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I heard that cats in the wild often will be deficient, at certain times of yr, due to weather & lack of food sources available. This causes cats to get vitamins, etc. needed at some times but other times to not have ability to eat some vital nutrients (as in winter) when they may not have access to the full range of nutrients.
Is this true? My roommate is arguing this position, on the lack of vitamins in Wellness Recall foods.
Just bumping this as I think it is true. If you think it out it reasons that, cats can't get ALL vitamins ALL the time in the wild. Same goes when recalls occur.
I couldn't find any info. on this, but it does stand to reason that if prey is scarce (as it is in winter months) and the plants, etc. that prey would be eating is scarce, this would be true. B1 isn't stored in the body, so if inadequate levels are going in, there are no "reserves" to tap into.
This deficiency and the symptoms associated with it can typically be reversed by feeding a diet rich in B1...but if the deficiency is too long-winded it can be dangerous, because once a cat stops eating, too many bad things can happen. This deficiency can also serious for cats who have heart conditions, because B1 plays an important role in maintaining a healthy heart and nervous system. My mom's cat has both a heart condition and a nervous condition...it wasn't until we heard about the Wellness recall that she put 2 and 2 together and realized THIS might be why he was acting more nervous than usual and showing less and less interest in food. After only one day of feeding him a different canned food, she's seen a dramatic difference in his demeanor and appetite.
But there are some positives to this whole thing...
We now know what to look for as far as symptoms, and will be able to catch it quickly if we notice them in our cats.
I also think people are starting to see the benefit of a varied diet for our furry friends...that way, if one food is lacking or (heaven forbid!) contaminated, it's not the only thing going into their bodies...better chance for a quicker and more efficient reversal of the damage, hopefully!
As I said in another post, the problem seems to be if your cat isn't getting enough thiamine long term.
We feed our cats Wellness "regular" and Core wet, plus two other brands of "quality" wet. The odds are very HIGH that our cats ate the recalled food. Out of 7, none are showing any signs of having a problem, BUT... is it possible they got the needed thiamine from the other brands? I don't know.
I heard that cats in the wild often will be deficient, at certain times of yr, due to weather & lack of food sources available. This causes cats to get vitamins, etc. needed at some times but other times to not have ability to eat some vital nutrients (as in winter) when they may not have access to the full range of nutrients.
Is this true? My roommate is arguing this position, on the lack of vitamins in Wellness Recall foods.
It sounds reasonable to me. It certainly fits in with my argument against people who like to spout that cats "in the wild" are so much healthier and better off than pampered house cats, which is a lot of baloney.
It sounds reasonable to me. It certainly fits in with my argument against people who like to spout that cats "in the wild" are so much healthier and better off than pampered house cats, which is a lot of baloney.
I always read the argument to mean that cats in the wild are eating what nature intended... not all the processed and chemically added commercial foods. And especially not dry!
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