A cat that regularly eats canned tuna is at risk for which vitamin deficiency?

A cat that regularly eats canned tuna is at risk for which vitamin deficiency?

• A. Vitamin A deficiency
• B. Vitamin C deficiency
• C. Vitamin E deficiency
• D. Vitamin D deficiency

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is that a single food can leave a cat missing nutrients that the food doesn’t provide in sufficient amounts. Canned tuna, while tasty to many cats, isn’t a complete, balanced source of every nutrient a cat needs. In particular, vitamin D is something that must come from the diet in adequate amounts to support calcium absorption and proper bone health. If a cat eats tuna regularly as its main food, it may not receive enough vitamin D, which over time can lead to problems with calcium regulation and bone metabolism. Vitamin A and vitamin C aren’t the primary concerns with tuna in this context: cats can obtain vitamin A from a variety of animal-derived foods, and they synthesize vitamin C themselves, so deficiency is less likely from tuna alone. Vitamin E deficiency is tied more to antioxidant balance and fatty-acid content rather than the direct, daily requirement that could be skipped on a tuna-only diet. So, the most plausible risk associated with a tuna-heavy diet is vitamin D deficiency.

The key idea here is that a single food can leave a cat missing nutrients that the food doesn’t provide in sufficient amounts. Canned tuna, while tasty to many cats, isn’t a complete, balanced source of every nutrient a cat needs. In particular, vitamin D is something that must come from the diet in adequate amounts to support calcium absorption and proper bone health. If a cat eats tuna regularly as its main food, it may not receive enough vitamin D, which over time can lead to problems with calcium regulation and bone metabolism.

Vitamin A and vitamin C aren’t the primary concerns with tuna in this context: cats can obtain vitamin A from a variety of animal-derived foods, and they synthesize vitamin C themselves, so deficiency is less likely from tuna alone. Vitamin E deficiency is tied more to antioxidant balance and fatty-acid content rather than the direct, daily requirement that could be skipped on a tuna-only diet. So, the most plausible risk associated with a tuna-heavy diet is vitamin D deficiency.