Digestive issues helpppp

[maggie101]

Can i ask what your feeding her now? Im debating on switching to purina.. or royal canin. But i dont wanna keep switching around. Good luck on the vet appt!

I was trying to go cheaper but because of calories and carbs I will go back to Dr elseys,tiki,rawz,hounds and gatos,cooked ground meat mixed with ezcomplete. I think I found one Health extension to try. I also feed her fancyfeast classics turkey&giblets. Mornings she insists on me mixing in earthborn. Also whole hearted and nutro perfect portions. Before giving her the prescription food she would eat something different every day. I use the catfooddb.com to check on protein,fat,carbs,and ingredients

 

[maggie101]

Omg.. i feel like such a bad cat mom okay scratch that then. Thanks for all the info!

Don't feel bad. We all have to learn. When I started feeding cats decades ago I was not very knowledgeable. Yes, I'm old!

 

[lisahe]

Don't feel bad. We all have to learn. When I started feeding cats decades ago I was not very knowledgeable. Yes, I'm old!

Same here! It takes a long time to figure things out, particularly if a cat has food sensitivities.

Dlled92 , what, exactly, are you feeding your cat? I don't ask to be nosy but maybe there are ingredients in something that commonly cause issues? One of our cats, for example, can't eat potato, agar-agar, or green-lipped mussels. The other can't have fish. Other people have mentioned problems with ingredients like peas, carrageenan, and some of the gums used in wet food. Sometimes it's easy to figure those things out but sometimes (as L Lazy Orange House Cat mentions) you can only figure them out if you keep a food and symptom journal.

FWIW, the (relatively) easiest way to narrow things down is to feed the simplest recipes possible. So a food with just meat and nutrients. No potatoes, grains, peas, chickpeas, lentils, or other vegetable sources of protein. As few thickeners as possible. The list of potential problem ingredients is all too long. We focus on a lot of meat (no fish) protein and low carbs. In dry food, the simplest is probably Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein chicken. If it's wet food, there are lots more choices but the key is to look for meat and vitamins, with as few fillers as possible. This is what's worked for our cats, who have lots of digestive oddities. (We feed them a combination of canned food, commercial raw food, homemade cooked food, and snack/topper amounts of Dr. Elsey's dry food. The cats really like variety so this combination is, thus far, the only way we can feed them what they will eat and can eat.)

The good thing is that you've noticed this early. This is how our previous cat's digestive problems started and her vets (not cat specialists!) basically said it wasn't a problem. But it was a problem, one we didn't figure out until her last months. (She most likely developed IBD and lymphoma, though she was elderly and very frail, so there was no definitive diagnosis.) Like maggie101, we didn't really know how to feed her properly. I'm glad what I learned with Brooksie has helped the cats we have now: they have a very healthy, meaty diet!

Good luck!

 

[Dlled92]

Same here! It takes a long time to figure things out, particularly if a cat has food sensitivities.

Dlled92 , what, exactly, are you feeding your cat? I don't ask to be nosy but maybe there are ingredients in something that commonly cause issues? One of our cats, for example, can't eat potato, agar-agar, or green-lipped mussels. The other can't have fish. Other people have mentioned problems with ingredients like peas, carrageenan, and some of the gums used in wet food. Sometimes it's easy to figure those things out but sometimes (as L Lazy Orange House Cat mentions) you can only figure them out if you keep a food and symptom journal.

FWIW, the (relatively) easiest way to narrow things down is to feed the simplest recipes possible. So a food with just meat and nutrients. No potatoes, grains, peas, chickpeas, lentils, or other vegetable sources of protein. As few thickeners as possible. The list of potential problem ingredients is all too long. We focus on a lot of meat (no fish) protein and low carbs. In dry food, the simplest is probably Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein chicken. If it's wet food, there are lots more choices but the key is to look for meat and vitamins, with as few fillers as possible. This is what's worked for our cats, who have lots of digestive oddities. (We feed them a combination of canned food, commercial raw food, homemade cooked food, and snack/topper amounts of Dr. Elsey's dry food. The cats really like variety so this combination is, thus far, the only way we can feed them what they will eat and can eat.)

The good thing is that you've noticed this early. This is how our previous cat's digestive problems started and her vets (not cat specialists!) basically said it wasn't a problem. But it was a problem, one we didn't figure out until her last months. (She most likely developed IBD and lymphoma, though she was elderly and very frail, so there was no definitive diagnosis.) Like maggie101, we didn't really know how to feed her properly. I'm glad what I learned with Brooksie has helped the cats we have now: they have a very healthy, meaty diet!

