Carcinogenic Pet Food: Study Findings & Impact on Pets

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tosh5457
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Food pet
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the World Health Organization's warning about the carcinogenic effects of processed meat and its potential implications for pet diets. A study analyzed 25 commercial pet foods, revealing that nearly all had mutagenic activity, with many containing harmful heterocyclic amines linked to cancer. Although the study hypothesizes a connection between these dietary components and cancer in pets, it lacks definitive testing on dogs and cats. The conversation explores the option of switching to a raw diet, which may reduce cancer risk but also poses risks of foodborne illness. Participants emphasize that while changing a pet's diet may help, it is not a guaranteed solution for cancer prevention. Other health considerations for pets, such as keeping them indoors, are also highlighted. Concerns are raised about the risks associated with raw diets, including bacterial contamination, and the reliability of current assessments of carcinogenic foods.
Tosh5457
Messages
130
Reaction score
28
After reading on the World Health Organization's warning that processed meat is carcinogenic (in humans), even in small daily doses, I went on to investigate if this finding also applies to pets, and found this study:

"Twenty-five commercial pet foods were analyzed for mutagenicactivity using the Ames/Salmonella test with strain TA98 and added metabolic activation. All but one gave a positive mutagenic response. Fourteen of these samples were analyzed for heterocyclicaminemutagens/carcinogens and all but one contained 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) and 10 of 14 contained 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) as analyzed by HPLC and confirmed by photodiode array peak matching. From these findings it is hypothesized that there is a connection between dietary heterocyclicamines and cancer in animals consuming these foods."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Mark+G.+Knize+MG,+Salmon+CP,+Felton+JS.+Mutagenic+activity+and+heterocyclic+amine++carcinogens+in+commercial+pet+foods.+Mutation+Research.+2003;539:195–201

Unfortunately I can't access the full paper, but I presume they tested with dogs and cats. If you find anything else about this topic I'd be glad to read it, I'm considering switching my cat's diet to a raw diet.
 
Biology news on Phys.org
Hmm. Note the use of the word hypothesized in the abstract. That means there needs to be more study. No testing with dogs and cats apparently.

From these findings it is hypothesized that there is a connection between dietary heterocyclic amines and cancer in animals consuming these foods.
Raw food is an alternative. You can buy chubs of ground meat/vegetables, frozen, for pets at some grocery stores. However, processed canned food is shelf stable for long periods. Raw meat is not - meaning that you may be reducing cancer risk (reduce not eliminate) long term and simultaneously increasing the risk of food borne illness and death. It is a trade off. So handle your raw food carefully. I feed my dogs raw chicken for what it is worth, but carcinogenesis is not one of the reasons.

Cancer is not a single disease. http://www.cancer.gov/types -> for us humans.

It is basically caused two ways: genetic (inherited) and environmental. Genetic causes are circa 5% of cancers, environmentally induced cancers are about 95%. So what you are doing is eliminating one exposure factor.

What I am saying is: consider that you are maybe placating yourself about helping your cat. This may be some help for the cat but it in no way is it a guaranteed 100% win. If the cat really likes raw food, go for it. Make the cat happy. And make yourself a little happier too.

In a more pessimistic view: there are a lot more immediate concerns about your cat's health. Keeping your cat 100% indoors is a great start.
 
Tosh5457 said:
Unfortunately I can't access the full paper, but I presume they tested with dogs and cats. If you find anything else about this topic I'd be glad to read it, I'm considering switching my cat's diet to a raw diet.

What do you mean by raw diet? Giving them uncooked food loaded with bacteria?
 

Thread 'Flesh-eating New World Screwworm re-occurrence in US'

Deadly cattle screwworm parasite found in US patient. What to know. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/08/25/new-world-screwworm-human-case/85813010007/ Exclusive: U.S. confirms nation's first travel-associated human screwworm case connected to Central American outbreak https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-confirms-nations-first-travel-associated-human-screwworm-case-connected-2025-08-25/...
View full post »

Thread 'Chagas disease now established in US'

Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S. According to articles in the Los Angeles Times, "Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S.", and "Kissing bugs bring deadly disease to California". LA Times requires a subscription. Related article -...
View full post »

Thread 'I need help understanding this quote about recent Natural Selection'

I am reading Nicholas Wade's book A Troublesome Inheritance. Please let's not make this thread a critique about the merits or demerits of the book. This thread is my attempt to understanding the evidence that Natural Selection in the human genome was recent and regional. On Page 103 of A Troublesome Inheritance, Wade writes the following: "The regional nature of selection was first made evident in a genomewide scan undertaken by Jonathan Pritchard, a population geneticist at the...
View full post »

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top