| Summary Information |
| Diseases / List of Micronutrient
(Vitamin / Mineral) Diseases / Disease summary |
| Alternative Names |
- Vitamin B1 deficiency
- Thiamin deficiency
- "Seal syndrome" in hedgehogs (N6.28.w1)
- "Flipper feet" in hedgehogs. (N6.27.w1)
- "Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome" in Atelerix
hedgehogs. (P35.4.w10)
|
| Disease Agents |
In
Waterfowl:
- Deficiency
of thiamine (vitamin B1) in diet, or presence of thiaminase in diet (found in fish).
Thiamine, a water-soluble vitamin, is converted to thiamine pyrophosphate, an important
cofactor in oxidative decarboxylase reactions and aldehyde exchanges in carbohydrate
metabolism (B32.2.w23).
In Hedgehogs:
- In juvenile Erinaceus europaeus
considered to be linked to feeding frozen milk with
possibly decreased vitamin content. (N6.27.w1,
N6.28.w1)
- In some cases dietary thiamine may be sufficient but
digestive disturbances may have affected thiamine
absorption from the gut. (B284.6.w6,
N6.27.w1)
- In pet Atelerix hedgehogs "preliminary
data indicates that the demyelination-caused paralysis is caused by a
thiamine (vit. B1) deficiency." (P35.4.w10)
In Ferrets
- Deficiency
of thiamine (vitamin B1) in diet, or presence of thiaminase in diet (found in fish).
(J195.11.w2)
- Feeding raw eggs may also predispose to this disease. (B627.5.w5)
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| Infectious
Agent(s) |
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| Non-infectious
Agent(s) |
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| Physical
Agent(s) |
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| General Description |
Clinical signs:
In
Waterfowl:
- Weight loss and 'star gazing' (opisthotonus), also anorexia, digestive
upsets, ataxia and convulsions. Weight loss may be noted after as little as four days in
ducklings.
- Extreme anorexia, polyneuritis, weight loss and death in chickens, with
sudden onset in chicks, more gradual onset in adults (B32.2.w23).
(B10.15.w15, B11.38.w6,
B13.46.w1, B16.19.w1,
B35.13.w5)
In Hedgehogs:
- General: Poor growth, weight loss, paresis (partial
paralysis), muscle weakness, recumbency and exhaustion in juvenile
hand-reared Erinaceus europaeus - West European Hedgehog. (N6.27.w1)
- Musculoskeletal:
- Hind leg paresis progressed to paralysis of the feet, crossing
over of the hind feet, outward rolling of the front feet and
splaying of the legs. ("flipper feet") in juvenile
hand-reared Erinaceus europaeus - West European Hedgehog. (N6.27.w1)
- Leg problems,
with the hind legs crossing over, and in some animals "pop-off" syndrome. Deaths of affected animals have been reported (deaths
of all those in which the "pop-off" stage was reached) in
juvenile hand-reared Erinaceus europaeus - West European Hedgehog. (N6.28.w1)
- Gradual loss of balance and loss of the use of
the legs in pet Atelerix hedgehogs in USA and Canada. (P35.4.w10)
In Ferrets:
- Lethargy, loss of appetite. (B627.5.w5,
J195.11.w2)
- In advanced cases, gasping, prostration, convulsions. (B627.5.w5,
J195.11.w2)
Pathological findings:
- CNS: in the brain cortex, laminar necrosis. (B627.5.w5)
In Hedgehogs:
- "A demyelination disorder." (P35.4.w10)
|
| Further Information |
Susceptibility:
In Waterfowl:
- Fish-eating birds are most susceptible, due to the
presence of Thiaminase
in some fish (B10.26.w2,
J23.13.w5, B16.19.w1).
- Chronic deficiency may increase susceptibility to Aspergillosis.(B35.13.w5).
Diagnosis:
In Waterfowl:
- Clinical signs and response to oral or parenteral Thiamine (B10.15.w15).
In Ferrets:
- Clinical signs, response to treatment. (J195.11.w2)
- Note: response to treatment may be delayed in advanced
cases (J195.11.w2)
Response in 1-4 hours in mild cases but up to eight hours in
severe cases. (B627.5.w5)
Differential Diagnosis:
In Hedgehogs:
Treatment:
In Waterfowl:
- Thiamine,
500mg parenteral, or 100-200mg/day, and correction of diet to include sufficient levels of
the vitamin (B16.19.w1, B35.13.w5).
- Thiamine
may also be given in drinking water at 100µg/l (B11.38.w6,
B13.46.w1).
- N.B. Parenteral treatment is important with acute signs
of deficiency and produces a response in a few hours. Due to anorexia, addition of
Thiamine
to the diet is
not sufficient until the acute signs of deficiency have been treated (B32.2.w23).
In Hedgehogs:
- Addition of thiamine to the milk of hoglets receiving frozen goats'
milk (mixed with cat food, for a weaning diet), was considered to treat
this condition. (N6.28.w1)
- Thiamine 300mg per individual per day (one 300mg
tablet crushed and dissolved in warm water) was reported to
successfully treat this condition, with improvement of the
forelimbs during the first week of treatment and of the hindlimbs
in the four days thereafter. (N6.27.w1)
- Modification of the diet has been reported to
successfully treat this disease in pet Atelerix hedgehogs in USA and Canada. (P35.4.w10)
In Ferrets:
- Parenteral administration of B vitamins. (J195.11.w2)
- Vitamin B complex, 5 mg per ferret parenterally daily for five
days. (B627.5.w5)
- Note: response to treatment may be delayed in advanced
cases (J195.11.w2)
Response in 1-4 hours in mild cases but up to eight hours in
severe cases. (B627.5.w5)
Prevention:
In Waterfowl:
In Hedgehogs:
- Addition of thiamine to the milk of hoglets receiving frozen goats'
milk (mixed with cat food, for a weaning diet), was considered to
prevent this condition. (N6.28.w1)
In Ferrets:
- Avoid excessive use of fish containing thiaminase in the diet. (J195.11.w2)
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| Techniques linked to this disease |
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| Host taxa groups /species |
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| Disease has been reported in either the wild or
in captivity in the following WATERFOWL Species: |
"Fish-eating
birds". |
| -- |
| Disease has been reported in free-ranging
populations of the following WATERFOWL Species: |
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