Vitamins – Function & Deficiency

Essential for growth processes. Required for visual pigments in eyes, tendon strength, bone remodelling, health of skin (epithelial tissues) and mucous membranes.
Vitamin A is important in the resistance to disease and promotion of healing through its effect on the immune system and epithelial integrity.

Progressively poor night vision, blindness, loss of appetite, poor growth, poor reproductive performance, epithelial infections, keratinisation of the skin and cornea and susceptibility to infection.

Regulates Calcium and Phosphorus uptake, maintains optimum balance and controls secretion.
Regulates the expression of genes and the activity of cells associated with the immune system.

Rickets and osteomalacia, calcium uptake is depressed with a Vitamin D deficiency, leading to lameness, weak bones, swollen joints, loss of appetite.

Acts as a biological antioxidant in association with selenium to protect cells against oxidative damage caused by free radicals.

Muscle degeneration (myopathy), white muscle disease, lameness, tying up, cardiac disease, liver damage, rough coat and subcutaneous swellings.

Essential for activation of blood clotting factors (prothrombin synthesis) in conjunction with calcium, as well as other proteins in the body.

Deficiency is uncommon as it is generally considered that under ‘normal’ conditions bacterial synthesis in the digestive tract supplies sufficient vitamin for the animal’s needs. If deficiency was to occur it would result in anaemia and delayed clotting, leading to haemorrhage.

Carbohydrate and fat metabolism, nerve transmission.
Thamin triphosphate is involved in the activation of the chloride ion channel in the membranes of nerves.

Poor growth, loss of appetite, emaciation, abnormal heartbeat, muscle tremors, incoordination, stiffness in limb, progressive dysfunction of the nervous system and lung fluid build-up and polyneuritis (any disorder that affects the peripheral nerves collectively).

Carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Involved in the metabolic function with two coenzymes used in aerobic energy production.

Poor appetite, poor growth, skin eruptions, eye abnormalities, dull dry coat and flaky skin loss, diarrhoea, hindgut inflammation in horses, and curled toe paralysis in chickens.

Nicotinamide functions in the animal body as the active group of two important coenzymes. Nicotinamide in the tissues is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and amino acids to energy. (Higher requirement in exercising horses)

Poor growth, anorexia, enteritis, dermatitis, diarrhoea, vomiting and mouth ulcers.
Bone disorders, feathering abnormalities and inflammation of the mouth and upper part of the oesophagus are deficiency signs in fowl.

A constituent of many coenzymes involved in metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats to energy. A constituent of coenzyme A, which is important for fatty acid oxidation, acetate metabolism, plus cholesterol and steroid synthesis.

Poor growth, dermatitis, gut ulcers, diarrhoea, scaly skin, ‘goose-stepping in pigs’.
In chicks, retarded growth and dermatitis occurs, and mature birds have reduced hatchability.

Vitamin B6 is involved in amino acid metabolism, this vitamin is believed to play a role in the absorption of amino acids from the small intestine. Requiring both niacin and riboflavin for energy production and blood formation.

Poor growth and convulsions.
Pigs have been known to reduce their food intake and may develop anaemia.
In adult birds’ hatchability and egg production are adversely affected.

Required in much smaller amounts than other vitamins. Involved in methionine synthesis, folic acid activity and propionic acid to energy.

Poor growth, anaemia, poor coat/feathering.
A deficiency in young growing animals, results in growth being severely retarded and mortality is high.
Parasitised horses have responded to supplementation, presumably as a result of impaired digestive activity.

Associated with B12. Involved in blood cell production. Metabolism of single carbon compounds. It is involved in the synthesis of RNA, DNA and neurotransmitters.

Poor growth, anaemia, poor hatchability in fowl.

Carbon dioxide transfer, involved in coenzyme activity during synthesis of glucose and formation of fats, RNA and DNA in cells.

Foot lesions, hair loss, Fatty Liver and Kidney Syndrome (FLKS).
Responses of biotin supplementation has reported to improve hoof structure and strength.

Important antioxidant action by removing excess oxygen to protect fats and proteins in cell membranes, it enhances bone and collagen formation and utilisation of some amino acids.
Aids utilisation of iron and folic acid uptake.

Reduced resistance to infection.
In human’s scurvy is a result of vitamin C deficiency that is characterised by oedema, emaciation and diarrhoea.

A precursor of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter vital to nerve and muscle function. A component of lecithin which play a vital role in cellular structure and activity and is critical to normal liver metabolism

Poor growth, fatty liver, perosis (a disorder of poultry that is characterised by leg deformity)