Pork in cat food - what's the deal?

[marc999]

Pork - yummy in my tummy.  

Butterfly pork chops, pork tenderloin (marinated with garlic,teriyaki sauce or honey garlic sauce).   So good, it's like candy. 

Ok, the Pheasant was Wild Calling brand, that I found at a Global Pet Foods.  Out of season, but I found a can. The trick is finding a retailer that carries or will carry Wild Calling though in Canada.  They're there, just far and few between at the moment.  I hope they keep it up because it's really a good deal $, vs. other premium options.  The ingredients really are quite good in my opinion. 

The majority of their canning is no longer done with Evangers either.    

I don't know if it's a novel protein, but it's something different from the standard fare of chicken/turkey/beef, so I'll try it. I'm sure he'll eat it and won't keel over, or hope not  

 

[raintyger]

 
Ok, the Pheasant was Wild Calling brand, that I found at a Global Pet Foods.  Out of season, but I found a can. The trick is finding a retailer that carries or will carry Wild Calling though in Canada.  They're there, just far and few between at the moment.  I hope they keep it up because it's really a good deal $, vs. other premium options.  The ingredients really are quite good in my opinion. 

The majority of their canning is no longer done with Evangers either.    

How'd you find out about the canning? The Evanger's canning was the only major flaw with Wild Calling. Otherwise it's a pretty decent food at a good price point.

 

[southpaw]

Huh, I've never heard of pork being an issue. My cat was raw fed for a year and the bulk of his diet was raw pork - he LOVED it and did great on it. If it weren't for pork I don't think he ever would have transitioned to raw, lol he was just really unimpressed with other meats but he thought pork was awesome.

 

[jclark]

IMO..Whenever you read a website which says "Pork is bad for cats", it is because the owner of that site is merely echoing what PETCO stated on their website. These cat sites haven't a clue. PETCO basically states that pork fat globules are too large for cats and consequently it will cause cardiovascular problems. PETCO will not provide me with reference material for this statement either. None of the cat websites who say pork is bad cite a particular study either.

I've search high and low for a study attesting to such and cannot find one.

I have communicated with a couple (2) Vets both in practice and in a university via email and none have heard such a thing. I spoke with a Veternarian who is referenced on the Nature's Variety Website (Nature's Variety has some products which contain pork, pork liver, and or pork fat) and they have never heard such a thing.


So the answer to your question is nobody knows and PETCO won't divulge their source for making that statement.

 

[oneandahalfcats]

IMO..Whenever you read a website which says "Pork is bad for cats", it is because the owner of that site is merely echoing what PETCO stated on their website. PETCO will not provide me with reference material for this statement either. None of the cat websites who say pork is bed cite a particular study either.

I've search high and low for a study attesting to such and cannot find one.

I have communicated with a couple (3) Vets both in practice and in a university via email and none have heard such a thing. I spoke with a Veternarian who is referenced on the Nature's Variety Website (Nature's Variety has some products which contain pork, pork liver, and or pork fat) and they have never heard such a thing.


So the answer to your question is nobody knows and PETCO won't divulge their source for making that statement.

Well, unless a vet has undertaken advanced studies in nutrition, I find many of them don't have a lot of knowledge in this area. I would think if a vet is associated with a pet food company, he/she may have a vested interest in promoting the products that company produces. What is needed are independent studies but so far it seems there aren't any, only opinions. Below are a few I found :

Here is one Petco article that lists Pork as questionable citing the fat globules and how they are larger in Pork than in other meats : https://www.petco.com/Content/Article.aspx?id=377. I think Petco may have gotten their information from other websites and references on the subject of feeding pork.

Blog post about feeding pork to dogs : http://www.livestocktrail.illinois.edu/porknet/questionDisplay.cfm?ContentID=4084

Comments on feeding pork in raw diet : http://www.catnutrition.org/ibd.html

Article from NCBI (National Library of Medicine) featuring discussion and comments from two vets on the feeding of raw pork and fish diets to dogs and cats : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC340283/

 

[raintyger]

 
Here is one Petco article that lists Pork as questionable citing the fat globules and how they are larger in Pork than in other meats : https://www.petco.com/Content/Article.aspx?id=377. I think Petco may have gotten their information from other websites and references on the subject of feeding pork.

