Apparent thiamin status of cattle and its relationship to polioencephalomalacia.

The thiamin status (thiamin concentration in whole blood, plasma, and erythrocytes; erythrocyte transketolase activity) of normal cattle consuming varying diets did not differ from that of cattle with polioencephalomalacia or lead poisoning. Dairy cattle had higher ruminal content of thiamin and lower thiamin destroying activity than did beef cattle. Renal oxalosis was no more frequent in cattle which had polioencephalomalacia than in postnatal calves. In normal beef cattle, approximately 75% of total blood thiamin is in erythrocytes and the remainder in plasma.