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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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.

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• Does Pet Food Cause Health Problems?
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• Salmonella Scare Leads to Recall of Pedigree and Other Dog Foods

Another pet food recall has made national headlines. This time the manufacturer is Mars Petcare (the company also owns the brand that produces the Wisdom Panel genetic test to determine dog breeds). And this time the contaminant is Salmonella.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can infect humans and animals. It is spread through contamination of meat or vegetables with feces. It is a common cause of food recalls for both pets and people. Last year there was a recall of bagged spinach due to fears of Salmonella contamination. Salmonella has also been involved in recalls of peanut butter, beef and chocolate.

The current recall occurred after the dog food, manufactured at a plant in Pennsylvania, was linked to illness in two people.

The humans who were sickened may have failed to wash their hands after handling the food. Alternatively, their pets may have contracted subclinical (non-symptomatic) cases of Salmonella, which could have passed to the owners through the pets’ feces.

Although I have yet to see a report of an animal sickened by the food involved in this recall, please be aware that Salmonella can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and intestinal cramping in dogs and cats. Severe cases can be fatal.

And also please remember that it is a good idea to wash your hands after handling pet food–regardless of whether that food is on its way into your pet’s body, or on its way out!

For the official recall site containing a list of the affected brands, click here.

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Is it a good idea to switch my dog’s food
occasionally so she gets different types of
nutrients?

Barb
Port St Joe, FL

High-quality dog foods are nutritionally replete. This means that they contain all of the nutrients that dogs need.

Therefore, if you are feeding a high-quality food there is no need to mix things up.

However, as long as your dog doesn’t have a sensitive stomach there also is no harm in switching diets now and then. Some dogs will suffer from diarrhea or vomiting if their diet is changed suddenly. If your dog is one of those, then you should probably stick with just one type of food.

Some people are utterly fanatical about the subject of pet food. They are convinced that one type of food (a particular brand of food, or a particular home-made diet, or raw food, etc.) is absolutely, positively, the best food, and the only food that a pet should ever eat! In their minds, all other foods are basically poison.

In my opinion, there is no “best food” for dogs or cats. The high-quality brands are all fine. As long as you feed one (or several) of them, I expect your pet to thrive.

• Is Organic Peanut Butter Dangerous for Dogs?
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Why does my cat put his favorite toys in his food
bowl? He has done this since he was a tiny kitten.
He even does it if he has to jump on the counter
with the toy in his mouth. (We had a dog for a
while, and she would eat his food if it wasn’t on
the counter.)

Ruth
Ocala, FL

My answer is going to involve speculation. I don’t know for sure why your cat is engaging in this behavior, and I certainly can’t ask him. But I have a hunch.

Your cat’s food bowl is undoubtedly a very special place for him. If he enjoys eating as much as I do, then he associates the food bowl with good feelings.

What’s more, the food bowl is a place that is uniquely his. I suspect that in his mind it is the heart of his territory.

So when he moves his favorite toys to the heart of his territory, he is helping to keep his most prized possessions in a spot where it is easy to account for them.

I realize that this explanation involves speculation and a bit of anthropomorphism. Another possible explanation is that he likes to carry his toys around the house, and he drops them in his food bowl because he can’t hold a toy and eat at the same time. But I like the first explanation better.

Photo credit: Yuval Y. Photo licensing information: CC.

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My husband and I have been raising an infant
kitten since he was 10 days old. He’s almost eight
weeks old now and still refuses to eat anything
but formula from a bottle. We’ve tried several
types of food, several flavors, even went as far
as plain old tuna fish and he turns his nose up at
everything. Any suggestions on how to get him off
the bottle? Thanks!

Diane
Port Charlotte, FL

The most effective way to wean a kitten off of formula is to do it, as the word wean implies, gradually.

The first step is to eliminate the bottle from the equation. Offer him formula from a bowl or saucer. Warm formula may be more enticing. Some bottle-fed kittens are happiest if they are held by a person during feeding, so experiment with that. As well, it may be effective to start feeding your kitten with a bottle, and then remove the bottle and immediately offer formula in a saucer.

Once your kitten is regularly drinking from the saucer, add increasing amounts of high-quality kitten food to the formula at each meal. Over time you should be able to eliminate the formula completely.

Most kittens are weaned by six to eight weeks of age. However, each kitten is an individual. A kitten that is not fully weaned at 10 weeks is not abnormal. Be patient and keep trying the tricks above. Eventually he’ll come around.

One final note: don’t try to wean your kitten forcibly by withholding the bottle altogether. If he refuses to drink from a saucer, let him have the bottle (but continue to employ the tactics listed above). A few extra weeks of formula shouldn’t hurt him.

