Israel Veterinarian: Most Supermarket Pet Food Harmful For Cats

By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency

Ra'anana ----- February 13, 2008 ....... It's 3:00 in the morning and you wake up to the sound of your cat crying. He or she is standing over their litter box and trying without success to urinate. You know something is wrong, very wrong as they look up to you. They step back into their litter box or sometimes find a quiet, dark place to spend their final hours. You cannot escape their pain but need to wait several more hours till the pet clinic opens. You wonder anxiously, as you softly stroke their furry neck, rub their nose or kiss their ears, trying in vain to provide some degree of comfort if they will survive those few hours. There is nothing you can do except speak softly, caress his head, scratch under his chin and whisper in his ears as he continues to howl in deep pain.

But Dr. Tennenboim, upon arrival of both owner and pet, strongly objects that one should wait until the clinic opens.

"FUS is a live threatening emergency," he said. "Don't wait, call your doctor's emergency number at the first sign of real distress. Each hour counts and veterinarians are dedicated to their life saving responsibility 24 by 7."

"One of the most common diseases that we see is FUS or Feline Urologic Syndrome," says Dr. Kobi Tennenboim the director of the Sharon Veterinary Center in Ra'anana, Israel. "FUS is directly caused by cheap, commercialized cat food sold in most supermarkets. More than 30 percent of cats suffer in pain from this disease, many die needless deaths as their owners are not aware that the cats food could be toxic."

"I would rather be a bit poorer and see less cats suffering from FUS," says Tennenboim. "The pain, trauma and costs can all be avoided by providing a proper, quality diet starting from the time when the cat is a kitten."

Feline Urologic Syndrome or FUS describes lower urinary tract disorders, including kidney and bladder stones, urinary blockage, and cystitis (infection or inflammation of the bladder) in male cats. First infections usually occur between the ages of two to six years old, and if the cat does develop a case of FUS, it is very important to start preventative treatment for the future, says Tennenboim.

About 10 to 20 percent of these animals will develop recurring problems with FUS if they do not change their diet to food with a lower ash content. FUS is caused by several factors, and combinations of these factors, which include stress, urinary pH, water and fiber intake in the animal's diet. But it is low quality cat food which usually makes the cat sick and if not caught in time, results in death.

"I tell all of my customers to buy quality dry cat food such as Innova EVO, Innova, Iams and Science Diet," says Tennenboim as his tired face looks for a cup of coffee. Kobi works long hours, often 12 to 14 hour days which include emergencies. Tennenbaum who learned veterinary medicine in the States is now preparing to head off for the prestigious WVC - Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas. The Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) provides the highest possible quality continuing education to the veterinary medical profession and related groups. The professional material presented is state-of-the-art information delivered by nationally and internationally recognized and emerging authorities. Tennenboim said that this year’s WVC will feature over 730 hours of instruction developed by outstanding faculty, as well as world-class teachers in multiple bioskills laboratories.

"The foods which keep cats alive are more expensive, but the cost outweighs the tears and pain," says Tennenbaum. "These foods are low in ash content. If cats start out with a low ash diet odds are very high that they will not succumb to FUS. And as much as FUS should be avoided so should all the costs of blood tests, x-rays, catherization, anesthesia and surgery. Cheap cat food kills cats and creates a huge financial and emotional burden for the owners of these pets."

Tennenbaum states that cat owners should look for the following symptoms: in females - straining to urinate, blood in the urine, frequent trips to the litter box with only small amounts voided, loss of litterbox habits.
In male cats, additional symptoms include small particles lodging in the male urethra and causing complete obstruction with the inability to pass urine. This is a life and death situation if not treated quickly says Tennenbaum.

Obstruction usually occurs in the male cat and is most often confined to the site where the urethra narrows as it enters the bulbourethral gland and penis; small particles that can easily pass out of the bladder and transverse the urethra congregate at the bottleneck of the penile urethra to cause complete blockage.

