Can fish based cat foods contribute or cause CKD?

There is a scientific study published online on the nature.com website which concludes that there may be a link between fish flavoured (fish-based) foods and chronic kidney disease (CKD) but the link is tenuous. It is however worth flagging so cat owners know about it. More work needs to be done.

My understanding is that the study says the following:

• Domestic cats are fed more fish-based foods that dogs
• Fish-based foods have a higher arsenic content although this is primarily non-toxic arsenic
• Arsenic in tissues and urine is present in higher amounts in cats compared to dogs.
• The arsenic content is a pro-oxidant metallic element which lowers the concentration of antioxidant minerals such as copper and zinc and minerals which protect the kidney such as rubidium and strontium.
• As I understand it this lowering of antioxidant minerals can lead to chronic interstitial nephritis (CIN) which is the most common renal lesion and a cause of chronic kidney disease.
• CIN was present in 51% of cats compared to 15% of dogs. CIN is absent in Scottish wildcats.

That is an essential breakdown. It is very technical and a potential warning to cat guardians, no more.

If you are so predisposed i.e. scientifically minded, you can read the study by clicking on this link (sometimes links to other website break and if that has happened I apologise but I have no control over it). I don’t want to write extensively about this study because it is very technically and I am liable to make a mistake.

More cats than dogs abandoned during coronavirus pandemic

It seems that dogs are beating cats as a lockdown favourite companion animal. The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes ...
Read More

Substantial number of people give Covid-19 to their companion animals

There have been a few studies on this subject unsurprisingly. It is obviously highly pertinent at the moment. However, a ...
Read More

Domestic cats eat 80% of their prey in situ

ANALYSIS: Have you ever wondered if your cat eats prey outside of the home? A study carried out in South ...
Read More

Recent study tells us that British cat owners won’t confine their cats to protect wildlife

A recent study by the University of Exeter tried to get into the minds of British cat owners to find ...
Read More

Does Feliway work?

Yes, Feliway works. Feliway is a well known synthetic cheek-pheromone spray which it is claimed has proved effective in double-blind ...
Read More