Thanks for the link, my Google search turned up the article, but whenever I clicked on it, it wouldn't show up.

Note that the article says it's "disageeable." I hadn't noticed that before, I wonder if it's been edited. Note also that the article specifies dogs and not cats.

And they say that raw meat is "dangerous to deadly"! Even though they sell raw food products!

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
Thanks for the link, my Google search turned up the article, but whenever I clicked on it, it wouldn't show up.

Note that the article says it's "disageeable." I hadn't noticed that before, I wonder if it's been edited. Note also that the article specifies dogs and not cats.

And they say that raw meat is "dangerous to deadly"! Even though they sell raw food products!

I think Petco moved the article as the search turned up a page not found for me too. So I searched the site and found it that way. The information is rather vague which makes me think they may have gotten it from somewhere else. Feeding raw comes with some requirements to make it safe, and while Pork may definitely be disagreeable in some pets, to classify it as dangerous is not accurate.

I edited the last reference regarding the opinions of the two vets to include cats, as the article is intended for both.

 

[mschauer]

Here's another TCS thread on the topic of pork fat globules and pork in pet food generally:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/243281/raw-pork-and-fat-globules

Edit: There is a link in one of the posts (mine) that contains responses from pet food manufacturers to the question of pork in pet food :

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2981/how-come-pet-food-never-contains-pork

 

[Willowy]

I always wondered why pet food producers didn't use more pork! :lol3: Especially when it was so cheap a few years ago. I guess I always assumed it was because of Jewish and Muslim concerns---even though a large amount of unnamed "meat" in pet food is certainly pork, I'm sure they wouldn't buy it if the label said pork. But then again I don't suppose the Jewish and Muslim pet-owning community is especially large or influential . So I don't know. It's a meat like any other meat; besides the now-inapplicable (in the US commercial meat system) problems of psuedorabies and trichinella, there's just no difference.

 

[scubacat]

The minced varieties of Nutro Natural Choice I tried to feed Jackie a couple months ago all had pork broth, and Jackie hated all of them.

Interestingly, I saw a member on here once say their picky cat finally took to wet food when they gave them the Nutro Natural Choice, and they thought it might have been due to the pork broth.

I personally would have no issue feeding Jackie pork if there was a canned food she liked with it. Like anything else though, I would not feed it to her exclusively or anything and I probably would not bother with it as a raw food as I have enough other options.

 

[jclark]

Well, unless a vet has undertaken advanced studies in nutrition, I find many of them don't have a lot of knowledge in this area. I would think if a vet is associated with a pet food company, he/she may have a vested interest in promoting the products that company produces. What is needed are independent studies but so far it seems there aren't any, only opinions. Below are a few I found :



Here is one Petco article that lists Pork as questionable citing the fat globules and how they are larger in Pork than in other meats : https://www.petco.com/Content/Article.aspx?id=377. I think Petco may have gotten their information from other websites and references on the subject of feeding pork.



Blog post about feeding pork to dogs : http://www.livestocktrail.illinois.edu/porknet/questionDisplay.cfm?ContentID=4084



Comments on feeding pork in raw diet : http://www.catnutrition.org/ibd.html



Article from NCBI (National Library of Medicine) featuring discussion and comments from two vets on the feeding of raw pork and fish diets to dogs and cats : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC340283/

Trichinella? Funny that they mention it. The CDC confirmed 66 cases over a 5 year period (2005-2007) of which 7 were related to commercial pork. How many millions of pounds of pork were consumed over those years? Not buying their concern as it seems more of a knee-jerk reaction.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5809a1.htm

 

[jclark]

Thanks for the link, my Google search turned up the article, but whenever I clicked on it, it wouldn't show up.



Note that the article says it's "disageeable." I hadn't noticed that before, I wonder if it's been edited. Note also that the article specifies dogs and not cats.



And they say that raw meat is "dangerous to deadly"! Even though they sell raw food products!

And yet they say this: https://www.petco.com/Content/Artic.../Feed-their-instincts-with-raw-nutrition.aspx


It seems they've updated their site. A few months ago they were supposed to get back to me when I call them out on the pork issue. Basically I said "your site states never feed your cat pork yet you sell pork containing cat food. Why the disconnect?"

