Feline central retinal degeneration is associated with which deficiency?

• A. Vitamin A deficiency
• B. Omega-3 deficiency
• C. Vitamin C deficiency
• D. Taurine deficiency

Answer: (D)

Taurine is essential for cats, especially for maintaining retinal health. Cats cannot reliably synthesize enough taurine, so it must come from the diet. When taurine is deficient, retinal cells—particularly the photoreceptors—degenerate, and the central part of the retina is especially affected, leading to feline central retinal degeneration and progressive vision loss. The other options don’t specifically cause this feline retinal condition: vitamin A deficiency tends to affect night vision, vitamin C deficiency is not a typical driver in cats, and omega-3 shortfalls impact overall retinal health but don’t produce this characteristic central retinal degeneration seen with taurine deficiency.