Thiamine (=vitamin B1) is required by all cells in the body for energy production. Nerve cells have particularly high energy requirements and depend on an adequate supply of thiamine. A deficiency leads to functional disorders that result in degenerative changes in the brain. Cats are primarily affected. Thiamine-deficient encephalopathy is less common in dogs.
A deficiency can result from a diet with too little thiamine or from feed ingredients that break down the vitamin. This occurs, for example, with a diet consisting of:
If your cat generally eats too little, a thiamine deficiency can also develop. This is the case, for example, when older or sick cats have a poor appetite. Some intestinal diseases damage the lining of the small intestine and thus prevent the absorption of nutrients, which can also lead to a thiamine deficiency.
The first signs appear after two to four weeks of inadequate nutrition. Affected cats become lethargic, show a decreased appetite, and salivate more heavily. The symptoms progressively worsen. Gait and balance disturbances, uncontrolled pupil movements, epileptic seizures, and muscle weakness then become apparent. The latter causes a distinctive posture in which the head is bent toward the chest. Later, thiamine deficiency leads to tachycardia, cardiac arrhythmias, and severe nerve damage. The affected cat may eventually fall into a coma and die from the consequences of thiamine deficiency.
After taking a detailed medical history, your veterinarian will perform a general and neurological examination. A blood test performed in the lab can measure thiamine levels and other blood parameters to confirm the suspected diagnosis. If your veterinarian suspects a thiamine deficiency, they can administer thiamine to your cat and monitor whether the symptoms improve. This diagnostic treatment allows a thiamine deficiency to be identified before the lab results are available, while also providing your cat with prompt relief.
An MRI (see related article) of the head can reveal the changes characteristic of a thiamine deficiency in specific areas of the brain.
Treatment consists of administering thiamine. For severely ill cats, your veterinarian will give intramuscular injections (i.e., into the muscle) two to three times a day until the symptoms subside. Your cat should generally be symptom-free after a few days. After that, you should continue to give your cat thiamine—in powder, tablet, or liquid form—mixed into its food for another three weeks.
In dogs, thiamine is also administered for several days until the symptoms subside, but via subcutaneous injection (= under the skin). This usually completes the treatment.
If the thiamine deficiency is the result of an underlying condition that causes a loss of appetite or reduced absorption of thiamine in the intestines, the underlying condition must be treated. In severe cases of loss of appetite, intravenous fluids and tube feeding are necessary.
The prognosis is good with early treatment. However, if a thiamine deficiency is not corrected over an extended period, the prognosis worsens significantly. If severe nerve damage and cardiac arrhythmias are already present, death may occur.
You can prevent a thiamine deficiency by feeding your pet a species-appropriate diet with a sufficiently high thiamine content. Make sure your pet eats enough. Store canned food in a cool place and don’t keep it for too long. When buying canned food, make sure it doesn’t contain sulfites as a preservative. Your cat should only be given raw fish offal on rare occasions. However, some types of fish are free of thiaminase even when raw, such as perch, catfish, and butterfish.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace veterinary advice. Please contact your veterinary practice directly.
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