Case Report: A Case Series Linked to Vitamin D Excess in Pet Food: Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) Toxicity Observed in Five Cats

Abstract

Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) toxicity caused by defective pet food formulations is a rare occurrence described in cats. Nevertheless, it poses a health risk, even though the affected pet food is not fed as the sole diet. Excessive vitamin D3 intake might cause hypercalcemia and soft tissue mineralization, which are findings that prompt clinicians to further investigate the feasible etiology. This case series describes the effects of an extremely high vitamin D3 intake in five young cats caused by the consumption of a fish-based complementary kitten pet food (KPF) that was fed to all of the cats as part of their diet (cases 1, 2, and 3) or eaten exclusively (cases 4 and 5). Due to the different amounts of vitamin D3 consumed, diagnostic examinations showed different degrees of severity of hypercalcemia and azotemia as well as different radiographic findings in cases where diagnostic imaging was performed (cases 2, 4, and 5). All of the cats were treated by withdrawing the affected food and providing medical management of the hypercalcemia. All of the cats recovered, except for two persistent azotemic cats, which developed chronic kidney disease. The goal of this case series is, therefore, to describe the occurrence and resolution of an acute vitamin D3 toxicity due to the highest amount of dietary vitamin D3 intake that has ever been described in domestic cats.

An investigation into an outbreak of pancytopenia in cats in the United Kingdom

“…Once a possible association with diets was made, this allowed notification of the Food Standards Agency to lead the investigation which led to a voluntary full product recall of brands A, B and C. Various disease outbreaks secondary to commercial pet food ingestion are reported around the world, including acute kidney injury because of melamine and cyanuric acid feed contamination, 41 , 42 acute kidney injury and hypercalcemia because of excessive vitamin D feed supplementation, 43 dietary associated acquired renal proximal tubulopathy, 44 hepatotoxicosis because of indscopine feed contamination, 45 dietary associated acquired megaesophagus 46 and demyelination secondary to irradiation of feed. 47 It should be remembered these outbreaks are rare and the pet food industry is held to high standards in the UK.…”

Abuse of Chemical Substances Cause Poisoning in Dogs and Cats: A Review

“…16 Clinical signs depend on the amount of cholecalciferol ingested and the hypercalcemia situation and present as polyuria, polydipsia, lethargy, abdominal pain, hematemesis, melena, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. 17 Treatment involves decontamination of the chemical substances and adjusting the calcium-phosphorus level balance in the bloodstream. This chemical substance has no known antidote.…”

A Novel UHPLC–MS/MS Method for the Measurement of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 in Canine Serum and Its Application to Healthy Dogs

“…Not only bone metabolism alterations, but also various disorders such as congestive heart failure, chronic enteropathy, chronic kidney diseases, certain types of cancer, and immune-mediated disorders have been associated with a low vitamin D3 status in dogs [ 4 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. On the other hand, it is crucial to maintain balance and monitor the intake of this vitamin through the diet, as over-supplementation can lead to toxicity [ 14 , 15 ].…”

“…In daily practice, the most widely used methods are immunoassays, often automated, such as enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA), and radio immune assay (RIA) [16][17][18][19][20][21], or conventional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) approaches coupled with ultraviolet (UV) or diode array (DAD) Not only bone metabolism alterations, but also various disorders such as congestive heart failure, chronic enteropathy, chronic kidney diseases, certain types of cancer, and immune-mediated disorders have been associated with a low vitamin D3 status in dogs [4,[9][10][11][12][13]. On the other hand, it is crucial to maintain balance and monitor the intake of this vitamin through the diet, as over-supplementation can lead to toxicity [14,15].…”