Commercial Raw Diet Question

[backyardzoo]

Hello
In my search for feeding my allergic/sensitive girl we discovered that the youngster prefers raw food. I'm looking at switching him onto a mainly raw diet(with some canned) but where I live dog raw diets are much easier to come across then cat aimed ones. What differences are there with the two? The labels don't show too much difference from what I could see

 

[daftcat75]

Cats are not small dogs. Food nutritionally balanced for a dog may not be balanced correctly for a cat. Do you want to risk long-term nutritional deficiencies for convenience?

That said...

If it you feed it less than 10% of his total calories, you can sneak it into his diet in his treat budget adjusting for all other treats as well so that nutritionally balanced food specifically for cats makes up at least 90% of his diet.

 

[backyardzoo]

I wonder how the one food that I saw, don't remember the brand they didn't have the protein I was looking for in stock at the store, can be marketed as food for dogs and cats unless they maybe require additives to be added?

We did buy 1 small bag of dog food in rabbit to try to see if my girl would eat raw which was a hell no on frozen but she does like the primal freeze dried which works for me. My teenage male on the other hand discovered the frozen raw and Pippin will eat that over canned/freeze-dried food(much to my poor dogs dismay who was getting everything Beacon turned her nose up at). Guess I will be doing different diets entirely with the two cats which will make feeding times interesting.

I'm sure my one store can bring in cat food if requested as I'm thinking dog is just the bigger seller. At least with Pippin I don't have to worry about protein for what he eats, so that should make it easier than trying to find some random new protein.

 

[daftcat75]

(I think it's important enough to quote this rather than simply link it.)

Source: Can Dogs Eat Cat Food? Can Cats Eat Dog Food? | petMD

Is Dog Food Bad for Cats?

Though it’s not so common for cats to adore commercial dog food, I have met my share. And so you know, it’s not a great idea. At least not on a regular basis and definitely NOT as an exclusive diet. Here’s why cats can't eat dog food:

#1 Vitamin A must be supplied in cat food, whereas dogs can make do with beta carotene instead (their bodies can turn it into vitamin A). While some dog foods may contain additional vitamin A, many won’t have the amounts a cat requires for a lifetime of optimum health.

#2 Taurine is an amino acid all cats require. Dogs can make their own. Many dog foods may be deficient in taurine, the result being a cat who suffers a devastating kind of heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This also happens when cats eat a fish-only diet, since fish meat is so deficient in this amino acid. Which is probably why you’ve heard that fish is "bad" for cats, even though it's not. Well, not unless you’re offering a poorly balanced diet. (Most commercial cat foods offer extra.)

#3 Arachidonic acid is a fatty acid dogs can build themselves, while cats need the real thing.

#4 Protein levels are another big reason not to feed cats dog food. Though some dog foods do offer very high levels of protein, most do not reach the percentage of protein our carnivorous cats require. A lifetime of low protein may not kill your cat, but we know it’s not their natural diet and therefore can’t be a good thing.

 

[backyardzoo]

Thanks for the information, Pippin is getting the raw more as just part of what he gets in the day for food not as his diet right now and since he is a pig still he will eat everything given which is still over 75% of canned and kibble. He just eats the raw first when he is given it which is why I was going to switch him to a raw based diet with some canned still over a canned with raw as the option, though being a cat that could change next week

 

[backyardzoo]

Lucked out and my main store had Pets Go Raw for cats in. Picked up a bag of chicken to try him on(yay! for him not having allergeries/sensitivites)Gave him a little piece of it and he ate it no problem so will slowly introduce this food to him. Should I rotate proteins? He's been introduced to chicken, turkey, duck and some fish based foods just from what my sensitive girl has eaten/couldn't eat anymore and I fear to overexpose him just from my experiences with her with trying to find a unique protein that she hadn't had.

 

[kittyluv387]

I rotate between chicken, turkey and rabbit. It's a good idea because cats appreciate variety and they do get bored and go on a hunger strike.

 

[backyardzoo]

I was thinking of adding a turkey to his rotation as the raw food also had a turkey version, so easy enough to do. I have 2 cans of turkey canned food in the cupboard but with how he eats I don't see an issue with introducing it after I get him on the chicken. I already have canned rabbit based LID foods in the house because of the sensitive girl so will be easy to give him some of that as well, just won't be the raw.

