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So EVO sounds like a food he can tolerate and will eat, that's no small victory.
I have signed up for e-mails from the companies of all foods I have fed (in case there is a problem the company cares to share) as well as FDA (essentially useless) and I also Google once or twice a month: [Pet Food Brand Name] + recall 2011 .... that's how I initially found the Iams Price Chopper Recall.
Also, I find it funny that when our stomachs are upset, we invariably say "It was something I ate" But we rarely make that connection for our cats.
. . . Majority of cans are the ground up pate sort of style which she won't eat. It's got to be chunky. . .
Quote:
Originally Posted by WannaComeHome
well, Instinct was a bad choice! Magnus didn't even have the entire pouch of duck+ kibble (mixed with his regular d/m wet) and he doesn't feel well - didn't finish his breakfast and 'pooped' out total liquidy/mucusy yuck. poor guy has been spending the rest of the morning cleaning his fur! I'd say he's had 1/2sample pack over 3 meals. not a great deal, but oooo not good.
guess there's probably no point in trying the instinct chicken version. that leaves the Simply Holistic(?) left. He went through 2 packs of the evo - shared with the others a little- with no problem. I don't think this was started then....? pu!
I don't know if you can get it, but I have finally found a food my finicky as h*ll cat will eat. It is called Earthborn. I only feed the canned and so far she has no problems eating any of the varieties. She used to eat about 1/2 a can of whatever I tried and then wouldn't eat it ever again. Of course this cat also had sever liver problems years ago and became finicky after she made a recovery.
I have a can of Earthborn at home. I can't remember if I a) bought two and it didn't go over or b) I just never bothered to try it. I bought it months ago when I first saw it.
I don't really like how they're talking about all the environmental stuff they do on the web site and very little about the food! Heh.
I want to thank leanansidhex for that link on how to switch your cat to a healthy diet. I am trying the vet's method now and encourage everyone watch her short video because it makes a lot of sense.
The 'tough love' is the challenging part because my cat is complaining (loudly) that her kibble buffet has been changed to 3 small portions a day.
The creating "pockets of hunger" makes the most sense to me.
I got my cat to eat some Wellness Core Chicken today, as she was hungry, it was a freshly opened can, and it was what was made available to her, though she only ate 1 oz and did so begrudgingly, but at least she ate some. There's more wet food in her dish, if she gives in. Her next kibble meal won't be available until 6pm, so it's Wellness Core or nothing until then (she's getting 2 kibble meals a day and one wet food meal, just as the vet advises for phase I).
lottamoxie,
For us, the felines that were dry food addicts transitioned to wet the best once all dry was removed from our home. Dry is VERY addicting. Knowing it would never be available, they didn't hold out.
Adjusting to not being free fed was difficult for some. Some wanted to nibble allllll day, rather then eat 3 separate meals. Others went into full panic when the food bowls were empty.
To get everyone eating 3 meals a day, in a timely manner, I added a stinky nasty addictive food topper with the same carpy ingredients that is found in dry kibble. It was the "cure-all" for all the road blocks.
PS
We rotate brands to stay on the safe side of recalls and too much exposure to the less than desirable ingredients in any mfg. food. Wellness is one brand that is in rotation, but it isn't the Core. Grain free chicken, chicken and turkey, and turkey. No fish. Too many issues with fish.
Congrats to transitioning to a species appropriate diet! You will be AMAZED at the differences you will see. The fact that your felines will no longer be dehydrated is a BIGGIE. You will see the difference in your cat's coat, level of activity, teeth, no more barfing of food, none or a lot less horking of furballs, etc.
Thanks Lola, but I'm not comfortable with my cat refusing to eat (which she has done before) going cold turkey from dry to wet. The stress is not worth it to me (or to my cat).
I don't see a problem with trying the approach as outlined by that vet. Even if my cat gets to a 50% wet diet, I'll be satisfied.
As for the dehydration issue with cats eating kibble, my cat loves to play in and with her water. She drinks a lot of water because she thinks it's a game to dip her paw in the water and then lick it off. Along with drinking her water, she will do this paw dip and lick. I also add extra water to her wet food.
Thanks Lola, but I'm not comfortable with my cat refusing to eat (which she has done before) going cold turkey from dry to wet. The stress is not worth it to me (or to my cat).
I don't see a problem with trying the approach as outlined by that vet. Even if my cat gets to a 50% wet diet, I'll be satisfied.
Noooooooo, I was NOT saying anything about allowing a cat to miss meals. NEVER EVER!!!! That is totally dangerous. NONE or our felines went without food at ANY time.
I was just explaining how the transition went MUCH easier (for the more more stubborn felines), once dry was no longer an option.
The ones that WANTED to hold out for the dry...those are the ones that had the nasty dry food topper added to their wet. It only took a few meals with the added topper... and the transition was complete.
I'm not impressed with the transitioning to wet: all my cats are gaining weight - and they aren't eating all that much!! this makes no sense. so.. as discussed earlier, I'm switching back to dry - at least for this year.
Magnus has gone 1/2 way through a small bag of Innova - mixed with the canned d/m and recently transitioning that to the other wet foods we use with the rest of them with no problems. Now he's off the d/m entirely (except for use as treats) and I checked his blood sugar this morning - came in at 152! not bad for a month off insulin and mixing new non-diabetic food into his diet. I've just started mixing the Innova with the Simply Nourish. I know, someone said they didn't like any of the PetSmart foods, but... I need to have a few foods I can rotate through! So far I've found the Evo works for him, and the Innova. I want to try the Simply Nourish. if it's bad, he usually reacts pretty quickly. The ingredient list really looks pretty decent, if it's lacking in sufficient some vitamin, rotating with the others should make up for it, I'd think.
Vet was a little concerned what I was doing (he wants me to stay on the d/m - says the study was done by Minnesota University that usually pushes Royal Canin, not Hills ) and wanted to be sure I understood that being off the d/m he could go diabetic again. I understand, I'm checking him, I don't believe that the d/m is that much superior to the food I'm giving him now. So we'll see.
Just a thought on why the EVO may be working, and a caution about the Simply Nourish ... YOU will need to research this further if you're interested, But, EVO is probably one of the higher protein/lower carb foods ... I assume Simply Nourish is [much] higher carb (I would seriously check it out further).
I was planning to look into the food your vet had Magnus on, to see if there was an ingredient (chemical/drug) that somehow blocked some of the MANY carbs in it. (I'm not sure what I'd be looking for until I found it)
As an example, dl methionine (a drug) is routinely used in dry (species inappropriate) food to acidify urine.
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) and wanted to be sure I understood that being off the d/m he could go diabetic again. I understand, I'm checking him, I don't believe that the d/m is that much superior to the food I'm giving him now. So we'll see.
