From: jeffp@yoda.eecs.wsu.edu (Jeff Parke - Vet med staff)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Ok to feed tuna daily ??
Date: 9 Nov 92 22:35:43 GMT
Article-I.D.: serval.1992Nov9.223543.750
Organization: Washington State University!

In article <1dho3dINNp0i@fido.asd.sgi.com> jojo@sandman.asd.sgi.com (jojo Wesener) writes:
>In <1dhhj7INNi3t@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> bt630@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Rich Michaels) writes:
>> Hi.
>> 
>> I have a ~3 year old (indoor-outdoor/castrated) male cat who loves
>> tuna.  I feed him mostly dry food (DAD'S Special Mix).  I also
>> treat him, almost daily, to approximately 1-2 ounces of tuna canned
>> in spring water.  Is this a bad idea??  In the long-term -- will
>> this diet harm him or shorten his life expectancy?
>
>My understanding is that this is VERY bad.  I've had 2 friends do this
>and their cats ended up getting urinary tract infections.  I believe
>the cause was something like high magnesium concentrations in the
>canned tuna.  I've also heard of this happening to other people.

High magnesium concentrations are implicated in formation of urinary
stones in cats.  I cannot find any references relating tuna to urinary
tract infections.

Here are some Magnesium concentrations (%).  This information is taken from
Nutrient Requirements of Cats, National Academy of Sciences, 1991.

Tuna fish meal             0.25
Rendered meat meal         0.32
Hamburger (10% fat)        0.04
Poultry gizzards           0.26
Rice bran                  0.94
Shrimp meal                0.60
Soybean seeds              0.33

There are plenty of stories that go around when it comes to what we eat
or what we feed our animals.  The bottom line for pet cats is that we ought
to feed them commercial or home diets that have been proven in feeding trials
to support the minimal requirements of the critters.

Pure canned tuna wouldn't be one of these feeds.  A diet of pure canned tuna
would likely be deficient in various vitamins, minerals, as well as taurine.
If a cat is eating a commercial diet that has been proven in feeding trials,
and is getting the occasional bit of canned tuna, I doubt there would be
any harm whatsoever.  If the original poster is feeding 2 oz. of canned tuna
every day, with the cat eating only a small amount of quality cat food, I
would say this is a bad thing to do for the long haul.

One other item came my way regarding tuna.  Apparently there are some
folks who think it may contain thiaminase.  Thiaminase is an enzyme that will
destroy thiamine, a.k.a. Vit. B1.  It is present in the viscera of certain
fish, notably carp and herring.   Tuna are not mentioned.  Cats feeding on the
*raw* viscera of these fish could become thiamin-deficient.
However, thiaminase is destroyed by cooking, so any canned product could not
contain active thiaminase.

As my nutrition instructor commented recently:  "A cat in the wild isn't very
likely to eat much tuna".

-Jeff
---------------------
Jeff Parke <jeffp@vcs10.vetmed.wsu.edu>
also:   jeffp@WSUVM1.bitnet     CIS: 71511,1512    AOL: JeffParke
Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine class of 1994
Pullman, WA  99164-7012
-- 
---------------------
Jeff Parke <jeffp@vcs10.vetmed.wsu.edu>
also:   jeffp@WSUVM1.bitnet     CIS: 71511,1512    AOL: JeffParke
Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine class of 1994
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats