Like humans, every cat needs a diet that is rich in nutrients. However, it’s important to be careful of what nutrients you feed your cat. Some of them pose health risks to your cat and as such should be avoided.

In this article, we explore six nutrients that should be avoided for the sake of keeping your pet healthy. They include:

  • Magnesium
  • Sodium
  • Vitamin D
  • Proteins
  • Calcium and phosphorous

Magnesium

Not to say that magnesium is not a necessity for your cat, but excess amounts can cause life-threatening symptoms. In excess amounts, magnesium negatively impacts the nervous system as well as the heart. Symptoms like cardiac arrest, coma, paralysis, weakness and sometimes death may occur in cats that consume magnesium excessively. It also contributes to the development of kidney stones.

Sodium

Sodium is one of the most essential nutrients for a number of reasons. The regulation of blood pressure, maintenance of the balance between body acids and bases as well as the transmission of nerve impulses are just a few of those reasons. Unfortunately, sodium is also dangerous if consumed in high quantities. It poses a significant danger to the nervous system, heart, and the kidney. Strict monitoring of sodium quantities fed is recommended if your cat has a heart or a kidney health condition. Excess consumption can also lead to your cat passing excess urine, thus making her thirsty frequently. This can lead to dehydration, as the body will require increased amounts of water to get rid of the excess sodium.

Vitamin D

Excess vitamin D tends to increase the level of calcium levels in a feline’s body. This triggers adverse symptoms that involve the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and the nervous system.

Proteins

Naturally, cats are carnivores and as such require more animal-based proteins compared to dogs. Proteins fed to cats have to be of high quality, and their amounts monitored. For instance, cats with renal disease should be fed easily digestible proteins rather than excess quantities of low-quality proteins. Feeding a feline poor quality protein may lead to diarrhea, vomiting, loss of weight and general problems in digestion and metabolism.

Calcium and phosphorous

However important they may be important to your cat’s health, calcium and phosphorous also pose a significant risk to her health. The most important thing to consider is their ratio in a feline’s food. If one of these nutrients is consumed in high quantities, this can alter the ratio, thus posing health risks for your cat’s bones. Monitoring this ratio is also very important, especially if your cat has a kidney problem. Different cats have different requirements and consuming one nutrient in excess can lead to elevation of the disease.

How much is too much?

The bottom line is that a cat’s diet should be balanced. The nutritional needs for different cats vary depending on their age, health status and more. A veterinarian will know what your cat’s needs best, hence you should visit a Tarrytown, NY veterinary hospital to find out which foods are best for your cat.