Hypervitaminosis A is an entirely preventable dietary disease in cats caused by feeding excessive liver. Understanding its welfare implications guides better nutritional management.
Feline hypervitaminosis A causes progressive, painful skeletal disease that severely impairs mobility and quality of life. The bony outgrowths that develop on vertebrae and joints cause chronic pain during movement and eventually prevent normal posture and grooming. Cats unable to groom develop matted coats and skin problems that add further welfare burdens. The condition is entirely self-inflicted through well-intentioned feeding of liver, which owners often believe is beneficial for cats. The irreversibility of established skeletal changes means that prevention is the only effective welfare intervention - correction of diet stops progression but cannot reverse existing damage.