Dr. Elsey's Formula Change

[sierramist]

Did anyone else notice that Dr. Elsey's cleanprotein dry food recently had an (unannounced) formula change? I just bought a fresh bag of the chicken variety since the beginning of the summer. The dried egg product is out, for instance, with hydrolyzed pork and pork plasma added. Nutritional values changed.

The most recent reviews on Chewy aren't great, either. Yikes. Photo from a review comparing the ingredients is attached.

I was really appreciating this high quality food and was giving it to our four cats as a treat and supplement to their mostly-wet diet, but now I feel unsure. I did open the bag and began "transitioning" them to it by giving a few pieces a day, and they seem to enjoy it with no ill effects yet — but is it still as GOOD for them?

 

[gitabooks]

I think Wysong and Young Again use Hydrolyzed Pork and Pork Plasma too. I think it helps in the process of making high protein, low carbohydrate dry foods. As far as whether it is better or worse, I can't answer that. Changes to formulas always stress me though... especially if my picky cat liked the original version better

 

[woofadu]

That old formula looks amazing and is exactly what I've been looking for in a cat food. It's really a shame that they changed it so significantly.

FYI there was a lab report released this year that showed this food with the new formula had high levels of cyanide: https://cats.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Dr.-Elsey_s-Clean-Protein-Cat-Food-UPDATED.pdf
The lab report comes from an article published this year by cats.com. The high cyanide is not mentioned (except for a blurb about confirming an item in the lab report at the top), and the comments are turned off and hidden: Unbiased Dr. Elsey's Cat Food Review In 2023 - Cats.com

Actually looking into it more, it looks like the formula that was reviewed was neither picture you shared but some sort of in-between formula maybe? It has Pork Protein Isolate but not the other pork products and also contains flaxseed while the original pic you shared does not. I have read somewhere on this forum that the flaxseed might be the culprit for the high levels of cyanide.

 

[lisahe]

That old formula looks amazing and is exactly what I've been looking for in a cat food. It's really a shame that they changed it so significantly.

FYI there was a lab report released this year that showed this food with the new formula had high levels of cyanide: https://cats.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Dr.-Elsey_s-Clean-Protein-Cat-Food-UPDATED.pdf
The lab report comes from an article published this year by cats.com. The high cyanide is not mentioned (except for a blurb about confirming an item in the lab report at the top), and the comments are turned off and hidden: Unbiased Dr. Elsey's Cat Food Review In 2023 - Cats.com

Actually looking into it more, it looks like the formula that was reviewed was neither picture you shared but some sort of in-between formula maybe? It has Pork Protein Isolate but not the other pork products and also contains flaxseed while the original pic you shared does not. I have read somewhere on this forum that the flaxseed might be the culprit for the high levels of cyanide.

Maybe I'm confused but the lab report that you linked to says "analysis completed" 1/10/22, which would be the old recipe. And the review seems to indicate that Cats.com is investigating this lab report. (The whole thing is rather confusing!)

I'm far less concerned about the hydrolyzed pork and pork plasma than about availability. Our pickier cat eats a lot of Dr. Elsey's and it may take some time to transition her to another food if she either hates the new food or if Dr E's food continues to be out of stock.

What a pain in the neck, no matter what! Thank you, sierramist , for posting.

 

[woofadu]

Good catch on the date! I saw so many recent reviews that were saying their cats were getting sick, I just assumed there was a connection with the high cyanide in the lab results. That makes it a little more confusing then.

 

[sierramist]

A little update since this post...

I reached out to Dr. Elsey's asking about the change, and they said "The formula changes were due to ingredient availability and cost. They went with pork plasma due to the nutritional value and palatability. There could be a little stomach upset due to the higher protein, so I would recommend slowly transitioning."

We tried that. I gave literally 1-3 pieces of kibble, then 5-10 pieces of kibble, mixed with the old version, and some days were just fine — but we've seen unusual bouts of vomiting and diarrhea in our four cats since. Definitely an increase in digestive problems, and we haven't changed anything else, so I can only attribute it to the food.

It's really unfortunate. Now it seems that we need to find a new, high-quality, high-protein kibble. Does anyone have suggestions?

 

[woofadu]

A little update since this post...

