Cats can't have garlic! News to me!

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

I looked at the links and the pet education article. The pet education article is a Foster and Smith source of information. But did you know that the Foster and Smith company makes a cat food that contains garlic. Foster and Smith cat food is on their website and in their catalogs that are mailed to pet owners. I once e-mailed Foster and Smith and asked about this because of these concerns and the reply was that the small amounts of garlic used in cat food as a flavor enhancer are safe. So then why does Foster and Smith make a cat food that contains small amounts of garlic and give access to information on the harmfulness of garlic?

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Yes, I do know the article is from Dr. Foster's and Smith's site (and have mentioned so a number of times previously, this is not a new topic of discussion here ), and yes, I know that for some unknown reason they choose to still use this in their newer product - their line of cat foods. I wish you luck in your research, the toxicology article is the latest one I have found on the topic. Searching on this topic re dogs will also bring up a lot of hits on the topic.
It is important, and I know that there are many in the "all natural/organic" arena who do not agree, and probably do not understand why I do not give to my cats, nor sell to my customers, any food or treat with garlic. I believe in the potential risk that strongly.

I think also it comes from my medical background (RN - not practising), to me the presence of N-propyl disulphide, even if its in a lesser amount in garlic, it's known to be "the" problem with onions and chives, and I just do not want to feed it.

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

Avoiding garlic would also rule out foods such as Natural Balance and Merrick as well. How many cat owners are loyal to these companies? Natural Balance makes food for zoo animals too. All these companies so highly reccommended by health conscious cat owners who want to avoid by-products and chemical preservatives now these alternative natural pet foods are bad too? I find that very frustrating.

Nutro, their canned food is all right, but their dry food contains corn gluten as a source of protein and it has a lot of fillers. I've come to the conclusion that there is something wrong with just about every cat food company.

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Could you please tell me which canned food by Merrick has garlic? I can't find one that does. I also can not find a dry or canned food by Natural Balance that lists garlic now, though I do recall just one formula did at one point, and I didn't recommend that particular formula.

Corn gluten meal is a protein source, certainly not my favorite one, but it doesn't raise my hackles like whole,cracked or ground corn does.

There are a number of companies that are respected and do not use garlic! Innova is one (they used to use garlic and have since pulled this ingredient, though some cans are still out there listing this as an ingredient).
Another to consider is Innova EVO, California Natural Chicken & Rice, the Active Life line of canned cat foods (soon to be available again), Wysong's Just Meat canned cat foods (though a supplement is needed), PetGuard has some interesting choices, and there are others...but it's late here and I'm barely seeing straight to type at this point. If you do a search on "natural foods", it will bring up some interesting threads here.

It may not surprise you to know I am more and more simply suggesting folks check into a homecooked diet (with the recipe/formula to be one their vet approves of as being balanced. Dr. Strombeck is one vet who has a book out with many recipes - and some of these are widely printed on the 'net).

Thanks. I shouldn't have stayed up so late on the internet myself. But now I'm worried reading all this and I'm asking for other peoples knowledge on other forums too. Well right now I have lots of Wellness cans in my cupboard because I bought so many yesterday, about 11 cans plus I have a few more still but I also have Nutro Max Cat cans as well so I'll just rotate them with the Wellness for now. Since I have fed Rosie Wellness for a long time without any problems developing, garlic is very low on the list, I don't think it will hurt her short term, and then I just won't buy any more cans of Wellness. It's a drag though, it's known by so many to be such a good food and I hate to think that I'm poisoning my cats. Well it's expensive anyway. The Nutro is more affordable and the quality of ingredients in the canned food are pretty good. Spotty is on the IVD rabbit or venizon and pea canned food and I'm switching his dry to Natural Balance venizon and pea so he's not eating garlic and Rosie also eats his dry food so that helps reduce the garlic too. If I donate Wellness someone else's cat will be eating garlic and I don't want to throw good food in the trash so I might as well just finish using it. Especially since so many people feed Wellness to their pets with no adverse reactions from it.

Here is another interesting link. It seems the subject is under much debate.

www.holisticat.com/garlic_arch1.html

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

It is not beneficial to *cats*,

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Garlic is know to be an anti-oxidant, anti-atherogenic, anti-hypertensive, anti-microbial, and protects against cancer. All these studies are human studies. There have been no studies with cats. But since cats are subject to the same health conditions as garlic protects against in humans, is there any reason to believe that small amounts, of a non-toxic level of garlic, such as is present in cat food, would not also be beneficial to cats? Since there have been no studies, there is no proof one way or the other. It just seems to me to be a reasonable correlation to make. So, I respectfully disagree.