Symptoms of FUS obstruction are much more intense than those of bladder inflammation alone; this is an emergency requiring immediate steps to relieve the obstruction. Symptoms include: frequent non-producing straining-no urine produced, discomfort, pain, howling. Gentle feeling of the cats abdomen could reveal a tennis ball size structure which is the overdistended urinary bladder. Subsequent depression, vomiting and / or diarrhea, dehydration, loss of appetite, uremic poisoning, and coma may develop rapidly within 24 hours. Death results from uremic poisoning; advanced uremic poisoning may not be reversible even with relief of the obstruction and intensive care. Bladders can be permanently damaged as a result.

"Cheap cat food produces Struvite crystals accompanied by red blood cells, which are generally caused by a diet too high in magnesium relative to the pH of the urine," says Dr. Tennenbaum. "Fish-flavored foods tend to be worse. The ability of a high ash diet to cause problems in an individual cat is high and these cats then need to adhere to strict dietary management."

"Obstruction of the male cat is a medical emergency," says Tennenbaum. "The obstruction must be relieved immediately." Failure to produce a good stream of urine after relief of obstruction is indicative of urethral stricture and or stones or matrex plugs. Failure of bladder to empty after relief of obstruction suggests bladder paralysis (usually temporary unless present prior to obstruction). In either event, a urinary catheter must be placed to allow continual urination.

Treatment of uremic poisoning requires IV fluid therapy with monitoring of blood levels of waste products until uremia is no longer present.

Permanent urethral damage with stricture, inability to dislodge a urethral obstruction, or inability to prevent recurring obstructions are all indications for perineal urethrostomy (amputation of the penis and narrow portion of the urethra to create a female-sized opening for urination). This procedure is usually effective in preventing reobstruction of the male cat, but this procedure should be a last resort

If FUS is indicated without obstruction, 75 to 80 percent of FUS cats without obstruction may be successfully managed by diet alone if urine reveals typical crystals and red blood cells. Unobstructed male cats or non-uremic obstructed males who have a good urine stream and bladder function after relief of an early obstruction may be managed as above initially. Cats who are symptom-free after 7 to 10 days of dietary management and who have normal follow-up urines at 21 days, may be maintained indefinitely with dietary management only.

"I would rather be a bit poorer and see less cats suffering from FUS," says Tennenbaum. "The pain, trauma and costs can all be avoided by providing a proper diet starting from the time when the cat is a kitten. Local health authorities should order cheap cat food which contains high ash content to carry a warning label. But more effective than that is a veterinarian who advises his clients to start an anti-FUS diet early in the life of the cat."

Tennenbaum says that one can usually purchase high quality cat food directly from their veterinarian or an animal pet clinic. "Read the labels on the cat food packages as you would read the labels on the very food you eat. Good health and long life with cats, dogs and humans starts with a good and proper diet."

As one of the most respected animal hospitals and veterinary clinics in Israel, Tennenbaum's Sharon Veterinary Center occasionally takes in stray cats and dogs who have been hit by cars, bit by dogs or starving as a result of living on the street. The cost of professional medical care for these dogs, cats and even birds brought into this animal hospital in Israel is absorbed by Tennenbaum and his professional team which includes: Dr. Shulamit Levy, Dr. Michal Noar and Dr. Doron Telmor.

 

Dr. Kobi Tennenbaum graduated from Bologna University in Italy in 1980. After graduation, he traveled to California and passed the American licensing exams. Dr. Tenenboim worked for several years in a hospital that specializes in soft tissue surgery and orthopedic surgery, and headed several veterinary hospitals, in which he served as head surgeon. In 1992 he returned to Israel. Dr. Tenenboim has a special interest in orthopedic surgery and endoscopic exams, and also accepts referrals from other veterinarians for endoscopies in dogs and cats.

Established in Ra'anana, Israel in 1992, Hasharon Veterinary Center currently serves as an animal hospital that offers a wide range of services and operates in accordance with strict American standards. The Hasharon Veterinary Center is the largest and most well equipped hospital in the Sharon area, yet it continues to provide personal and devoted service to patients.