Beware Tapioca or Kassava Root Powder in Pet Foods

In a recent post in Cat Health, @Kittylove14 posted in the Health Forum that when she changed to a grain-free food that contained tapioca powder or kassava root powder, all of her cats developed some problems.  (See http://www.thecatsite.com/t/330201/food-allergy-solved#post_4147208)

I had always avoided foods that included tapioca because it's one of the new higher carb ingredients that manufacturers use to replace grains (such as potato and lentils), but I had no idea it could actually be dangerous.  She included a link from the Wysong web site which explains it in more detail, and points out that "In pet food kibbles, the "no grains" claim is almost assuredly made to imply that the grains have been replaced by a superior ingredient. However, the idea that ridding the food of grains creates a superior product is not supported by the facts. The truth is, tapioca poses some unique and very serious pet health risks."  (http://www.wysong.net/TapiocainPetFood)

This is important for anyone interested in cat nutrition to read and know.  Once again, always read labels because manufacturers are changing their foods all the time.  Be particularly careful with the newer "grain free" foods because the replacements for safe grains are not always better ingredients.

Thank you for posting this, @Red Top Rescue. I've always been concerned about the high levels carbs in canned and pouch foods thickened by tapioca so only feed them drained, as an occasional treat. It's really too bad that brands like Weruva/Soulistic use so much of it in certain foods: our cats love their chicken/pumpkin foods but the "gravy" is ridiculously gloppy because of tapioca and gums. I'm sure the company thinks cats love those foods for that gravy but our cats sure lap up the meat even without most of that gunk! And they're at least as eager to eat Tiki foods that have no thickeners at all...

You're so right about the need to check labels constantly! Many (maybe even the majority?) of the foods we've been feeding our cats over the last three years have changed somehow -- often in ways I don't like, such as adding fillers like various pea derivatives -- during that time. It can get hard to keep track of! And it was a big factor in my beginning to make cooked food with a supplement.

Very informative and a little bit scary tbh! Makes you wonder about these other ingredients we are used to seeing on the ingredient list as well. Especially when you have a pet who throws up. Cats are the size and weight of newborn babies so it doesn't take much of one bad ingredient to affect them!

thanks @redtop the wysong article-the conversion to cyanide and toxicity info- rocks me to the core.

Yes indeed.  "Grain Free" does not mean 'carbohydrate free.'  I wonder if the potential toxicity of Cassava has something to do with the way it is processed.  Some root vegetables can be harmful if cooked in a certain way or if consumed in excess.  I love fried taro but I have read recommendations that consuming fried taro root can be harmful to one's health.