From:
Dr. Bruce Williams
Date: 2001-03-03 21:21:00 UTC
Subject: Question Re: Vitamin A Overdose in Ferrets
Dear Betty:
Vitamin A toxicity has yet to be documented in ferrets, so it is
tough to say exactly what you would see. In cats, where we see most
cases, bony lesions, especially of the neck. Cervical spondylosis
progressing up to fusion of the joints in the neck, and to a lesser
extent the limbs can be seen. Most cases of Vitamin A toxicosis
arise from cats eating bovine liver, as the liver is where Vitamin A
is stored.
Vitamin A toxicosis has also been seen in feedlot cattle fed diets in
which excessive levels of Vit A were added. An interesting lesion in
these animals was blindness, as extra bone was laid down around the
optic foramen, through which the optic nerves pass.
I suppose that prolonged feeding of liver may cause this lesion in
ferrets, or the feeding of EXCESSIVE amounts of linatone. However,
the quanitities required to cause this would probably result in
severe diarrhea due to the oil content before a significant risk of
Vitamin A occurred.
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM
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--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Betty <eikondes@c...> wrote:
> Dear Dr. Williams;
>
> Could you please do a posting on the effects of overdosing a ferret
with
> vitamin A? Amounts leading to toxicity, affects on the organs,
external
> appearances, etc., if you know them... I would be grateful.
>
> Thanks,
> betty and her blur o'fur
> for the love of ferrets...