Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: JackSpratt on February 16, 2010, 17:37:10 PM
-
Found some biscuits stating it has these ingredients. Are there health benefits?
-
Cranberry extract is an effective treatment for cystitis in humans as it contains compounds which stop the offending bacteria adhering to the lining of the bladder - they have a similar effect on dental bacteria. I can tell you from personal experience that it does work and there are also studies supporting it's efficacy. I believe some of the compounds are antioxidants (same type as cherries and red wine) so there are indications of anti cancer and cardio-protective properties in humans.
According to James Wellbeloved:
"We add Yucca extract to all our cat products. This is an ingredient that is added as it has a number of potential benefits. Firstly it is a natural deodoriser and can help to reduce faecal odour, which is of benefit to owners whose cats live entirely indoors or use litter trays. It is also a source of saponin and is thought to help flush out pathogenic bacteria from the digestive tract and increase the absorption of nutrients."
-
The active ingredient in Cranberry is mannose-d - it is a steroisomer of glucose (the mirror image of a glucose molecule) it binds to the urinary tract and stops some bacteria from sticking to it and colonising. Cranberry itself is acidic so may not be suitable for all cats.
-
Yucca is part of the Lily family and cranberries contain benzoic acid - both toxic to cats. I'm sure feeding cat foods containing these ingredients occasionally wouldnt do any harm, but long term? who knows.
-
Found some biscuits stating it has these ingredients. Are there health benefits?
I'm sure I've bought biscuits with those ingredients and would think that one of the aims is for unrinary tract health. The details from the James Wellbeloved sounds familiar - maybe those were the ones I bought. I don't think my cats were that keen though so didn't buy anymore.
-
Sounds familiar to me but mine won't touch JWB although I have tried it a few times.
-
It's a make I'd never heard of in a new pet shop but it looked pretty good. So is the general consensus a "no" then?
-
I'm pretty sure both ingredients are found in a good number of the 'premium' kibbles.
-
I just had a delivery from VetUK - one of the items was Wafcol hypoallergenic Salmon & potato (under £10 for 3kg!) in also has cranberry extract but it is 0.015% - neither here nor there I would say :evillaugh: - maybe they think it is a homeopathic dose :evillaugh:
-
Acana and Orijen both list Cranberry and Arden Grange list Cranberry extract. No Yukka. I stopped feeding JWB after his bladder problems.