# Rapeseed Oil



## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

Anyone else use this?

I had looked at it previously when trying to source the best oil for Oscar but wasn't happy with the Omega 6 contained in it as I was trying to avoid this with his cancer.

Now that is no longer an issue, I picked up a small bottle last week at a trade fair to try the kits on. They really like it!!!! :thumbup: Totally nommed up their raw quite happily.

It looks like I'll need to get a bigger bottle soon.


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

I can't say I have tried it, but I am not sure that plant based oils are the best choice for cats. I tend to use Goose or Duck fat in my raw mix, alongside Krill oil.
(Come on MB have you done your home work and read that kindle book yet, eh?)


----------



## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

Paddypaws said:


> I can't say I have tried it, but I am not sure that plant based oils are the best choice for cats. I tend to use Goose or Duck fat in my raw mix, alongside Krill oil.
> (Come on MB have you done your home work and read that kindle book yet, eh?)


Gimme a chance love!!!!!! :lol: :lol:

I recall wheatgerm oil being mentioned quite often in the raw threads so didn't know there was an issue with plant oils.

I've put in a 50/50 mix of rapeseed & salmon oils with todays batch so we'll see how they go with that.


----------



## maisiecat (Jul 27, 2011)

Rapeseed oil is the cheap stuff that is sold in big bottles and cans for cooking. I wouldn't give it to my cats, but that's just my opinion.

It isn't something I would use even as a base for aromatherapy on a patient, and that is absorbed through the skin rather than digested. Neither would I use a mineral oil base which is why I prefer not to use Katalax and the like for furballs and constipation.

If you must use a plant oil, then something organic and good quality would be better, but animal based fat is best.


----------



## KathinUK (Apr 7, 2013)

maisiecat said:


> Rapeseed oil is the cheap stuff that is sold in big bottles and cans for cooking. I wouldn't give it to my cats, but that's just my opinion.
> 
> It isn't something I would use even as a base for aromatherapy on a patient, and that is absorbed through the skin rather than digested. Neither would I use a mineral oil base which is why I prefer not to use Katalax and the like for furballs and constipation.
> 
> If you must use a plant oil, then something organic and good quality would be better, but animal based fat is best.


Yes I tend to agree with maisie here but would add that , if you do use veggie oils, then at the very least make sure they're cold pressed and not the processed to h*LL bottles of sunflower or whatever's "Crisp n Dry" at the mo.

I've often used cold pressed olive oil in my batches to help with furballs and cos it provides omega 9 as well as 3 tho not happy about adding any more omega 6 which is abundant.

Kath


----------



## maisiecat (Jul 27, 2011)

Agree with Kath too, rapeseed is usually very processed and you find it on the same shelf as the Crisp and Dry stuff in the supermarket or in those huge plastic bottles they leave sitting on the floor or the bottom shelf. It isn't even always labelled as rapeseed oil so that the unwary will buy it thinking it is something else.

When you are out and drive by fields of foul smelling yellow flowers, really stinky and sickly but kind of with a rotting base note, that is rapeseed. I never buy it :wink:


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

I am using Yumega drops atm for one of my 3.5 yr old cats who, in spite of having a good coat (from all the raw rabbit he eats), has developed 2 small bald patches on his shoulders the cause of which the vet has no idea (i.e. there are no marks or scabs on the skin, they're not due to flea allergy or food allergy, and his thyroid levels were normal when tested ).

The vet advised giving him a treatment for *coat* problems and she recommended Yumega drops as they have the exact right balance of Omegas 3, 6 and 9. They contain (cold-pressed) Sunflower oil, EP oil and Salmon oil. After a few days on these drops the cat's coat is glossier and softer than ever. No sign yet of regrowth on the bald patches but it's early days.... So it seems some plant based oils are Ok for cats


----------



## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

The rapeseed oil I am trying out is cold pressed, extra virgin stuff. It is a decent quality. I don't give my cats just any old sh!t. 

Looking into it, I have found that there are different quality standards of this, just as there are different qualities of Olive Oil and others. From el cheapo scabby supermarket own brand to top of the range, cold pressed extra virgin variety.

The mix of this, with the Salmon Oil, has been scoffed up by the posse. 

ETA: And this stuff sure as hell wasn't cheap!!!


----------



## KathinUK (Apr 7, 2013)

MoggyBaby said:


> The rapeseed oil I am trying out is cold pressed, extra virgin stuff. It is a decent quality. I don't give my cats just any old sh!t.
> 
> Looking into it, I have found that there are different quality standards of this, just as there are different qualities of Olive Oil and others. From el cheapo scabby supermarket own brand to top of the range, cold pressed extra virgin variety.
> 
> ...


