| Vitamin A Nutrition in Domestic Cats Contributor(s): Freytag, Tammy (Author) |
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ISBN: 3838304977 ISBN-13: 9783838304977 Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing OUR PRICE: $60.53 Product Type: Paperback Published: May 2010 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Medical | Veterinary Medicine - General |
| Physical Information: 0.33" H x 6" W x 9" (0.47 lbs) 140 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Vitamin A is essential for all vertebrates. Birth defects may occur with either deficiency or excess vitamin A. High levels of vitamin A occur in some commercial cat foods due to the use of liver. Toxicity, teratogenicity, and metabolism of vitamin A were the focus of the research. The first objective was to define a safe upper level of vitamin A for cats during gestation. It was demonstrated that a high level of vitamin A added to the diets had potential to cause birth defects in the kittens, but not toxicity in the queen. The second study examined chronic vitamin A toxicity in female cats. It was found that cats in this study consumed far more vitamin A per kg body weight and had fewer signs of toxicity than reported cases in other species. A tracer was used to investigate whether cats given diets with high levels of vitamin A had the ability to safely metabolize excess vitamin A. Cats given a high vitamin A diet were able to efficiently remove it from plasma. Pet food manufacturers should find this information useful for formulating healthy cat foods for both gestating queens and adult cats. |