Cat thiamine deficiency encephalopathy

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thiamine deficiency encephalopathy in cats is a metabolically toxic brain disease ( encephalopathy ) occurring in cats as a result of a deficiency in thiamine (vitamin B 1 ). It thus corresponds to the beriberi or Wernicke encephalopathy in humans, the Chastek paralysis of fur animals and the cerebrocortical necrosis of ruminants .

Cause and pathogenesis

The main cause is a high proportion of raw fish in the diet, as the intestines of fish contain thiaminase (a vitamin B1-splitting enzyme ). In addition, overly preserved canned food and reduced food consumption can cause vitamin B1 deficiency.

Since thiamine as a coenzyme in carbohydrate - metabolism of particular importance for the energy supply of the brain has, it comes with a deficiency to degeneration of nerve cells , vasodilatation and point-like bleeding , especially in the area of the brain stem . The core areas of the vestibular and oculomotor nerves , the nucleus ruber , the colliculi caudales , the periaqueductal gray , the lateral knee hump , the basal ganglia and the cerebellar worm are particularly affected .

clinic

The disease begins unspecifically with reduced food consumption and sometimes vomiting. Neurological symptoms include a movement disorder ( ataxia ) triggered by the damage to the cerebellum , dilated pupils that hardly react to the influence of light, seizures, and a downward curve of the neck. In the terminal stage, the animals fall into a coma and eventually die.

In addition to the preliminary report (fish feeding) and the clinical symptoms, increased concentrations of pyruvic acid and lactate and decreased activity of transketolase in the red blood cells can be detected in the blood and cerebral fluid .

In the early stages, the prospect of a cure through administration of thiamine is good. With increasing neurological symptoms, however, the prognosis deteriorates, since the destruction of the nerve cells is irreversible.

literature

  • F. Steffen and others: Thiamine or vitamin B1 deficiency encephalopathy. In: Andre Jaggy (ed.): Atlas and textbook of small animal neurology . Schlütersche, 2005, ISBN 3-87706-739-5 , pp. 374-375.