Iodine Free Cat Food Brands

The Dangers Of Hyperthyroidism In Cats

Luckily, cats with hyperthyroidism dont have to experience a reduced life expectancy, or indeed a reduction in their quality of life.

Thanks to additional research, a wider range of products and advice are made available to pet parents with hyperthyroid cats. Luckily, us cat owners are finding that their pets are living to their normal lifespan with proper treatment.

If left untreated, however, your cat can experience difficulties beyond their hyperthyroidism.

How Low Iodine Diets Works

So why do they work in the first place?

Well, as you already know, the cats body needs its supply of iodine in order to produce thyroxine hormone. Also, cats cant create iodine in their bodies on their own, which is why food is their only source of iodine.

So, by consuming foods that are low in iodine, youll be able to prevent the thyroid gland from making the hormone.

This logical explanation is even supported through one-year evaluation research. In this study, 8 moderate to severe hyperthyroid cats were observed through a course of 12 months. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of iodine restrictions in the cats diets.

The treatment method was a success for 6 out of 8 cats, noting that the two remaining cats had the highest initial thyroxine levels.

However, you need to know that food restriction in diets wont fully cure hyperthyroidism. Instead, the right low iodine diet can help your feline friend to reduce the impact of the symptoms that comes with hyperthyroidism, which Ill address in the following section.

Best Foods For Cats With Hyperthyroidism Reviewed

• Free of ingredients that could trigger hyperthyroidism
• Low in carbohydrates

• You cant get the food without signing up for a subscription

• Caloric Content: 193 kcal/5.5 oz can

• High in protein and fat which have been recommended for cats with hyperthyroidism
• Made with 95 percent chicken, turkey, and liver
• This food contains no grain, potatoes, corn, wheat, soy, by-product meal, artificial colors, or preservatives

• This food is not specifically made for cats with hyperthyroidism

• Caloric Content: 215 kcal/5.5-oz can

• High in protein and fat which have been recommended for cats that are hyperthyroid
• This formula contains no grains, carrageenan, artificial preservatives, colors or flavors
• Contains highly digestible nutrients

• Not all Wellness CORE recipes have fat percentages that would be high enough for cats with hyperthyroidism so you should read the percentages carefully
• This formula is not specifically made for cats with hyperthyroidism

• High in protein and fat that is sometimes recommended for cats with hyperthyroidism
• Contains no grains, corn, wheat, artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, carrageenan, or meat by-products
• Premium proteins provide good nutrition

• Nulo foods are not specifically made for cats with hyperthyroidism
• Check the percentages for Nulo recipes since some have more fat than others

• Caloric Content: 186 kcal/5.5 oz can

• Caloric Content: 188 kcal/5.5 oz can

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Artificial Food Coloring Dyes

Our records indicate that Iams does use artificial food coloring dyes. More specifically, we’ve identified 5 artificial food dyes used by Iams.

Although these food dyes are classified as Generally Recognized As Safe by the FDA, we recommend avoiding them when possible.

According to the Center For Research In The Public Interest , there are many potential health risks associated with the consumption of artificial food coloring dyes.

Given that most pets consume the same products for prolonged periods of time, these concerns should be taken seriously. In general, we recommend pet owners avoid feeding products which contain artificial food coloring dyes.

For more information regarding the CSPI’s findings, read our artificial food coloring article.

Red 40 is the most widely used artificial dye in consumer goods. Studies have shown that red 40 may accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice, cause allergy-like reactions and trigger hyperactivity in children.

The following recipes contain red 40:

• Iams Perfect Portions Tuna Recipe Cuts In Gravy For Indoor Cats

What Role Do Pbdes Play

Another chemical that may play a role in the increase in hyperthyroidism may be polybrominated diphenyl ethers . PBDEs are flame retardants used in building materials, furniture, carpeting, and textiles. Intestingly, PBDEs are also found in particularly high concentrations in fish that are high up the food chain, such as tuna and mackerel, two fish proteins widely used in fish flavored cat food.

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Best Low Iodine Cat Foods

The idea is not looking for iodine-free diets for cats but those whose levels have been reduced since these pets still need this mineral. Reducing the amount may help bring thyroid hormone level to normal in some cases.

You must have heard Hills low iodine cat food or prescription for thyroid health. They have two brands of food.

Best Cat Foods Without Corn Wheat Or Soy In 2021

Whole grains are good for you, right? Things like whole-grain oats, whole wheat, and whole brown rice. Other grains like corn arent bad when theyre whole-grain, and some soy products offer health benefits.

• Rich in real animal protein
• Blend of omega-3

What about your cat? Whole grains are complex carbohydrates which provide energy, dietary fiber, and essential nutrients. They are much more nutritious than processed or refined carbohydrates and they are fairly digestible in moderate amounts. With corn, wheat, and soy, however, its a different story. These grains offer limited nutritional value to cats and their quality in cat foods tends to be fairly poor. We personally avoid any cat food that contains corn, wheat, and soy ingredients because they are commonly used as fillers and dont do your cat much good.

