Vitamin Deficiencies

Vitamin Deficiencies
AG
AG
240
240
Vitamin A
Vitamin A

Importance
Importance
Maintenance
Growth
Reproduction
Thus if no Vitamin A, animal will stop growing
and die
Vitamin A
Vitamin A

Animals stores Vitamin A in liver

Animals stores Vitamin A in liver
Especially when grazing green grass because
they can convert carotene to vitamin A
Vitamin A
Vitamin A

Conversion rates vary with specie

Conversion rates vary with specie
Rats/Poultry: 1 mg beta carotene = 1667 IU
Cattle, sheep, horse: 1 mg beta carotene = 400 IU
Swine: 1 mg beta carotene = 200-500 IU
Cats cant convert beta carotene to Vit A
Vitamin A deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency

Most deficiencies occur in late winter

Most deficiencies occur in late winter
when no green grass is available
when no green grass is available
Feeding corn stalks
Vitamin A deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency

Most deficiencies occur in late winter

Most deficiencies occur in late winter
when no green grass is available
when no green grass is available
Feeding corn stalks

Eye problems
Eye problems
Epithelial tissues of the eye affected
Watery eyes
Night blindness
Vitamin A deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency

Rough hair coat, swollen legs in cattle

Rough hair coat, swollen legs in cattle
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Vitamin A deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency

Incoordination
Incoordination
followed by
followed by
posterior paralysis in growing
posterior paralysis in growing
pigs
pigs
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Vitamin A deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency

Reduced egg production and hatchability

Reduced egg production and hatchability
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Vitamin A Toxicity
Vitamin A Toxicity

Of all the vitamins, Vitamin A is the most

Of all the vitamins, Vitamin A is the most
likely to present toxicity problems
likely to present toxicity problems
Monogastrics
4-10 times the requirements
Ruminants
30 times the requirements

Symptoms
Symptoms
Skeletal malformations; reduced growth;
reproductive failure
Vitamin A Sources
Vitamin A Sources

Green plants contain carotene

Green plants contain carotene
Alfalfa hay is high in Vitamin A
But does leach out so 2-year old hay is low

Mineral mixes
Mineral mixes

Vitamin A injections
Vitamin A injections

Vitamin A and carotene are susceptible to

Vitamin A and carotene are susceptible to
destruction by oxidation
destruction by oxidation
Vitamin D Importance
Vitamin D Importance

Bone formation
Bone formation

Growth
Growth

CHO metabolism
CHO metabolism

Absorption of calcium and P from the small

Absorption of calcium and P from the small
intestine
intestine
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D Deficiency
-
-
Rickets
Rickets
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D Deficiency

Soft egg shells

Soft egg shells

Reduced growth and leg weakness

Reduced growth and leg weakness
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Vitamin E Importance
Vitamin E Importance

Strong antioxidant
Strong antioxidant
Along with Se it prevents the breakdown of cell
membranes by free radicals

Immune system
Immune system
Primarily in monogastrics

Muscle structure
Muscle structure

Reproduction
Reproduction
Vitamin E Deficiency
Vitamin E Deficiency

Nutritional muscular dystrophy

Nutritional muscular dystrophy

Related to Selenium
Related to Selenium
White muscle disease in calves and lambs
Vit E (and Se) can prevent and correct WMD
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Vitamin E Deficiency
Vitamin E Deficiency

Liver necrosis in swine

Liver necrosis in swine

Brain degeneration in poultry

Brain degeneration in poultry

Retained placentas
Retained placentas

Low fertility
Low fertility
Vitamin E Toxicity
Vitamin E Toxicity

Relatively nontoxic
Relatively nontoxic

Utilization dependent upon adequate Se

Utilization dependent upon adequate Se

Research is looking at feeding high dietary

Research is looking at feeding high dietary
levels of
levels of
Vit
Vit
E to improve meat quality
E to improve meat quality
More Vitamin E in tissue
Longer shelf life because of decreased
oxidation
Vitamin K Importance
Vitamin K Importance

Blood clotting
Blood clotting
If feeding sweet clover , need Vitamin K
Warfarin
Rat poison that produces internal bleeding

Activation of
Activation of
prothrombin
prothrombin
(plasma protein)
(plasma protein)
to create calcium binding sites
to create calcium binding sites
Vitamin K
Vitamin K

Deficiency
Deficiency
Spontaneous hemorrhages
Increased blood clotting time

Toxicity
Toxicity
Relatively non toxic
Vitamin K Sources
Vitamin K Sources

Synthesized in rumen
Synthesized in rumen

Swine and poultry need Vitamin K

Swine and poultry need Vitamin K
Coccidiosis increases K requirement

Green forage, well cured hays; fish meal

Green forage, well cured hays; fish meal
Thiamine
Thiamine
-
-
B1
B1

Conversion of
Conversion of
pyruvate
pyruvate
to acetate
to acetate

CHO Metabolism
CHO Metabolism
Thiamine
Thiamine
-
-
B1
B1

Usually not deficient unless

Usually not deficient unless
thiaminases
thiaminases
are present in digestive tract to destroy
are present in digestive tract to destroy
thiamine
thiamine
Sources of
Sources of
Thiaminases
Thiaminases

Ferns
Ferns
Bracken fern poisoning causes thiamine
deficiency in horses

Bacteria
Bacteria
Clostridium sporogenes are high in gut of
animals on high concentrate diets
Symptoms of Thiamine
Symptoms of Thiamine
Deficiency
Deficiency