I reached out to Dr. Elsey's asking about the change, and they said "The formula changes were due to ingredient availability and cost. They went with pork plasma due to the nutritional value and palatability. There could be a little stomach upset due to the higher protein, so I would recommend slowly transitioning."

We tried that. I gave literally 1-3 pieces of kibble, then 5-10 pieces of kibble, mixed with the old version, and some days were just fine — but we've seen unusual bouts of vomiting and diarrhea in our four cats since. Definitely an increase in digestive problems, and we haven't changed anything else, so I can only attribute it to the food.

It's really unfortunate. Now it seems that we need to find a new, high-quality, high-protein kibble. Does anyone have suggestions?

That's very unfortunate.

find a new, high-quality, high-protein kibble

This is exactly what I've been looking for and cannot seem to find one that I trust. I've heard horrible things about both Young Again and Wysong EPIGEN 90. Those are the two closest ones to Dr. Eisley's that I've found though.

 

[sierramist]

That's very unfortunate.

This is exactly what I've been looking for and cannot seem to find one that I trust. I've heard horrible things about both Young Again and Wysong EPIGEN 90. Those are the two closest ones to Dr. Eisley's that I've found though.

Right now I'm looking at Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original Formula or Instinct Ultimate Protein. Neither are perfect or come close to the other formula of Dr. Elsey's but at least are at the upper end of protein and lower carbs.

 

[gitabooks]

The only kibbles I know of that are below 10% carbs are Wysong Epigen, Young Again, and Dr. Elsey.
However, there are lots that are below 20% carbs:
Annamaet
Dr. Tim's
Farmina N&D (cats LOVE this one)
Go! (cats also love the flavor of this one)
Leonardo
Instinct (a variety)
Nutrience Subzero
Open Farm (some of them)
Orijen (some of them, such as Six Fish)
Ownat
Tiki Cat Born Carnivore
TimberWolf (our senior cats FAVORITE)
Wellness Core

You can also try some of the raw nibs freeze-dried and air-dried foods (they are lower carb and higher protein) sucha as Catit or Ziwi Peak.

 

[Genevi]

I've noticed a change in Dr. Elsey's wet can formula as well. I give my cats the Duck and Turkey flavor and because I had a new batch, I separated the cans by date so we can use the older ones first and found that there was a change. Between the two batches, minimum protein jumped from 7% to 11%, turkey has been replaced by porcine plasma and a few changes in terms of vitamins and ingredients further down the list. I'm not too mad at the change because I like having more protein for my cats, but transitioning them is another problem. I really hope that my cats will like the flavour.

...I just went in and check the Turkey recipe and those too changed the ingredients and I didn't know. That may explain why one of my cats needed some coaxing to eat at one point.

 

[lisahe]

I've noticed a change in Dr. Elsey's wet can formula as well. I give my cats the Duck and Turkey flavor and because I had a new batch, I separated the cans by date so we can use the older ones first and found that there was a change. Between the two batches, minimum protein jumped from 7% to 11%, turkey has been replaced by porcine plasma and a few changes in terms of vitamins and ingredients further down the list. I'm not too mad at the change because I like having more protein for my cats, but transitioning them is another problem. I really hope that my cats will like the flavour.

...I just went in and check the Turkey recipe and those too changed the ingredients and I didn't know. That may explain why one of my cats needed some coaxing to eat at one point.

Yes, recipe changes can be a big challenge. Good luck! (I wish they'd take out the agar-agar, which neither of our cats can eat!)

 

[BucDan]

Just ordered a bag to start the transition. I only have 1.5 bags of the old formula left. If it doesn't work out, will try tiki cat.

 

[AslanFriend]

Did anyone else notice that Dr. Elsey's cleanprotein dry food recently had an (unannounced) formula change? I just bought a fresh bag of the chicken variety since the beginning of the summer. The dried egg product is out, for instance, with hydrolyzed pork and pork plasma added. Nutritional values changed.

The most recent reviews on Chewy aren't great, either. Yikes. Photo from a review comparing the ingredients is attached.

I was really appreciating this high quality food and was giving it to our four cats as a treat and supplement to their mostly-wet diet, but now I feel unsure. I did open the bag and began "transitioning" them to it by giving a few pieces a day, and they seem to enjoy it with no ill effects yet — but is it still as GOOD for them?

