B12, also called cobalamin, is one of the vitamins that is crucial for your cat’s health. It plays a key role in keeping your cat’s immune, digestive and nervous system functioning optimally.
B12 is naturally found in animal products such as meat, liver, fish and eggs. Most commercial cat foods probably have sufficient levels for a healthy cat. However, cats with certain health conditions, especially cats with gastrointestinal disease, may not be able to absorb enough of the nutrient from their food and require supplementation.
Signs of vitamin B12 deficiency
B12 is water soluble and only stays in the body for a limited time. Water-soluble vitamins are transported to the body’s tissues and then eliminated in urine. Because the body doesn’t store water-soluble vitamins, they need to be consumed daily either via food or a supplement. In a healthy cat, the tissues retain B12 for an average of 13 days, but in a cat with gastrointestinal disease or other health problems, B12 may stay in the body for only about 5 days. So reserves of this vitamin get depleted quickly in cats and this causes low B12 levels. (Source: Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Cats: The Role of the Gut.)
A B12 deficiency can cause weight loss, lethargy, diarrhea, or vomiting.
Since gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease can interfere with the absorption of B12, measuring B12 levels in your cat’s blood can be a good indicator of overall gut health.
Vitamin B12 supplementation
There are two forms of Vitamin B12, methylcobalamine and cyanocobalamin. Methylcobalamine is more readily absorbed when given orally as a supplement. Vitamin B12 can also be given as a subcutaenous injection.
Jackson Galaxy developed a B12 supplement for cats that contains only methylcobalamine, no fructose, fillers or artificial ingredients. The supplement can help to
- boost immunity
- maintain or improve gastrointestinal health
- maintain kidney health
- keep the nervous system functioning optimally
- keep the pancreas healthy
- increase appetite
It should be given with food.
Our experience with Jackson Galaxy’s Vitamin B12 supplement
I have been giving this supplement to Allegra daily for the past three or four years. I simply measure out the recommended amount and drizzle it into a small dish, then cover it with a Churu treat. She laps it right up!
For the past few months, with the okay from our vet, she’s been getting double the recommended dose to help manage her chronic diarrhea. Since B12 is water soluble, there’s no risk of overdosing. Instead of only getting it once a day, she now gets it twice a day – and I haven’t heard any complaints about the extra Churu treat that comes with the B12!
The B12 supplement is available from JacksonGalaxy.com.
*FTC Disclosure: Purrs of Wisdom is an affiliate partner of Jackson Galaxy. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves.
I’ve started this for Tasha and she just loves it. I draw it up in a 1 cc syringe and slowly give it to her. She really likes the taste.
I never thought of trying to give it “straight up.” That’s great that Tasha loves it!
How frequently do you check her Cobalamin level in her blood work? I have had five cats with IBD and two of them I had to give injectable Cobalamin twice a month to keep their levels up to 1500 Mg/L that the internal medicine specialist recommended. I do not know the oral supplementation would have worked for them, but I wondered how Allegra’s Cobalamin levels have been since you started the oral formulation
We have never checked B12 levels, and my vet doesn’t think it’s necessary. B vitamins are water soluble, so there’s no danger of overdose.
When we we were trying to diagnose/rule out IBD in my cats (some had vomiting and some had diarrhea) we started with the usual CBC/Chemistry/UA and a separate panel called a GI or Pancreatic Profile (TLI/PLI/Cobalamin/Folate) and all had abnormal results. Future testing with supplementation showed normal levels
Thank you for this information. I always learn so much from your posts.
I’ve never read, witnessed, or learned that feral cats ate fruit, so why is fruit included in cat food for our pet cats?..Just wondering.