Feeding An Fiv+ Cat

[Redfraggle]

Hi everyone! Just looking for a bit of advice and some opinions. Six months ago I adopted an fiv+ cat from Cat's Protection, who recommended I feed him mainly a dry diet, with wet food just a couple of times a week. They recommended Purina or Hills Vet Essentials, but having done some research it looks like they aren't great (the vet pushed Royal Canin on me, too) and that cats need more wet food. At the moment I'm feeding him Meowing Heads dry food in the morning for breakfast and am considering trying Oijen, and a Nature's Menu Country Hunter pouch for dinner, or sometimes a Shesir can of meat in broth. He's missing a few teeth because of his condition, so I'm worried that too much wet food will cause more of the gum and teeth problems that are common with fiv+ cats. Any advice would be gratefully received!

 

[cheeser]

We only feed grain-free wet food to our FIV+ kitty at mealtimes, and give him small amounts of freeze-dried treats such as PureBites after his twice-daily meds and supplements.

Unfortunately, many vets aren't that knowledgeable about feline nutrition as you'd think, and still recommend dry food to keep your cat's teeth healthy. Dr. Pierson addresses that here on her website at catinfo.org. Plus, male cats are more prone to urinary tract problems than females, and our cat has been blissfully symptom free after starting him on a wet food only diet. Up until then, he had been having flare-ups every three months.

If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you browse a bit over at the fivtherapy.com website. There's a whole section about gingivostomatitis. A lot of the info is way over my head, but I did understand enough to understand that bovine lactoferrin can be helpful.

We started Buddy on lactoferrin a couple of years or so ago as part of his FIV/FHV related supplements, and it seems to help improve his overall health. And so far, no stomatitis. *quickly knocks wood*

 

[Redfraggle]

We only feed grain-free wet food to our FIV+ kitty at mealtimes, and give him small amounts of freeze-dried treats such as PureBites after his twice-daily meds and supplements.

Unfortunately, many vets aren't that knowledgeable about feline nutrition as you'd think, and still recommend dry food to keep your cat's teeth healthy. Dr. Pierson addresses that here on her website at catinfo.org. Plus, male cats are more prone to urinary tract problems than females, and our cat has been blissfully symptom free after starting him on a wet food only diet. Up until then, he had been having flare-ups every three months.

If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you browse a bit over at the fivtherapy.com website. There's a whole section about gingivostomatitis. A lot of the info is way over my head, but I did understand enough to understand that bovine lactoferrin can be helpful.

We started Buddy on lactoferrin a couple of years or so ago as part of his FIV/FHV related supplements, and it seems to help improve his overall health. And so far, no stomatitis. *quickly knocks wood*

Thank you so much, that is incredibly helpful and I will check out all of those links. I knew urinary tract infections were a potential problem, which is why I've been giving him more wet food than I was originally advised. I'm in the UK, and was told there were no meds for the condition, and that I just had to feed him the highest quality food I could get my hands on, so I will research everything you've recommended. Thanks again, it's great to hear your cat is doing so well!

 

[Freedom]

My Bobby is FIV+. He has no symptoms, so he is treated like the rest of the kitties. Grain free kibble and canned. Kibble in the morning canned in the evening (usually gone by the time I go to bed!) Been 10 years, no issues.

 

[Redfraggle]

My Bobby is FIV+. He has no symptoms, so he is treated like the rest of the kitties. Grain free kibble and canned. Kibble in the morning canned in the evening (usually gone by the time I go to bed!) Been 10 years, no issues.

Thank you! Frank has no symptoms either, and that's exactly how I'm feeding him, so it's a massive relief to hear how well your Bobby is doing.

 

[Freedom]

Glad to heal Redfraggle. Bobby came to me when he was just 3 months old; and he tested FIV + right from the start. Retested when he was a year old, just to be sure; still positive. Never tested again. He is such a love bug with me, the other kitties, even the dogs, lol.

Just enjoy Frank!

 

[Redfraggle]

Glad to heal Redfraggle. Bobby came to me when he was just 3 months old; and he tested FIV + right from the start. Retested when he was a year old, just to be sure; still positive. Never tested again. He is such a love bug with me, the other kitties, even the dogs, lol.

Just enjoy Frank!

Aww, he sounds lovely! Frank is wonderful. It's taking him time to get used to everything, but he's getting more snuggly every day. Glad to hear such positive stories about cats like him!