I am concerned about safety. I believe there is a lack of evidence for the claims made about pork plasma in cats. As one example, in the article (Spray-Dried Animal Plasma as a Multifaceted Ingredient in Pet Food ) Table 3 lists references for "intestinal immune function." But look at them: Reference 51 ("primarily piglets"), 52 (rats), 53 (rats), 54 (weaned pigs), 55 (weaned pigs), 56 (weaned pigs). Where is the data from cats?

Where are the long-term studies on cats by researchers not affiliated with the pork plasma industry?

Another study, ("Porcine immunoglobulins survival in the intestinal tract of adult dogs and cats fed dry food kibbles containing spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) or porcine immunoglobulin concentrate (PIC)" [2007]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0377840107000363) said this: " The inclusion of porcine immunoglobulins in the diet significantly reduced (P<0.05) the presence of IgA in the faeces of both species. " It went on to speculate that this was good (that porcine IgG "may transfer passive immunity"). But how can a decrease of IgA be good? Immunoglobulin A in humans helps to increase the presence of good bacteria in the digestive tract and create gut biodiversity. Did I mention this study used 9 dogs and 12 cats? Not 1200. Twelve. Is this ancient study part of what the claim of better immunity is based on? What is amazing is that this study ran less than 2 months - and saw a in decrease in IgA in that brief period of time. Scary.

Or take "Effects of spray-dried animal plasma on food intake and apparent nutrient digestibility by cats when added to a wet pet food recipe" (2016): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377840116301316. It noted, " Results suggest that some biologically active components in SDAP are able to survive the sterilization and canning process." Okay - what about hormones and antibiotics the pigs are given? Are those still present in the processed pig blood? This study's authors had to declare a conflict of interests since they are from the pork plasma industry, which funded the study. How long was this study? Twelve days. How many cats? Eleven. 1,100? No: 11.

I see no data to support the pork industry's claims about cats that Dr. Elsey's is making. Did Dr. Elsey's do any research of their own?

sierramist, IMO, I see no clear evidence that pork plasma does not harm a cat's immune system, much less that cat food with it it is as good. Like you, I appreciated Dr. Elsey's original, high-quality food for years. Now I am looking elsewhere. It has been a frustrating search.

If anyone knows of quality research - long term (a year or more), done by unbiased researchers with an adequate sample size of cats - I would like to see it. If anyone knows of anything as good as what Dr. Elsey's once was, I would love to hear about it. Wysong Epigen 90 has nearly twice the phosphorus level (dry weight). At least some of Young Again has more pork than chicken, and they do not sell packages less than 4 pounds. It shouldn't be this hard to find quality cat food.

Good luck to all of you in finding something instead of Dr. Elsey's. This massive change came without warning.

 

[jman_in_mn]

shoot, I just ordered Dr. Elsey's from Amazon, guess I will just have to send it back. I'm not taking a chance on any possible diarrhea episodes

 

[AslanFriend]

That's very unfortunate.

This is exactly what I've been looking for and cannot seem to find one that I trust. I've heard horrible things about both Young Again and Wysong EPIGEN 90. Those are the two closest ones to Dr. Eisley's that I've found though.

I am curious if there is anything you considered "horrible" that you could share about Epigen 90 and Young Again? I don't like their formulas as well as Dr. Elsey's original formula, but they seem to be the closest I have found so far, and I haven't heard anything bad about either.

 

[AslanFriend]

A little update since this post...

I reached out to Dr. Elsey's asking about the change, and they said "The formula changes were due to ingredient availability and cost. They went with pork plasma due to the nutritional value and palatability. There could be a little stomach upset due to the higher protein, so I would recommend slowly transitioning."

We tried that. I gave literally 1-3 pieces of kibble, then 5-10 pieces of kibble, mixed with the old version, and some days were just fine — but we've seen unusual bouts of vomiting and diarrhea in our four cats since. Definitely an increase in digestive problems, and we haven't changed anything else, so I can only attribute it to the food.

It's really unfortunate. Now it seems that we need to find a new, high-quality, high-protein kibble. Does anyone have suggestions?

Hello sierramist, I am curious about whether you found anything to replace Dr. Elsey's that you would like to share?

