wordmad (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} wordmad) wrote,@ 2008-05-07 08:47:00 |
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Well, I was just congratulating myself that I finally got my cats weaned to wet food 2x and dry 1x per day. (Reason: my youngest is overweight and our vet warned us about the diabetes epidemic, which is supposed to have started when dry food became popular.) I even figured out what flavor they like best: Friskies "mixed grill"--yummers--and what they don't like: mainly the fishy varieties.
So natch, when I see my brother Frank, whose cat has FH (feline hypothyroidism), he tells me he read an article wherein the rise in FH has been linked to eating *CANNED CAT FOOD* that has the pull-off tops, which, of course, is what I've been feeding mine. AACK!
Then I go to a couple of very erudite vet websites and find out that:
The first study was done because someone noticed that the rise in FH frequency came about the same time pull-offs entered the market.
Aging is still the single biggest risk factor,
Himalayans and Siamese cats seem to have a lower risk of FH naturally. (Well, Yoda is half-Persian. Does that count?),
Cats who prefer fish or liver and gibs flavors have twice the risk as those eating only dry (Oh, goodie, mine only like the ones with meat and poult byproducts... well... and liver....),
(DOUBLE AACK!) Cats who use litter have a three-fold higher risk for FH (versus those tight-arsed little prodigies that squat on the toilet, I suppose),
Another study showed that elevated levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been found in cats with FH. PDBEs are present in flame retardants, and, therefore, most of the upholstery and bedding in our home. (These also entered the market about the time the rise in FH was noted.)
This means that Wally and Shiro, who spend most of their time outdoors, have a lowered risk for FH caused by PDBEs. Unfortunately Yoda, who likes the wet food best (and usually cleans up what the other two don't eat), is also the oldest and spends the least time outside.
What to do? What do do? (I know what you're thinking: stop reading so many @#%&**! articles.)
So natch, when I see my brother Frank, whose cat has FH (feline hypothyroidism), he tells me he read an article wherein the rise in FH has been linked to eating *CANNED CAT FOOD* that has the pull-off tops, which, of course, is what I've been feeding mine. AACK!
Then I go to a couple of very erudite vet websites and find out that:
The first study was done because someone noticed that the rise in FH frequency came about the same time pull-offs entered the market.
Aging is still the single biggest risk factor,
Himalayans and Siamese cats seem to have a lower risk of FH naturally. (Well, Yoda is half-Persian. Does that count?),
Cats who prefer fish or liver and gibs flavors have twice the risk as those eating only dry (Oh, goodie, mine only like the ones with meat and poult byproducts... well... and liver....),
(DOUBLE AACK!) Cats who use litter have a three-fold higher risk for FH (versus those tight-arsed little prodigies that squat on the toilet, I suppose),
Another study showed that elevated levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been found in cats with FH. PDBEs are present in flame retardants, and, therefore, most of the upholstery and bedding in our home. (These also entered the market about the time the rise in FH was noted.)
This means that Wally and Shiro, who spend most of their time outdoors, have a lowered risk for FH caused by PDBEs. Unfortunately Yoda, who likes the wet food best (and usually cleans up what the other two don't eat), is also the oldest and spends the least time outside.
What to do? What do do? (I know what you're thinking: stop reading so many @#%&**! articles.)
