My cat had some hot spots, so the vet put her on a food

[Critters2]

with salmon as the first ingredient. Apparently, the omega-3s (or 6s, maybe both, not sure) in the fish are good for her skin. Her coat and skin have improved considerably! She looks better than she ever has.

But something occurred to me...should I be worried about mercury in this fish? I don't eat fish at all, so I haven't kept up on all the "mercury in fish" news. Anyone have any info about mercury in cat food?

I posted this in the Lounge originally, but thought it appropriate here. Thanks for any info!

[China_cat]

1. Mercury is not your only worry.

A diet of only fish (even salmon) is too high in phosphorus, deficient in calcium and thiamin. Canola oil is a good source of omega-3, a small bit mixed with her food at least 3 times a week would be safer than a lot of fish. But the best way to eliminate skin problems is to stop feeding any food where one of the first 3 ingredients is corn and if you can find some that are grain free, they're even better.


http://www.provet.co.uk/petfacts/healthtips/rawfish.htm
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=450509

[LostinVA]

2. If you're worried about feeding her too much fish, you can buy some fish oil capsules for her

Just prick a hole in the capsule and squeeze it over the food. Our dog had really bad dry skin when we first got him, and it cleared up really fast giving him a can of sardines packed in water once a week. We also give our cat (the one who will eat it anyway) a can of Tiki Cat Sardines once a week. He has a great coat, and it doesn't bother his tummy at all (he has IBS).

[badgerpup]

3. My vet suggested fish oil capsules...

...she uses a lot of natural rememdies. She stipulated the oil should come from cold-water fishes (of which salmon is one) so if you can't get straight salmon oil, there are alternatives.

The fish oil capsule is a good idea...works very well.

[Critters2]

4. Thanks, everyone! This is great information!

I'm glad I thought to come over here. I'll look for fish oil capsules. Again, thanks!