I have tried Wysong's Epigen90, but their phosphorus level is high, so I was was thinking of trying Origen, but they are now owned by Mars. Have also tried encouraging the cat to eat more wet food, but dry is still a need. I've spent hours trying to find a dry with under 1% dry-weight phosphorus, no legumes, no plants (or as little as possible), 50% or higher animal protein. Absolutely no "porcine plasma" (processed pig blood).

I'd appreciate hearing what anybody has come up with. I am hoping to find something that I could combine with Epigen90 to bring down the phosphorus level. Or something as good as Dr. Elsey's once was.

 

[gitabooks]

Have you looked into Young Again Mature Health? It has hydrolyzed pork but I don't think it has pork plasma. I have heard about some cats getting diarrhea on it but it is good as far as phosphorus and protein percentages.

 

[AslanFriend]

Thank you for your reply. I just looked at Young Again Mature Health, and I agree that the protein (57.6%) and phosphorus (0.55 - 0.65) look good. I'm not crazy about the formula - no pork plasma, thankfully - but the first ingredient is hydrolyzed pork. While I think that is a hundred times better than plasma, I'd rather have something with a cat's natural prey as uppermost, and Young Again also has potato starch (a binder) as its fourth ingredient. And, no "chicken," just chicken meal. I am also not loving the cost, at $52 and having to buy 8 pounds, minimum. I'd like a smaller bag so it stays fresher.

I just found a new product I am hopeful may be at least part of the solution. Wysong brought it out, maybe a month ago. It's called "Wysong Restore Canine and Feline" food. Its ingredients are:

Dried Chicken, Organic Chicken, Dried Natural Meat Broth, Chicken Fat, Beet Pulp, Gelatin, Apple Fiber, Flaxseeds, Natural Flavor, Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Coconut Oil, Organic Chicken Bone Broth, Avocado Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Taurine, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid [source of Vitamin C], Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Calcium Propionate (a preservative), Choline Chloride, Citric Acid, Chicory Root, Mixed Tocopherols (a preservative), Rosemary, Yeast Cell Wall.

It is 65% protein. I don't know what the meat broth is from. I haven't found the phosphorus level anywhere yet. There are very few reviews since it is so new. I think I will try this. I like that I can get this in a 3-pound bag for about $20; about the same cost per pound as Dr. Elsey's was.

Right now (1-12-24), Chewy is doing one of its "Buy $100 on eligible items and get a $30 credit" deals through Jan. 15. I think the $30 credit then can be used to get another $100 worth of product for $70, and also get another $30 credit. Time to buy some cat food. :-)

 

[5CatDraw]

Wish I had seen this post before spending a ridiculous amount of time trying to piece together the details regarding the change. I know it is a fairly old post, but hoping some are still watching it.

I too first read about this change in a cats.com review. I reached out to Dr. Elsey’s and they confirmed that there have been two recipe changes recently. I didn’t weasel the dates of the changes out of them, but just piecing together from my old bags, it seems the first change was probably in 2020 due to COVID caused sourcing problems. Then they changed again recently – presumably due to customer dissatisfaction with the new recipe.

I was about to order another bag when I saw this post. Looks like many of you have decided against the new formula. I’m in a hurry right now so didn’t read all comments thoroughly, but it seems that it is the Pork Plasma ingredient that is of concern? Not the Hydrolyzed Pork? The original recipe had Pork Protein Isolate, right?

I did read that sierramist found the new formula seemed to disagree with their cats. Have others encountered the same thing?

These are the first few ingredients on the bags I have:
BFB 11 Sept 23: Chicken, Dried Egg Product, Pork Protein Isolate, Gelatin, Chicken Fat, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor
BFB 04 Feb 24: Chicken, Dried Egg Product, Gelatin, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil

This is their current recipe.
Chicken, Hydrolyzed Pork, Pork Plasma, Gelatin, Chicken Fat, Ground Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Salmon Oil

 

[AslanFriend]

I was about to order another bag when I saw this post. Looks like many of you have decided against the new formula. I’m in a hurry right now so didn’t read all comments thoroughly, but it seems that it is the Pork Plasma ingredient that is of concern? Not the Hydrolyzed Pork? The original recipe had Pork Protein Isolate, right?

