Nutritional deficiencies

• Sign treatment of obesity

  Overweight

  Sweating

  Lack of energy

  Treatment- Restrict diet, reducing fat content
• Signs and treatment of diabetes 


  Weight loss

  Change in appetite

  Lethargy

  Dehydration

  Treatment- Injections of insulin to allow glucose to be absorbed
• Signs and treatment of constipation

  Difficulty passing faeces

  Bloated

  Hard abdomen

  Treatment- Stool softener, increase content of fibre in diet, enema to flush large intestine
• Signs and treatment of calcium deficiency

  Weakness

  Bone deformity

  Treatment - Add calcium supplement into diet

  Sunlight/ UV increase to encourage vitamin D production
• Anorexia 


  An animal with a lack of appetite or refusal to eat
• B12 Vitamin Deficiency 


  Causes-

  Meat, kidney, liver, dairy and fish

  Ruminants can make their own but require cobalt to do so.

  Signs-

  Growth problems, anaemia, loss of appetite.

  Treatment-

  Correct diet
• Biotin Vitamin Deficiency

  Present in most food but low in corn, barley, wheat, oats, meat and fish

  Signs-

  Hair or fur loss, dermatitis and diarrhoea

  Treatment -

  Correct diet
• Folic Acid - Vitamin Deficiency 


  Beans, nuts, citrus, green plants and meat

  Ruminants can make some of own.

  Signs-

  Anaemia, growth problems

  Treatment-

  Correct diet and avoidance of folic acid inhibitors
• B3- Niacin - Vitamin Deficiency 


  Most animals can make their own but cats cannot so need dietary sources - pulses, meat and organs

  Signs-

  Dermatitis, diarrhoea, oral ulcers

  Treatment-

  Correct diet
• Vitamin C - Vitamin Deficiency 


  Primates and guinea pigs can’t make their own Vitamin C and need dietary sources, other animals can and rarely deficient.

  Signs- Scurvy, fatigue, weakness

  Treatment- Correct diet for animals that need it
• Calcium- Mineral Deficiency 


  Key to formation of strong bones and teeth

  Signs-

  Problems with skeleton and teeth

  Milk fever in cattle and sheep that can cause a coma and death

  Treatment-

  Bone meal and meat
• Phosphorus - Mineral


  Collaboration with calcium, essential to formation of strong bones and teeth.

  Signs-

  Problems with skeleton and teeth

  Metabolic bone disorder in exotic animals is linked to low phosphorus/ calcium/ vitamin D
• Potassium- Mineral


  Prolonged diarrhoea or vomiting can lead to deficiencies

  Signs- Paralysis, loss of muscle mass, urinating frequently, thirst.

  Treatment-

  Found in dairy, meat and vegetables
• Sodium- Mineral


  Prolonged diarrhoea and vomiting can lead to deficiencies

  Signs- Increased heart rate, thirst

  Treatment-

  Widely available in normal food and salt is a major source.
• Magnesium- Mineral

  Illness or diarrhoea can lead to low levels of magnesium in the blood

  Signs-

  Problems with joints, muscle weakness, paralysis. Hypomagnesaemia- in cattle and sheep - unable to stand properly, appear over alert, excitable or aggressive can lead to convulsions and death.
• Iron - Mineral

  Blood loss from wounds or blood sucking parasites

  Signs-

  Anaemia, blood loss, growth problems

  Treatment- Found in meat, liver and fish.
• Zinc- Mineral


  High calcium diet can suppress zinc absorption, as can a plant rich diet.

  Certain dog breeds like huskies and malamutes have problems absorbing zinc.

  Signs- Lesions and bad skin condition, dull coat.

  Treatment- Red meat, fish, cereals and grains.
• Protein deficiency

  Proteins are made of amino acids, different animals make different amino acids.

  Taurine is an amino acid that cats cannot make (synthesise) and needs to be in their diet.

  Signs-

  Impaired vision, tooth decay

  Treatment-

  Found in meat, fish and eggs
• Arachidonic acid 


  An essential fatty acid that cats cannot make.

  Signs- poor skin, vision problems, reproductive issues and problems with blood clotting

  Treatment-

  Found in meat
• Constipation


  Not the correct amount of fibre, eating non- organic material, blockage in the colon or anal passage, some medications dehydrate.

  Signs-

  Straining, crouching, lack of stools

  Treatment-

  Medication (laxatives) treatment of blockages, access to adequate water supplies
• Diabetes

  When insulin cannot be produced in sufficient quantities of body responds inadequately to it.

  Insulin is critical to the conversion of food into energy.

  Signs-

  Frequently urinating, thirsty, hungry, weight loss, inactive, dull coat.

  Treatment-

  Regular exercise helps prevent diabetes. Insulin injections will be required.
• Urolithiasis 


  Also known as urinary stones, caused by a build up of solids in urinary tract

  Signs-

  Blood in urine, pain when urinating, frequent urination, straining

  Treatment-

  Invasive surgery, non-invasive surgery, diet changes, medicine
• Equine Metabolic Syndrome

  Caused by insulin resistance that means higher level of glucose in the blood which leads to abnormal fat deposits in the neck, shoulder, head and above the eyes.

  Signs-

  Fat deposits as described, obesity and difficulty losing weight, excessive thirst

  Treatment-

  Balanced diet and exercise