Lots of March News!
Things just keep getting more interesting!
Toxicity from Topicals
You may have heard of issues with toxicity arising from topical hormonal treatments like progesterone or estradiol. Now, topical pain relievers—specifically flurbiprofen—have been implicated in serious feline illness and death. Exposure may be through failing to wash hands after applying the cream, or maybe the cat directly licked it off exposed skin, or got it on their fur and licked it off from there. It doesn’t take much of these things to cause big problems. If you use any topical medications at all, even simple hydrocortisone cream, be sure to wash your hands, and don’t leave treated skin exposed, not for a minute!
Mystery Ingredients Just Keep On Coming
A story that just won’t die (and I won’t let it!) is about unlabeled ingredients in pet food. (We talked about this last year, too.) A new study from Taiwan found cat food containing turtles, endangered sharks, and more (38 species). Every single product tested… “numerous undeclared ingredients were present in all examined canned products.” Taiwan imports a great deal of pet food from U.S. manufacturers, as well as from Thailand—where many U.S. brands are made, including Weruva, Tiki Cat, Fussie Cat, and Earthborn Holistic and imported back to the U.S. Purina also has a large manufacturing plant in Thailand. It seems likely that the same ingredients (particularly “ocean whitefish”) are used in Thai-exported cat foods regardless of whether they’re going to Taiwan or the U.S. As more pet foods are tested, more errors are being found. This is a longstanding and serious problem that pet food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and even regulators are simply not interested in solving.
Lab-Grown Meat Coming to Cat Food… Soon?
It sounds gross to a lot of people, but cell-cultured meat, poultry and fish are poised to become a staple in the pet food industry. Personally, I think this has great potential to increase pet food’s sustainability as well as reduce the terrible animal suffering involved in large-scale animal production. It will no doubt have its issues, but the possible benefits are real.
Bond Pet Foods is already shipping cultured meat to Hill’s for product development and eventual regulatory authorization. BioCraft, which has already produced “mouse meat,” is working on a chicken slurry product that will replace the “chicken as first ingredient” in many pet foods. Marina Cat treats, made from cultured red snapper, are hoping for FDA approval soon.
Most of the upcoming pet foods will be dry kibble (since it’s easier and cheaper to produce), but canned food is on the distant horizon. So get ready to overcome your initial distaste, because the planet and the animals will both benefit from this trend!
New Treatment for Anemia of CKD?
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved a novel drug, Molidustat, for the treatment of anemia in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is an oil-based liquid given by mouth; cats don’t seem to mind the taste (much). Possibly due to the relatively high rate of adverse events (mainly vomiting), widespread adoption among veterinarians seems to be slow. However, in cats who develop an allergy to the current standard treatment (erythropoeitin), this may be a hopeful option.
New Consultation Service
For the last 30 years, I’ve used, prescribed, and recommended nutritional supplements made by a wonderful company called Standard Process. I’ve decided to offer limited consultations for cats needing nutritional support. If you’re interested, just click here!
Perry dreaming of summer while snow is still on the ground!
