Pop-top Can Food Poses Thyroid Danger to Your Cat
Monday February 12, 2007
This one was definitely new information for me. But apparently, research came out a few years ago, indicating that the pop-top cans on cat food -- actually, the chemicals lining the pop tops -- can pose a thyroid danger for cats, contributing to risk of feline hyperthyroidism. You can read what Dr. Michael Fox had to say about it here, and see an abstract describing the original research from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.And while we're talking about pet problems, take a look at my article, Frequently Asked Questions Information About Overactive Thyroid in Cats, and don't miss veterinarian Dr. Janet Tobiassen Crosby's site here at About, for her discussion of Hyperthyroidism in Cats.
Comments
Thanks for this information. I am sending it to everyone I know that has a cat. After reading it my question is: what about the lining of cans of food for people & is there anything there that can affect our thyroid gland!
Very interesting info on cats and hyperthyroidism. Can we have more info, most of the links you mentioned have been taken out.
Thanks
Just remember, the study found only an increased incidence. It did not prove that pop-top cans (or the food within) cause hyperthyroidism, which is a complex disease that is not completely understood. Numerous factors have been proposed as contributing to the disease, including flea powder, cat litter, and iodine content in canned food. Age is still the best predictor of hyperthyroidism in cats, however.
Also, the JAVMA study was a retrospective study, hardly gold standard. Why? Well, it relied on people remembering what they fed their cats five, ten years ago. I have no idea what I fed my cats ten years ago, let alone whether any canned food I might have fed them was of the pop-top variety!
Still, the issue is one to be aware of and is one reason my wife (a feline-only veterinarian) is reluctant to recommend feeding cats canned food exclusively. More studies should be forthcoming, including the results from a study funded by the Winn Feline Foundation a few years ago.
Again, more confusion & no solid science..my vet told me that my cat probably ate too much dry food contributing to his cystitis so we started giving him more canned, wet food…you just can’t win.
I had to put down my cat Nero yesterday because of his hypothyroidism. He was very old and I had been giving him (on the advise of my vet) human thyroid pills. He had been on them for the last 2 years and had a better quality of life than if he had not been taking them. Pop-top cans have only been around for the last couple of years and I don’t believe they had anything to do with him having this disease. I have 8 other cats and all of them eat dried and wet food. I only buy pop top cans now because they like that brand and there is a lot less waste. It was a heart breaking experience to have to part with him, but in the last week he had stopped eating and drinking and the vet told me that with this hypothyroidism the organs deteriate faster than they would just with age. He was a beautiful sleek black cat that some uncaring jerk had abandoned near my home about 6 years ago. I say jerk as he had had all four paws declawed and was left defenceless. All I can say is he had a good life with us and I miss him a lot. Shirl
I’ve been researching so much on the dry/canned food for my cat and the cats at my rescue. Un-natural Dry food is thee worst thing you can feed your cat. It promotes obesity, hyperthyroidism,diabedies,IBS,Formation of crystals,UTI’s,Kidney Failure..etc. Cats are carnivores and need to eat meat for their body’s to function right. Cats naturally have a low-thirst-drive and even though it may look like they are drinking a lot, its not enough for their kidneys. Why do u think so many cats die of kidney failure? Granted we’ve domesticated cats, but changing their diet 360 degrees is not healthy! Do you see animals in the wild eating carbohyrate filled kibbles? They get most of their water from it’s prey. And besides, would you want to eat a dry bowl of cheerios and a bowl of water 24/7? Canned food may not be thee best thing for them but it’s loaded with protein and moisture which is exactly what nature intended. My cats eat a small amount of EVO hard, and friskies soft twice a day. (I’m trying to convert a few of my cats to soft;they dont know its food) Cats who eat only dry food slowly de-hydrate over the years without us knowing and the end result is fatal. Males can’t pass crystals if not hydrated. Our rescue group just had to change a male to a female to save this poor cats life due to UTI’s + blockage of crystals. He was eating dry IAMS only. She changed his diet real fast after he almost died + a $1000 surgery. The info i wrote is for the cats, not for me to be right or to try to be a vet. They are my life and I want what is best for them. The convienence of dry food is NOT worth their life in the end. CHeck out www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=whycatsneedcannedfood
www.catinfo.org/
http://cats.about.com/cs/catfood/a/canned_food.htm