 

[daftcat75]

Rotating proteins will help guard against developing an allergy. But if he develops a leaky gut like what happens in IBD, the proteins you feed most often during this period are the ones most likely to trigger the development of allergies/sensitivities. There's no way of predicting whether this will happen. My suggestion would be to rotate two or three proteins so you can weather any grudges, preferences, or supply issues. Past three, you can keep the rest in reserve and maybe rotate one in and one out every six months or so.

My Krista can eat turkey, duck, rabbit, and tuna. But she shows little interest in anything other than turkey at the moment. And tuna. But I reserve tuna for when she's not eating or when I need to sneak some medicine into her. Otherwise, she gets turkey 99% of the time. Occasionally, I'll try to get her through a duck or rabbit can, but she wants turkey. At this point, as long as she's eating it, I'll keep giving it to her. If it becomes a problem later, we can switch to rabbit or duck.

 

[Tobermory]

I rotate chicken, turkey and rabbit, but all three much prefer chicken. I feed them two chicken meals in a row, then a turkey or rabbit, then two chicken meals, etc. I've tried other proteins like pork or beef, but Iris, the calico, refuses to eat any of it.

 

[kittyluv387]

I rotate chicken, turkey and rabbit, but all three much prefer chicken. I feed them two chicken meals in a row, then a turkey or rabbit, then two chicken meals, etc. I've tried other proteins like pork or beef, but Iris, the calico, refuses to eat any of it.

She must just like white meat then.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I think there are a small handful of brands that have diets that are OK for dogs and cats, but I don't know how much I'd trust it long term.
Far as rotation goes, we feed a lot of stuff we can get locally (chicken, beef, turkey, elk) and things like rabbit and duck are on special order......and are more expensive.
Figures, the cats like the rabbit and duck the best
A special hint, don't show them the price tag before offering them some new food or protein because they pick out the expensive stuff so you can prove to them how much you love them

 

[daftcat75]

I’d like Krista to know that the duck cost more than the turkey and I currently have almost a case of the duck to go through. For her, I think her preference is inverse to my supply. “Oh you stocked up on duck? I’m over duck! But that turkey that you only buy a few cans at a time, that’s what I want. I want you to show your love in time you spend driving around buying me food.”

 

[1 bruce 1]

I’d like Krista to know that the duck cost more than the turkey and I currently have almost a case of the duck to go through. For her, I think her preference is inverse to my supply. “Oh you stocked up on duck? I’m over duck! But that turkey that you only buy a few cans at a time, that’s what I want. I want you to show your love in time you spend driving around buying me food.”

Imagine you and I, backs to the cats, scribbling out "duck" and writing "turkey" over it to fool her.
And imagine her snubbing it and asking, "do you think I'm stupid or something?"
Maybe you could say "Oh no, the store said they're out of turkey, maybe forever" then going to the movies, bringing home a few cans and telling her you flew to Ireland to buy the last 4 cans of turkey food, just for her
When did I get wrapped around their paws.....

 

[daftcat75]

If she starts to slow on turkey, I’ll sometimes rotate in a rabbit or duck can just to remind her how much she enjoys turkey.

At this point, I don’t mind that she’s eating the same food all time as long as she enjoys it and is eating enough to maintain or gain weight. I never know how long I’ve got before the next eating crisis. So I try to feed her as often as she’ll eat to put weight on before the next time.

 

[1 bruce 1]

If she starts to slow on turkey, I’ll sometimes rotate in a rabbit or duck can just to remind her how much she enjoys turkey.

At this point, I don’t mind that she’s eating the same food all time as long as she enjoys it and is eating enough to maintain or gain weight. I never know how long I’ve got before the next eating crisis. So I try to feed her as often as she’ll eat to put weight on before the next time.

Our special needs boy eats FF classics but we keep some of those carb heavier grilled/chunky gravy cans on hand. If he decides pate sucks, the gravies are his bribery.
We want them to eat good food, but we want them to eat (period!), and be happy the most She sounds like a lucky little girl.

 

[backyardzoo]

I worry that my Beakie will get bored of what she given but with her reactions to fish, chicken, duck etc she doesn't have a lot of choices of what she can eat, but one protein at time for her until we get her reaction calmed down. Pippin being young is a garbage can for food so introducing him to food has not been an issue as of yet. I will be rotating his food proteins a bit just to keep his varied though.

I really wondered when I saw the bag labeled for dogs & cats. Though I did see when going that some companies were doing a basic base and you add things to suit the species.