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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?
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• 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

A comment that was posted recently to the article entitled Is Tuna Safe for Cats? caught my eye.

Andy A posted a comment on July 6th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
My cat has been diagnosed with struvite crystals and my vet wants me to feed her Hills c/d diet. She absolutely hates it no matter how long I try to wait her out or how I try to hide it in her regular food. She loves Figaro Albacore Tuna Cat Food by Bumble Bee. According to the label It has vitamins and minerals along with 1.0g Omega-3 fatty acids and Taurine added. If I continue to feed her the Cat Food Tuna, will it worsen her condition? I think her not eating anything while I try and wait her out may dehydrate her possibly leading to concentrated urine which does not help her flush out her bladder. Am I wrong in this line of thinking?

Struvite crystals are common in cats. They, along with abnormal urine pH, are associated with a disease called feline urologic syndrome, or FUS (pedantic types prefer the name feline lower urinary tract disease, or FLUTD). In females, FUS/FLUTD leads to chronic bladder pain and discomfort. FUS/FLUTD is more serious in male cats, because it may lead to a life-threatening situation in which they are unable to urinate.

FUS/FLUTD appears to be hereditary in nature. It is generally treated by modifying the cat’s diet to promote a change in urine chemistry. Hill’s c/d is the most frequently prescribed diet for FUS/FLUTD. Most cats are willing to eat it. However, as Andy points out, there are exceptions.

I do not recommend fighting battles of will with cats when it comes to food. (Actually, I find that battles of will with cats are losing propositions in general.) Trying to coerce your cat to eat one type of food can have dangerous consequences if she refuses to consume it. I have heard of cats who refused to eat for weeks on end when they took offense to the food on offer.

Starvation is the last thing that your cat needs. And yes, refusal to eat can lead to dehydration and increased urinary problems. If she won’t eat the prescription diet, your best bet is to offer something that she finds more palatable.

Several companies make foods that are comparable to c/d. Your cat may be willing to eat one of these. Talk to your vet about these alternatives.

If your cat refuses to eat all of the available prescription diets, you still have options. As I mentioned in the tuna post, cats cannot survive on tuna alone. Tuna flavored cat food, however, is generally nutritionally replete. It might make her urinary issues worse. Or it might not. There is only one way to find out: test her urine while she is on the food. If no crystals are present and the urine’s pH is in the proper range, then you won’t have much to worry about.

If crystals and pH problems occur when your cat is on her preferred food, you may be able to resolve the situation with dietary supplements. D,L-methionine is a natural amino acid that can be administered each day. It lowers urine pH, and reduces the risk of struvite crystals.

No matter what food you offer, your cat should have her urine tested regularly to make sure that the crystals and pH are under control. This is the key to dealing with FUS/FLUTD

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• Can Cats Eat Dog Food, and Vice-Versa?

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).

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• Can Cats Eat Dog Food, and Vice-Versa?
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• Can pets catch colds from humans?

My Cat has some stomach problems and my vet had me
put him on a probiotic pill (break open with
powder inside) and a B-12 supplement (one drop a
day). I usually mix them in his wet food that he
LOVES and I was wondering if it was ok to mix them
both together. As of now I mix the drop in his wet
and the probiotic in the dry. He inhales the wet
food, so I know he would eat it all if I put them
both in there. I just don’t know if thats a safe
thing to do.

Maggie
Brooklyn, NY

I am glad that your vet prescribed probiotics and vitamins as a first step for your cat’s problem. There are several medications that can be administered to cats with stomach issues. However (as I discussed yesterday), if the syndrome can be treated effectively by more natural means, there is no reason to medicate.

To answer your question, I see no reason why you can’t mix the vitamin B-12 and the probiotics together into the wet food. Very high concentrations of B-12 could conceivably inactivate the benign flora in the probiotics. However, if you thoroughly mix one drop of B-12 into the wet food before you add the probiotics, I sincerely doubt any problems will occur.

I have two additional points to make. First, remember that diet often plays a role in digestive problems in cats. If your cat is not already on an easily digestible diet and you have trouble managing his problems with the regimen of B-12 and probiotics, talk to your vet about switching foods.

Second, some people might get the impression from my last two posts that I am opposed to prescribing medication for my patients. That is not the case. Medications, when prescribed appropriately, can be incredibly beneficial to animals and humans. What I object to is using medications inappropriately or unnecessarily.

• Does Dry Food Cause Diabetes in Cats?
• Salmonella Scare Leads to Recall of Pedigree and Other Dog Foods
• Why Does my Cat Move Toys to the Food Bowl?
• What’s the Best Way to Wean a Kitten?
• Can Cats Eat Dog Food, and Vice-Versa?