Can cats eat pizza?
In this cat article, we will answer the main query, “Can cats eat pizza?” we will also cover the dangers of feeding pizza to your cat, what you can do to keep your cat safe, and how your vet will treat your cat.
Can cats eat pizza?
No, cats cannot eat pizza. Pizza is not safe and healthy for your cat to consume because of the crust, cheesy toppings, garlic, and onions which are not good for your cat. Moreover, cats are obligate carnivores and they do not benefit from pizza.
What are the dangers of consuming pizza for your cat?
Following are the dangers of consuming pizza for your cat:
High-fat content
Pizza has high-fat content which is not what cats should eat. High-fat content consumption for a long time will cause feline obesity in your cat. When the cat becomes obese, the physical activity decrease over time due to the chronic pain in the joint. The joints and the bones are not ready to lift the extra weight of the body.
Moreover, obese animals also fall prey to heart problems. The most common problems are the blockage of the different arteries due to the fat content in the blood vessels. This will cause the heart to pump stronger and stronger leading to a heart attack in the worst-case scenario.
The next problem is pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas in the body. It is due to the fact that the pancreas can only digest a small amount of fat content in the upper part of the intestine. If there is high content of fat in the intestine it can lead to inflammation of the pancreas also known as pancreatitis.
Following are the main clinical signs and symptoms of pancreatitis in your cat:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Fever
- Decreased appetite
Your cat will take a characteristic preying position during an episode of pancreatic pain in your cat.
Seasonings
The toppings on the pizza have seasonings. The most common seasonings are garlic and onions. Garlic and onions are the most deadly seasonings for cats used in human food.
Garlic and onion powder can cause toxicity in your cat. They cause red blood cell lysis which decreases the oxygen supply in the body. The decrease in oxygen supply can lead to tissue hypoxia and death of the organ in the body.
Following are the clinical signs of hemolytic anemia in your cat:
- Increased heart rate
- Increased breathing rate
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Pale mucous membrane
High salt content
The next problem is the high salt content which can cause dehydration, hypertension, and kidney damage in your cat.
The first problem is dehydration which is due to an excess amount of salt outside the cells that draws water outside cells leading to cellular dehydration in the body.
The next thing is kidney damage. The kidney damage is due to the overloading of the kidney. The kidneys are specialized in the excretion of salt and water from the body. If the kidneys are overloaded due to the high amount of salt content it can lead to kidney damage and ultimately kidney failure in your cat.
Following are the clinical signs of kidney failure in your cat:
- Decreased urine output
- Kidney pain
- Decrease appetite
- Blood in urine
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Dehydration
- Increased BUN
The next thing is hypertension which is due to the high sodium content in the blood. To cope with such conditions of your cat you need to give potassium to your cat.
What can you do to keep your cat safe?
The first thing is not to share any food with your cat such as pizza. The next thing is to provide healthy food to your cat so that your cat remains distracted. The next thing is the ingredients that are used in making pizza, these ingredients should be avoided in any of the food that you are preparing for your cat.
How will your vet treat your cat?
The first step that your vet will take is to take a brief history of the problem. After that, your vet will examine your cat and will note down the important details. After that, your vet will go for some tests to check the status of your cat’s liver and heart.
The treatment will be done after that. Your vet will go for antibiotics and fluid therapy initially which will make your cat stable. Your vet might use emetics to induce vomiting.
Conclusion
In this cat blog, we entertained our important question, “Can cats eat pizza?” we also covered the dangers of feeding pizza to your cat, what you can do to keep your cat safe, and how your vet will treat your cat.
