I noticed recently that as per information on the Wysong web site Call of the Wild, used as a pre-mix supplement by some raw feeders, appears to have a very high level of iodine. I contacted a Wysong representative to verify the information on the web site and was told me that it is actually incorrect. The web site says COTW contains 94.5 mg/kg DM but the company rep says it is actually 45.5 mg/kg DM. But even the lower value is a concern to me.
Based on the information from the company rep, 1 tsp of COTW = 3.6 g (which also differs from what is on the web site) and contains 45.5 mg I/kg DM. That works out to be 9.7 mg I/kg DM.
There is much conflicting opinion over the recommended amount of iodine for cats but all opinions are far below what is in COTW:
AAFCO : 0.35 mg/kg DM
FEDIAF : 0.5 mg/kg DM
NRC: 1.4 mg/kg DM
According to one study the NRC recommendation seems to be considered too high:
http://www.2ndchance.info/lowIodine-Wedekind2009.pdf
Most recent sources I've found put the recommended iodine intake for cats at 0.46 mg/kg DM.
There is no determined safe upper limit for iodine intake in cats but the above study suggests 5.8 mg/kg DM which agrees with what I've seen elsewhere.
I don't think it can be definitively stated that COTW contains an unsafe level of iodine but there does seem to be evidence that it may well. Given the believed correlation between hyperthyroidism and dietary iodine levels that are either too high or too low I think anyone using COTW might want to consider changing to another product.
Based on the information from the company rep, 1 tsp of COTW = 3.6 g (which also differs from what is on the web site) and contains 45.5 mg I/kg DM. That works out to be 9.7 mg I/kg DM.
There is much conflicting opinion over the recommended amount of iodine for cats but all opinions are far below what is in COTW:
AAFCO : 0.35 mg/kg DM
FEDIAF : 0.5 mg/kg DM
NRC: 1.4 mg/kg DM
According to one study the NRC recommendation seems to be considered too high:
http://www.2ndchance.info/lowIodine-Wedekind2009.pdf
Most recent sources I've found put the recommended iodine intake for cats at 0.46 mg/kg DM.
There is no determined safe upper limit for iodine intake in cats but the above study suggests 5.8 mg/kg DM which agrees with what I've seen elsewhere.
I don't think it can be definitively stated that COTW contains an unsafe level of iodine but there does seem to be evidence that it may well. Given the believed correlation between hyperthyroidism and dietary iodine levels that are either too high or too low I think anyone using COTW might want to consider changing to another product.