I did read that sierramist sierramist found the new formula seemed to disagree with their cats. Have others encountered the same thing?

Hi 5CatDraw, I'm definitely still watching this for new information. Yes, I would say the problem is the "porcine plasma," which is processed pig blood. Hydrolyzed pork, though it is also from factory farmed pigs, who live under terrible conditions, is refined to the point where it is just broken-down protein.

Here is my longer answer:

Pig plasma, is made by spinning the slaughterhouse pig blood in a centrifuge. This takes out blood cells, but leaves behind other things. The spray-dried pork plasma industry describes its process as letting the spray-dried plasma sit for two weeks or more, and says most but not all processors do this. They do this because porcine plasma (the liquid part of the blood) contains viruses.

They claim it helps in "inactivating certain pathogens susceptible to dry environments and mild temperatures, such as PRRSV, PEDV and coronaviruses in general": Biosafety steps in the manufacturing process of spray-dried plasma: a review with emphasis on the use of ultraviolet irradiation as a redundant biosafety procedure - Porcine Health Management (see "Post-drying heating treatment").

PRRSV stands for "Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus" (Advanced Research in Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Co-infection With Other Pathogens in Swine)
PEDv stands for "Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus" (Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV): An update on etiology, transmission, pathogenesis, and prevention and control)
SDV stands for "Swine Vesicular Disease" (https://www.researchgate.net/public...sease_Virus_in_Porcine_Plasma_By_Spray-Drying)

Porcine plasma, also called "Spray-dried Porcine Plasma" or SDPP, naturally contains other viruses as well. It has long been controversial. In 2018, China banned the use of Porcine Plasma in pig feed, out of concern over swine flu: Chinese ban on SDPP creates opportunities for alternatives - All About Feed

China later began to allow it again. Besides viruses and other pathogens, SDPP has not been tested for long-term feeding in cats, or dogs.

I find it alarming, that in the few studies that have been done, one shows a decrease in an beneficial immune system component known as Immunoglobulin A. It binds to "good" gut bacteria and helps to keep them. But Pig Plasma decreased IgA in both cats and dogs. This alone means I would not feed anything with any amount of porcine plasma in it to anything. The Pig Plasma industry did this study long ago (2007) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0377840107000363 . They claim the decrease is good, but we now have growing evidence IgA benefits human health (IgA in human health and diseases: Potential regulator of commensal microbiota - PubMed).

Most research that claims SDPP is safe has been funded by those who financially benefit from it. Somewhere, often below the reference section of a paper, the authors are supposed to declare conflicts of interests, and APC and others who profit from processed pig blood as food are typically the funders.

I have also become concerned about the factory-farmed pig industry in general. In the USA, they use ractopamine, which has been banned in other countries (Ractopamine at the Center of Decades-Long Scientific and Legal Disputes: A Lesson on Benefits, Safety Issues, and Conflicts ; Banned in 160 Nations, Why is Ractopamine in U.S. Pork? (Op-Ed) ). Also, the pigs' stress hormones, are carried in the blood, specifically the plasma. I don't want my cat eating dried stress hormones. The more I have seen about how factory-farmed pigs are treated (and also practices like "feed back") the more I do not want my cat eating any pig, which isn't a normal prey item for house cats in the first place.

Dr. Elsey's began it's cat food line with its focus on what was best for cats. I believe it has changed to simply choose what is more easy to source. They added pork isolate, but still had the egg for a while.

They also made the choice to change to a new producer for its food, and ran into problems that kept them from having any products to sell for a while.

Then the price of eggs (a simple, hormone and antibiotic-free protein) rose. The pig blood processers are strongly marketing their product as pet food. Dr. Elsey's gave in, and their new pig-laden formula has led to many negative reviews on Chewy, with quite a few cat owners reporting diarrhea (https://www.chewy.com/dr-elseys-cleanprotein-chicken-kibble/dp/146270 ; reviews starting in September 2023 note problems with the new formula).

Dr. Elsey's was once a good formula, for a dry cat food. The best I'd ever seen. I wish I had a dollar for every hour I have spent trying to solve the cat food problem caused by Dr. Elsey's choosing to feed cats processed pig blood. I do not trust their food anymore.