HELP! Menadione sodium bisulfate…is it truly toxic?

chelsmarie

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I’m truly at my wit’s end trying to find the right food for my cat. I can’t afford the premium brands. I know it’s not the best, but she loves Tiny Tiger and it’s decent enough. Still, I’d like to give her some variety and not feed strictly Tiny Tiger. Unless people think one brand is okay? I’m looking to spend $25 (or less ideally) for 24 cans.

She’s been eating Wellness Core Kitten but I soon need to transition her off that as her 1 year birthday approaches. That was a bit out of my price range but worth it since she was growing. I splurged on Weruva and it was absolutely disgusting (like jello…no visible meat) and she wouldn’t even touch it. (Thank god for Chewy’s refund policy as it was wildly expensive for what it was).

I would prefer grain and carrageenan free, pate only. I finally talked myself into something affordable like Fancy Feast naturals, Purina One and Nutro, and I see horrifying threads on here saying “menadione sodium bisulfate” aka Vitamin K3, an ingredient in all three, killed their cat or cause blood disorders. Honestly, while I sympathize with those people…there is no perfect cat food. How can this ingredient that is in most cat foods be so awful for cats?

I can’t do raw. I know there is no perfect cat food, but what works for you guys? My budget truthfully is more Fancy Feast than Wellness Core/Tiki Cat. Help ease my anxiety!
 

mrsgreenjeens

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I feed Nutro as a mainstay, and sometimes Fancy Feast pates (although these days they are hard to find in the local stores) and Purina One Pate for my extremely picky guy. Also Sheba, which I like better than FF or Purina One as far as ingredients go.

I think for every single ingredient out there, with the exception of a pure protein (like chicken, beef, lamb, etc.) you will find people who have horror stories. These companies mentioned above wouldn't be in business if they truly put poison in their cat food. That's my take on it.
 

FeebysOwner

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My guess is that if you search long enough, you will find something negative about at least one ingredient in most cat foods. But, if you are dead set on not feeding your cats this particular additive, take a look at this food chart that reflects cat foods that do no contain it, and it will also tell you what other ingredients are in each as well. You can then look up each brand/flavor to see how much they would cost you.
Check This Out.... Chart For Cat Food Ingredients | TheCatSite
 

Uncled

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My two were raised on Fancy Feast pate, all flavors, as adult cats they eat Friskies pate and also the shreds and filet variety to switch things up for them, buy what you can afford and like I always say the best wet food for your cat is the ones that they will eat consistently.
 

daftcat75

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Menadione is used as both a food additive and a feed additive—added to the food of our food. As a food additive, it can be problematic in mega-doses that pets will never see but humans might. That’s why it’s banned as a human supplement. As a feed additive, it is a workplace chemical. It is a powder that can be inhaled by feedlot operators. As such, it has a material safety data sheet. In this sheet, it lists both environmental exposure risks and acute toxicity risks. This is as you would expect for any workplace chemical. As a powder, there is a respiratory risk. There is also some toxicity risks. These risks are for human exposure to the chemical in much larger amounts than our pets consume in their food. Incidentally, water is a workplace chemical that poses respiratory risks and toxicity at large enough doses. And that’s the thing. Just about anything can be an irritant or a poison at a large enough dose or an inappropriate enough exposure route. Water can be fatal if inhaled. As a food additive in pet food, it would take more food than even the chonkiest dog or cat could conceivably or physically consume in a single serving to achieve toxicity through ingestion. It’s been used for at least a couple decades (I can’t find an approval date.) If there were long term risks, we would have seen them by now. Unless you’re slinging around bags of the raw chemical like you might be if you are a feedlot operator, it poses no risk to your cats as a vitamin supplement in their food.
 

lisahe

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I agree with other comments on menadione and do feed foods that contain it. I used to limit it but don't really pay much attention to it now since we only feed one canned meal a day anyway.

In any case, our picky cat's beloved Sheba has menadione and there's no way I could get rid of Sheba. :lol: Particularly since it's pretty decent food. As is Tiny Tiger, though our cats have decided they don't like that anymore. Cats!

Weruva foods do vary quite a bit, both in price and in content. The pates are fairly consistently boring looking!
 
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