Manganese in cats and dogs
Manganese is a trace element the body needs in tiny amounts — for bone formation and to activate enzymes of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. In dogs and cats it is measured rarely, at a specialised laboratory, usually as part of a trace-element panel. Veterinary data on manganese in pets are few, and serum manganese is harder to interpret than most other minerals.
What it shows
Manganese takes part in building bone and switches on enzymes that handle carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Too much calcium and phosphorus in the diet makes it less available, and it can interfere with other minerals.
A veterinary diagnostic laboratory may measure it in serum within a trace-nutrient panel together with cobalt, copper, iron, molybdenum, selenium and zinc. That laboratory notes that serum manganese and cobalt are more difficult to interpret than other minerals, though serum results may still be useful for screening. For judging mineral stores, fresh liver tissue is the preferred sample, and kidney can also help.
The laboratory asks for blood in a tube designed for trace-mineral analysis and sent in a leakproof container.
Higher than reference — what it may be a sign of
- Poisoning — rare, but described in dogs. Two dogs in one household ate about 75 capsules of a human joint supplement containing manganese. One developed sudden severe liver failure with a serious clotting disorder and died; the other had severe acute liver injury and recovered by the recheck on day 44. Manganese in their liver and kidney tissue was severely increased. If a pet has eaten a supplement, go to a vet at once.
- Epilepsy in dogs — unclear: an earlier study reported high serum manganese, together with copper, zinc and selenium, in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy; a later study measuring whole blood found no difference between epileptic and healthy dogs.
Lower than reference
In general veterinary nutrition, manganese deficiency is linked to poor growth, impaired fertility, impaired immune function and, in calves, skeletal deformities. These descriptions come mostly from farm animals; clear data on manganese deficiency in dogs and cats were not found in open veterinary sources. A low result is therefore read with care and together with diet and other tests.
Look at together with
- Copper, zinc and selenium — usually in the same panel; a pattern across elements says more than one number.
- ALT and bile acids — the liver was the main target in manganese poisoning in dogs.
- Prothrombin time and aPTT — a failing liver makes fewer clotting factors.
- Iron — another trace mineral in the same panel.
Units and conversion
Serum manganese is reported in µg/L — micrograms per litre. No conversion is needed. Some studies in dogs measure manganese in whole blood instead of serum; whole-blood and serum results are different measurements and are not compared directly. In the app the row keeps the number and unit printed on the form.
Reference range
The reference range is on your lab’s form. Only a few laboratories test manganese in pets, and each sets its own interval for the sample type and species. Because serum manganese is harder to interpret than other minerals, a single value outside the interval is a reason for the vet to look at diet, supplements, the liver and the rest of the trace-element panel, rather than a conclusion on its own. Whether the laboratory has an interval for dogs and cats is worth asking.
Cats and dogs
For cats, no specific data on blood manganese were found in the open veterinary sources used here, so the result relies on the laboratory’s interval and the vet’s reading. Interpretation for a cat is left to the vet, together with the diet, any supplements and the rest of the blood work.
In dogs the main described problem is poisoning after eating joint supplements for people that contain manganese, with damage chiefly to the liver. In a study of 19 dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and 19 healthy dogs, whole-blood manganese did not differ between the groups. Beyond that, published data on manganese in healthy dogs are few.
Add a lab form — Pet Tracker Space recognises the lines, keeps the form’s units and draws each indicator over time with your lab’s reference band.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Table: Micromineral Functions, Deficiency Diseases, and Interrelationships.
- Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Mineral Diagnostics.
- Jaffey JA, Chamberlin T, Hu J. Acute manganese toxicosis related to joint health supplement ingestion in two dogs. Topics in Companion Animal Medicine, 2024;61:100877.
- Rosendahl S, Anturaniemi J, Kukko-Lukjanov T-K, et al. Whole blood trace element and toxic metal concentration in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and healthy dogs: A case-control study. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2023;9.
This page explains what a lab value means. It is not a diagnosis and not a substitute for your veterinarian — only they can interpret results for your pet.