Here's a snatch from what I found which at first glance looks like its genetically modified .......
:Northern Canola Growers Association

The Rapeseed plant did not have a good reputation, indeed to the contrary, it was and is considered quite poisonous to humans and animals. Rapeseed oils are comprised of 55% Erucic acid, which is a very toxic acid (studies have linked to heart problems, lung cancer etc,), and Canola is a Rapeseed plant that has been bred so it produces about 1% erucic acid. Canola was man-made by scientists at a University laboratory in Canada, so that the genes in the plant were now bred to produce less of the toxic erucic acid that Rapeseed naturally produces. Another name for Canola is LEAR meaning Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed. You can read more in depth about it from the National Canola Growers Association, as even they admit that what they grow is just a genetic variation of rapeseed developed by Dr. Baldur Stefansson, a University of Manitoba scientist.
--------------------------------------

And another: http://www.mcgacanola.org/2008AwardRecipient.html

Here is an interesting summary of how Stefansson worked with other scientists, chemists, and plant breeders in the laboratory to create what is essentially a genetically engineered variation of the toxic rapeseed.

tbh I personally wouldn't bother with it ... I'm very suspicious of anything GM'd and wouldn't want to give it to my kitty unless I was absolutely certain it was ok. At the mo I'm not.

JMO
Kath


----------



## tillysdream (Sep 23, 2009)

I tend to agree with Chillminx, capsules rather than actual oil is the best way to go.

Oil (any liquid oil) is very easily aspirated into the lungs of a cat by mistake, more so when administered by syringe, but even when mixed with food. Very often fatal...Just something to bear in mind...

Agreed, there is no good quality rapeseed, just slightly better. And certainly not much good for cats (imo  ) Far better things on the market as others have mentioned 

Edited to add: please google "oil aspiration pneumonia in cats" Moggybaby. Can't add link as just on my phone. Will add tomorrow when on my laptop.


----------



## maisiecat (Jul 27, 2011)

MoggyBaby said:


> The rapeseed oil I am trying out is cold pressed, extra virgin stuff. It is a decent quality. I don't give my cats just any old sh!t.
> 
> Looking into it, I have found that there are different quality standards of this, just as there are different qualities of Olive Oil and others. From el cheapo scabby supermarket own brand to top of the range, cold pressed extra virgin variety.
> 
> ...


Sorry but I still wouldn't touch it with a barge pole, I don't use it for cooking either. I wouldn't put it into a body of any kind, even my O/H 

Cost is another matter, it doesn't guarantee quality, some people can be fooled (not saying you are stoopid BTW) into thinking expensive means better. Research is your best bet on health matters.

Your oil might come in handy for squeaky hinges but I wouldn't use it for anything else, personally.


----------



## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

Interesting! It is now being marketed in nonGM organic coldpressed form as a healthy oil.

I found this informative, including the links at the bottom of the page
Green Dog Pet Supply - Canola Oil - Separating fact from fiction


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

chillminx said:


> I am using Yumega drops atm for one of my 3.5 yr old cats who, in spite of having a good coat (from all the raw rabbit he eats), has developed 2 small bald patches on his shoulders the cause of which the vet has no idea (i.e. there are no marks or scabs on the skin, they're not due to flea allergy or food allergy, and his thyroid levels were normal when tested ).
> 
> The vet advised giving him a treatment for *coat* problems and she recommended Yumega drops as they have the exact right balance of Omegas 3, 6 and 9. They contain (cold-pressed) Sunflower oil, EP oil and Salmon oil. After a few days on these drops the cat's coat is glossier and softer than ever. No sign yet of regrowth on the bald patches but it's early days.... So it seems some plant based oils are Ok for cats


A little update from me -- the fur is starting to regrow on Pixie's bald patches:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: This has happened within a week of starting the Yumega! Marvellous stuff!


----------



## tillysdream (Sep 23, 2009)

Almost forgot to post the link I promised last night:

Second section on the link:

"Cats are particularly susceptible to aspiration pneumonia caused by aspiration of tasteless products such as mineral oil."

"As with nearly all disease conditions, prevention is better than treatment. This is especially the case for aspiration pneumonia, because the outlook is poor even with treatment. The rate of death is high."

Pneumonia in Cats: Lung and Airway Disorders of Cats: The Merck Manual for Pet Health


----------



## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

Nasty condition but surely unlikely to be caused by eating their dinner?


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Jonescat said:


> Nasty condition but surely unlikely to be caused by eating their dinner?


I always understood this to be more of a risk when medicating a cat, say..giving it liquid petroleum to help ease constipation. The liquid should be added to food and mixed well in rather than syringed into the cat.


----------



## tillysdream (Sep 23, 2009)

Jonescat said:


> Nasty condition but surely unlikely to be caused by eating their dinner?


