excess: Hypercalcemia, calcification, loss of appetite, gait disturbance

Deficiency: Rickets, osteoporosis, hypertrophy of the costochondral junction

Vitamin E

Function: Antioxidant effect, scavenging free radicals

Minimum nutritional requirements: 40 (40) IU, 1 (1) IU

Excess: Increased clotting time

Deficiency: Infertility, skin diseases, decreased immunity, loss of appetite, myopathy

Vitamin K

Function: Carbonation of blood clotting factors, synergistically acting with bone protein osteocalcin

Minimum nutritional requirements: 0.1 (0.1) mg, 2.5 (2.5) µg

Excess: Nothing special

Deficiency: Increased clotting time, decreased prothrombin, bleeding

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Function: Components of thiamine pyrophosphate, coenzymes for decarboxylase reactions in the TCA cycle

Minimum nutritional requirements: 5.6 (5.6) mg, 140 (140) µg

Excess: Decreased blood pressure, bradycardia, respiratory arrhythmias

Deficiency: Anorexia, motor dysfunction, weight loss, polyneuritis, ventricular abnormalities, mild paralysis, cardiac hypertrophy, bradycardia

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Function: Coenzymes, electron transport in oxidases and dehydrogenases

Minimum nutritional requirements: 4 (4) mg, 100 (100) µg

Excess: Nothing special

Deficiency: Poor growth, motor dysfunction, skin disease, purulent eyeball, vomiting, conjunctivitis, coma, corneal neovascularization, bradycardia, fatty liver

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Function: Donation and acceptance of hydrogen in coenzymes and energy production

Minimum nutritional requirements: 60 (60) mg, 1.5 (1.5) mg

Excess: Melena, attraction

Deficiency: Anorexia, diarrhea, poor growth, ulcers, necrosis of the tongue, red tongue, tongue ulcers, stomatitis, drooling

Vitamin B6

Function: Synthesis of neuroinflammatory substances, synthesis of niacin from tryptophan, synthesis of taurine hemoglobin carnitine

Minimum nutritional requirements: 4 (4) mg, 100 (100) µg

Excess: Loss of appetite, movement disorders

Deficiency: Anorexia, poor growth, weight loss, microcytic hypochromic anemia, convulsions, renal tubular atrophy, formation of calcium oxalate crystals

Vitamin 12 (Cobalamin)

Function: Coenzyme in leucine synthesis and degradation, propionic acid metabolism

Minimum nutritional requirements: 20 (20) µg, 0.5 (0.5) µg

Excess: Abnormal behavior

Deficiency: Growth arrest, methylmalonic aciduria, anemia

Vitamin C

Function: Cofactor for hydroxylase reactions, collagen and carnitine synthesis, promotes iron absorption, scavenges free radicals, antioxidant effect

Minimum nutritional requirements: Dogs and cats can synthesize in the body

Excess: Nothing special

Deficiency: Nothing special

Pantothenic Acid

Function: Coenzyme precursor, metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates and proteins in TCA fever rise, cholesterol synthesis, triglyceride synthesis

Minimum nutritional requirements: 5.75 (5.75) mg, 144 (144) µg

Excess: Nothing special

Deficiency: Weight loss, fatty liver, poor growth, decreased serum cholesterol and lipids, coma

Biotin

Function: Components of carboxylases

Minimum nutritional requirements: 70 (70) µg, 1.8 (1.8) µg

Excess: Nothing special

Deficiency: Excessive urine, hair loss, thirst, nose, mouth, excessive salivation, loss of appetite, hematochezia, diarrhea

Choline

Function: Components of phosphatidylcholine and neurotransmitter acetylcholine, present in membranes

Minimum nutritional requirements: 2,400 (2,400) mg, 60 (60) mg

Excess: Nothing special

Deficiency: Fatty liver, prolonged prothrombin time, thymic atrophy, growth retardation, loss of appetite, hepatic lobular infiltration

Taurine

Function: Binding to bile acids, promoting digestion and producing neurotransmitters

Minimum nutritional requirements: Dry 0.1% / Wet 0.2%, Dry 25 mg / Wet 50 mg

Excess: Nothing special

Deficiency: Progressive retinal atrophy, cardiomyopathy, impaired fertility and growth

Summary of experience:

Vitamins are essential elements for maintaining the health and life of cats. Ensure that cat food contains all the vitamins your cat needs and avoid oversupplementation of vitamins to avoid side effects. If your cat shows signs of vitamin deficiency, consult your veterinarian promptly and supplement according to your veterinarian's recommendations.

This article is original, please keep the link when forwarding:https://www.5zo.net/showinfo-3-87866-0.html