Thiamine deficiency in a cat associated with the preservation of 'pet meat' with sulphur dioxide.

A cat with allergic dermatitis was fed a diet of fresh meat and a multi-vitamin supplement for 38 days to exclude food allergy as a cause of its dermatopathy. The cat died as a result of acute thiamine deficiency, which was caused by inactivation of thiamine by the preservative, sulphur dioxide. The continuing undeclared usage of sulphites in the Australian pet food industry is discussed.