It can indeed be inhaled whilst eating.  



Paddypaws said:


> I always understood this to be more of a risk when medicating a cat, say..giving it liquid petroleum to help ease constipation. The liquid should be added to food and mixed well in rather than syringed into the cat.


Can be inhaled into lungs whilst eating it....

I provided link.


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Aspiration pneumonia in cats is caused by persistent vomiting, forced feeding or improperly administered medications. This is confirmed in the link you provided Tillysdream. 

If oils are mixed thoroughly with the cat's food, and the cat eats its food independently there is no risk of the cat aspirating the oil. Many proprietary cat foods contain oils, e.g. Omega 3,6,9 in various forms.


----------



## tillysdream (Sep 23, 2009)

chillminx said:


> Aspiration pneumonia in cats is caused by persistent vomiting, forced feeding or improperly administered medications. This is confirmed in the link you provided Tillysdream.
> 
> If oils are mixed thoroughly with the cat's food, and the cat eats its food independently there is no risk of the cat aspirating the oil. Many proprietary cat foods contain oils, e.g. Omega 3,6,9 in various forms.


When people add oils to raw, it is sometimes hard to mix thoroughly. And I have indeed seen cats that have inhaled the oil part into their lungs, and it has been fatal.

The link is all I had time to dig up to support what I was saying, and granted doesn't give a FULL explaination.

I have now. 

The proprietary foods of course the oils are completely mixed in!!!! So no risk! Obvious.


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

My vet assures me there is no risk to my cat in my adding the Yumega oil drops to his food as I have been doing, and mixing it in with the food in a normal manner by hand. 

She is a good vet whose judgement I trust and her advice is completely endorsed by my own research on this. 

If I were adding relatively large quantities of oils e.g. say a dessertspoon or a tablespoonful per meal, it might be different. But to add so much would make the food very oily so I doubt most cats would eat it. Plus, it is not necessary to add that much oil anyway when as I say there is a supplement like Yumega available to add in a few drops. 

EDIT : note, I am adding the Yumega drops to a little raw mince, rather than chunks, which he has separately. If this is what you meant then I'd agree -- it would not be easy to mix oil properly with chunked meat.


----------



## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

CM - Where do you get your drops from and are they cat-specific ones or general animal?


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

MB -- this is the one I have:

Yumega Cat, Omega 3 and 6 oils for Cats, Improve Cat

I believe something similar is made by other companies, and may be cheaper and maybe just as good but this is the one my vet stocks, so I decided to get this make.


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Oh God, so my cats have been dicing with death all these years when I let them lick the oil drained from the tuna can.


----------



## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

chillminx said:


> MB -- this is the one I have:
> 
> Yumega Cat, Omega 3 and 6 oils for Cats, Improve Cat
> 
> I believe something similar is made by other companies, and may be cheaper and maybe just as good but this is the one my vet stocks, so I decided to get this make.


Thank you CM. 

Would I be correct to assume that extra Vit E is not required if giving these?


----------



## tillysdream (Sep 23, 2009)

Paddypaws said:


> Oh God, so my cats have been dicing with death all these years when I let them lick the oil drained from the tuna can.


Lol, it is ALWAYS advised to give only tuna in spring water for many reasons!


----------



## tillysdream (Sep 23, 2009)

chillminx said:


> EDIT : note, I am adding the Yumega drops to a little raw mince, rather than chunks, which he has separately. If this is what you meant then I'd agree -- it would not be easy to mix oil properly with chunked meat.


Yes!!!!! ^^^^^^ This is exactly what I meant.


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

MoggyBaby said:


> Thank you CM.
> 
> Would I be correct to assume that extra Vit E is not required if giving these?


MB -- my understanding is omegas 3 & 6 are found in the same foods as Vitamin E and are also fat soluble like Vit E but that all of these substances have a slightly different function in the body.

My own inclination would be to add Vit E as well as omegas, but perhaps someone else might advise not to. I wonder what the exact ingredients of Fellini Complete are i.e. whether they add omegas + vit E ?


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

tillysdream said:


> Yes!!!!! ^^^^^^ This is exactly what I meant.


OK gotcha!


----------



## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

chillminx said:


> MB -- my understanding is omegas 3 & 6 are found in the same foods as Vitamin E and are also fat soluble like Vit E but that all of these substances have a slightly different function in the body.
> 
> My own inclination would be to add Vit E as well as omegas, but perhaps someone else might advise not to. I wonder what the exact ingredients of Fellini Complete are i.e. whether they add omegas + vit E ?


It's nearly home-time so I will look at the Felini Ingredients later.

I've ordered some of these drops anyway and will give them a try to see how they go down.