Of course, garlic is toxic at some level. I just don't see any reason to avoid a particular cat food because there's a little bit of garlic in it. And I'd never give a cat raw garlic, because I don't know how much is too much. But not the little bit in a can of cat food. Even water is toxic in sufficient amount

After reading all of this ... I will keep it out of the diet plan totally of cats ... I asked a vet yesertday and he said a minute amount for the dog but why was I asking about it.he told me it does nt repel fleas and doesnt kill worms..lol... the cat is a no from all vet I have talked to ....

Originally Posted by coaster

But since cats are subject to the same health conditions as garlic protects against in humans, is there any reason to believe that small amounts, of a non-toxic level of garlic,

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That's fine really. But my point, truly, is there is no proof that there is such a thing as a non-toxic level. Cats can not handle foods we can, meds we can, while sometimes what is beneficial to us, is beneficial to them, you can not extend that logic across the board.

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

Here is another interesting link. It seems the subject is under much debate.

www.holisticat.com/garlic_arch1.html

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Oh that it is! I will go read this after I make hubby brunch. I like a lot about wellness, I just wish they would do a garlic free version. Even my favorite raw company (where IF I were buying premade raw, I'd go with them, in part also because they are local), Raw Advantage, now has a version of their food for cats 'without garlic'.

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

Here is another interesting link. It seems the subject is under much debate.

www.holisticat.com/garlic_arch1.html

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I read through some of this...my initial thought was that I think that more is known now than was in the late 1990s.

I honestly hope that I simply get folks to think about this, read the links I've found, go look for their own, and then make a decision. If deciding to use, be very aware of what Heinz Body Anemia symptoms are, and as one member here notes, and I did see in one link, be aware of possible esophageal irritation.

We all simply do the best we can, and share our discoveries and concerns here.

ps...I love using garlic for it's benefits for me

I think I'm going to e-mail Old Mother Hubbard and ask them to stop using garlic in their pet foods. Perhaps if enough pet owners ask them to do this they will stop and that way, people who want to feed Wellness to their cats and dogs wouldn't have to have any qualms about it. They could then rest assured that there is no garlic in Wellness and that it is safe. Why not? Nutro, Natural Balance, and Natura Pet Products have stopped using garlic in their pet foods because of consumer concerns and if Old Mother Hubbard did the same I think it would benefit them as a company moneywise as well as additional safety for our pets. They are currently a small company and the fact that many people are choosing not to buy their products because of garlic can't be helping them. I just tried to e-mail them but their e-mail is currently being upgraded and I don't want to call them so I'll wait and then I'll send them an e-mail and I'm hoping some other pet owners will do the same.

The only consequence is that it might change the flavor of the cat food a little and some cats might notice the difference and refuse the food, or would they? Cats have a highly developed smell and a weaker sense of taste than ours so they can probably adjust to the slight change of flavor without the garlic. What do you think? Should Old Mother Hubbard get with the program to compete with the companies that have agreed to remove garlic from their recipes?

I think cat treats and foods can be tasty (per my cats) without the garlic...witness my cats going gaga over Active Life cat foods, and simple treats like bonito flakes.

It can't hurt to ask them to at least trial a garlic free food or treat, and let them judge if the market wants this

Merrick does not include garlic in their cat food.

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

I think cat treats and foods can be tasty (per my cats) without the garlic...witness my cats going gaga over Active Life cat foods, and simple treats like bonito flakes.

It can't hurt to ask them to at least trial a garlic free food or treat, and let them judge if the market wants this

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I need an active life link... lps will get it but the distibvuter didnt know of it... this distibuter didnt know Natural balence had venison in cans till I asked for it..lmao

Originally Posted by sharky

I need an active life link... lps will get it but the distibvuter didnt know of it... this distibuter didnt know Natural balence had venison in cans till I asked for it..lmao

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Here you go. They did an open house at my local distributers back in June, said the product would be available mid July. My distributer is still waiting. They went out of production for a time, and a lot of folks are waiting for them to get shipping again!!