Should I consider a grain free diet for my cat?

As reviewed in the last newsletter, the new “Grain Free” craze for both dog and cat foods has very little merit.  Most pet food companies say that the reason their products are “Grain Free” is to prevent food allergies.  As discussed last month, both dogs AND cats are usually allergic to the protein in the pet food they are consuming.  Grains contain very little protein (corn is only 8% protein and 80% starch, and rice has less than 10 % protein).  So, claiming that grain free pet food leads to fewer food allergies cannot be substantiated.  Grains are VERY low on the lists of things that dogs and cats can become allergic to.

True or False – Cats are true carnivores

This is true.  Protein metabolism of cats is unique.  Kittens require 50% more protein than puppies to support growth.  The relative maintenance requirement for protein in the adult cat is even higher:  adult cats need about 200% more protein than adult dogs

True or False – Cats have amino acids that are essential to their health and MUST be in their cat food

This is true as well.  Cat food must have arginine, taurine and methionine to be nutritionally complete for cats.    This is why it is SO IMPORTANT that cats and kittens be fed products designed for them, and NOT dog food.

True or False  – Cats should not eat carbohydrates because they are carnivores.

False:  Although it is true that cats are carnivores and have a high dietary protein requirement, cats can use carbohydrates efficiently for energy.  The starch levels found in commercial cat foods (up to 35% of the food’s dry matter) are well tolerated.

True or False  - Cats should not eat carbohydrates because of the risk for diabetes

False:  Currently available evidence does not support a direct cause and effect relationship between increased carbohydrate intake and diabetes in cats.  Doctors at Care Animal Hospital do recommend a canned food diet plan (which usually does mean less carbohydrates) for diabetic cats because ONCE DIAGNOSED with diabetes, it has been proven that most diabetic cats require less insulin and do better overall when fed canned food. 

Suggestions in feeding cats:  The doctors at Care Animal Hospital recommend feeding a high quality dry as well as canned cat or kitten product to support growth.   As mentioned before, Purina’s Pro Plan and ONE, Hills Science Diet foods, Iams, and Royal Canin products are ones that are well studied and have been formulated to meet the needs of the age group they are intended for (cats or kittens).  These companies have veterinary nutritionists on staff formulating their foods. 

Next month – what do the terms Organic, Natural and Holistic REALLY MEAN?

What about using a "grain free" diet for my dog?

Dr. Paige Garnett's Food Corner

This month I'm going to talk about the new focus on "Grain Free" diets for pets and whether or not these diets truly help animals with suspected food allergies.  This article will focus on grain-free diets for dogs. 

 

Here are some nutritional facts to consider when listening to the new hype about these diets.

 

1.  Corn, wheat, rice  and soy are usually innocent when accused of causing food allergies in dogs.

 

2.  The recent negative thoughts about food grains as pet food ingredients may be myths started by small pet food companies as a way to compete with larger, established companies. 

 

3.  The idea that grains are negative comes from no current data.  There are excellent diets that contain one or more grains.

 

4.  Saying that these ingredients are "common causes of food allergies" is not accurate.

 

5.  If someone in marketing puts on a bag of dog food "Contains no soy" that immediately suggests something is WRONG with soy.  Then a consumer goes home, sees that soy is in the product they are feeding, and assumes they should stop feeding that food.  It is a marketing strategy with no facts or data to back up their implied  "warning".

 

6.  Food allergy is an abnormal immune response only to a protein, not to a fat or carbohydrate.  Corn is 8 % protein and 80% carbohydrate, and rice has less than 10% protein.  These grains are very rarely incriminated in a food allergy problem.

 

In summary, if a pet food says a grain-free diet will help a dog with allergies, that would be a company I would be suspicious of - as only a dog that has an allergy to a specific grain would improve on a grain-free diet, and grain allergies are quite rare. 

 

Next month - "How about grain free diets for cats?" 

Dr. Garnett's Food Corner: Some of the factors that make pet food brands different

Dr. Garnett's Food Corner: 

Since so many clients are confused about the wide array of products on the market for their pets, Dr. Garnett will be sharing a few of her ideas on how people can make intelligent choices about what to feed.

 

Click here to see last month's article:  What can you tell from the pet food bag?

 

This month I'm going to talk about some of the factors that do make pet foods different.  

      Commercial pet food diets are all processed and cooked in a similar fashion.  The big differences between the pet foods are in the quality of ingredients used, and how well they control manufacturing quality.  Higher price does not always mean higher quality; it may simply mean more profit for the pet food company.  I worry about diets from pet food marketing-distribution companies that don't make their own foods.  I think they may potentially fluctuate more from batch to batch than a company where it's all done in-house. 

     What do I recommend?  I strongly recommend using a food from one of the larger pet food manufacturing companies like Royal Canin, Hill's Pet Nutrition that makes Science Diet products, Nestle Purina, and Iams PetCare.  They will control all aspects of development, manufacturing and sales, so there is more company oversight of the pet food process.  These are also the companies that are investing in research that promotes veterinary medicine and veterinary nutrition.  They are pushing the bounds of what we know about improving health and treating disease through diets.  In contrast, a pet food marketing company may outsource all of the food development and manufacturing to a third party, which makes the food and returns it to the company to sell. 

     Next month - what about Grain Free Diets? 

What can you tell from the pet food bag? Dr. Garnett's September Food Corner Article

Dr. Garnett's Food Corner: 

Since so many clients are confused about the wide array of products on the market for their pets, Dr. Garnett will be sharing a few of her ideas on how people can make intelligent choices about what to feed.
 

Today's lesson:  What can you tell from the pet food bag? 

Dr. Garnett's answer - not a lot.  It is very difficult to look at the bag and determine the quality of the ingredients in the bag.  You also can't tell manufacturing quality either.  Some things to look at that are important:  Find the AAFCO seal (required on all non-prescription pet food) and look for the words "FEEDING TRIALS" instead of the word "formulated."  Pet food does not have to have been fed to the animals it is designed for, believe it or not, so a product tested with dogs or cats is going to be more reliable.  ALSO - look for the lifestage the food is designed for.  If you see the words "suitable for dogs (or cats) of all ages" - this is the same as saying puppy or kitten food.  A lot of these products have extra calories to support younger animals, so older pets may gain weight when eating these foods. To ensure optimum health and achieve an appropriate nutrient balance, it is better to feed a product appropriate for the life stage of your pet.  For example:  'suitable for health and maintenance of adult dogs'  would be good for dogs between 1 and 7 years of age, or for cats 1-10 years of age.

 

Coming up in future newsletters:

1)  What about grain free foods?

2)  Raw diets - should I be looking into these?

"Marley" and Ms. B. - A Relationship Built on Unconditional Love

We have all heard the tales of the dog that saves the owner who fell through the ice on a fishing trip or collapses during a seizure.  Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the cat who managed to evacuate his family from a blazing home by dipping his feet in the toilet and walking across their sleepy faces during the wee hours of the night.   These stories may seem just that, stories; but the truth is, they happen every day.

Animals of every breed have been fondly remembered as champions or saviors to their human companions.  Their heroic deeds are recounted to friends and family of all ages and become legendary. 

My father told me a story that helped me know as a youngster that I wanted to become a veterinarian more than anything else in the world.  As kids, we were fortunate to live on a cattle ranch.  It was pretty much heaven!  All the animals and outdoors a kid could ever want was readily available!

My dad was managing several ranches in Southeast Colorado at the time.  He was checking pens in a remote field when he noticed a down cow.  Dad dismounted his horse and approached the cow.  As it happened, a coyote had been lingering nearby.  As my father was walking toward the cow, the coyote moved in toward my father.  But, Dad remained focused on the cow.

When he was next to the hurt animal, he watched something amazing.  The other cows in the herd began to encircle him and the injured cow.   Their heads were all aimed outward to literally stare down the coyote.  They had created a 360 degree barrier between Dad and the coyote.  The coyote apparently knew that he had lost this battle and went along his way, quite unfulfilled. 

A cow, let alone a herd of cattle, would be the last animal that one would think of when considering the human-animal bond; but they are as devoted an animal as the dog sleeping by your bed at night.

A Care Animal Hospital client, Ms. B, spoke of a life-changing event involving her Rottweiler, Marley.  Ms. B was experiencing some health issues at the time.  As she was resting at home, Marley would repeatedly approach her and gently place his paw on Ms. B’s left breast.  She had been seeing a specialist for a suspected lump in the right breast which the biopsy revealed to be benign.  That was great news!  Still, Marley continued to place his paw on or near Ms. B’s left breast. 

At a follow-up appointment with her physician, Ms. B mentioned Marley’s behavior to the doctor.  He repeated the breast exam and mammogram.  A suspicious area was now apparent on the film on the left side.  Ms. B elected to pursue a bilateral radical mastectomy.  When the results from the pathologist revealed a malignant tumor in the mass from the left breast, she knew she had something special in Marley.  Marley saved her life. 

Ms. B has recovered well and we anxiously await her report card indicating she is cancer-free!!!  Ms. B was fortunate enough to have a doctor who apparently understood the strength of the human-animal bond along with a dog who continues to bless her daily life.

We will always hear wonderful tales of amazing animals.  Somehow, these never grow old.  Their courage and self-sacrifice comes naturally.  They do not seek fame or praise.  They live to do the right thing all the time.  Sure, they’ll eat your favorite shoe or scratch your furniture. But, when push comes to shove, they’ll have your back every time.

New Food Can Help Cats With Hyperthyroidism

Meet Justy R. and  Digby J., two cats that were diagnosed with hyperthyroidism by Dr. Garnett of Care Animal Hospital in the last 3 months and started on a NEW FOOD, Y/D, being used to control this relatively common but life threatening disease of older cats.

