Not long ago I posted a thread on a different part of this site regarding a change of the type of litter my Pumpkin kitty uses. Now I'm concerned about something else.
He had his annual checkup today and the vet & I discussed his diet. Pumpkin has had constipation off and on since I adopted him over 6 years ago. The way she was talking, it felt like she was saying I'm not doing enough.
Pumpkin has three dishes of food set out for him every day. He has dry food - Purina Gentle formula in the purple bag, which is supposed to be good for sensitive tummies. Fancy Feast grilled chicken w/gravy for canned, and his dry food mixed with water.
Water intake has been an issue for him, so to encourage him to drink more I have two water bowls and a stainless steel fountain.
He's on Miralax. The vet told me I can put him on a 1/4 tsp twice a day on days when he's really bound up. I tried mixing it with laxatone, but it's hard with the larger dose because the laxatone turns into a very thick paste with 1/4 tsp.
Pumpkin takes Pepcid AC twice a day too. That's easier for me to give him. I used to ground it up and put it in his laxatone, but he's been refusing his laxatone because of the Miralax making it so thick.
For the past few days I've been dissolving the Miralax in water, then I add the Pepcid, then I put it in his wet food dish, which I encourage him to eat by throwing treats on it too. So far it seems to be working, but I don't think he's getting even 1/8 tsp twice a day of the Miralax. He doesn't seem to be eating the entire can (he gets two cans a day because I won't leave them out too long).
Anyway, they did alot of blood work, the results of which will come back next week. Pumpkin may need dental work but we agreed to hold off on it until the results come back. Pumpkin has been sleeping more than usual for the past month or so, maybe it's just his getting older, I don't know.
Pumpkin may need a dental cleaning and I already have money saved for that. But my question is, why would she push a prescription diet that costs over $40 for an 8-pound bag, and the canned food is $2 per can?
I've got a HUGE stash of canned and dry food for him. Mostly because I don't want him to ever run out, and partly due to my poor health. Should something happen to me, my family agreed to take him in. I want Pumpkin to be well provided for, but this vet, who isn't the one he usually sees there, strongly encouraged me to get this prescription food.
Am I a horrible kitty mommy to not want to get it? I don't even know if he will eat it. They gave us samples in the past of a different prescription diet - dry food - and he didn't like it at all.
I don't want to spend a ton of money on something that I am not convinced he will eat.
What do you think? Am I wrong?
The vet made me feel very bad about what I've been trying to do for him.
He had his annual checkup today and the vet & I discussed his diet. Pumpkin has had constipation off and on since I adopted him over 6 years ago. The way she was talking, it felt like she was saying I'm not doing enough.
Pumpkin has three dishes of food set out for him every day. He has dry food - Purina Gentle formula in the purple bag, which is supposed to be good for sensitive tummies. Fancy Feast grilled chicken w/gravy for canned, and his dry food mixed with water.
Water intake has been an issue for him, so to encourage him to drink more I have two water bowls and a stainless steel fountain.
He's on Miralax. The vet told me I can put him on a 1/4 tsp twice a day on days when he's really bound up. I tried mixing it with laxatone, but it's hard with the larger dose because the laxatone turns into a very thick paste with 1/4 tsp.
Pumpkin takes Pepcid AC twice a day too. That's easier for me to give him. I used to ground it up and put it in his laxatone, but he's been refusing his laxatone because of the Miralax making it so thick.
For the past few days I've been dissolving the Miralax in water, then I add the Pepcid, then I put it in his wet food dish, which I encourage him to eat by throwing treats on it too. So far it seems to be working, but I don't think he's getting even 1/8 tsp twice a day of the Miralax. He doesn't seem to be eating the entire can (he gets two cans a day because I won't leave them out too long).
Anyway, they did alot of blood work, the results of which will come back next week. Pumpkin may need dental work but we agreed to hold off on it until the results come back. Pumpkin has been sleeping more than usual for the past month or so, maybe it's just his getting older, I don't know.
Pumpkin may need a dental cleaning and I already have money saved for that. But my question is, why would she push a prescription diet that costs over $40 for an 8-pound bag, and the canned food is $2 per can?
I've got a HUGE stash of canned and dry food for him. Mostly because I don't want him to ever run out, and partly due to my poor health. Should something happen to me, my family agreed to take him in. I want Pumpkin to be well provided for, but this vet, who isn't the one he usually sees there, strongly encouraged me to get this prescription food.
Am I a horrible kitty mommy to not want to get it? I don't even know if he will eat it. They gave us samples in the past of a different prescription diet - dry food - and he didn't like it at all.
I don't want to spend a ton of money on something that I am not convinced he will eat.
What do you think? Am I wrong?
The vet made me feel very bad about what I've been trying to do for him.