In this article, well explore the subject of grains like corn, wheat, and soy in cat food to help you understand their role in cat food and how to identify them on a pet food label. From there, well show you what you should be looking for in your cats food and provide you with our top picks for the best cat food without corn, wheat, or soy ingredients.

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Weruva Paw Lickin Chicken In Gravy Grain

Variety Pack of Paw Lickin Pals Here are four of our most popular chicken dishes. Cage-free boneless, skinless white meat chicken is thinly shredded in all tastes.

Six cans of each of the following flavors are included in the Variety Pack: Paw Lickin Chicken, Green Eggs & Chicken, Grandmas Chicken Soup, and Nine Liver.

Key Advantages:

• Carrageenan-free, grain-free, and gluten-free without maize, wheat, or soy as well as free from preservatives or artificial colorings.

• Low in phosphorus, magnesium, and ash, as well as adequate hydration levels, supports a healthy urinary tract.

• Produced in Human Food Facilities to the Strictest B. R. C. Global Food Standards, with genuine ingredients visible in every dish.

• Adult Maintenance Diet that is 100 percent complete and balanced, with additional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Best Low Iodine Cat Food For Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is a glandular disorder that results from increased production and consequently elevated blood level of thyroxine hormone . Thyroxine is one of the thyroid hormones.

Usually, one or both the thyroid glands may enlarge or become overactive due to various reasons including thyroid adenocarcinomas , adenoma , environmental factors such as BPA, PBDEs, and PCB exposure, among other factors.

Older cats are more vulnerable to hyperthyroidism . However, this disorder is not breed or gender specific.

Some of the commonly noted symptoms of hyperthyroidism include weight loss, increased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, poor coat quality , hyperactivity, restlessness, among others.

Table of Content

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Best Low Sodium Cat Food: Reviews & In

The way to a mans heart is through hisstomach. Well, that applies to your feline furballs too! The road to a healthyrelationship between you and your pet, especially a cat, starts with providingthe ultimate care to its quality of food.

Maintaining your cats health at an optimumlevel includes regular check-ups at the vet, providing a happy and lovingenvironment around your cat and of course, watching its diet and food intake.

This can be easier said than done, as when itcomes to finding the best type of low sodium cat food, you feel like searchingfor a needle in a haystack with lots of brands, and lots of options for yourcats diet

With that said, in this article, well beexplaining everything you need to know about sodium in cat food as well asreviewing the best products available out there.

Bha Bht And Ethoxyquin

These chemical preservatives have been linked to organ disease, cancer, and skin problems. Its easy to avoid BHA and BHT by selecting foods preserved with mixed tocopherols .

Ethoxyquin is more stealthy while its often not added to pet food itself, it can sneak a ride in with fish meal.

Because of the risk of dangerous preservatives entering the food at various points on the supply chain, its important to choose a transparent, communicative company that closely monitors their suppliers.

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Will Limited Iodine Diets Harm My Other Cat

At the Academy of Veterinary Internal Medicine Symposium last year, I had an opportunity to meet with scientists who had developed the limited iodine diet and had done research into the effects of this diet on normal cats. Their findings were extremely encouraging.

Admittedly, their research population was limited, with 15 cats receiving a diet with adequate iodine and 15 receiving limited amounts of iodine. But they did extend the research period to 18 months. This is far longer than most nutritional studies. Their findings concluded that no health problems were noted for healthy cats on a limited iodine food.

The researchers admit that longer studies are necessary to conclusively prove that iodine-deficient diets are safe for normal cats. However, this research suggests that owners of a hyperthyroid cat in a multi-cat household do not have to make Herculean efforts to ensure dietary segregation and can even feed the same food for all members of the household. Of course, caution should be taken for kittens exposed to limited iodine diets. Their sensitivity could certainly result in problems and access to limited iodine foods should be restricted until research in this group has been conducted.

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Vital Essentials Chicken Mini Nibs Entre Freeze

Another option if your cat doesnt enjoy traditional canned foods is this Vital Essentials Chicken Mini Nibs Entrée freeze-dried cat food. This recipe contains ground chicken with bone as the main ingredient, making it packed with protein. The bone also provides essential minerals to negate the need for a lot of synthetic supplementation. Chicken heart and chicken liver provide additional sources of key nutrients. The thing to keep in mind with this recipe is that you should rehydrate it instead of feeding it dry, especially if your cat has kidney problems and needs additional moisture in his diet.

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Buyers Guide: Picking The Best Cat Food For Hyperthyroidism

Feeding a cat with hyperthyroidism can be tricky. There are different kinds of foods that they should get depending on their stage of the disease and whether they are on the road to recovery. What might not be suitable for them at some points might end up being necessary at others.

It is also essential to consider the subsidiary diseases that your cat might suffer from as a result of a defunct thyroid, such as kidney failure. This brings in an entirely new gamut of dietary concerns.