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 

 
Well, unless a vet has undertaken advanced studies in nutrition, I find many of them don't have a lot of knowledge in this area. I would think if a vet is associated with a pet food company, he/she may have a vested interest in promoting the products that company produces. What is needed are independent studies but so far it seems there aren't any, only opinions. Below are a few I found :

Here is one Petco article that lists Pork as questionable citing the fat globules and how they are larger in Pork than in other meats : https://www.petco.com/Content/Article.aspx?id=377. I think Petco may have gotten their information from other websites and references on the subject of feeding pork.

Blog post about feeding pork to dogs : http://www.livestocktrail.illinois.edu/porknet/questionDisplay.cfm?ContentID=4084

Comments on feeding pork in raw diet : http://www.catnutrition.org/ibd.html

Article from NCBI (National Library of Medicine) featuring discussion and comments from two vets on the feeding of raw pork and fish diets to dogs and cats : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC340283/

Trichinella? Funny that they mention it. The CDC confirmed 66 cases over a 5 year period (2005-2007) of which 7 were related to commercial pork. How many millions of pounds of pork were consumed over those years? Not buying their concern as it seems more of a knee-jerk reaction.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5809a1.htm

Yes, the 66 cases over a 5 year period is pretty small, but the CDC can only document cases that it hears about involving humans. There are no such statistics involving pets unfortunately. It could very well be that there is a decline in Trichinella as people have become more aware of safe practices when it comes to handling meat, but as far as the commercial pet food industry, who knows what goes on in those factories as to whether the handling and processing of meat is being done safely?

 

[Willowy]

Trichinella has been declared not a problem in the commercial pork supply in the US (2005 was a long time ago; I think it's basically eradicated now). It has nothing to do with how the meat is handled---it's due to pigs being kept indoors with no exposure to wildlife. All the current cases are attributed to undercooked wild game meats. So don't feed your kitty raw wild boar or bear meat and you're pretty safe . Cooking the meat (as in canned foods) will kill any parasites so that shouldn't be a concern.

 

[mschauer]

Trichinella has been declared not a problem in the commercial pork supply in the US (2005 was a long time ago; I think it's basically eradicated now). It has nothing to do with how the meat is handled---it's due to pigs being kept indoors with no exposure to wildlife. All the current cases are attributed to undercooked wild game meats. So don't feed your kitty raw wild boar or bear meat and you're pretty safe

. Cooking the meat (as in canned foods) will kill any parasites so that shouldn't be a concern.

From http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5809a1.htm  with my added bold:

 The number of trichinellosis cases reported in the United States has declined since the U.S. Public Health Service began keeping records on the disease in 1947 (Figure 3). The decrease in the number of cases has mirrored the decline in the prevalence of Trichinella  in commercial pork products as a result of changes in swine production practices (3,4). Risk factors for Trichinella  infection in swine include feeding of Trichinella-infected waste products, consumption of rodents or other wildlife infected with Trichinella, and cannibalism among pigs within an infected herd (6). During the mid-20th  century, laws that required the cooking of all garbage fed to swine were passed in an effort to control porcine vesicular exanthema (1953--1954) and hog cholera (1962) (7); this single change to a long-standing industry practice is thought to have played a major role in the decrease in prevalence of Trichinella  in swine that occurred subsequently. In 1980, Congress passed the Federal Swine Health Protection Act (Public Law 96-468), which prohibited feeding potentially contaminated raw garbage to swine. In response to increasing concerns over the safety and biosecurity of the U.S. food supply, many states also have passed regulations that mandate the confinement rearing of swine, prohibit the feeding of all food waste to swine, limit swine exposure to rodents and wildlife, and ensure that dead pigs are removed from a herd immediately.

I have fed raw pork to my kitties on a regular basis for years, as have many others, with no problem.

With regards to commercial processed pet foods Trichinellosis is a non-issue because the high temperatures used during processing kills the parasite.

 

[oneandahalfcats]

Here is a information page from CDC circa 2012 on Trichinellosis - It mentions this in relation to meat products including Pork : http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html

Of important note from the information :

Am I at risk for trichinellosis?

