Feline rickets is a bone disorder characterized by loss of consistency, hardness and normal appearance of the bones. It occurs when there are nutritional disorders or imbalances, at the level of phosphorus, calcium or vitamin D. The causes can be very diverse, from simple disorders in lactation or feeding to congenital, digestive or parasitic diseases. Diagnosis is made by analytical examination and diagnostic imaging and treatment will vary depending on the origin.
Keep reading this article on our site to learn more about rickets in cats, its symptoms and treatment.
What is feline rickets?
Rickets in cats is a bone disorder caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, which is responsible for regulating the correct absorption of phosphorus and calcium from our cats. When this deficiency occurs, lacking the essential nutrient that strengthens the bone system of cats, the bones end up losing consistency, becoming weak, less hard and even deformed. On the contrary, the growth plate is widened.
This disorder occurs in kittens and you can notice the alteration in the legs, which on many occasions will be deformed and arched. Rickets mainly affects the ribs and limb bones.
Causes of rickets in cats
Rickets in cats can be caused by the following causes:
- Inadequate feeding: A diet deficient in vitamin D due to not being fed a complete cat food, which must have this vitamin in its composition in order to prevent deficiencies. It can also occur when they are fed too much or too little phosphorus and calcium.
- Hypophosphatemic rickets: Low phosphorus is due to a kidney defect in which not enough is reabsorbed.
- Fanconi syndrome: Phosphorus drops because it is excreted by the kidney.
- Vitamin D-dependent rickets type 1: consists of a defect in the conversion of cacidiol to calcitriol, which is the active form of the vitamin D, so it can't do its job.
- Vitamin D-dependent rickets type 2: hereditary disease in which there is a defect in the calcitriol receptor.
- Parasitic diseases: parasites use vitamin D in their maturation, which can cause deficiencies depending on the parasite load.
- Intestinal malabsorption: Conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal tumors, or other disorders in the intestine can cause impaired absorption normal nutrient levels and thus vitamin D deficiency.
- Poor Lactation: When a kitten is separated from its mother prematurely, the mother is not producing enough milk or is producing too little milk. calcium, so the kitten does not drink enough mother's milk in its first weeks of life. Because of this, the kitten can get sick.
Symptoms of rickets in cats
The symptoms and bone lesions that can appear in a cat with rickets are the following:
- Sunken spine.
- Bone diaphysis curved laterally.
- Thickening of the epiphysis, becoming soft and painful.
- Bones longer or shorter.
- Emplantillamiento.
- Members in X by the weight of the cats.
- Weakness of the posterior third.
- Loss of physical strength.
- Deformed bones.
- Bulge at the level of the costal epiphyses (spinal rosary).
- Lameness.
- Discomfort or pain.
Diagnosis of feline rickets
The diagnosis of feline rickets is achieved by physical examination of the cat, observing bone alterations and limb deformities, as well as as with plain X-rays and blood tests.
Hemogram and blood biochemistry
In the blood test we can see the following changes:
- Alkaline phosphatase increased.
- Increased phosphorus.
- Ca/P Ratio < 1.
- Anemia.
- Low calcium (hypocalcemia).
Diagnosis by imaging - X-ray
In the simple x-ray you can see bone alterations such as:
- Reduced bone density.
- Normal-appearing bone cortices.
- Thickening of the distal epiphysis of the ulna and radius.
- Enlargement of the epiphyseal line, and can even reach 5-10 mm. This is pathognomonic, that is, if it appears it indicates rickets.
Treatment of rickets in cats
The treatment of feline rickets should be based not only on correcting the cat's bone disorders, but also taking into account the medical treatment of pain and other problemsthat have occurred. If the problem is at the intestinal level, the diseases that cause it must be treated
To prevent the disease from coming back or developing in the future if it is caused by deficiencies, it is important to correct the deficiencies of vitamins and minerals of the cat (vitamin D, calcium and/or phosphorus) and make sure that it has a complete and balanced diet for the feline species. Only in this way will we ensure that our cat is nourished properly.
It is important to routine deworming of our cats, even if they do not leave the house, since we have seen that parasites can also be involved in this disease.
When the kittens are babies we must ensure that they drink enough cat's milk, if this is not the case, we must choose to feed them with milk marketed for kittens until weaning.
If the cat is in pain, NSAIDs or pain relievers such as opioids should be used.
