Cat Vitamin Myths
The most common myth is that fat soluble vitamins are dangerous



There are several cat vitamin myths that remain alive and well on the internet, but no one seems to have any type of evidence to back up these claims.

Here is the most common of these myths.

Fat soluble vitamins for cats are dangerous and could result in toxicity in your cat causing such conditions as muscle degeneration, overall weakness, vomiting, as well as loss of appetite and weight loss.

CAT VITAMIN MYTHS

So let’s examine each of the fat soluble vitamins in detail as well as the documented cases of toxicity from each of the fat soluble vitamins.

They include Vitamin A, D, E, and K, and then let the facts speak for themselves.

However there is one fact that needs to be placed into this equation and that is that anything given in excess to your cat, including fat soluble vitamins, could potentially be dangerous.

If you give your cat too many treats, too much water, too much of the best of cat food, or too much exercise, all could potentially be dangerous

MYTH ONE

The first of the cat vitamin myths is that Vitamin A can be toxic to your cat and could potentially cause difficulty in walking.

It may also cause muscle degeneration, pain in their legs and throughout their body, a stiff neck, as well as a loss of appetite.

Cats blue eyesVitamin E being dangerous has absolutely no documentation

Vitamin A is found in several forms such as retinol and the liver storage form, retinyl palmitate.

If your cat is feed huge amounts of this form, it will exceed the safe levels that your cat’s liver can handle.

The reason for this is that it virtually roams free in their bloodstream and if the levels do become severe enough, toxicity could occur.

The main source of this nutrient is carotene, which is found in plants, and dogs can very easily convert this form, but cats can’t.

However, the solution to this is very simple; give them the form that is completely safe for cats; retinal palmitate that is stored in their liver.

The bottom line here is that it is not the amounts of Vitamin A that is potentially dangerous to your cat, it is the type.

If you simply use a well-known brand of liquid or powered vitamin at the recommend dosage, it is completely safe.

In fact, very well-known veterinarians Foster, Foster, and Smith, which founded their practice and web site in 1983 have posted on their website that it is realistically impossible for over supplementation of this vitamin to occur.

However, if mega doses are given for months or years damage can occur the same as mega doses of any type of supplement. 

On the other hand, what is not one of the cat vitamin myths is that a deficiency of vitamin A can easily lead to night blindness, poor skin and hair coats, as well as retarded growth in kittens.

MYTH TWO

The next of the cat vitamin myths involves Vitamin D, which is also referred to as the sunshine vitamin as it takes ultraviolet light to convert this vitamin in your cat.

The actual conversion process in your cat actually takes place in the outer layers of their skin.

However, the amounts that are converted are not sufficient to provide your cat with enough of this critical nutrient.

As far as the cat vitamin myths surrounding this nutrient, if you were to ask your local veterinarian they would likely say the same thing that Doctors Foster and Smith stated on their website.

They have never heard of it actually occurring in any cat.

To stop giving this nutrient to your developing kitten because of these dangerous myths, is to place them at risk of a stunted growth, skeletal problems, as well as potential problems with muscle control and nerve problems.

MYTH THREE

The third of the cat vitamin myths involves vitamin E, and there have been absolutely no known documentations that have ever remotely indicated of any type of toxicity in cats.

In fact, with this nutrient even at very high levels, no damages to normal bodily functions have ever been demonstrated.

This myth can be very dangerous to your cat as it plays a huge role in your their cell membrane formation, cell respiration process, as well as being extremely important in assisting with the of metabolism of fats.

It also acts as a very power antioxidant that protects your cat’s immune system from several types of attacks.

If these misleading cat vitamin myths stop you from supplementing this nutrient, in can very easily lead to cellular damages, which in turn could affect your cat’s organs.

Perhaps the two best known are Brown Bowel Syndrome and Yellow Fat Disease.

Brown Bowel Syndrome is a situation where your cat’s bowels are so severely affected that they will begin to hemorrhage or ulcerate, which in turn will rapidly lead to degeneration of the affected organs.

If it is severe enough, it can also affect your cat’s eyes as well as their testes.

If you feed your cat an all fish diet without supplementing vitamin E, it will only be a matter of time before they develop what is referred to as Yellow Fat Disease.

This is a situation where your cat’s body is not metabolizing fat properly because of the lack of this nutrient.

MYTH FOUR

The final of the cat vitamin myths involves vitamin K, the last of the fat soluble vitamins.

With this myth there is a bit of truth that vitamin K can be toxic to cats, but there has never been a reported case of toxicity from supplementing it.

Instead, the toxicity comes from your cat ingesting Warfarin, which is the major ingredient in mouse and rat poison.

Warfarin is extremely effective at what it was designed for, which is to stop both mice and rats from coagulating or clotting their blood, and as a result, it causes them to bleed to death.

However, other than this risk, it presents absolutely no threat to your cat.

In fact, without it, your cat would very quickly die.

It is also very important to note that if your cat does ingest rat poison, your veterinarian will very quickly give them Vitamin K1 as a treatment.

If you think your cat has ingested rat poison, you need to induce vomiting after contacting your veterinarian, and then use 3 percent hydrogen peroxide to stimulate vomiting.

If all of this works, your cat may survive.

Summary

Cat vitamin myths are just that; myths.

If the multivitamin that you select for your cat is a well-known brand of high quality in liquid or powered form is not only extremely safe, they are critical for the overall health of your cat.

If anyone or any website suggests otherwise, ask them for documentation to back up their claim, as it will be virtually impossible for them to do so.

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