If you eat raw or undercooked meats, particularly bear, pork, wild feline (such as a cougar), fox, dog, wolf, horse, seal, or walrus, you are at risk for trichinellosis.

How can I prevent trichinellosis?

The best way to prevent trichinellosis is to cook meat to safe temperatures. A food thermometer should be used to measure the internal temperature of cooked meat. Do not sample meat until it is cooked. USDA recommends the following for meat preparation. (See article)

Is trichinellosis common in the United States?

The number of cases decreased beginning in the mid-20th century because of legislation prohibiting the feeding of raw-meat garbage to hogs, commercial and home freezing of pork, and the public awareness of the danger of eating raw or undercooked pork products.

If the CDC is saying that its not safe for humans to consume raw or undercooked pork, why then should it be safe for cats to consume?

 

[mschauer]

 
Here is a information page from CDC circa 2012 on Trichinellosis - It mentions this in relation to meat products including Pork : http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html

Of important note from the information :

Am I at risk for trichinellosis?

If you eat raw or undercooked meats, particularly bear, pork, wild feline (such as a cougar), fox, dog, wolf, horse, seal, or walrus, you are at risk for trichinellosis.

How can I prevent trichinellosis?

The best way to prevent trichinellosis is to cook meat to safe temperatures. A food thermometer should be used to measure the internal temperature of cooked meat. Do not sample meat until it is cooked. USDA recommends the following for meat preparation. (See article)

Is trichinellosis common in the United States?

The number of cases decreased beginning in the mid-20th century because of legislation prohibiting the feeding of raw-meat garbage to hogs, commercial and home freezing of pork, and the public awareness of the danger of eating raw or undercooked pork products.

If the CDC is saying that its not safe for humans to consume raw or undercooked pork, why then should it be safe for cats to consume?

None of that says it "isn't safe" to eat raw or undercooked pork:

What it does say is that with regards to *all* undercooked meat but with an emphasis on bear, pork, etc, there is *a risk* of trichinellosis. And there is ... *a risk*. There is absolutely no way to guarantee any meat product is completely free of any risk when consumed whether cooked, partially cooked or raw. Given any particular meat and the way it is cooked you have to consider how likely a particular risk is, not just whether it is theoretically possible.

I understand how others might still be concerned but I'm personally satisfied that today any risks from raw or undercooked pork, in the US anyway, are greatly diminished from what they were in the past to the point that the risks are minimal to non-existent.

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
None of what you posted says it "isn't safe" to eat raw or undercooked pork:

This says that with regards to *all* undercooked meat but with an emphasis on bear, pork, etc, there is *a risk* of trichinellosis. And there is ... *a risk*. There is absolutely no way to guarantee any meat product is completely free of any risk when consumed whether cooked, partially cooked or raw. Given any particular meat and the way it is cooked you have to consider how likely a particular risk is, not just whether it is theoretically possible.

Are the words 'isn't safe' really that necessary here given what CDC is saying? How would anyone know if a pork product contained the trichinellosis worms unless they had the meat analyzed. By eating raw or undercooked pork, the risk is, that it may contain trichinellosis! Seems pretty straight-forward to me. I think as someone mentioned, the risk with canned pork products is probably greatly reduced due to the cooking involved in the process.

 

[furmonster mom]

One thing that I have to remember when reading government statements is that they make them more "black and white" because of the public's lowest common denominator.  It's a "cover your a55" tactic.  Because you KNOW if they actually said "but hey, there are exceptions such as...", then some idiot will come along and point to the exception as an excuse for their own idiocy.

Same reason the AVMA has encouraged vets to discourage raw feeding.

Same reason the Agricultural Dept. doesn't tell us how to can chili with meat.

Same reason selling raw, farm fresh milk has been turned into a crime.

etc.,

etc.,

etc.,.

 

[chloe16]

 
I read a lot of canned food ingredients as well, and the only thing I can suggest is that there must be quite a few more unique canned food diets in the states that are just not common place everywhere else? I don't see pork as being that common here in Canada.

It would be interesting to see a list of these pet foods you are aware of that contain pork, for comparison.

This is the only one I have been able to find here in Canada and its petsmarts brand thats pork "Simply Nourish Pork"

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=17590806&lmdn=Food&f=PAD/psNotAvailInCA/No