If you are struggling to figure out how to feed your cat, here is a brief buyers guide to help point you in the right direction. With something like this life-threatening disease, though, it is always best to talk to your veterinarian.

Best Cat Foods For Hyperthyroidism

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Theres only one cat food on the market that can treat hyperthyroidism. That food is Hills Prescription Diet Thyroid Care. Though it cant prevent disease progress, its low iodine content helps to limit the amount of thyroid hormones that flood your cats body.

Beyond opting for this prescription food, we can only speculate about which foods are best for hyperthyroid cats. No other foods have shown ability to slow the diseases progression or control its effects on the body.

But when given in conjunction with appropriate treatments, an all-around great diet can help your cat to feel healthier before and after medical intervention.

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Do Iodine Restricted Diets Work

Research on the Effect of Feeding an IodineRestricted Diet in Cats with Spontaneous Hyperthyroidism published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine concludes that these diets do help reduce the thyroxine concentration . This supports them.

A second study on Comparison of health parameters in normal cats fed a limited iodine prescription food vs a conventional diet indicated that there was no significant difference between cats fed on restricted-iodine diets and those that had normal diets for two years. This indicates that these diets are safe even on healthy cats.

However, this second study only considered healthy middle-aged cats and the findings might not be the same for the case of older or geriatric ones.

Therefore, therapeutic diet option is often recommended in cases where other treatments seem to be impossible due to other medical conditions.

While looking at iodine in cats functions, we did mention the fact that this mineral form part of the thyroid hormones. Therefore, its absence means that the body cannot secrete thyroid hormones.

Furthermore, for these diets to work, all other diets including commercial, cat treats, and homemade diets must also have a low amount of this mineral.

Also, reducing iodine may affect these foods palatability and some cats may not want to eat them.

Final Thoughts: What Can A Hyperthyroid Cat Eat

Of all the food products related to what hyperthyroid cats can eat, you should note that none are able to cure the condition!

Talk to your vet and choose a cat food brand thats right for your cat. Most hyperthyroid cat foods aim to regulate and maintain health while your cat is hyperthyroid and reverse imbalances in their body constitution and hormone levels.

For cures and solutions, surgery and medication are the way forward. Your vet will be able to advise you on the steps necessary to potentially rid your cat of hyperthyroidism.

Remember, first consult your vet. Then choose a food fit for your hyperthyroid cat.

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Treatment Options For Feline Hyperthyroidism

When it comes to treating hyperthyroidism in cats, there are two primary options: an iodine-restricted diet and radioactive iodine therapy.

As you can imagine, feeding your cat an iodine-restricted diet requires you to find low iodine cat food recipes and that isnt always easy. Many of the formulas marketed for thyroid issues are veterinary diets from major brands like Purina, Royal Canin, and Hills. Unfortunately, these low iodine cat food brands make heavy use of hydrolyzed proteins, fillers, and high-carb ingredients which wont do much to benefit your cats nutrition and could actually worsen certain aspects of hyperthyroidism in cats.

Well talk about what is the best food to feed a cat with hyperthyroidism in a moment, but first lets take a quick look at the other treatment option for hyperthyroidism: radioactive iodine therapy.

The thyroid gland uses iodine to produce thyroid hormone and it tends to accumulate iodine in large amounts. A single injection of radioactive iodine will target the abnormal thyroid cells, killing them and theoretically curing the disease permanently. The upfront cost for this treatment is significant and your cat may take a few days to recover, but it saves you from having to administer daily supplements and you may not need to make significant changes to your cats diet.

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The 11 Best Cat Foods Without Corn Wheat Or Soy

Your cat deserves the highest quality nutrition you can give him, so dont skimp on price! Higher quality cat foods tend to be more expensive, but not all pricy cat foods are good . That being said, you dont necessarily need to spend a fortune on your cats diet just feed the highest quality food you can consistently afford. Here are our recommendations:

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Our Guide To Cat Food: Dry Food Emphasis

Its easy to be overwhelmed walking into a pet food store or shopping online, confronted with so many choices, so many studies, and so many conflicting opinions.

Sadly, shopping for pet food is intended to be confusing. The general regulations regarding pet food continue to be heavily influenced by the manufacturers of cat and dog food. And while there are hundreds of brands on the shelves and online, most of it in the US is made by the same group of manufacturers. These companies mass-produce food thats very similar, with variations in formulas, packaging, and marketing strategy.

You probably know what a friend or family member feeds their cat. Maybe they buy bags of cheap kibble right off the shelf at the grocery store shelf, or perhaps they cook human-grade meals for their cat all week long. What is right for your kitty and lifestyle?

Our team has done the hard work and hundreds of hours of research for you. Based on scientific studies, data, testing, and interviews with our own trusted vets, our guide will help you make informed choices on cat food. Learn what goes into cat food, how to read labels and the pet food industrys role in defining standards. In this review and guide, were covering dry food.