Dr. Barchas, I am very concerned about the peanut
butter that I have been giving my three dogs for at
least a year. It is organic p.b. but I have done
some research and have learned that the organic
may have a higher level of aflatoxin than the
normal crappy p.b. So, what I want to know is,
has the aflatoxin already injured my dogs livers?
I am totally guilt-ridden and worried. I am pretty sure
that I am not the only one that shares his
breakfast with his friends, sad thing is, some
people that do this are unaware of the dangers of
mold.

Tucson, Az.

Aflatoxins are produced by molds that grow on grains or legumes. They are extremely toxic and carcinogenic.

Aflatoxins occasionally make their way into the food supplies of humans and pets. In late 2005 and early 2006 aflatoxins in dog food were linked to the deaths of at least 23 pets.

Some scientists have speculated that preservative-free organic foods may be more likely to contain aflatoxins because mold is more likely to thrive in the absence of preservatives. I have not seen proof of this, and I wonder whether the scientists who make these claims work for companies that produce heavily processed foods.

In dogs, the most common effect of aflatoxin ingestion is sudden liver failure. Dogs with liver failure typically lose their appetites and become lethargic. They may suffer from vomiting or diarrhea, and their eyes, gums, and skin may take on a yellow color (a condition called jaundice or icterus).

Mr. Cohen, if your dogs are not ill I sincerely doubt that they have been exposed to significant amounts of aflatoxin. Also, when aflatoxin-contaminated food is discovered, the manufacturer inevitably recalls the product among a storm of media attention. If your peanut butter has not been in the news, it probably isn’t dangerous.

Photo credit: Piccolo Namek.

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My cat has small scabs on her body. She does not
go out doors, and has no contact with other
animals. I am feeding her dry food for hairball and weight
control, as well as wet food once a day. Could
this be food related? Is there something I should
be putting on the small sores? Should I remove
the scabs? I am in a wheelchair, and it is very
difficult to transport her to a vet.
Thanks,

Frances
Rochester NY

There is a chance that your cat’s problem is related to food. However, there is a greater chance that fleas are causing the problem.

Many different issues can cause cats to develop scabs on their bodies. Allergic reactions, skin infections with bacteria or fungus, skin parasites and immune system diseases may all cause problems such as the ones you describe.

Of the possible causes, allergic reactions are most common. And flea allergy is the most likely culprit. Cats that are allergic to fleas often develop a syndrome called miliary dermatitis. These cats develop small scabs all over their bodies. There may be an especially heavy distribution of scabs near the tail and around the neck.

Therefore, the first step I would recommend is high-quality flea control.

What if your cat doesn’t have fleas? Flea control should still be the first step. A pet does not require a visible flea infestation to suffer from flea allergies. Nor does she need to go outdoors or come into contact with other pets.

I do not recommend applying ointments to the affected areas of skin. I also don’t recommend removing the scabs. Both of these actions may make the problem worse.

Although it may be difficult to orchestrate, a trip to the vet is the best option for your cat. And if flea control doesn’t help with the problem, a veterinary checkup is really your only option.

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Diabetes mellitus, also known simply as diabetes, is a disease that is characterized by chronically high blood sugar levels. It leads to increased thirst, pathological weight loss, poor quality hair, weakness and neurological problems. If it is not treated, diabetes ultimately kills affected cats.

Feline diabetes is similar to type 2 (adult onset) diabetes in humans. Obesity is a known risk factor for the disease.

Many people, including many veterinarians, have speculated that commercial cat foods, especially dry foods, also contribute to the development of diabetes in cats.

In the wild, cats eat a diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Commercial foods, especially dry foods, have high levels of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are readily converted to sugar in the body. Therefore, chronically high levels of carbohydrates in feline diets may contribute to the development of diabetes.

In theory, this makes sense. However, theories like this are easy to test. Take two groups of cats: one that eats dry food, another that eats wet food. Control for confounding variables such as obesity, age and breed. Compare rates of diabetes.

The April, 2008 NAVC Clinician’s Brief contains a summary of just such a study. From the summary:

Analysis of data . . . showed no significant correlation between dry food consumption and development of [diabetes mellitus]. Since dry cat food has a much greater carbohydrate content than canned, high carbohydrate intake also did not appear to be a risk factor.

In my opinion the conclusion that carbohydrate consumption is not linked to diabetes may be a bit of a stretch (I feel that the study was not comprehensive enough to draw such a broad conclusion). However, the study does provide solid evidence that dry food is not specifically linked to increased risk of diabetes.

• Can Cats Eat Dog Food, and Vice-Versa?
• Does Pet Food Cause Health Problems?
• Is Organic Peanut Butter Dangerous for Dogs?
• Why is my Cat Covered With Scabs?
• Salmonella Scare Leads to Recall of Pedigree and Other Dog Foods

I have two cats and a dog. They eat dry food that
is left on the floor, in food servers, as they
wish. They are all healthy and not overweight. The
problem is, the dog likes the cat food best and
one cat prefers the dog food. Is this bad for
them?

Susan
Asan, Republic of Korea

Dogs and cats have unique nutritional needs. High quality foods are specifically tailored to the dietary requirements of the intended species. Therefore, it is not wise to feed an exclusive diet of dog food to cats, nor cat food to dogs.

Cats most definitely cannot subsist on dog food alone. Their dietary needs are harder to meet than those of dogs. For instance, cats must consume an amino acid called taurine to prevent heart problems. Dogs do not need to consume taurine–they can synthesize it internally. Therefore, cat foods are supplemented with taurine. Dog foods generally are not.

Because dogs are natural scavengers (cats are natural predators), their dietary requirements are less stringent than those of cats. Some cat foods may, in fact, be nutritionally replete for dogs. Others are not. However, cat foods are generally richer and more fattening than dog foods. Dogs that eat cat food may gain weight or suffer upset stomachs, even if they don’t develop nutritional deficiencies.

