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I am just wondering if tuna from a can (supermarket bought) is bad for the cats. Stewie and Rupert took a lick and I stopped them. I am not sure if it is safe for them to eat or not. Anyone knows? Thanks!
You should try Solid Gold's Blended Tuna pouch for cats...it smells & looks better than people-tuna & our guys love it (even our dry-food-guy!)Originally Posted by watchcaddy
I am just wondering if tuna from a can (supermarket bought) is bad for the cats. Stewie and Rupert took a lick and I stopped them. I am not sure if it is safe for them to eat or not. Anyone knows? Thanks!
I think the issue is with amounts. A cat fed exclusively a human tuna diet is at risk to have some difficiencies at some point. Moderation is the key.Originally Posted by ddcats
Just my experience, I have been giving my cat human tuna along with quality dry (Innova). I am going to switch to California dry because the Innova has potato in it. She is nine now and a beautiful cat without any health problems.
Heck, I am not taking any chances with any commercial canned food. Ever since I owned cats, I have always fed them tuna without any problems. Like the other poster said, just watch out for small bones.
Long ago, I have always thought canned cat and dog food was absolutely gross. After opening up the can and seeing the contents always made me think it looked like vomit.
Who is putting out these claims about human tuna not being good for cats anyway?
So sorry to you lost your beloved cat, 20 years, that certainly is a long time.Originally Posted by chopperbates
I fed my kitty tuna his whole life before I knew that is supposed to be really bad for cats. However, he passed away a year ago at the age of 20, so I guess it couldn't have been that bad if he lived that long. Now that I know better I don't feed it to my new kitties, but with all the recalls, it's so hard to know what's safe!
The previous poster is one instance, and probably did not eat only tuna. Cat's are not scavengers. Scavengers are animals that eat dead carcasses. Cat's are hunters that instinctively seek out prey that will fulfill their nutritional needs. Since they were descendent from desert creatures - where no fish are present - they never ate fish on a regular basis. As such, their biology adapted to survive without it.Originally Posted by ddcats
My cats get their vitamins from the quality dry food.
Cats in the wild are scavengers who eat anything: mice, rabbit, moles, birds, insects, fish, etc.
I know my cats are happy without any health problems.
It would be nice to have some documentation showing the statistics of cats who were fed tuna exclusively for years and the damage it caused.
The previous poster's cat lived to be 20 without any problems.
Noelle&Oliver;1747440 said:Taken from Mindy Bough, veterinary technician for the ASPCA Pet Nutrition and Science Advisory Service.
Tuna does not contain significant amounts of vitamin E, for example, so too much of the fish can lead to vitamin E deficiency, resulting in yellow fat disease, or steatitis. Symptoms include loss of appetite, fever and hypersensitivity to touch, due to inflammation and necrosis of fat under the skin. Felines who are fed too much tuna can develop other nutrient deficiencies, too, because most de-boned fish are lacking in calcium, sodium, iron, copper and several other vitamins. Without proper care, steatitis can cause death. Mercury, frequently present in tuna, also presents a potential danger.
The human variety of tuna fish contains an enzyme that destroys vitamin B1 (thiamine). Cats who regularly eat tuna can develop a vitamin B1 deficiency, which results in neurological symptoms like dilated eyes, loss of equilibrium, seizures and death if this vitamin is not replaced. The scientific name of this disease is polioencephlomalacia.
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Very good information! Can you find actual case studies? I see this info all over about tuna, but, have yet to come across scientific studies.
You won't be satisfied unless there was an actual study done? So, if a study concluded that tuna is totally acceptable to feed exclusively, you'd still do it, despite the fact that all these other conditions and illness were reported in cat's fed tuna exclusively? Many companies still claim that plant based dry food is acceptable for felines, even though it's known to cause many health issues and is not a species appropriate diet.Originally Posted by ddcats
Very good information! Can you find actual case studies? I see this info all over about tuna, but, have yet to come across scientific studies.