4health Dry Cat Food, Recent Issues

coniferously

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Hello all.
I've been feeding my 13 cats a mixture of 4Health All Life Stages and 4Health Indoor Cat Formula (both grain free, dry foods) for about 5 or 6 months now. We buy 8 bags total, 152 lbs, that lasts us 3 months between ours and my mom's total of 18 cats. They get fed twice a day, 1/3 of a cup each time. Some don't even finish it all.
The last 8 bags we bought a couple months ago (we just got 8 new ones on Thursday) seem to have upset my cats' stomachs, which it hadn't done in the past. My mom noticed more vomiting and my cats went through a weird vomit stage too, ones that never did before, and right after they ate. Now recently I know of at least two cats having diarrhea, I thought it was just one of my cats and maybe he was just sick on his own, took him to the vet and everything and is on a GI anti-inflammatory and antibiotics, but I've seen another now who has diarrhea. I'm beginning to think it was a bad batch of food after the vomiting and now diarrhea.
I'm just curious if anyone else has bought 4Health dry cat food in the last couple months from Tractor Supply and if you've also had any issues with your cats bowels or throwing up. Or if anyone has read that there has been a report of any contamination or anything. I have 8 new bags of food now and I'm unsure if I should use it or buy new food instead. If it's suggested to try a new food, any recommendations are welcome. I've been researching for hours and can't find anything that I like or is in a good price range. Right now we get 152 pounds for about $220 every two months, so $110 a month for 76 pounds. I'm willing to spend a bit more and was looking at American Journey, either the chicken or the chicken & turkey recipe, so if you know anything about that brand either, please let me know. Unsure still entirely on what to do at this point. None of my cats are acting sick, and if I didn't see diarrhea or if one didn't have accidents around the house because he wasn't able to hold his bowels, I would have never guessed something was going on with them because they are otherwise normal.
Thank you guys!
 

mikameek

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So like I said, made my way here to chime in. :lol:

My roommate has switched her cat to Merrick Beyond Grain Chicken formula. I think this food does have salmon oil in it (her cat might be allergic to fish; I say might because we don't really know, just assume he is) but it hasn't bothered him at all. She buys an 11 lb bag for $24 off of Amazon and gets the monthly shipment discount. Now, if you do the math on that, it is a bit over your budget with it coming out to $168 or so for 77 lbs a month. I just figured I would offer that.
I also personally have a bag of Merrick Back Country Game Bird that has raw freeze dried bits mixed in occasionally, also too expensive, but I thought I'd give you more brands to look at.

American Journey is a good brand from what I know though. I have not ever personally fed them or know anyone that does consistently but I haven't heard anything bad about them.
 
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coniferously

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Thank you! Knew I could rely on you (hehe).
I will look up the Merrick one and compare it with the American Journey. I might try American Journey first though, buya bag and mix it with one of the new bags we got in a few days ago. I have probably a little over a bag left of the old stuff in the bin right now, I mentioned throwing it away to my boyfriend as a precaution and he wasn't happy about the thought of wasting but he also said he wants our babies feeling good and being healthy, so I think maybe we should. I feel bad about wasting too but if it's a bad batch then it is probably necessary. And yeah im sure yoir brand is a bit too expensive. I currently don't have a job, I recently quit because the stress was overwhelming, so we are relying on my boyfriend to support us at the moment, which is fine but we should not spend more than we were before just to be safe.
Anyone else is welcome to chime in about 4Health or any brand that is grain free and not super expensive. Or if anyone knows anything about American Journey.
I think for the next few feedings (since I'll have to wait for the shipment of new food to come in) I'll just open one of the new bags and see how that goes.
 
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coniferously

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A lot of the reviews for Merrick are saying a possible change in ingredients because their cats used to love it and now hate it. I've read multiple people saying this, which sucks because I actually was keen on trying that food instead.
 

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Hi!
Well, if you're ok with the current ingredients as they are(assuming you can get the current label, the manufacturers aren't required to change/update it for a few months-check their website for hopefully more up to date info), your cat may not care since he doesn't know what it tasted like before.
 
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coniferously

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Yeah honestly I'm just at a loss at this point. We found some mucousy blood on one of the basement stairs which is right by their litterboxes. I really don't know what's going on with their bowels. Or some of their bowels. I'm trying to figure out a good combination of foods for price that I can mix but still having problems deciding.
 
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coniferously

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I used to feed my cats Blue, I only stopped because it was with a mixture of other food and the prices went up so I had to switch to another food, but I'm thinking maybe I should convert to all Blue? Any opinions on that? Although I guess the price for the grain-free options aren't great, maybe that's why I was mixing it with other food.. sigh.
 
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coniferously

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Sorry for spam posting, I just can't figure any of this out. The ingredients on 4Health seem so ideal and the price is so good, it's hard for me to believe it's hurting their tummies now. Also I have a cat who has been to the vet for this, but he goes through stages of trying to pee for like a minute straight and only a drop comes out. Vet said his bladder was small and he seemed overall healthy and that it's just a thing that happens to cats and can be induced by stress and all that. The main thing we can do is let it run its course and try to make him less stressed. Maybe the food is causing his urine problems too? We give them only filtered water, besides the occasional faucet drinking session, which he is one of our three main ones that do it, (partially Maine coon, I assume that's part of their interest in it) but I'm unsure if that would cause his struggle to go at times, or urge to go rather. UGH I AM SO LOST.
 

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I would talk to another vet about your pee problems boy, this isn't normal.

Try wet food if you haven't, and mixing brands, Blue et al is perfectly fine as a way to deal with costs.
 
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coniferously

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I've decided to buy American Journey, one bag of the duck and one bag of the chicken & turkey mix. I'll mix those two with the current two types of 4Health we have now (we have 8 bags to go through). If it seems to help, we will order another two bags of American Journey once these first two run out and continue with mixing until we are out of the 4Health and can transition over to American Journey. If it doesn't work out we are back to square one, so fingers crossed. This will at least give us a couple months to test this food before we have to cancel the autoshipment of 4Health from Tractor Supply. Hopefully we notice a difference in mixing the food and will be good to order all American Journey in a couple month's time.
 

Furballsmom

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Do see if you can find another vet, and all the best of good fortune to you!!
 

oonawingedwolf

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I fed my cat free feeding on American Journey. His poops became more formed and compact but not dry. His coat fluffed out and got very soft and he stopped having dry warm nose issues (vet had no idea what that was about). He stopped having nose boogers and eye gook. His teeth lost most of the yellowing he had gotten on a blend of meow mix, friskies and the walmart brand of dry food. I recommend the Duck he loved it. My cat is 4 years old (just had his birthday).
 
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coniferously

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Oh that's awesome! Makes me feel better about trying American Journey out. I really cant wait for it to get here so we can start the process. My cats' poos (before the diarrhea) were still sort of.. wet looking, some of them anyway. Not soggy, but just, wet. Of course I have a select few that always have good poops, but I'm trying to find something that gives them all that benefit. Right now their coats are very soft and shiny, so no doubt 4Health is good in other ways. And with the new bags I've opened they haven't been puking, so maybe it was a bad batch, but either way I'd rather be safe and try a new brand and see how it goes. I am still finding diarrhea in the litterboxes though, as of this morning's cleaning, unsure from whom. Hopefully that begins to cease and we can start having healthier poos and no blood or mucus anywhere. All of them are acting okay otherwise. No signs of anyone being sick and the one who was having accidents is still on his GI anti-inflammatory and antibiotics and is doing well. Hopefully it stays this way and hopefully American Journey will be as good for my cats as it is for yours!
 
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