Mussels

Mussels pose the same food-safety problem for cats: raw shellfish can carry Vibrio and concentrate algal biotoxins, and self-harvested ones are unpredictable; cooked meat is usually fine, but shellfish are a common allergen and seasoned ones are too salty.

Vomiting, diarrhoea, reduced appetite, lethargy; drooling, an unsteady gait or muscle weakness points to shellfish toxin poisoning and needs urgent care.

Contact a vet immediately for persistent vomiting, diarrhoea or lethargy, especially with drooling or an unsteady gait.

At most a rare, nail-sized piece, always thoroughly cooked and shelled; do not use mussel cooking liquid to flavour cat food, and never feed seasoned mussels.

Raw mussels can carry Vibrio and concentrate biotoxins made by algae, such as paralytic shellfish toxins, which poison people and pets alike, so never feed self-harvested shellfish; wine or garlic cooking also adds salt and Allium risks.

Vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, poor appetite, lethargy; shellfish toxin poisoning can bring drooling, an unsteady gait, muscle weakness and laboured breathing, which is an emergency.

Contact a vet immediately if vomiting, diarrhoea or lethargy follows feeding, and especially if drooling, an unsteady gait or weakness appears; never induce vomiting at home.

Feed only a small amount of thoroughly cooked, shelled mussel meat (one piece for a small dog); shellfish are a common allergen, so start smaller and watch for 24 hours, and never feed mussels cooked with seasoning, wine or garlic.