Polioencephalamacia
Polioencephalamacia
(PEM)
(PEM)
Induced thiamine deficiency
Rubbing head on post
Wasting away appearance
Applied Animal
Nutrition by Cheeke
This case was caused by
Bracken Fern poisoning
Symptoms of Thiamine
Symptoms of Thiamine
Deficiency
Deficiency

Scours
Scours

Weight loss
Weight loss

Head retraction
Head retraction
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Prevention of PEM
Prevention of PEM

Primarily in Feedlots
Primarily in Feedlots
Add 1 mg thiamine per head per day
Feeding ionophores may help prevent PEM

Avoid Ferns
Avoid Ferns
Riboflavin
Riboflavin
-
-
B2
B2

Importance
Importance
CHO and protein metabolism
Most likely to be deficient in swine and poultry
Grains and plant proteins are low in B2

Synthesized in rumen
Synthesized in rumen
B2 Deficiency Symptoms
B2 Deficiency Symptoms

Curled toe paralysis in chicks

Curled toe paralysis in chicks

Reduced egg production and hatchability

Reduced egg production and hatchability
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
B2 Deficiency Symptoms
B2 Deficiency Symptoms

Skin lesions, reduced growth, high

Skin lesions, reduced growth, high
neonatal mortality in pigs
neonatal mortality in pigs
Hairless dead piglets

Moon blindness in horses

Moon blindness in horses
Horses more susceptible when fed poor quality
hay
Niacin
Niacin

Importance
Importance
Energy metabolism (along with Riboflavin)
Enhances protein synthesis

Also known as Nicotinic Acid

Also known as Nicotinic Acid
Niacin Deficiency
Niacin Deficiency

Cereal grains (
Cereal grains (
esp
esp
Corn) are low in niacin
Corn) are low in niacin

Humans
Humans
-
-
Pellegra
Pellegra
Fiery red tongue
3 Ds - diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia
Niacin Deficiency
Niacin Deficiency

Swine
Swine
Poor growth
Dermatitis, diarrhea, intestinal lesions

Litter mates where the smaller pig did not

Litter mates where the smaller pig did not
receive nicotinic acid in its ration
receive nicotinic acid in its ration
Niacin Deficiency
Niacin Deficiency

Poultry
Poultry
Dermatitis (poor feathering), leg problems

Dogs
Dogs
-
-
black tongue
black tongue
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Notes on Niacin
Notes on Niacin

Not available from grains for swine

Not available from grains for swine
Must be synthesized from surplus tryptophan
in body tissue
Raw soybeans contains a tryptophan inhibitor

Used in dairy rations during post

Used in dairy rations during post
-
-
partum
partum
period
period
Research indicates it may prevent ketosis in
dairy cattle
12 g / cow per day
Pyradoxine
Pyradoxine
-
-
B6
B6

Importance
Importance
Protein metabolism
Red blood cell formation

Deficiency
Deficiency
Seldom deficient except when feeding linseed
meal
B6 Deficiency Symptoms
B6 Deficiency Symptoms
Convulsions, dermatitis, impaired
reproductions
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Pantothenic
Pantothenic
Acid
Acid

Importance
Importance
Metabolic role in forming Vit A

Sources
Sources
High in barley wheat and SBM
Low in corn and sorghum
Commonly deficient for swine or poultry
Pantothenic
Pantothenic
Acid Deficiency
Acid Deficiency

Reduced growth, dermatitis, neurological

Reduced growth, dermatitis, neurological
defects
defects

Loss or graying of hair

Loss or graying of hair
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Pantothenic
Pantothenic
Acid Deficiency
Acid Deficiency

Goose
Goose
-
-
stepping gait in swine
stepping gait in swine
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Biotin
Biotin

Importance
Importance
CHO and Fat metabolism

Sources
Sources
Widely available but low in wheat, barley,
sorghum and oats
Biotin
Biotin

Deficiency
Deficiency
Wheat based diets in poultry
Raw egg whites contain avidin - a biotin
antagonist
Can be used to induce biotin deficiency
Biotin
Biotin

Symptoms
Symptoms
Dermatitis and cracks in feet
Poor growth
Loss of hair or feathers
Poor reproduction
Photo courtesy of Irlbeck (CSU)
Folic Acid Importance
Folic Acid Importance

Synthesis of hemoglobin
Synthesis of hemoglobin

Related to B12 metabolism

Related to B12 metabolism

Reproductive performance in swine

Reproductive performance in swine

Increase in litter size

Increase in litter size
Folic Acid Deficiency
Folic Acid Deficiency
Anemia
Poor growth
Unlikely to be deficient for livestock
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12

Importance
Importance
Synthesis of hemoglobin (with Folic Acid)
Vitamin B 12 Sources
Vitamin B 12 Sources

Synthesized by rumen
Synthesized by rumen
Cobolt needed for synthesis in rumen
New born calves need 45-60 days to have
functional rumen so it can be synthesized
Usually get enough from mothers milk
Stressed/weaned calves can be helped with a
Vitamin B12 shot.

Essential for swine and poultry

Essential for swine and poultry
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Symptoms in Monogastrics
Symptoms in Monogastrics
Reduced growth
Anemia
In humans it is called pernicious anemia
Poor reproduction
Hatching problems in chicks
Vitamin C
Vitamin C
-
-
Ascorbic Acid
Ascorbic Acid

Importance
Importance
Only essential for primates and guinea pigs
Vitamin C
Vitamin C
-
-
Ascorbic Acid
Ascorbic Acid

Deficiency Symptoms
Deficiency Symptoms
Usually not deficient unless animal is under
great stress
Egg shell quality
Resistance to heat stress

Sources
Sources
Used very little in feed industry