Cats, dogs and food
additives
Which food additives are most likely to kill your pet?
Are dogs calmer on additive-free diets?
Can additives cause epileptic seizures (fits) in dogs?
I have an itchy terrier. Could this be related to food additives?
What do vets say about additives in dog food?
Are there any other pet health problems related to additives?
Which food additives should my pet avoid?
How can I tell if my pet’s food contains additives?
Can you suggest additive-free food for a dog?
Which food additives are
most likely to kill your pet?
Sulphite
preservatives have been associated with a number of deaths in pet cats and
dogs. In one of the best documented cases, the owner of an 11 year old cat with
allergic dermatitis followed her vet’s instructions to feed her cat an
exclusive diet of vacuum packed meat and a daily multi-vitamin supplement. This
was meant to exclude food allergy as a cause of its itchy skin. 38 days after
starting the ‘fresh’ meat diet, the cat developed coordination and breathing
difficulty and died suddenly. Investigation showed that the cat died as a
result of acute thiamine deficiency due to undeclared sulphite preservatives in
the ‘fresh’ meat1.
The
Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) warns that dogs and cats can suffer
fatal health problems if they are fed exclusively with pet mince, pet meat or
pet rolls which often contain high levels of sulphur dioxide. This preservative
is known to inactivate thiamine (Vitamin B1) leading to a wide range of
symptoms of brain damage. Dogs with the condition are known to tilt their heads
to one side and may appear to walk around in a confused or disoriented state. Cats
can show dilation of the eyes and neck muscle weakness leading to head bobbing.
Degeneration of brain function can quickly lead to paralysis, seizures and
death. Pups, kittens, and pregnant or lactating females may be more vulnerable
to the condition than other animals.
The
President of the Australian Small Animal Veterinary Association, Dr Matthew Retchford recommends that “people who prefer to feed their
animals with meat should purchase it from a butcher, because legislation
prohibits the use of preservative in meat for human consumption that could lead
to a thiamine deficiency”.2
The Food
Intolerance Network would like to add that buying meat for humans does not
guarantee freedom from sulphites. In Australia, sulphites are permitted in
sausages and some processed meats. As well, surveys show that many butchers
will use sulphites in mince meat unless they think
they will be caught.
A survey by
NSW Health found 58% of samples of fresh mince for humans tested in Sydney and
the Hunter region contained illegal sulpites3. Pet owners might want
to test for sulphites, too. See http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/features/sulphites/sulphites.htm
|
Sulphites
can be labelled as ·
220 sulphur dioxide or sulphites ·
223 sodium metabisulphite ·
220-228 sulphur dioxide, sodium sulphite, potassium
sulphite etc Or as in
the case above, sulphites may not be labelled at all. |
References
1. Steel RJ.
Thiamine deficiency in a cat associated with the preservation of 'pet meat'
with sulphur dioxide. Aust Vet J 1997;75(10):719-21. (available free
through www.pubmed.com)
2. AVA press
release www.ava.com.au/images/news/AVA2006-019%sulfides.pdf
3.
Regulation of Sulphur Dioxide in Mince, NSW Food Authority Annual Report
2004/2005 p23. http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/_Documents/corporate_pdf/NSWFA+AR_04_05.pdf
Are dogs calmer on
additive-free diets?
Additives
that can cause irritability, restlessness, overactivity and inattention in
humans1 can also affect animals. We noticed that our first dog
barked more if he ate dog food with artificial colours. Our second dog has
never been given artificial colours by us, but at the age of 12 months, he was
given a coloured treat by a well-meaning passerby
during his afternoon walk. At the time we thought nothing of it, but that
night, instead of going to sleep at the usual time, he very noticeably ran
around in circles and generally made a nuisance of himself.
Laboratory
studies confirm that animal behaviour can be affected by additives. A study in
1980 reported 163% more activity and 128% greater failure in avoidance learning
in rat pups given small amounts of food dyes as compared with controls2.
In 2006, a study with tartrazine (102) and mice found some similar adverse neurobehavioural effects including increased activity and
delayed learning depending on dose, age and gender3.
Dr C K Conners, Professor Emeritus of Medical Psychology at Duke
University Medical School and author of the widely used Conners
Rating Scales (CRS) for hyperactive children, says: ‘I once whimsically
suggested to Dr Feingold (well known author of Why
Your Child is Hyperactive) that I intended to publish a book called Why Your
Dog is Hyperactive, and he responded that it was no joke – dogs did calm down
with additive free food.’ 4
References
1. Rowe KS,
Rowe KJ. Synthetic food coloring and behavior: a dose response effect in a double-blind,
placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study.J Pediatr. 1994;125(5 Pt 1):691-8.
2. Goldenring JR and others. Effects of
continuous gastric infusion of food dyes on developing rat pups. Life
Sci. 1980;27(20):1897-904.