Digby

Justy

What is hyperthyroidism?  Hyperthyroidism is a disease of cats over 8 years old that is caused most of the time by a benign (non-cancerous) tumor on the thyroid gland, a bi-lobed gland that is found in the neck.  Human beings can get hyperthyroidism as well (known as Grave’s disease).  Dogs do not get hyperthyroidism (they actually can commonly get hypothyroidism, a low thyroid problem).

What happens to cats with hyperthyroidism?  Hyperthyroid cats will usually come in to the hospital having lost a great deal of weight in the last few months.  Often, they look almost like skeletons covered in fur, but are behaving quite normally.  The owners will usually report that they have been eating a lot, sometimes drinking a lot, and sometimes having problems with loose stool, but the most striking sign is the amazing amount of weight they have lost. 

What does a veterinarian find in examining a cat that has hyperthyroidism?  Usually, on the physical exam, the veterinarian will note the extreme degree of weight loss as well as a very fast heart rate (the extra thyroid hormone is causing the heart to beat faster).  Sometimes there is a heart murmur heard. Since the heart has been beating so fast for so long, it can grow thicker and the valves can have trouble closing (causing a heart murmur).    Hyperthyroidism leads to heart failure in untreated cats.

What test (s) are used to diagnose hyperthyroidism?   Since older cats can have other diseases that look a lot like hyperthyroidism (kidney failure, diabetes mellitus, cancer), doctors of Care Animal Hospital will recommend a full blood panel that includes a thyroid level (total T4) , a full blood panel, and a urinalysis (examination of the urine) to see how the other organs are functioning.  It is important to see how the kidneys are doing, because sometimes they have been benefiting from the excess blood flow coming to them from the fast heart rate, and it’s important to know how they look (from a blood work and urinalysis point of view) before slowing the heart rate down by normalizing the thyroid hormone level.

What happens next?   Once hyperthyroidism is confirmed, there are generally two options:  either the cat is started on a drug called methimazole, which is given orally or through the skin on the ear flaps (transdermally) two times a day to interfere with thyroid hormone production, OR they can be started on a NEW FOOD, Y/D, that was formulated by a company known as Hills to treat hyperthyroid cats.

What is so special about this food?  This food was formulated over a 10 year period in an effort to minimize the amount of iodine in the food, an important component of thyroid hormone.  Most cats on this food will not receive enough iodine for the body to make excessive amounts of thyroid hormone.

Now what?  Can the cat eat this food for a lifetime?    Blood tests are performed on the cat after 1 and 2 months no matter which program is followed to see how the level of thyroid hormone is responding to the treatment drug or food, and to BE SURE the kidneys are still functioning well.  If the kidneys show problems, the doctor will advise the next step.  If the food or drug is working well for the cat, and the kidneys are doing OK with less blood flow, the cat  can theoretically stay on the food or drug for the rest of his life.  If the cat is one of the younger ones diagnosed, or the owners want to “cure” the problem, the cat is referred to a specialty facility (often the CSU veterinary teaching hospital) for a radioactive iodide treatment in an attempt to destroy the tumor and cure the cat.  This therapy is usually quite successful and the cat won’t need drug therapy or special food anymore. 

What if I need more information?   The doctors of Care Animal Hospital would be happy to discuss this disease further with you, and provide handouts that go into more detail the facts about hyperthyroidism in cats.  

George and his very, very painful mouth

Meet George B.  He is a handsome, 3 year old cat owned by his devoted owner Nancy.  He saw Dr. Garnett in March of 2011 and she discovered some reddened, sensitive gum tissue in his mouth plus some tartar on his teeth, and a very bad mouth odor.

Ouch!  George's gums are very inflamed. 

His owner was willing to try brushing his teeth, and did this for several months. Still, at the end of that time, George was showing some extreme pain upon mouth manipulation and the infected gums had not improved. Dr. Garnett recommended a dental cleaning and anticipated having to take all of his cheek teeth out due to the very infected gum tissue.

George’s dental cleaning and extractions took place on 6/28/11. What was discovered at the time, with the use of the digital dental x-ray capability at Care Animal Hospital, was that along with his severe gum disease, he had a disease known as Feline Resorptive Syndrome, where the enamel and underlying dentin is dissolved by the cat’s body. As can be seen on the x-rays from George that day, large chunks of teeth were missing, and others were being forced out of their sockets.

These two radiographs show the significant bone loss that George's cheek teeth had prior to treatment.

George returned a month later for a check-up and Nancy reported that he felt much better with the teeth removed. There was no mouth odor and no pain. He still has his front canine teeth, so outwardly no one can tell that he is missing his cheek teeth, and he’s a much happier cat without teeth, George can still eat dry food since only 30% of cats chew their food, and he is not one of them. Thanks to the devotion of his owner, Nancy, George is no longer in pain and will have a much happier dental future.

George's mouth following treatment