Dogs and cats love tuna fish, but is it safe to feed it to them? I've given my cats a spoonful of human grade tuna fish in a pinch on the rare occasion when one of them was sick and wouldn't eat anything else. I've read though that it shouldn't be fed as a normal diet as it doesn't contain all the nutrients they need to be healthy. There's also the concern over the mercury in it. Mercury accumulates in the body, and it's been determined that pregnant women and children should limit their tuna intake because of it. According to a table at the Natural Resources Defense Council website, a 20 pound person should eat no more than 1 can of Albacore tuna every 10 weeks, or 1 can of chunk light tuna every 3 weeks. Most dogs and cats weigh less than 20 pounds, so the affects of the mercury overload would be much greater for them.
But there are more reasons not to feed human grade tuna to your cat or dog. For one thing, cats and dogs can develop a vitamin B1 deficiency which causes neurological problems. According to the SPCA, raw fish (including tuna and salmon) contain the enzyme thiaminase that breaks down thiamine. When fed regularly for long periods, cats and dogs can become very ill, suffer seizures, stupor and coma, and could die from it. Apparently tuna sold as cat food is processed at a high enough temperature to kill the enzyme.
For more information on this topic, check out the Cat Lovers Site.
10 comments:
This is good to know. If my cat could use a can opener, tuna is all she would eat.
Dad eats tuna every day for lunch and mom always lets me lick the spoon. Most times it's just a piece of celery on the spoon but it's still a tuna spoon! Am I safe?
Love ya lots,
Maggie
Hi Jan,
I know, my cats and dogs would do the same thing. Unfortunately, just like humans with our junk food, what they love isn't always good for them.
Hi Maggie and Mitch,
From what I've read, I would say avoid tuna altogether. A tiny bit may not hurt you, but I can't say for sure. Even for humans, according to the link I provided in the post, we should limit how much tuna we eat. I wasn't happy with it either, as I love tuna, but it made me change the way I eat after reading the article. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Take care guys.
Chris
Great information I never knew that.
How about canned salmon? My dogs love it, particularly mixed with a sweet potato, and it seems to make their coats nice when they get a spoonful mixed into their kibble. I figure the combo gives them beta-carotine and omega fatties that tend to get destroyed in the kibbling process. They figure it beats plain kibble.
From what I've been told if you have a male cat it's best to avoid fish altogether it cause urineary problems
tracker,
If you'll follow the SPCA link in the post, it talks about raw tuna as well as salmon. I'm not an expert on raw or canned fish for pet consumption so I can't say whether canned salmon would be the same as raw salmon, but I personally agree with April and avoid all fish for my cats and dogs that is not specifically for pets.
Good thing read your blog. I was going to make Blitzkrieg some tuna "fudge" dog treats because we're about to run out of his current stash. (no chocolate in the treats that's just what the woman who gave me the recipe called it.)
Since I bake the treats might they be OK for him if a used salmon that's not straight out of the can?
Hi Lisa,
I can't say for sure, but from what I've read, the danger with the enzyme is from uncooked or undercooked fish, so it's probably ok if you're going to bake it.
Chris
Oh my goodness. I'm glad I read your blog. I do NOT have a cat, but I go camping in the summertime and, at the camp site, there is a stray cat that always comes visiting. I usually have a can or 2 of tuna and give him a tablespoon or 2 of it. He is one happy cat and visits my camper regularly (go figure). I didn't know I was doing a bad thing; so this year I will be taking a bag of kitty kibble along with me. Thanks for the heads up!
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