The moral of the story is that your dog should eat dog food, and your cats should eat cat food. The simplest way to make that happen could be to end the feeding free-for-all and offer meals to your pets in separate rooms. For more information on keeping your pets from eating each others’ foods, click here.

Finally, please note that most cats and dogs can tolerate an occasional nibble of each others’ foods. However, serious problems may occur if cats eat only dog food, or vice-versa.

• Does Pet Food Cause Health Problems?
• Is Organic Peanut Butter Dangerous for Dogs?
• Does Dry Food Cause Diabetes in Cats?
• Salmonella Scare Leads to Recall of Pedigree and Other Dog Foods
• American Veterinary Society of Behavior Recommends Socializing Kittens and Puppies at Seven Weeks of Age

Different people have told me not to let my cats
drink milk as they can’t digest it. All my life
my cats have had milk to drink. Should I continue
to give them small quantities of milk? They never
get much at a time, just a small amount. Thanks.

Sandy
Prineville, OR

When I was a young child, one of my daily habits was giving the leftover milk from my breakfast cereal to my cat, Patches. He enjoyed the routine and lapped up the milk with relish. He never suffered any adverse consequences from the milk he consumed.

Several years later, I decided to repeat the ritual with a different cat, Mandy. Mandy seemed to enjoy the milk as much as Patches. However, an hour later she wasn’t so happy. She was in the litter box producing explosive diarrhea. I felt very sorry for Mandy (and also a bit sorry for my father, who had to clean the litter box).

It turns out that some cats, like some humans, are lactose intolerant. Others are not. If your cat can tolerate a bit of milk every now and then without suffering adverse effects, go ahead and use it as a treat. But if the milk makes her sick, then you should avoid it.

I am going to invoke the tuna caveat here: remember that cats cannot survive on an exclusive diet of milk. Some cats have medical concerns that necessarily will exclude milk from their diet. But for healthy cats with no medical issues, small amounts of milk now and then shouldn’t cause much harm–as long as they are lactose tolerant.

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Is it safe for my small dog to eat fish? I heard
salmon could be poisonous.

Mary
Avondale Estates, GA

Dogs cannot survive on an exclusive diet of fish meat. However, if your dog does not have any medical conditions that require a special diet, I don’t see any harm in giving him small amounts of cooked fish now and then.

Salmon itself is not poisonous. However, there is a syndrome in dogs called salmon poisoning. This creates some confusion. Salmon poisoning occurs when a dog consumes raw salmon or trout containing a dangerous parasite. The parasite causes the inappropriately named disease, which can be fatal.

The parasite involved in salmon poisoning is most common along the Pacific coasts of Oregon, Washington, and Canada. There have been reports of salmon poisoning in northern California as well.

Cooking salmon kills the parasite, as well as disease-causing bacteria that may be present on the meat.

For the raw food fans out there: yes, raw fish can be included in dogs’ diets. But I recommend that you take some precautions. Feed only sushi grade fish, and avoid raw salmon.

• Is Organic Peanut Butter Dangerous for Dogs?
• Can Cats Eat Dog Food, and Vice-Versa?
• Does Pet Food Cause Health Problems?
• AVMA Comes Out Against Ear Cropping and Tail Docking
• How can I Treat my Dog’s Injured Nail?

Hello Dr. Barchas,

Kimberly
Mt Maunganui, Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand

In a way, I do. But it’s probably not the way that you’re talking about.

In developed countries, diseases such as thyroid conditions, kidney failure, cancer and heart failure are becoming more common among pets. There is rampant speculation about what causes many of these syndromes. Breeding, chemical body burden, and yes, diet probably play a role. But there is one factor that is not in dispute. All of the problems listed above occur most often in older animals.

Another thing that is not in dispute: on average, animals in developed countries are living longer than in the past. There is no doubt that the increased life expectancy that animals now enjoy is playing a role in the increased prevalence of cancer, hyper(and hypo)thyroidism, heart failure and kidney failure.

I am not saying that increased life expectancy is the only factor involved in this phenomenon. But it definitely is a factor.

Now, consider developing countries. In recent years, I have observed dogs and cats in Nicaragua, Mongolia, Laos, El Salvador and Botswana (among others). The diseases that are so common in the US, New Zealand, and other developed countries are basically unheard of in developing nations. The explanation is simple. Animals in developing countries don’t live long enough to develop these problems.

Animals in developed countries live longer, on average, for a number of reasons. Cats are more likely to be kept indoors. Pets are more likely to be spayed or neutered. They are more likely to receive vaccines. They are more likely to receive basic medical care and be treated for parasites. And they are more likely to be fed pet food.

I am not saying that the pet foods on the market now are perfect. History may reveal tremendous problems with them. There is always room for improvement. We may discover in the future that certain ingredients in pet foods promote some of the diseases mentioned in this post.

However, there is no doubt that the currently available pet foods represent a massive improvement over the diets that animals receive in developing countries–table scraps, garbage and prey animals.

The widespread use of pet food has contributed to increased life expectancies for pets. So yes, in that sense pet foods are contributing to the increase in health problems that we are seeing in the developed world.

For those of you who want my opinion on which food is the best: I weighed in on that matter a while back. Click here to see what I had to say.

For more information on dogs in developing countries, I recommend the book Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution by Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger (Scribner, 2001).

• Is Organic Peanut Butter Dangerous for Dogs?
• Are Pets Being Over-Vaccinated?
• Can Cats Eat Dog Food, and Vice-Versa?
• American Veterinary Society of Behavior Recommends Socializing Kittens and Puppies at Seven Weeks of Age
• Can pets catch colds from humans?