Good luck!

Well when i first got him I had him on instinct raw boost dry food, and merrick back country wet food. ( both chicken) the vet said it might be too rich, so they put him on science diet gastrointestinal food. That is chicken as well, and also hasnt really helped. Its been about a month with the prescription diet. I'm thinking maybe i should change off of chicken and see how he does? Someome mentioned instinct has a limited ingredient diet i should try

 

[Dlled92]

Don't feel bad. We all have to learn. When I started feeding cats decades ago I was not very knowledgeable. Yes, I'm old!

Well thank you for all your help! I was up all night researching lol. I think I'm going to go back to instinct but try the limited ingredient one, with rabbit.

 

[lisahe]

Well when i first got him I had him on instinct raw boost dry food, and merrick back country wet food. ( both chicken) the vet said it might be too rich, so they put him on science diet gastrointestinal food. That is chicken as well, and also hasnt really helped. Its been about a month with the prescription diet. I'm thinking maybe i should change off of chicken and see how he does? Someome mentioned instinct has a limited ingredient diet i should try

There are a lot of ways to approach this: either a change of protein (since chicken is sometimes a problem) or eliminating unnecessary ingredients ingredients. I've always gone first with the simplified ingredients since there are so many vegetable-based ingredients in cat food that cats aren't really built to eat. But lots of people go first for the change of protein. You won't know which approach works until you try. Maybe rabbit would solve the problem?

I don't know which foods in these brands you're feeding but, for samples, here are a few ingredients that have been known to cause problems. I'd try avoiding them, if only temporarily, to see if they're causing the problem:

For this Instinct food:
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid),

I recall some Cat Site members (some years ago) mentioning that their cats got diarrhea from food with peas. And some cats have trouble with fish.

For this Merrick Backcountry food:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Broth, Duck Broth, Chicken Liver, Deboned Duck, Dried Egg Whites, Potato Starch, <snip!>

Any potato ingredient makes one of our cats barf; others have mentioned that their cats have trouble with potato ingredients, too. Potato is in lots of foods.

I'll skip the Science Diet since you didn't say if it's wet or dry but lots of their foods have grains, which don't agree with a lot of cats.

Anyway, good luck! I hope whatever you try next helps!

 

[Catmom1234567890]

I would do a food allergy test that does not involve veterinary prescription diets. Since Opie likes Nature's Variety Instinct you can try its LID, which is better than what many other companies incorrectly call "limited ingredient" cat food.

What is a food allergy test and how is it done. My vet said biopsy confirmed IBD. Of course,, vet wants to start with steroid, which I understand given her GI is thickened and prescription Hill's ID. I'm not so keen on Hills ID as it is mostly fillers. I would like to find out what she is allergic to rather than feeding her hydrolyzed Hills Rx diet.

 

[maggie101]

I just brought my pet back from the vet. He also suggested hills I'd, cerenia, and Elura once a day. I can give her pills but not liquid so she won't be getting any Elura

 

[Heart For Cats]

What is a food allergy test and how is it done? My vet said biopsy confirmed IBD. Of course, the vet wants to start with steroid, which I understand given her GI is thickened and prescription Hill's ID. I'm not so keen on Hill's ID as it is mostly fillers. I would like to find out what she is allergic to rather than feeding her hydrolyzed Hills Rx diet.

A food allergy test is only feeding one grain-free product for six weeks that has no allergens and looking for improvement. No treats, no toppers, no supplements. If the poop stays the same it is not a food allergy. Common food allergens are wheat, corn, soy, chicken, milk, and seafood. Very few cat foods have milk, but the rest are more difficult to avoid. The best food for doing this with probably is Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet since homemade raw is not really an option for you.

Steroid shots seem to be almost every veterinarian's go-to initial treatment before a final diagnosis can be made. It is one of those "too much of a good thing" drugs in high doses and long-term, so a specialist would do something else if you live near one.

 

[Catmom1234567890]

I've also read allergy test can be done by blood sample. I mean food elimination diet is so complicated since there are other ingredients besides the protein

 

[lisahe]

I've also read allergy test can be done by blood sample. I mean food elimination diet is so complicated since there are other ingredients besides the protein

You're so right about all the complication of other ingredients in foods, that's why the simplest possible recipes are usually the ones I try to keep first. I mentioned above that we were able to figure out several of our cats' sensitivities by keeping a journal. I keep track of barfs, the times they happened, and the last couple meals before the barfing. The most recent problem (about a year ago) took a long time to solve because I couldn't believe that the really good supplement I was using for homemade food had something in it that was causing problems. But that's what it was! I'm 99% certain the green-lipped mussels in the supplement were what was causing the problem.

