Monday, July 17, 2017

Tidy Cats Breeze System.

Just wanted to share one of the litter systems we like and heartily recommend.

https://www.tidycats.com/products/breeze/

  This is really awesome. It is it's own box - clean and easy. 
* Non- Tracking Pellets.
 *No Dust ! So easier on allergies !
* Never handle wet messes again ! 


I do have to say from experience that stepping on way ward pellets is akin to stepping on your children's Lego's ! OUCH !  So be sure to sweep up as needed.
If you follow the link above - you can even print out a coupon to get you started.  There is a help line for those who might be having a wee bit o trouble transitioning fluffy over.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Somethings Fishy Here - But Maybe it Shouldn't Be!

Many people are still under the impression that feeding fish  is somehow not only necessary but good for your cat.  And while like most things, a small treat now and again is fine - long term feeding of fish is just a big NO No. 

Fish  is touted as a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids, and that is true. However ! and this is a big however - they are also a great "source" of  toxic metals, industrial chemicals and pesticidesRemember the recent Australian pet food that was recalled just this past May 2017? Well that was for the toxic metal mercury, from their tuna production.(source 2 cited)

And to add injury , well to potential injury -  most fish meal in commercial pet foods contains the potentially deadly preservative ethoxyquin, as well as mycotoxins (source 1 cited)(source 4 cited)

 
 Toxic preservatives and allergies (including asthma),can be caused by  too much fish in your pet’s diet can over time also creating a thiamine (Vit B1) and vitamin E deficiencies (we will cover this topic later), and health problems associated with too much dietary iodine and magnesium.

Vit B1 , otherwise known as thiamine ,  is a water-soluble vitamin necessary for normal carbohydrate metabolism in cats. Because it is  not stored in the body and therefore quickly depleted when a cat is fed an inadequate diet or goes without food for any period of time. It is, therefore, important to ensure the diet contains adequate amounts of this vitamin.Thiamine deficiency results in serious, potentially life threatening symptoms, many of which are neurological in origin.  These symptoms can include :
  • Ventriflexion (bending towards the floor) or curling of the neck
  • Incoordination
  • Abnormal or spastic gait
  • Circling
  • Falling
  • Head tilt
  • Dilated pupils
  • Opisthotonos (backward arching of the head, neck, and spine)
  • Stupor
  • Seizures
All of these symptoms are seen generally only after long term dietary inefficiencies .  And are often preceded by :
  Excess salivation
   Depressed appetite
    and weight loss

Most vets, in my opinion , would not be looking at these symptoms as anything other than a short lived local cat flu,  believing most commercial cat food to be sufficient in needed enzymes and vitamins. '

But specifically for this article we are talking about fish. And some types of fish - can by themselves cause this deficiency .
 
 cod, catfish, carp, and herring are just some of the specific types of fish that can result in Vit B deficiencies , and are not recommended to be fed ever to your kitty. (source 3 cited)

Thankfully most of these symptoms if caught and diagnosed in time can be treated if not reversed.






















Source 1 -  http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/01/03/fish-as-a-protein-source.aspx
Source 2 -  http://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/6464-australian-cat-food-recalled-after-illness-and-deaths
Source 2 Cont'd -
 http://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/6481-low-thiamine-cat-food-maybe-caused-australian-cat-deaths?v=preview
Source 3 -  http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/digestive/c_ct_vitamin_b1_thiamine_deficiency
Source 4 - http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/why-fish-is-dangerous-for-cats/

 

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Nutrition Key Role To Coat Color

This is an excellent article that once again proves how so very important nutrition , meat , raw meat is to cats. More so than in other species , cats are carnivores - I cant say it , stress it enough. Without raw meat in their diet , they fail to thrive and can end up  much more predisposed to long term conditions such as diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease and thyroid issues. 

Full credit goes to the author , I am simply sharing this information.

This article can be found here - why-is-my-black-cat-turning-reddy-brown

 

WHY IS MY BLACK CAT TURNING REDDISH BROWN? THEY COULD HAVE A TYROSINE DEFICIENCY IN THEIR DIET.

