Conference misery::feline_v1

    Interesting - do you know what brands of food?  What symptoms did
    the cat display?  Thanks for the alert!
    
    E.T.

    A cat of my breed recently died of taurine deficiency induced 
    cardiomyopathy.  According to the owner, by the time they figured 
    out what was wrong it was too late.  This cat was eating a premium 
    diet, but the vet said that his body wasn't able to utilize the 
    taurine in the food.  The vet told the owners that this problem 
    was with the cat's system and not necessarily a problem with the 
    taurine in the food.
    
    Jo

    Jo, do you know the symptoms that showed up as a result of this?
    I often wonder if maybe Shelby and Kirby weren't able to utilize
    the taurine in the food properly either, which contributed to their
    deaths.  I would be interested in hearing the symptoms that accompany
    this problem if you know of any.
    

    If there were symptoms, they must have been very subtle.  I understand
    that the cat died very suddenly, and that the cause of death was
    discovered during necropsy.  I don't have all the facts, only what
    has been told to me by the breeder.
    
    Jo

    I wonder if these foods are the ones that contain ethoxyquin??? 
    According to the last report on ethoxyquin, they are discovering that
    the ethoxyquin preserves the food so well, that it doesn't break down
    during digestion, therefore the vitamins aren't absorbed into the
    system.  I know that one of the vitamins that couldn't be absorbed was
    Vitamin E, I wonder if Taurine could also be another one.
    
    Most of the grocery store brands contain ethoxyquin, so I wonder if
    it's a possibility that it may be related.
    
    One of the biggest differences I noticed after eliminating Ethoxyquin
    from my cats diet was the change in the coats.....which could easily be
    related to lack of Vitamin E.  
    
    Many breeders may not be seeing this problem because they also
    supplement the cats diet with extra vitamins, which because they aren't
    part of the preserved food, would be able to be absorbed by the system.
    
    Just an idea....
    cin
    

>	I know that one of the vitamins that couldn't be absorbed was
>    Vitamin E, I wonder if Taurine could also be another one.
    
Taurine is a protein, if I'm not mistaken...but the idea is worth looking
into.  Too bad I cannot fund the research myself.

The cat began to display distress climbing stairs, panting, all the normal
symptoms associated with degenerative heart disease.  This cat, Tuppy, 
does NOT suffer from cardiomyopathy, that much is known for sure.  What 
brands of food were used is another question - many of the "regular"
brands sold in supermarkets, no particular brand for any significant
length of time.

The problem is, undoubtably, a deficiency in the cat's metabolic system..
Taurine is added to virtually every cat food out there, it is a
standard requirement for food to be deemed acceptable by the FDA...which,
by the way, has stricter standards for CAT and DOG food than for our food.

I posted this warning because the vet who figured out what was wrong said
that there are many cats who do not metabolize the taurine in the cat food
as efficiently as necessary for optimum health...they may get some, but
it may not be enough.  The premium brands of food use more natural sources
for taurine, actual FLESH protein (beef, lamb, chicken, fish, etc.)...
therefore, they provide this necessary nutrient in a "more accessable" form.  

Tuppy is now on one of the special canned foods that are only available
from the vet and she is doing even better than expected.  Apparently,
the condition was caught before real damage to the heart occurred.
Her diet is now very easily digested, and LOADED with taurine.  Her doting
parents are extremely relieved, to say the least.

I guess the moral of this story is simply to make sure the cat food you
feed is good quality food, based on animal flesh protein....remember,
the cheaper cat foods can, and DO, use poultry FEATHERS as their protein
base.  It is legal and the feathers ARE a source of protein...however,
then they must ADD taurine and other necessary nutrients...these foods
are the types that can cause the problem IF YOUR CAT IS VULNERABLE.

    
    
    I have seen in several sources that it isn't recommended to feed table
    scraps to cats.
    
    If natural, "flesh" proteins are the best source of protein for cats,
    then what is the reason for this advice?  I've always thought it was
    a cat food company plot, actually.
    
    My cats get both commerical cat food and table scraps, also milk. 
    I've never had a diet-related problem with them.
    

>    If natural, "flesh" proteins are the best source of protein for cats,
>    then what is the reason for this advice?  I've always thought it was
>    a cat food company plot, actually.
    
simple, really.  Table scraps are only PART of the animal in question.
It goes back to the fact that a mouse is the healthiest food you can
feed a cat - a COMPLETE mouse.  This includes the stuff that you don't
like to think about, but which provides the balance of roughage and
nutrients that are ideal for a cat.  Table scraps are, in general,
much higher in fat and lower in roughage than is healthy for a cat.
Table scraps also generally contain salt, pepper, herbs, and often
MSG, etc. which are not in a "normal" diet for a cat, and can be difficult
for a cat to digest.  Cat food manufacturers know you, the purchaser,
would not buy a can of "minced whole mouse" for your cat so they don't
can it, but it IS the ideal cat food.  Table scraps are not and when you feed
them, you satisfy the hunger that should be directed towards those foods
that are more nutritionally complete.  Manufactured cat foods come much closer 
than "people" food because they have been engineered for the cat.  Unless, 
of course, you are a person who eats a lot of unseasoned, unskinned, 
uneviscerated mouse....8^}

>    My cats get both commerical cat food and table scraps, also milk. 
>    I've never had a diet-related problem with them.

As long as your cats get an adequate supply of cat food, this is fine.
However, in the event that they are prone to be picky eaters, this might
not be okay for optimum health in the long run.  These amazing creatures
have a very high, very specific protein/nutrient balance requirement for
optimum health.  The scientific community is still learning about cats
and their health/nutrition needs -  as they learn more, we are finding that
cats have a much longer healthy and active lifespan than ANYONE could have 
predicted 15 - 20 years ago.  My vet is treating several cats that are 
healthy and 20+ years old.  

According to my vet:

The general rule of thumb concerning milk is:  Don't feed it to your cat. 
It isn't GOOD for the cat and, even if the cat doesn't get diarrhea from
it, it replaces food that could better support optimum health for the
cat.

    re: .6...
    
    Which prescription diet is the cat on?
    
    	Pennie