A secondary induced thiamine deficiency in mink.

Abstract

NUMEROUS reports attest to the occurrence of thiamine deficiency in furbearing animals due to destruction of the dietary source of the vitamin by thiaminase activity. Fresh-water fish were first implicated as sources of the thiaminase enzyme, and their presence as major diet ingredients for foxes led to the definition of characteristic thiamine deficiency symptoms as ‘Chastek paralysis’1–3. Ranch mink fed similar rations developed corresponding symptoms4,5. Extension of the diet sources used with mink led to the recognition that marine fish might also be troublesome as contributors of thiaminase activity6 and at present a number of different fish species are listed as containing significant amounts of thiaminase. These have been assembled by Harris7, who reports 28 fresh-water and 8 salt-water fish species as thiaminase-active.