Discussions

My cat was recently diagnosed with early stage kidney failure and the vet has suggested we changes her food. We are going to try to get her to eat the Royal Canins K/D food(so far she doesn't like). We have another cat and he is fine. But this got me thinking of how healthy the food is we are feeding them. We are giving them Fancy Feast...they love it. But, after researching, not really a good cat food. What does everyone feed their cats?

Nutro or Merrick. Royal canin is overpriced and a garbage food.

westcoasterbc said "Nutro or Merrick. Royal canin is overpriced and a garbage food. "

Royal Canin is recommended by our vet. I would think she has more knowledge than you, unless you are a vet?  
 
Our cat has eaten this since day one when she was a kitten, will soon be 17 years old, with no health issues whatsoever.  
 
Edited by puddin, 2016-10-21 12:04:09

My cat was diagnosed with digestion issues and the vet recommend grain free soft food. I buy the wellness brand from pet value. You can get a 5% discount if you buy 12 cans at a time. There is different flavors so you can figure out what your cat likes. They also have a grain free hard food

I have a diabetic cat and recommended food for diabetic cats and any cats for that matter (to prevent the occurrence of future feline diabetes and other UTI and kidney issues) are to get them off dry kibble and feed them low carb wet pates. No gravies, shredded, medley types, etc., however.  
 
There is an excellent list provided through www.felinediabetes.com for acceptable low carb wet cat food. Fancy feast (Pates only) are very low carb, as are Friskies Pate and some of the Presidents Choice products. There has been a lot of work that went into the compilation of these lists.  
 
I had no idea until I was dealing with feline diabetes (my cat was hovering over the water bowl constantly, ravenous and losing weight rapidly).  
 
It''s all about wet, low carb choices for cats in this condition, and as a preventative measure for cats that are always prone to issues down the road.  
 
Here is a great website for all issues relating to kidney, UTI ,renal issues and diabetes and more.  
You can probably search the food you''re feeding and get some information in this most respectable and knowledgable website.  
 
http://www.felinediabetes.com/  
 
The sort of guru and expert on cat food - Dr. Lisa Pierson and it's complications and common sense recommendations and her take on why cats should never have high carb dry kibble:  
 
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=:felinediabetes  
 
The cat food recommendations for Canada for diabetic cats (or for any cat) link follows. This is an invaluable list. Cat food manufacturers are not mandated to list the nutrient charts as we have for humans (Protein/Fat/Carbs, etc.) - it''s a labour of love for these volunteers to have contacted companies and translated the nutrition breakdowns and values. Low carb all the way!  
 
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/nonusfd.html#p  
 
For now, as recommended, I feed my cat 3 cans daily of fancy feast or 1-1/2 cans of Friskies Pate daily. She had been a Wet food/Whiskas gravy loving cat up until her diagnosis (who knew?) and I used to leave her with dry kibble to self feed. No more dry, unfortunately. I also feed chopped lean chicken or pork, simmered in water or low sodium broth.  
 
There are so few low carb dry foods for cats. One dry food that many people recommend is called "Young Again" that has received some great reviews from cat parents of kitties with urinary, kidney and diabetes issues. Unfortunately, it's super pricey and only available in the States through mail order. I''m tempted to try it though as it has reversed some major conditions in sickly cats.  
 
https://www.youngagainpetfood.com/  
 
Good luck with your cat. Fancy Feast Pates are highly recommended for low carb options. Much better than "Grilled, gravies, and medleys for your cat.  
 
I know it is a bit of a different issue than you posted, but many urinary, kidney, ketone, diabetic and renal issues are connected in the feline world.  
 
Just my opinion.  
 
Edited by michelle, 2016-10-21 12:56:04

I loss my dearest cat of cancer. I should have fed her better food. Up to you: feed your cat with better food for health and life longevity and also less vet cost with problem your cat will occur.  
My vet said cats are carnivores, no plant, no grain, no carbohydrates for them. This is human diet not cat diet. I had bought cranberry powder from petvalue that says help cats but my vet said is useless again cats are not human, we feed differently.  
Now I pay more for my other cat for food and quality and believe will give less health problem costing you less for vet cost later on. My opinion, like human ...eat junk, your system will be junk later.  
Go for meat in ingredients.

1 chance said "I loss my dearest cat of cancer. I should have fed her better food. Up to you: feed your cat with better food for health and life longevity and also less vet cost with problem your cat will occur.   My vet said cats are carnivores, no plant, no grain, no carbohydrates for them. This is human diet not cat diet. I had bought cranberry powder from petvalue that says help cats but my vet said is useless again cats are not human, we feed differently.   Now I pay more for my other cat for food and quality and believe will give less health problem costing you less for vet cost later on. My opinion, like human ...eat junk, your system will be junk later.   Go for meat in ingredients. "

1 chance is correct. Cats are carnivores and thrive on a non grain diet.  
 