3. Tanaka T,
Reproductive and neurobehavioural toxicity study of
tartrazine administered to mice in the diet. Food Chem Toxicol. 2006;44(2):179-87.
4. C. Keith Conners, Feeding the Brain, Plenum Press, New York and
London, 1989, p191.
Can additives cause
epileptic seizures (fits) in dogs?
[922] 635: Epileptic seizures in a dog due to
flavour enhancer (June 2010)
My Jack
Russell (Eddie) had epileptic fits as a puppy and I noticed that they always
seemed to occur after giving him scraps from junk food we were eating. McDonalds food in particular seemed to cause him to have
fits. The vet dismissed my theory and offered to give my dog a highly toxic
barbiturate epilepsy medication. I refused the medication and adopted a
wait-and-see approach. I researched the relationship between food additives and
epilepsy in children because there was not much information about dogs. Based
on this, I banned all artificial colours/flavours and preservatives and my dog
went from severely fitting to having no fits at all for the past 4 years. When
I told my vet he dismissed my theory that food additives were the cause of my
dog's epileptic fits and stated he had simply 'grown out of it'.
About 2
weeks ago I let my dog lick a cup from which I had just finished drinking
instant soup. As I was doing it I thought: I shouldn't be letting him have
this. I had become complacent because my dog had not had a fit in so many
years. Within an hour of licking the cup he had his first epileptic fit in over
4 years. I felt terrible and immediately read the ingredients list. The instant
soup contained flavour enhancer 635.
I have no
doubt whatsoever that food additives caused the
epileptic seizures in my dog. I have no doubt whatsoever that giving him an all natural diet cured his epileptic seizures. I have no
doubt whatsoever that flavour enhancer 635 caused his recent seizure.
The
information on your site confirmed that I was on the right track with my
treatment of his seizures. Without sites like yours I would be faced with the
dismissive attitude of my vet and my dog may have spent a lifetime on toxic
medication for no reason. As it is - I have returned to a strictly natural diet
for my dog and he has not had another seizure since. I would never risk
poisoning him again with these additives and I hope my experience helps someone
else. – Pamela, by email
[950] Another dog with fits due to additives
in dog food (July 2010)
I was
particularly fascinated by the reader story [922] on the dog with fits. One of
our rescued dogs was adopted from the vet. She was doing very well on their dry
food (additive free) and we decided to keep using this. OK so far. Then we
adopted another dog - this time a pure bred and we fed her the same food. But
we decided this was getting very boring and in a creative (oh no!) moment, we
decided to mix a bit of canned dog food just to give the dry food some taste
variety. Although I was aware of failsafe food, I didn't think to read the
labels - given that the dogs would eat absolutely anything they can find (we
live out bush) the last thing I thought of was food sensitivity. Kai started to
fit in groups of three about every 2 weeks. Two vets encouraged us to put her on medication (would have been for life) but
we instinctively felt we should wait a little longer before we did this.
Our
neighbour had been a vet nurse and casually remarked that they had found
additives caused dog fitting. The tinned foods!
We stopped them (have since added fresh dog food without additives to
their diet). No more fits. We told the vet who was dubious about the cause of them.
We had no doubts after one night when, after being fit free after we removed
tinned food, she had three fits. I
thought that our theory had been disproved until my husband realised that
without thinking he had opened a tin I had neglected to throw away -- and had
given her a small amount. No more fits ever since. – Jane, NT
From [356] One-liners (Nov 2004)
Our Beagle
dog’s seizures are related to ribonucleotides
(flavour enhancer 635). – SA
What do vets say about
additives in dog food?
There are numerous
reports of MSG-related seizures in dogs on the internet and one vet has devised
a glutamate-free, aspartame-free diet for dogs with epilepsy - You can see some
reports including from other vets at http://www.lab-retriever.net/board/epilepsy-diet-g-t47643.html?t=47643
According to
holistic UK vet Richard Allport, skin conditions
often clear with a more natural diet. ‘There are many problems with the
ingredients in commercial pet food. Dogs and cats are designed to eat lots of
meat but the percentage in most products is tiny and it’s usually bulked out
with wheat, which is the most common allergen … An additional factor in skin
sensitivity may be the over 400 permitted artificial additives in pet foods,
including colourings and flavour enhancers, plus the large amount of sugar and
salt’. From ‘It’s a dogs dinner but not as we know it’ :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1178888/Health-notes-Its-dogs-dinner--8211-know-it.html#ixzz0s0w1JQL1
A scientific
article with a number of animal studies about seizures, see references below http://www.truthinlabeling.org/Proof_BrainLesions_CNS.html
References
Bhagavan HN, Coursin DB, Stewart CN. Monosodium glutamate induces
convulsive disorders in rats. Nature. 1971;232(5308):275-276.
