Can cats eat sashimi?
This cat blog will answer the major question, “Can cats eat sashimi?” we will also discuss the major health hazards of consuming sashimi for your cat, whether cats are allergic to sashimi, and what you can do if your cat ate a lot of sashimi.
Can cats eat sashimi?
No, cats cannot eat sashimi. It is not healthy for your cat to eat sashimi because it is raw in nature and it can pose a serious health hazard to your cat. You shouldn’t add any sashimi to the food of the cat. The cat may want sashimi but it could prove very dangerous for your cat.
What are the major health hazards of consuming sashimi?
Following are the major health hazards of consuming sashimi for your cat:
Stomach upset in cats
The house cat is unable to consume sashimi because it has raw meat. Raw meat is hard to digest for a domesticated cat.
Wild cats can easily digest raw meat as they prey on animals and the only source of energy for the wild cats is their prey. Cats are obligate carnivores and they can utilize the protein of the raw meat source but not all cats have the capacity to digest it properly.
Following are the major clinical signs of stomach upset in your cat:
- Decreased appetite
- Dehydration
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Weakness
- Lethargy
- Abdominal pain
Cats can catch pathogens
The next thing is the pathogens that are harboring raw meat. These pathogens can cause a deadly infection in your cat. These deadly conditions are caused by salmonella, e.coli, and various worms that reside in the raw meat of the animals.
Salmonella is the principal pathogen of raw meat and it can cause digestive issues in your cat. These digestive issues can lead to enteritis and other complications.
Following are the major clinical signs you should look for in your cat in case of enteritis:
- Decreased appetite
- Blood in feces
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Swollen intestine
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Abdominal pain
Thiamine deficiency in your cat
Raw meat has thiaminase enzyme which can cause degradation of the thiamine which is a type of B vitamin. Thiamine is responsible for the brain health of the body.
If there is a deficiency of thiamine in the body it can cause neurological problems for your cat. These neurological problems are permanent and it is very rare that the neurological signs are completely treated.
Following are the major neurological signs in your cat due to thiamine deficiency:
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Loss of voluntary control
- Incoordination
- Imbalance
You should know that it takes time to develop this kind of deficiency so you need to make sure your cat doesn’t hold onto raw meat.
Choking in your cat
The next thing is choking in your cat. Choking can be painful for your cat as it can cause a tracheal collapse in your cat. The trachea is the major respiratory organ in the body as damage to the trachea can lead to respiratory collapse and death of your cat.
Following are the major clinical signs of choking in your cat:
- Unable to vomit
- Unable to cough
- Unable to swallow
- Difficulty in respiration
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- Weakness
Cats spread the infection to humans
Salmonella is a zoonotic bacteria that can cause problems in humans. The bacteria can spread from the feces of the cats to humans. Suppose you want to clean your cat then there is a greater chance that you can get an infection from your cat through exposure to the feces of the cat.
Can sashimi cause allergies in cats?
Yes, sashimi can cause allergies in your cat. Allergic reactions are very severe in your cat if your cat happens to consume more raw meat.
Following are the major clinical signs of allergic reaction in your cat:
- Rashes on the skin
- Vomiting
- Breathing problems
- Itching
- Skin irritation
- Loss of appetite
- Restlessness
- Hives
What can you do if your cat consumes too much sashimi?
If your cat happens to consume too much sashimi then you should call your vet as the vet is the only person who can help you in this regard.
The vet will advise you to bring your cat to the clinic. Your vet will examine the cat and will perform some tests to check the type of infection in your cat. After the test results, your vet will combine the results with the clinical exam and will give his diagnosis.
After that, your vet will treat your cat according to the condition of your cat.
Conclusion
In this cat blog, we entertained our important question, “Can cats eat sashimi?” we also covered the major health hazards of consuming sashimi for your cat, whether cats are allergic to sashimi, and what you can do if your cat ate a lot of sashimi.
References
https://www.whiskas.co.uk/1-plus-years/cat-nutrition/can-cats-eat-raw-fish