I wanted to mention about my above post that carbs should be zero, but ideally with commercial cat food (the list I linked to) carbs should be kept to well under 10.  
 
You''ll note the extremely high carb levels with dry food and wet, gravy type foods. These types of foods are well documented into possibly entering the sad and frustrating world of diabetes and other health problems. I can vouch for that through experience and so can many others.  
 
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/nonusfd.html  
 
I agree. If you care about your little feline, do some research into their food. Same with our precious dogs. Sometimes what we think is best for them goes against their true and simple needs.  
 
Another page with carb counts for US (and some Canadan dry food)  
http://binkyspage.tripod.com/dryfood.html#m  
 
Edited by michelle, 2016-10-21 13:31:58

feed your cat with too much plants, grains, or carbohydrates it will suffer malnutrition causing problem again more vet cost later on.

Thanks for those links you provided Michelle....great info there.

puddin said "    westcoasterbc said "Nutro or Merrick. Royal canin is overpriced and a garbage food. " Royal Canin is recommended by our vet. I would think she has more knowledge than you, unless you are a vet?     Our cat has eaten this since day one when she was a kitten, will soon be 17 years old, with no health issues whatsoever.     Edited by puddin, 2016-10-21 12:04:09"

Just because a vet "recommends" it doesn't mean it's the best food for your pet. Read the ingredients in it... They're a business of course "vet" brand foods are the best (push you onto then) with high markups for more money.  
 
A cat can eat meow mix 17 years too...  
 
I had a diabetic cat (16) and for 14 years (insulin dependant 2 times a day) and they tried pushing the royal canin garbage on me. To my vets surprise he was just do what you do, and was asking what I fed my cat..

I also, was recommended to feed my cat vet prescribed food. I hesitate to say that I have since gone online and www.felinediabetes.com message boards has been more valuable to me with many years of experience of very beloved cats with many problems.. I learned that the carb count from the vet prescribed food was higher than it should be and more expensive. It wasn't the best for my catlet.  
 
Veterinarians certainly mean well. This is why we must take our pets to these highly trained doctors. If you get a good one, it means everything. I have a lot of respect for them and their training. Much like a doctor, they cannot know everything and need to always be updated.  
 
Just as we sometimes must take our own healthcare into our own hands to be aggressive and ask questions, I feel it's no different than vets. Some are progressive, some aren't.  
 
I had never owned a cat prior to my only one and I have learned a lot, but it's just my own opinion. When my cat became very sick, I felt I had no choice but to delve into the world of cat problems. Mine was all beautifully normal until severe weight loss and I knew I had to do something, as I love this cat that lived a posh lifestyle.  
 
I wish you luck with your lovely cat and sometimes a change of food is all it takes to make a huge difference.

I was allergic to the kitten but willing to do anything to keep my daughter happy.  
 
I bought expensive cat food because it had cranberries and my mother had resolved her kidney problem by drinking cranberry juice. I could budget for the more expensive food but not the sudden vet bill for UTI.  
 
Two days later, my allergies cleared up. I have been using Acana Grasslands for the last three years as the other brands changed their recipes.

dr oz had a segment on animal health food dogs getting to fat and cats urinary tract problems because of grains in food not enough protien in diet so have to read labels and do research my vat live 25 years I used can cat food

Iams wet.

People can eat bacon every day too but the only person I have seen do that is the old guy on grumpier old men. Everything is a business. How people can live their lives believing they are smarter than people in other professions is beyond me. Again, my cat it 17, or 84 in cat years. Still jumps and plays, I trust the vet! You do what you want, what's your profession?

Instinct all the way! Grain-free, potato-free and by-product-free. My cats adore it.

I don't know about all the pampered cats, but if you look at cats in their natural habitat they may be considered carnivores but if you were to watch them eat their prey, like a mouse, gopher, or even a bird, you would notice that they eat everything including the intestines and the contents in those intestines, which In many cases include partially digested plant matter. I guess I should also say that they eat the hide, hair and bones of their prey as well, and by eating the complete prey they get a balanced diet, and have done this for God knows how long, and continuing as a species, we maybe should look at what evolution provided them as a diet.

I agree completely with Michelle. Diabetic cats actually need to have wet food, and any dry food is not good for them. You can research the content and find better wet foods, or feed raw food like we did for several months. He was back to his old self almost overnight when we started feeding him wet/raw food. We had to hide the dog's dry food because it was toxic for him.

My guy has a problem with urinary crystals and has a sensitive stomach, he will throw up any other food. Vet recommended royal canin when he got really sick from pee crystals and this kind has helped him. No more crystals or puking after eating. Have been thinking about trying to switch to science diet as it is also recommended by vets and the first ingredient is meat not somet kind of gluten filler like the royal canin he eats. But I would definitely still recommend it!  
Also if you want more opinion they are awesome at best west on 18th by husky!  
 
