Fat Content of Duck - Too Much?

[goholistic]

Sebastian gets fed home-cooked and premium canned.

We're just starting his duck rotation for three weeks in which he'll get Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Duck canned food, which is a little higher in fat (30% DMB minimum) I think compared to other canned foods.

He'll also get boneless ground duck from Hare Today that I supplement with Balance It and cook. I didn't realize that the description on the Hare Today website says, "includes skin." I'm sure this makes it really fattening. Since it was ground, I made little "meatballs" and baked them. There was SO much grease and oil in the bottom of the pan.  

  I had to take each meatball out one-by-one and drain them on a plate lined with paper towels.

Should I be concerned about the fat content if feeding duck exclusively for three weeks? Sebastian does have chronic pancreatitis, and I know a low-fat diet isn't an issue in cats as it is in dogs, but I still don't like to overdo it. Should I have a combined chicken/duck rotation to cut the fat in half for these three weeks? If I do this, I won't be able to offer chicken as it's own rotation. I was avoiding chicken for awhile in case he was allergic to it.

I wanted to start a specific thread about the fat content of duck. If you have questions about the rotation in general and why I'm doing it, please see this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/274500/best-rotation-to-prevent-food-allergies

 

[ritz]

For Ritz, I'd be concerned about the caloric content (but that is due to in part *my* issue). I'd also legitimately be concerned about whether too much fat would cause her stools to become really soft.
I know Sebastian may have a problem with chicken (and additives like guar gum). But I'd want to mix proteins in the same day. I don't know whether feeding, for example, duck in the morning and chicken in the evening would be preferable to mixing proteins in the same meal.
Ritz can't handle dark meat (like beef) on an empty stomach; she throws it up. So I feed, for example, lamb Rad Cat this morning and will feed chicken thigh this evening.
Also, and in the FWIW/to consider: an animal communicator told me that Ritz is 'sensitive' to all parts of turkey and pork, chicken liver (but not the rest of the chicken) and beef liver (but again not the other parts of beef). This was in reference to some questions I asked her about raw feeding; Ritz' FHS symptoms seem to escalate after she eats.

 

[goholistic]

For Ritz, I'd be concerned about the caloric content (but that is due to in part *my* issue). I'd also legitimately be concerned about whether too much fat would cause her stools to become really soft.
I know Sebastian may have a problem with chicken (and additives like guar gum). But I'd want to mix proteins in the same day. I don't know whether feeding, for example, duck in the morning and chicken in the evening would be preferable to mixing proteins in the same meal.
Ritz can't handle dark meat (like beef) on an empty stomach; she throws it up. So I feed, for example, lamb Rad Cat this morning and will feed chicken thigh this evening.
Also, and in the FWIW/to consider: an animal communicator told me that Ritz is 'sensitive' to all parts of turkey and pork, chicken liver (but not the rest of the chicken) and beef liver (but again not the other parts of beef). This was in reference to some questions I asked her about raw feeding; Ritz' FHS symptoms seem to escalate after she eats.

Yes, I was concerned about the fat causing loose stools as well. I'll have to be on high alert poop check and see how he does the first week.

If I end up adding chicken to this rotation, I have a very short list of canned foods without guar gum, and I do already have boneless chicken thighs in my freezer. I would have preferred to have chicken as it's own rotation later down the road, so I hope not to do this unless I really have to.

I wasn't so much concerned about fat and calories causing weight gain. I was more concerned about the fat levels in terms of organ function and how the fat may be metabolized. I know in humans a high fat diet is not good for the cardiovascular and endocrine systems. And I wasn't sure if three weeks of high fat foods would significantly impact those systems. 

FYI...the rotation we just finished was pretty lean (beef), and the next rotation after duck will be pretty low in fat (rabbit).

 

[ldg]

I wasn't so much concerned about fat and calories causing weight gain. I was more concerned about the fat levels in terms of organ function and how the fat may be metabolized. I know in humans a high fat diet is not good for the cardiovascular and endocrine systems. And I wasn't sure if three weeks of high fat foods would significantly impact those systems.  :dk:

OK, this might throw you for a loop, but what about combining the duck and rabbit?

I think you're right to be concerned - not because the high fat diet is not good for the cardiovascular and endocrine systems - cats metabolize and use it completely differently than people (cats don't get hardened arteries due to cholesterol levels, for instance). But fat IS more complicated to digest than protein, and more things can go wrong with fat digestion - and that's the concern with pancreatitis.

Bummer that ground duck includes the skin. In the future, is there a different source of ground duck meat so you can keep separate rotations? Perhaps a butcher???? :dk:

But I do think combining something with a lower fat content with the duck is a good idea just to be less stress on his system.

 

[goholistic]

OK, this might throw you for a loop, but what about combining the duck and rabbit?

I think you're right to be concerned - not because the high fat diet is not good for the cardiovascular and endocrine systems - cats metabolize and use it completely differently than people (cats don't get hardened arteries due to cholesterol levels, for instance). But fat IS more complicated to digest than protein, and more things can go wrong with fat digestion - and that's the concern with pancreatitis.

Bummer that ground duck includes the skin.

In the future, is there a different source of ground duck meat so you can keep separate rotations? Perhaps a butcher????

But I do think combining something with a lower fat content with the duck is a good idea just to be less stress on his system.

Hmm...that messes with my rotation schedule.  

  Rabbit has it's own rotation. The canned duck is probably okay, but I would like to find a leaner replacement for the ground duck. I really don't like that it includes skin. Also, it doesn't have to be ground. I would actually prefer whole cuts that I can cube.

I don't know why I didn't do a search before. 

  Just now I found at least two suppliers that will ship frozen duck in which I can use leaner cuts.

This place sells whole duck and seems very reasonable: http://www.mapleleaffarms.com/index.php?pg=100#63

This place is more expensive, but shipping may be cheaper because it's closer to me (it could be my back-up): http://www.farmfreshduck.com/

Luckily, I didn't buy a lot of ground duck from Hare Today. I can use it up by alternating it with a leaner cut with the next rotation. I tried to give some of the cooked ground duck to Boo and he didn't want anything to do with it. 

  He's the one who needs the fat!

 

[ldg]

Oh excellent! An alternate source you can work on yourself is perfect!

... bummer about Boo. Isn't that always the way? (Did you try just a bite, topped with something he loves? Every time you feed Sebastian the duck, you might consider doing that for Boo. Eventually he'll come around!)

 

[goholistic]

...topped with something he loves?...

This is the problem. Right now, he doesn't love anything.

And I have him off chicken, beef, and fish because he is reacting to something.

 

[ldg]

Stewart's freeze dried pork liver? Either of the orijen treats that are single-source protein? Wild boar? Lamb? Grandma Lucy's freeze dried pork meat treats?