 

[maggie101]

Can i ask what your feeding her now? Im debating on switching to purina.. or royal canin. But i dont wanna keep switching around. Good luck on the vet appt!

She had blood test and urinalysis. He suggested hills i/d because her kidney values are high. I mix it with tiki so it's not all bad. Next an ultrasound. She did not eat this morning and was nauseous.

 

[Furballsmom]

Omg.. i feel like such a bad cat mom

There are those of us who feed Purina, self included. Don't doubt yourself.

You've gotten a fair bit of feedback. Chose one thing for your cat such as a different brand of food, try that for a while to see how he adjusts and then if it doesn't work, proceed to the next step of your plan.

 

[Dlled92]

There are a lot of ways to approach this: either a change of protein (since chicken is sometimes a problem) or eliminating unnecessary ingredients ingredients. I've always gone first with the simplified ingredients since there are so many vegetable-based ingredients in cat food that cats aren't really built to eat. But lots of people go first for the change of protein. You won't know which approach works until you try. Maybe rabbit would solve the problem?

I don't know which foods in these brands you're feeding but, for samples, here are a few ingredients that have been known to cause problems. I'd try avoiding them, if only temporarily, to see if they're causing the problem:

For this Instinct food:
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid),

I recall some Cat Site members (some years ago) mentioning that their cats got diarrhea from food with peas. And some cats have trouble with fish.

For this Merrick Backcountry food:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Broth, Duck Broth, Chicken Liver, Deboned Duck, Dried Egg Whites, Potato Starch, <snip!>

Any potato ingredient makes one of our cats barf; others have mentioned that their cats have trouble with potato ingredients, too. Potato is in lots of foods.

I'll skip the Science Diet since you didn't say if it's wet or dry but lots of their foods have grains, which don't agree with a lot of cats.

Anyway, good luck! I hope whatever you try next helps!

Ive heard peas are an issue as well. The science diet i have is both wet and dry.

There are those of us who feed Purina, self included. Don't doubt yourself.

You've gotten a fair bit of feedback. Chose one thing for your cat such as a different brand of food, try that for a while to see how he adjusts and then if it doesn't work, proceed to the next step of your plan.

Thank you so much!! I just want to find something that works. It can get a bit overwhelming looking at all these different brands

 

[maggie101]

If my cat can't keep healthy food down but can low quality, i stick with what she can eat. I will not let her starve and get dehydrated. Good luck! That perfect food is out there somewhere!

 

[Heart For Cats]

I've also read allergy test can be done by blood sample. I mean food elimination diet is so complicated since there are other ingredients besides the protein

The problem with that is it would cost $200. What would you rather spend, too much time or too much money?

 

[Heart For Cats]

I've heard peas are an issue as well. The Science Diet i have is both wet and dry.

Anything with peas is much better than anything with the name Science Diet, even if legumes are problematic.

 

[Catmom1234567890]

Ive heard peas are an issue as well. The science diet i have is both wet and dry.

Thank you so much!! I just want to find something that works. It can get a bit overwhelming looking at all these different brands

Isn’t it simpler to test for blood antigen rather than go through lengthy and not always successful food trial approach. I mean there are so many ingredients in a canned food, it’s really hard to pinpoint. Vet told me most of the time kittys are allergic to fillers not protein.

 

[Dlled92]

If my cat can't keep healthy food down but can low quality, i stick with what she can eat. I will not let her starve and get dehydrated. Good luck! That perfect food is out there somewhere!

I hear you there! As long as they're happy and full

 

[lisahe]

Ive heard peas are an issue as well. The science diet i have is both wet and dry.

Thank you so much!! I just want to find something that works. It can get a bit overwhelming looking at all these different brands

It really can feel overwhelming. But, as Furballsmom says, if you try something and stick to your plan, knowing it can take time, that can really help. Personally, I'd probably start by trying to get rid of the peas since they're known to cause symptoms like Opie's. But, really, the first step always feels like a guess.

In the end, maggie101 is so right about feeding what they can and will eat. Sheba works great for our cats (even though I don't especially like that it includes tapioca) but lots of expensive brands have too much they can't eat or refuse eat.