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Thiamine (B1) in dog and cat diets

A short guide to the role of Thiamine (B1) in dog and cat nutrition.

It belongs to the group of water-soluble vitamins, which means that the body of dogs and cats cannot store it (the reserves are exhausted within a few days). [1]. It is not synthesized in the body, so its regular intake is important to prevent deficiencies. It plays a key role in the energy metabolism of carbohydrates, the production of nucleotides and the proper functioning of nervous tissue and the brain. Cats have approximately 2–2.5 times higher demand for it than dogs [2][3].

What it contains: Brewer’s yeast, pork meat (loin), hearts, liver, egg yolks, sunflower seeds, peas, nuts, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal. Fish containing thiaminase, an enzyme that destroys vitamin B1 in food and the stomach (e.g. carp, herring, mackerel) should be cooked before serving. Thiaminase-free fish (salmon, trout, cod, halibut) can be served raw.

Deficiency: Often results from feeding raw fish containing thiaminase [2]. Thiamine is also sensitive to high temperature - cooking meat destroys up to 70% of its content, oxygen and neutral and alkaline pH [3][4]. Symptoms include: salivation, anorexia or hyporexia, weight loss, and vomiting. In the critical phase, symptoms of the nervous system appear, such as unsteady gait, convulsions, ataxia or nystagmus, and in cats, characteristic head tilting towards the back (“stargazing” position) and shortness of breath. The incidence of deficiency is unknown. If left untreated, it may result in death [3].

Excess: It is continuously filtered by the kidneys and excreted in the urine. In a diet consisting of natural products, an overdose of [1] is impossible. Currently, there is no known safe upper limit (SUL) for [3] supplementation.

Sources

  1. National Research Council (2006). Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, ch. 6. National Academies Press. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10668/nutrient-requirements-of-dogs-and-cats
  2. Markovich JE, Heinze CR, Freeman LM (2013). Thiamine deficiency in dogs and cats. JAVMA 243(5):649–656. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.243.5.649
  3. Kritikos G, Parr JM, Verbrugghe A (2017). The Role of Thiamine and Effects of Deficiency in Dogs and Cats. Veterinary Sciences 4(4):59. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci4040059
  4. Voigt MN, Eitenmiller RR (1991). Cooking losses of thiamin in food and its nutritional significance. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2081984/