Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency in dogs

1. Vitamin A deficiency in adult dogs manifests as anorexia, weight loss, and sparse coat. In further development, keratosis of hair follicles, increased dandruff, night blindness, and dry eye disease may occur.
2. Vitamin A deficiency in male dogs: testicular atrophy, few or no sperm in the semen.
3. Vitamin A deficiency in female dogs: in severe cases, they are not in estrus. In mild cases, although they are in estrus and pregnant, they are prone to miscarriage or stillbirth. Even if they give birth to weak live offspring, they are also susceptible to respiratory diseases and have a low survival rate. Retained placenta is also common after delivery.
4. Young dogs that survive postpartum often have thickened skulls and vertebrae due to skeletal deformities. The foramen magnum narrows, compressing the cerebellum and spinal cord. Clinical manifestations include ataxia, tremors and spasms, and finally paralysis. All pups in the litter are affected, but the severity is different.

The causes of vitamin A deficiency in dogs

1. Vitamin A deficiency in dogs is rare, but if they are fed a single feed with incomplete nutrition for a long time, or suffer from chronic gastroenteritis for a long time, the vitamin A deficiency will be affected. Dogs that absorb A are prone to this disease.
2. Dogs during pregnancy and lactation have an increased need for vitamin A. If the content of vitamin A in food is not increased at this time, it will not only cause the dog to suffer from vitamin A deficiency, but also affect the health of dogs. Growth, development and disease resistance of fetuses or young dogs.
3. Fat in food can promote the digestion and absorption of vitamin A by the dog’s digestive tract. Therefore, a lack of fat and protein in food can also lead to vitamin A deficiency in dogs.

How to deal with vitamin A deficiency in dogs

1. Dogs suffering from vitamin A deficiency after weaning often die from secondary respiratory diseases. Refer to the vitamin A requirements of adult and growing young dogs to increase the supply of vitamin A to dogs during pregnancy and lactation to promote the digestion and absorption of vitamin A.
2. Add an appropriate amount of fat to the food. Feed more green vegetables, carrots, yellow corn, milk, eggs, meat and other foods rich in vitamin A and carotene. If necessary, add an appropriate amount of fat to the food. Cod liver oil.