Should I worry about canola oil in my cat's food? Is it safe?

Hi, thabks for using PetCoach! I would avoid cooking oil. Every dog is different on how they handle extra fat. It can cause pancreatitis or GI upset. If you are interested in something to help the coat I would recommend an Omega 3 fish oil like the one in the link below. Have a good day! https://m.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=19121

A small amount of this would be fine. (1 tablespoon or less per day--- the tuna in oil is relatively high in fat, and more than that would probably add up to too many calories. ) Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Excessive amounts of any fat (such as coconut oil) can cause diarrhea, but coconut oil is not a problem for cats otherwise. In fact, many people recommend feeding coconut oil for a healthy coat since it contains good fats. I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Olive oil can be used to help normalize bowel movements but too much can lead to diarrhea. I would recommend using 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the food with each meal. I would not recommend this for recurrent bouts of constipation as there may be an underlying condition that needs medical attention. Olive oil is safe for cats and if you notice that Tiger develops diarrhea, discontinue the olive oil. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello. I would not be too concerned about corn oil being pro-inflammatory. There have really only been scant investigations into this & they all involve mouse models & not studies done in dogs or cats. While olive oil & corn oil are very similar in calories, when it comes to the essential fatty acids, corn oil is superior to olive oil ( which practically has none ). Often BalanceIT will supply substitutions to its dietary recommendations, but I would not be concerned about using corn oil based on their requirements for Jack's diet. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, I would not recommend feeding your cat avocado. A formulated diet made for cats that meets AAFCO standards should meet all of her nutritional needs without any supplements. Here is more information on what goes into a healthy diet: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8808771 I hope this helps. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Over supplementation of fish oil can certainly cause diarrhea. And some animals are sensitive to it even in small doses, so I always recommend starting with a low dose then working up. For cats, I would recommend a liquid pump in order to make that process easier. We have found that even though we are not exactly sure of the "correct" ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids that since Omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and Omega 6 fatty acids tend to be pro-inflammatory, that we prefer that ratio to be higher than we used to think. Omega 3 fatty acids work over time, so while daily supplementation is ideal, a few times a week is certainly better than nothing. So, I normally recommend a cat specific liquid in a pump and start with 1/2 the recommended dose for a few days to make sure there isn't any soft stool, then increase to the recommended dose daily (if possible). I hope that was helpful and answered your questions. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.