Vitamin B1 is also known as Thiamine or thiamin is one of 8 water-soluble B vitamins. Like other B-complex vitamins. It is also called an "anti-stress" vitamin because it helps to strengthen the immune system and improve the body's ability to withstand stressful conditions.
Vitamin B1 deficiency results diseases in Animals & Poultry. However, chickens are more susceptible to neuromuscular effects of thiamine deficiency than mammals.
Deficiency of Thiamin affects many systems of the chicken's body, including the muscles, heart, nerves, and digestive system. Signs of Vitamin B1 Deficiency in Poultry
- Lethargy
- Head tremors
- General weakness
- Impaired digestion
- Inability to stand or sit upright
In animals, Thiamine is normally produced by bacteria in the rumen of cattle and sheep on well-balanced roughage diets. However, there are also bacteria in the rumen capable of producing enzymes, called thiaminases, which break down and inactivate thiamine. These bacteria are normally in the minority, but under some conditions they proliferate and produce an excessive amount of thiaminases. This results in thiamine deficiency. Thiamine deficiency reduces energy availability to the brain, which leads to a type of brain degeneration called polioencephalomalacia or PEM.
Signs of PEM disease
- agitation and anxiety, making the animal difficult to handle
- muscle twitching, holding the head abnormally high and a high-stepping gait
- blindness and head pressing (the animal stands with its head pushed up against a solid object)
- lying down, seizures, paddling (legs thrashing back and forth on the ground) and drawing the head back stiffly so it is pressed against the spine
- death follows in 24–48 hours.
Treat affected animals & Birds immediately by giving the proper amount of thiamine. When animals are treated in the early stages, they may respond within six hours, although it may take up to 48 hours for full recovery. Animals treated later in the course of the disease may still recover, but may be left with nervous problems including blindness.
Swiss Chemie is a manufacturer, supplier, and exporter of Vitamin-B1 for Poultry and Livestock that helps to fight against diseases.