Wiechert P, Gollnitz G. Metabolic investigations of epileptic seizures:
investigations of glutamate metabolism in regions of the dog brain in preconvulsive states. J Neurochem. 1970;17(2):137-147.
I have an itchy terrier.
Could this be related to food additives?
An
increasing number of vets recommend an additive free diet to find out whether
itchy skin is related to food allergies or sensitivity to various additives.
[932]
Itchy terrier due to additives in dried dog food (July 2010)
Our Jack Russell terrier was a year old
when we got him so I kept giving him the dry dog food his previous owner had
used, and like many terriers he always had itchy skin. The vet thought it could
be the salt water on his skin from our frequent beach walks. I experimented
with rinsing him down in fresh water after a walk, different ointments,
shampoos and anti-flea treatments, and changing his diet – everything except
for the dry dog food he came with. I kept checking the label and it looked ok.
Eventually after two years I removed the dry dog food from his diet and his
itchy skin went away within two weeks. I suspect the ‘natural flavour’ in the dry dog food contained flavour
enhancers but when I asked the pet food company they gave me a very confusing
answer. – Sue, NSW
Are there any other pet
health problems related to additives?
In humans,
health problems associated with food additives and some natural chemicals
include asthma, eczema, urticaria, irritable bowel
symptoms, overactivity, anxiety, inattention (decreased learning ability) and
sleep disturbance. It seems reasonable to expect that cats and dogs may be the
same.
Which additives do you have
to avoid
Not counting
‘flavours’ there are about 350 permitted additives in our food supply. Of
those, most are ok (such as vitamin C 300). The additives most likely to cause
a problem are:
·
colours
·
preservatives
·
antioxidants
·
flavour
enhancers
·
flavours
See more
information
How can I tell if my pet’s
food contains additives?
You can’t be
sure. Pet food labelling is not as strictly regulated as human food labelling -
and even that’s not very good.
·
An
‘all natural’ sticker does not guarantee the product is free of nasty additives
– most people are alarmed to find that MSG and similar flavour enhancers are
regarded as ‘natural’ by the food industry and food regulators!
·
MSG
and other flavour enhancers can be added in many forms including ribonucleotides, yeast extract, hydrolysed vegetable
protein, soy/wheat/rice protein, yeast extract or “flavour/s” or “natural
flavour/s”. Since “flavour/s” are meant to be trade
secrets, the company doesn’t have to tell you what they are and can answer in
ways it is impossible to understand.
·
Sulphites
are often used to make old meat look and smell fresh. They are permitted in
sausages and some processed meats and often used unlabelled in ‘fresh’ dog
meat, dog rolls and dog sausages. As well, surveys show that many butchers will
use sulphites in mince meat for humans unless they
think they will be caught.
·
A
survey by NSW Health found 58% of samples of fresh mince for humans tested in
Sydney and the Hunter region contained illegal sulpites3. Pet owners might want
to test for sulphites, too. See http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/features/sulphites/sulphites.htm
Can you suggest some
additive-free food for dogs?
·
fresh
chicken necks or wings
·
home-made
meat loaf from mince meant for humans and checked for sulphites (see recipe
below)
·
fresh
bones – cooked bones are not suitable for pets
·
slow
air dried treats made of 100% liver or lamb or pigs ears from Aussie Pet Health
Treats such as Lamb Crumbles or Lamb Chews www.aussiepethealthtreats.com.au
which contain only one ingredient (lamb, pork or liver)
·
additive
free boneless leftovers such as beef, lamb, chicken, fresh fish (boneless),
leftover tins from tuna, salmon
·
additive-free
leftovers such as cooked potatoes, beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts
·
frozen
peas still frozen – they are easier for dogs to eat like that
·
finely
chopped raw carrots, cucumber, bananas, pears, apples
·
eggs,
raw or cooked
·
dry
rolled oats mixed with a little butter
·
as
suggested by a vet for animals with ‘allergies’ – duck and potato
·
here’s a recipe if you have the time: 1kg
beef mince (fatty is OK), 1 cup rolled oats. Mix thoroughly, put in pyrex bowl and cover. Microwave
for 15 minutes at 70% power, placing a plate under the bowl in case fat leaks
out. Can be frozen for up to a month.
Reader
suggestions are welcome (suedengate@ozemail.com.au)
1. Fed Up by Sue
Dengate, Random House
2. Fed Up with
Children’s Behaviour DVD by Sue Dengate
3. The RPAH
Elimination Diet Handbook with food & shopping guide 2009 available from www.allergy.net.au
The information given is not intended as medical
advice. Always consult with your doctor for underlying illness. Before
beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food
intolerance. You can write for our list of supportive dietitians (confoodnet@ozemail.com.au)
© Sue Dengate update October 2010