Edited by hatsoff, 2016-10-22 09:02:49

Superstore carries a dry food "Nutrition First" that is on par with vet food (so I have read). We feed this to our ancient cat, along with a bit of canned tuna every few nights or so. So far, she's still trucking along.

The canned food and raw diets are best. Hard food is full of stuff your cat doesnt need.  
I have a male cat and they are prone to crystals. I feed a mostly canned food diet with a little hard food. And have not had any health problems. I dont buy my cat food at the grocery store though. After all the ingredients reading i would rather pay a little more and know im giving my cats a better quality of life. For the hard food i buy blue buffalo my cats love it  
 
Edited by kaylagurl21, 2016-10-22 20:29:24

Plain vanilla yogurt is great for cats. Helps their digestive tract. The Brandon Humane society gives their cats yogurt (I believe daily) for this reason. It's obviously not a substitution for their main food, but it will help. Wet food is best.  
 
A lot of veterinary offices are sponsored by a particular brand of cat food, so they may tend to suggest a certain brand, which can be pricier. It's good, but costs add up quickly.  
 
Water is a big thing too. Cats can be bad at drinking water, which can lead to kidney issues. Trying keeping the water bowl full as much as possible. Some cats enjoy the moving water so cat water fountains are good.  
 
Hope your feline friend feels better soon!

For you, from a RAHT: all veterinary diets are 100% guaranteed, even if you bring it back simply because your cat is turning their nose up at it. . Secondly, veterinarians have maintenance diets available as well, SAME guarantee!!! They offer a few different brands and a wide variety of textures! Plus, ALL DIETS HAVE UNDERGONE TESTING for general wellbeing!!! This is something that MAJORITY of commercial diets cannot say! Thirdly, you should be able to request a nutrition consult with your veterinarian and/or RAHT at no additional cost, during a routine physical exam. If your office cannot provide that for you....... you may wish to seek someone else.

Following dental surgery, Grand Valley Clinic gave me a bag of food they insisted was the best for my cat. The third ingredient was corn and corn gluten. It is this type of filler that makes my cats so unhealthy that I become allergic to them.  
 
I question how much kickback are the veterinary clinics getting for promoting certain brands? The human doctors do not get training in human nutrition so I question how much nutrition training the animal doctors get. I took the bag with plans to donate it to someone who needs it, but it would be like giving pop to the starving diabetic. Two weeks later, it is still in my car. My cats are NOT going to be subjected to corn gluten. The food I use has some rice and the original brand that stopped my allergies also had brown rice.

cat is on Urinary Track cat food and will always need to be.  
I get this at amazon because it is cheaper than in Brandon and delivered to my door (this is 1/2 her diet):  
https://www.amazon.ca/Hills-Science-Diet-10138-2-9-Ounce/dp/B00ZQYGSRO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478899326&sr=8-1&keywords=urinary+cat+food  
 
Other 1/2 of her diet is dry cat food from Brandon Hills and another brand of wet cat food from there. Expensive, but gives her a variety.

katwalk1909 said "Following dental surgery, Grand Valley Clinic gave me a bag of food they insisted was the best for my cat. The third ingredient was corn and corn gluten. It is this type of filler that makes my cats so unhealthy that I become allergic to them.     I question how much kickback are the veterinary clinics getting for promoting certain brands? The human doctors do not get training in human nutrition so I question how much nutrition training the animal doctors get. I took the bag with plans to donate it to someone who needs it, but it would be like giving pop to the starving diabetic. Two weeks later, it is still in my car. My cats are NOT going to be subjected to corn gluten. The food I use has some rice and the original brand that stopped my allergies also had brown rice. "

if I would trust corn, corn meal, corn gluten stuff for cats probably not even that good for human because I read few places corn unless organic isn't good because of chemicals anyway again if cats are carnivores why corn products in their food in the first few ingredients list.  
I had one cat would take yogourt and the other no way. If yogourt if good for their system I am not sure because it may be good for us but we are talking about cats. My vet said cranberry stuff is ok for human but cat different for cats.  
I should have given my cat better food in her life time. Died of cancer and I miss my cat.

You could also ask this herbalist vet what you can do in addition to changing your cat's food: http://homegrownherbalist.net/ He might have suggestions as well what the best thing to look for in the ingredients list would be and what to avoid.  
 
He has a vet & a human practice, a blog and a forum where you can ask questions.

You could also ask this herbalist vet what you can do in addition to changing your cat's food: http://homegrownherbalist.net/ He might have suggestions as well what the best thing to look for in the ingredients list would be and what to avoid.  
 
He has a vet & a human practice, a blog and a forum where you can ask questions.

https://acana.com/our-foods/cat-foods/

NutriSource - Weight Management Chicken and Rice (she''s 12 lbs). She LOVES it and happily grazes.  
Oh and I give her a 1/4 can of a Fancy Feast Pate before bed.  
 
Edited by Michbag, 2016-11-23 11:43:33