The clinical presentation of thiamine deficiency includes anorexia, weight loss, incordination, hypothiaminemia, hyperpyruvatemia and dilation of the heart. Diagnosis can be made through clinical signs and symptoms as well as case history and serology. Treatment includes thiamine supplementation.
Riboflavin Deficiency
Riboflavin is another of the B vitamins. Riboflavin deficiency is seen in horses fed poor quality forage without supplementation with grains or other feeds.
The clinical presentation includes catarrhal
, photophobia, lacrimation,
retinal deterioration, deterioration of the eye lens, blindness and uveitis.
Diagnosis can be made through clinical signs and symptoms and case history. Treatment includes increased feeding of high-quality forage and riboflavin supplementation.
Caloric Deficiency and Energy Deficiency
Caloric deficiency and the subsequent energy deficiency can be caused by:
____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________
Without the sufficient intake of calories, the body catabolises its own tissues to provide energy for the function of the essential organs such as the brain and the heart. In the short-term energy is derived from the catabolism of tissue, but if starvation becomes chronic the adipose stores are depleted and muscle and organ tissues must be catabolised for the individual to survive. The long-term breakdown of structural proteins causes a loss of endogenous nitrogen. Caloric deficiency is seen in the growing young, pregnant mares, geriatric individuals and horses with gastrointestinal diseases such as , colitis or intestinal parasites. The clinical presentation includes loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, weight loss, muscle atrophy, testicular atrophy, suppression of the esterous cycle in mares, retardation of growth in young, atrophy of the viscera, decreased immune capability, emaciation, weakness and death. Diagnosis can be made through clinical signs and symptoms and treatment includes the gradual reintroduction of feeds into the diet. Care must be taken with the reintroduction of feds if starvation was prolonged as catabolism of the intestinal tract may have caused irreversible damage to those structures making digestion and absorption of nutrients impossible. In such cases euthanasia is recommended.
396
Made with FlippingBook Publishing Software