Posted by Larry Hoover on January 18, 2003, at 7:35:34
In reply to for Larry Hoover - Turmeric and Cats, posted by IsoM on January 18, 2003, at 1:02:29
> This question may seem a little strange, Larry, but as a toxicologist, I wonder if you know anything about toxic compounds for cats.
Nothing, I'm afraid, save what I've learned from people with cats.
> I'm aware that caffeine, thromobromine, all veggies from the the Alliaceae (onion) & the Solanaceae (nightshade) families, NSAIDs (except in certain cases in very small controlled doses), & a wide range of plants are toxic to cats. Their livers can't clear these toxins as quickly as humans can.
My mother had a cat with arthritis of the hip, and she would give him children's aspirin tablets (75 mg?, or was it half a tab?). She had to ask for them at the pharmacy, as aspirin is contraindicated in febrile illness of children due to the possibility of Reye's Syndrome. The aspirin gave the kitty a couple more years of quality life.
> What I'm wondering is if there's anything toxic in turmeric to cats? I have a cat with chronic renal failure. I downloaded a study from a vet college on treatment & management, & in it, they mentioned that omega-3 FA benefitted a cat's kidneys as it protected the remaining healthy kidney tissue. The omega-6 FA caused inflammation & greater damage. Omega-3 FA increased prostaglandins PGE & PGI which have vasodilator properties benefitting the kidneys while reducing TXA2 which was vasoconstricting.
I couldn't possibly predict the effect of turmeric in your cat. I'm sorry.
> A 2nd question asking your opinion. I keep hearing about Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. & am curious if you think her articles are credible? I don't know enough to make a solid judgement & would appreciate your views.
Mary Enig has a solid reputation as an expert on fatty acid metabolism, however, she is also quite incorrect some of the time. I'll be reading her work, and agreeing as she makes a point, then suddenly I'll hit a piece where she's confounding theory with evidence (i.e. her pet theory supercedes experimental data), and I'm left with a feeling of disappointment. My gut reaction is that she's 80% of the time spot on, and 20% of the time, off the mark. Many top scientists, towards the end of their careers, drift away from the evidence. Some of her ideas are simply "not supported by the evidence". That's my opinion, while some would elevate her to goddess status.
Good luck with the kitty.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:136364
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030113/msgs/136380.html