Sheba Turkey Pate - Allergy Help??

Hi all,

I've fed my Callie Sheba pates for many months with no problems - generally getting the variety pack that has chicken, beef, and salmon. When the 3 oz cans were discontinued I purchased all of the ones from Chewy that were available, which included Turkey pate cases. I rotate what I feed her every meal so it took a few weeks for me to put it together but she definitely has a bad reaction to the turkey (vomiting/diarrhea). I'm now trying to figure out if there's a certain ingredient that she's allergic to and am hoping someone can spot something in the ingredients that I'm missing?? I know it's not turkey itself because she gets Merrick purrfect bistro turkey and loves that.

The ingredients are posted below. Would appreciate any insight. Also, if anyone in NYC could use 3 cases of the turkey pates let me know!

Turkey, Turkey Broth, Meat By-Products, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Poultry By-Products, Natural Flavor, Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Copper Sulfate), Guar Gum, Added Color, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Vitamin E Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex [Source of Vitamin K Activity]), DL-Methionine, Salt, Taurine.

Could be the type of fish oil or the turkey source. Different farms use different feeds and vitamins/medications. Could be the meat by product mix. It's really hard because I checked the Herrick and they are fairly similar.I

Have you called Chewy and explained what happened? Their customer service is excellent and when I had a similar issue they refunded me so I could get a different food.

Well what stands out to me is the term meat byproducts by products are technically internal organs heart liver Longs spleen etc. but it can also include intestines brain eyes and anything that’s left over from the process of slaughter that isnt necessarily desirable for human consumption. Because it says meat byproducts you don’t exactly know what type of animal the byproducts are coming from or even what body parts they’re using. so in theory the meat byproducts could be pork based she’s having an allergic reaction to pork but it can also be that the meat byproducts are more than one type of meat byproduct so it could be for an example pork and horse.

I should also warn you that is not it illegal for pet food companies to use the dead bodies of euthanized shelter animals in their food and it has happened I’m not saying this particular food does and I’ve never heard that it does but because it doesn’t describe exactly what type of meat is using for the byproducts you really don’t know which is why I won’t feed this.

Hi KatieBug28!

I'm a pet (and people) nutritionist that studies pet food in depth so here are a few quick things to look at in these ingredients when it comes to allergies in addition to what's already been mentioned about any "by-products" and "meals" (which should be avoided for better health):

- Although cat food says it's turkey, beef, or some other flavor, it almost always has a common allergen within it still... chicken. Chicken is one of the more inexpensive proteins so they pretty much throw it into everything meaning our cats are getting way too much of it leading to food sensitivities. This is what happens with our own food - if we eat too much of one thing, we will eventually become sensitive to it resulting in a variety of symptoms, symptoms that aren't always easy to decipher. That means cats will even become sensitive to turkey if they have been eating it for a while.

- "Added color" and any coloring for that matter (e.g. Red #40, Yellow #5) almost always cause allergic-type hypersensitivity. There is no need for color in cat food. This is really for pet owner appeal so any time I see colors or dyes, I avoid the food.

- Guar Gum (and various gums) can also cause allergic reactions in some cats, including in my own almost 22-year-old cat, Freddie.

So ideally you want as pure a food source as possible which means no by-products, meals, added colours, added thickeners or flavor enhancers, etc. Then of course you want to try some different proteins but ones that don't sneak chicken back into the food still. Freddie is a raw food eater (and has been for over 14 years) and I generally recommend trying something like frozen raw, freeze-dried raw, or if you really need to stick to canned food, there is something more pure and less processed like RAWZ. There are some other decent canned versions out there but when I've dealt with any allergy issues with Freddie, every canned option produced symptoms. Raw and freeze-dried raw have been my only answer to solving her issues and she has thrived on it for all these years.

There is in fact nothing wrong with by-products in pet food. Brains and eyes are actually part of a cat's natural prey. They may seem yucky to us but there is nothing wrong with consuming them (even for humans ). Many misconceptions and scaremongering but nothing in that. We have an article on the topic here -
By-products In Cat Food: 5 Facts You Need To Know

There are risks involved with feeding raw which is why it's not recommended by any respectable veterinary organization. Frozen raw included. It's a legitimate choice but not one to be taken lightly so anyone wishing to take it up should take the time to study it well. We do ask people to avoid recommending raw feeding in this forum and stick to discussing it in the raw sub-forum where those wishing to can discuss the in's and out's of feeding raw.

katiebug28 it's entirely possible that your cat has had a bad reaction to one of the ingredients but it's almost impossible to say which. It could have been an allergic reaction but that could be almost any one of them. Here's a recent article we had on food allergies in cats -
11 Key Facts About Food Allergies In Cats

If you suspect an allergy, the only way to "prove" it would be by starting the cat on an elimination diet. That's quite an ordeal and should be done under the supervision of your veterinarian. Frankly, if it's only this very specific food, I would just avoid it and let it go. You can always donate the extra cans to your local shelter.