Salmon, fish and seafood

Originally Posted by keegen

I know that tons of cat food is made using salmon, tuna, and seafood, but is it ok to feed raw?

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Why Fish is Dangerous for Cats

By Jean Hofve, DVM

A lot of cats love fish, but it's really not a good idea to feed it to your cat! Why not?

* The fish used in canned pet foods usually includes bonesand are high in phosphorus and magnesium, which can be an issue in cats with a history of urinary tract disorders or kidney disease. In practice I have seen quite a few cats develop urinary tract infections and blockages if they eat much fish--even boneless fish.

* Many cats are sensitive or even allergic to fish; it is one of the top 3 most common food allergens.

* Fish-based foods have high levels of histamine, a protein involved in allergic reactions.

* Fish tends to be "addictive" to cats. They love it, and will often stage a "hunger strike" by refusing their regular food in favor of fish. Tuna or other fish should be reserved as a rare and special treat. Feed fish no more than once a week, and even then in very small amounts only.

* There is a known link between the feeding of fish-based canned cat foods and the development of hyperthyroidism in older cats.

* Fish may not be safe to feed to cats. Predatory fish at the top of the food chain, such as tuna and salmon, may contain very elevated levels of heavy metals (including mercury) as well as PCBs, pesticides, and other toxins. Tilefish (listed on pet food labels as "ocean whitefish") are among the worst contaminated, along with king mackerel, shark, and swordfish. These fish are so toxic that the FDA advises that women of child-bearing age and children should avoid them entirely'; and they recommend only 1 serving of albacore tuna per week due to its high mercury levels. If these fish are dangerous to children, cats are at even more risk!

* The vast majority of salmon today comes from factory-farmed fish. These unfortunate animals are kept in overcrowded pens in polluted coastal waters. They're fed anti-fungals, antibiotics, and brightly-colored dyes to make their flesh "salmon colored"--it is naturally gray. Common water pollutants such as PCBs, pesticides, and other chemicals are present in farmed salmon at 10 times the amount found in wild fish. These contaminants will be present in any product made with farmed fish, including cat and dog food.

* Farmed salmon who escape their pens (and they do) outcompete and interbreed with wild salmon, as well as transmit diseases. A 2006 study confirms that salmon farms are "massive breeding grounds" for sea lice. Under natural conditions, wild adult fish carrying these parasites are not in migration channels at the same time as the defenseless, inch-long baby salmon, so infestation of the young fish is not a problem. But today, in waters near some fish farms, up to 95% of baby salmon are fatally infested. It is feared that that farmed salmon from nearly 300 fish factories in North America may ultimately decimate the wild population in the Atlantic.

* "Organic" salmon is also farm-raised, and does not have to comply with USDA organic standards. In fact, there is no regulatory agency in the United States that sets organic standards for fish. The contaminant level of organic farmed salmon may be just as high as that of conventional farmed salmon.

* The meat is toxic and the industry is environmentally destructive--need we say more?

In general, the small amounts of "fish meal" included as a flavoring and/or source of omega-3 fatty acids in cat foods are not a problem, but fish should not be a mainstay of any cat's diet. Fish should be limited to an occasional--and small--treat.

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