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WHAT’S WRONG WITH ONIONS?
It has been known for some time that if enough onion
related foods are fed to a cat, anemia (low red blood cells) can result. This
can be a dangerous situation for a cat and lead to various maladies. Many cat
food companies add onion powder to their food as a flavoring, and many baby food
companies do the same. Baby food is often recommended for cats that are
recovering from illness, as it is both palatable and easy to digest. The general consensus is that the amount of onion powder in commercial pet foods is so minuscule, and the anemia disease associated with onions is so rare, that there is nothing to worry about in that respect. Don’t go running out to the store and only buy cat food without onion powder on the ingredient list. I doubt that you would find one anyway.
Baby food is not a complete diet, and makes a very poor substitute for cat food. Studies are being performed at this time to see just whether or not there is enough onion powder in baby food to cause problems, but some have been reported. I have nursed many cats back to health using baby food, and will continue to do so until the new studies tell me otherwise. There is, however, a new food available through your veterinarian, called “a/d” that is very palatable and easily digested, that contains no onion products. It is not a panacea, nor is it a good balanced diet. It is only a short-term answer for a cat recovering from illness. Your veterinarian can give you the details.
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© Copyright 2008 North Windham Animal Hospital |
In
recent months, I have fielded several questions regarding the presence of onion
powder in cat and baby foods, and whether or not it could be harmful to cats.
There is some validity to the concern, so let’s take a look. 
As for baby food, no one knows just how much onion there
is in the food as it is a well kept secret by the food manufacturers. Baby food
can be used to get your cat eating again, but only under the direction of your
cat’s doctor, and never for more than a few days. 