This was why I was keen on the rapeseed oil because it seemed to cover all the bases - O3, O6 , high in Vit E and the cats really liked the taste.


----------



## tillysdream (Sep 23, 2009)

chillminx said:


> OK gotcha!


Cool, we got there....  My powers of explanation may have been lacking.


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

I think Vitamin E is added primarily for it's anti-oxidant properties ie it stops oils from spoiling and going rancid. That would be my worry with a bottle of oil such as I presume Yumega is, as any oil left open to the air will oxidise.


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Just doing a bit of searching on different suppliers websites I have discovered that in fact Yumega _does_ contain Vit E as an antioxidant.

Yumega Cat, Omega 3 and 6 oils for Cats, Improve Cat

So MB it appears Yumega has the oils you're looking for

With regard to (cold-pressed) rapeseed oil, the only thing that might possibly make it unsuitable as a supplement is that it does contain large amounts of erucic acid (omega 9). Large amounts of omega 9 have been linked in the past with some cancers, though it seems many experts are now questioning this link and saying the research was unsound. I understand humans only need a small amount of omega 9, and perhaps cats are the same, and they would be getting too much omega 9 with rapeseed oil perhaps?.

In the human species omega 9 can be produced by the body when there is enough omega 3 and 6 present, and I imagine the same would apply to all mammals.....(?).

What the vet said to me about Yumega is that it contains the correct balance of omega 3 and 6, and that this balance is physiologically important for the body in terms of max effectiveness. I don't know what proportion one needs of 3 to 6, but I am sure it wouldn't be too hard to find out and make up our own drops if we wanted to. Tho it is quite nice to have it all there ready to buy, in one bottle


----------



## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

chillminx said:


> Just doing a bit of searching on different suppliers websites I have discovered that in fact Yumega _does_ contain Vit E as an antioxidant.
> 
> Yumega Cat, Omega 3 and 6 oils for Cats, Improve Cat
> 
> ...


When I was doing my research for Oscar, I was reading up on all this and a few sites stated that a 1:1 ration was the best balance. Too much O6 - found in the vegetable oils which have become far more popular over the last 3 to 4 decades - was thought to be one of the reasons for the increase in cancer, as well as many other diseases, due to O6 having inflamatory properties. Too much O3 can be dangerous for diabetics and people with bleeding disorders.

Further to our earlier Felini issue, here is the ingredients breakdown. Vit E has been added.

_Vitamin A (800,000 IU/kg), vitamin D3 (20,000 IU/kg), vitamin E [a-tocopherol acetate] (5,500 mg/kg), vitamin B1 (320 mg/kg), vitamin B2 (160 mg/kg), Vitamin B6 (240 mg/kg), vitamin B12 (1,650 g/kg), pantothenic acid (720 mg/kg), biotin (10,000 g/kg), nicotinamide (1,300 mg/kg), folic acid (52 mg/kg), iron [sulphate] (2,400 mg/kg), copper [sulphate] (160 mg/kg), manganese [sulphate] (224 mg/kg), zinc [sulphate] (900 mg/kg), iodine [Ca iodate] (42 mg/kg), taurine (100,000 mg/kg).

This food supplement contains higher contents of vitamins A, D3 and trace elements than complete foods. Only feed 5% of the daily feeding amount._

ETA: The O9 in the rapeseed was the one thing I was having an issue with given that this can be produced in the body as long as O3 & O6 were present.


----------



## KathinUK (Apr 7, 2013)

chillminx said:


> With regard to (cold-pressed) rapeseed oil, the only thing that might possibly make it unsuitable as a supplement is that it does contain large amounts of erucic acid (omega 9). Large amounts of omega 9 have been linked in the past with some cancers, though it seems many experts are now questioning this link and saying the research was unsound. I understand humans only need a small amount of omega 9, and perhaps cats are the same, and they would be getting too much omega 9 with rapeseed oil perhaps?.


Hi, while erucic acid found in rapeseed is a fairly noxious form of omega 9, there is also omega 9, oleic acid, found in olive oil which is perfectly healthy to the best of my knowledge.

Omega-9 fatty acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



> What the vet said to me about Yumega is that it contains the correct balance of omega 3 and 6, and that this balance is physiologically important for the body in terms of max effectiveness. I don't know what proportion one needs of 3 to 6, but I am sure it wouldn't be too hard to find out and make up our own drops if we wanted to. Tho it is quite nice to have it all there ready to buy, in one bottle


Yep ready made stuff always seems more convenient.  
But tho we [humans] are overloaded with omega 6 from veggie oils, I'm not really sure what the position is re kitties who genuinely eat a carnivore rather than omnivore diet. The presence of all manner of non-species appropriate ingredients in some ready made cat foods makes me even more uncertain.

Kath


----------