Did you know that black cats can lose their colour and their fur (hair) can turn a reddish-brown if they don’t have enough meat in their diet?
There is a genetic component to having a completely black coat and your cat will need the ‘black cat gene’ to be black all over. In addition, to keep a black coat dark and in ideal condition he or she will also require a good amount of the amino acid Tyrosine. Tyrosine is required for the creation of eumelanin, the pigment that makes your cat’s fur black. A sign of a tyrosine deficiency in cats is discolouration of the coat, turning the fur from black to a rusty reddish/orange colour. It commonly starts with the fur changing colour pigmentation at the tips.
There are other potential reasons that a black cat’s coat may change colour and turn to a red/brown colour. However, most issues for a cat’s coat to change to a ginger-brown colour are still related to a deficiency in tyrosine which is caused by either a lack of animal protein nutrition (meat or fish) in a healthy diet or a problem with the cat metabolising or absorbing tyrosine even if it is readily available.

TYROSINE DEFICIENCY IN CATS 


Tyrosine is an amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. There are 20 known amino acids of which 10 are essential for dogs and 11 are essential for cats. Essential in this instance means that they have to be provided in the diet as the dog or cat cannot produce them in the body.
Two of the 20 known amino acids are phenylalanine and tyrosine. Strictly speaking, cats only need phenylalanine in the diet because they can produce tyrosine from this. However, extra dietary sources of tyrosine can be useful for some cats. Both phenylalanine and tyrosine are found in animal products such as meat and fish. Interestingly, rice is one grain that contains good levels of tyrosine but with cats being carnivores and able to digest animal protein more efficiently than carbohydrate, meat or fish are still the best dietary sources.
Tyrosine has many roles in the body including being an important component of neurotransmitters in the brain and thyroid hormones. However, it also helps to produce melanin which is the pigment responsible for hair colour. Therefore, cats with a tyrosine deficiency have difficulty producing melanin which causes a black cat to turn a reddish brown colour (this is also known as “rusting”).
A sign of a tyrosine deficiency in cats is discolouration of the coat, turning the fur from black to a rusty reddish/orange colour. 

COPPER DEFICIENCY IN A CAT’S DIET

Although it’s not common, a deficiency of the mineral copper can cause depigmentation of coloured coats, causing a black cat’s coat to turn a brown colour. This is because copper is required to turn the amino acid tyrosine to the pigment melanin. Copper has many other roles including being a component of several enzymes as well as being necessary for the normal absorption and transport of iron. Dietary sources of copper include liver and some grains, however pet foods are usually supplemented with copper to ensure pets get everything they need.

OTHER CONDITIONS THAT CAN CAUSE DISCOLORATION OF A CAT’S COAT 

http://www.catforum.com/forum/39-breeding/195233-red-undercoat-black-cats.html
Certain health conditions that interfere with the metabolism of tyrosine may also cause a black coat to turn brown. For example liver disease. This is because Phenylalanine is converted to tyrosine in the liver. Thyroid and kidney problems have also been implicated as a cause for a change in coat colour.

OVER-EXPOSURE TO SUNSHINE

There are anecdotal reports stating that too much sunshine can turn a black cat brown. However, there does not seem to be any research to back up these claims.

AND FINALLY…

As carnivores, cats must derive their energy and nutrients from a diet exclusively or mainly from animal tissue (meat). Apart from tyrosine, they also require meat as a source of many other essential amino acids including taurine, arginine, cysteine and methionine. If you are concerned that your black cat is turning a reddish brown colour* the first and most simple way to resolve this may be to choose a diet with a higher meat content. Check the back of food packets, pouches and tins and remember - a higher meat content is usually tastier and is more suited to the natural physiology of our feline friends.
*If your cat has a concurrent disease such as liver, kidney or thyroid problems you should discuss any change of diet with your veterinary surgeon before switching to a higher meat diet.

REFERENCES:

Cats require more dietary phenylalanine or tyrosine for melanin deposition in hair than for maximal growth. J Nutr. 2002 Jul;132(7):2037-42.
What is T4? How is the T4 Test Used to Diagnose Hyperthyroidism in my Cat?
Fascetti A.J, Delaney S.J (2012) Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition, Wiley-Blackwell.
Linda P. Case, Leighann Daristotle, Michael G. Hayek, Melody Foess Raasch (2011)Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals, 3rd edn., : Mosby.