I was surfing this morning looking for interesting pet news. I came across a scary incident with implications for none other than Yvonne!
It appears that a pet food manufacturer is recalling a couple of brands of their cat food after reports of neurological problems in cats in the Rochester, New York area. These are NOT Purina brands by the way.
The Manufacturer is Diamond Pet Foods and the brands involved are Premium Edge Finicky Adult cat food and Premium Edge Hairball Cat food. Here is their recall notice.
It appears that these products are deficient in vitamin B1 or Thiamin. Thiamin deficiencies in cats can cause ataxia and convulsive seizures in cats. It looks like the vitamin pre-mix that goes into these products may be deficient in this key B vitamin.
It got me to thinking about the unique nutritional needs of cats. As the saying goes, "Cats are NOT Small Dogs," when it comes to nutrition.
We've talked about the need for more protein in their diets on several occasions. We've also discussed their needs for specific amino acids, essential fatty acids and the need to encourage cats to take in as much water as possible.
I came across a National Academy of Sciences' pamphlet on cat food that is among the most comprehensive I've seen. I know almost all of the authors of this report. They are well respected Veterinarians and Nutritionists from academia and the private sector. This cat food primer does a great job of separating the wheat from the chaff and is free of any marketing bias.
No worries, here, Dr. Larry. I feed Wabby Purina cat chow senior. She loves it!
I hope other Rochester cat Moms and Dads take note.
Posted by: Yvonne DiVita | October 24, 2009 at 08:00 AM