Understanding hypervitaminosis A in cats, a dietary disease caused by excessive liver consumption, and how to prevent and manage this painful condition.
Hypervitaminosis A is an entirely preventable condition that causes progressive, painful skeletal deformity in cats. Many owners who feed high-liver diets do so with good intentions, believing they are providing a natural, nutrient-rich food. However, liver is one of the few foods that can be toxic to cats in excess due to its extremely high vitamin A content. By the time clinical signs are obvious, significant irreversible bony changes have already occurred. While removing excess liver from the diet halts progression, existing bony outgrowths do not fully regress. Pain management, often lifelong, is required for affected cats. Prevention through dietary education is far preferable to managing the consequences.