Feeding Non-diabetic Cat Purina Dm

[RoryM]

Hello there!

I am a pre-veterinary student with an interest in animal nutrition, so of course after I got my first cat I went crazy trying to make sure I feed her the best possible diet. My main concern has been keeping her protein levels high and the carbohydrates low as cats are obligate carnivores. I do feed her both canned and dry food, although I focus more on the canned food because of its higher moisture and protein contents. I have exposed her to a bunch of different textures and flavors, but have recently settled on feeding her Royal Canin kitten thin slices in gravy as she absolutely loves it. However, she is about to reach her first birthday so I am on the lookout for an adult food.

This may sound strange but this is the plan I have come up with and I am wondering what your opinions on this will be. I have decided to feed her Purina DM (canned and some dry) because of its very high protein content and decent ingredients list. I received some as a free sample from work and I already know she enjoys it. I can't find a good reason to not do this but y'all may have some ideas that I haven't though of yet.
Let me know what you think!

 

[Kieka]

My primary concern would be the soy protein and corn in the food. But, to be blunt, none of it looks good and I wouldn’t feed it even if it was free.

To just cover the two main issues, even though it is high in protein, food manufactures don’t have to differentiate between animal protein and plant protein. Since it does have soy protein as the second ingredient it is reasonable to assume that a large portion of the protein is a plant based. Current theory is that cats aren’t able to utilize plant based proteins as well as animal based protein. Essentially meaning that the usable protein content is overstated. Plant vs Meat - The Protein Feud - Feline Nutrition Foundation

Additionally, soy in general is a controversial ingredient. I personally try to limit my soy intake for health reasons so feeding a diet rich in soy to my cats is not something I would do. This website has a decent summary of the items, https://www.foodrenegade.com/dangers-of-soy/. Essentially it comes down to soy was always a small quantity items until it more recently became a “health” food. However, large quantities may be more dangerous then previously considered. In a human diet, soy sneaks in everywhere so I don’t seek it out. In that food it is the second ingredient and I won’t expose my cats to large quantities of an item I personally try to limit.

The corn, corn can lead to weight retention around the middle. While I realize it is a processed corn gluten meal, I still just avoid corn and other grains as much as possible. My cats have never been fed any food with grains or corn and have wonderful coats and body condition.

I’d look into Dr Elseys Clean Protein Chicken Recipe - Dr. Elsey's if you want a biologically appropriate diet with high protein. I’d feed it if my guys could eat poultry. Or, since you have a single cat, a freeze dried food like Ziwi Ziwi Peak Cat Nutrition | Ziwi Pets. would be a viable option.

Cats need high protein, low carbs and moderate fat. But just like in humans, it isn’t just about numbers. Quality matters. Where those numbers come from matters. I personally dislike perscription diets and can’t support them, beyond short term usage and kidney related diets. They have their place but that isn’t as a regular diet staple or for cats who don’t need them for medical purposes. That is from personally opinion, my own research and conversations with my own vet who only recommends them sparingly and within specific scenarios.

 

[RoryM]

Thank you for the great info! I'm glad I put this up here because I personally hadn't even considered the difference between plant and animal-based protein. I checked out Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein and agree it looks like a great option, however it looks a little too expensive for my current student budget. I will definitely keep it in mind.

 

[Kieka]

Thank you for the great info! I'm glad I put this up here because I personally hadn't even considered the difference between plant and animal-based protein. I checked out Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein and agree it looks like a great option, however it looks a little too expensive for my current student budget. I will definitely keep it in mind.

Chewy.com does sales on it from time to time. I personally have a rotation of a few different foods that I feed based on what is on sale at the time I buy. I tend to buy two at once and mix it together, then mix in the new food when I have about a quarter left. Keeps my guys from getting stuck on a specific food and makes it easier to change.

 

[Kieka]

The other thing to keep in mind, the more biologically appropriate the food is the less you (generally) have to feed. Your cat will be fuller longer and eat smaller quantities. It also is denser so they get more calories per ounce.

My three eat about 12 pounds of dry food a month. They split 4 ounces of wet food a day and free fed dry. They are highly active indoor/outdoor and my boy eats a lot for his size (30-35 calories per pound, at 13 pounds). So an indoor cat who needs less calories could conciveably eat less. You might only need 4 pounds a month of a higher quality food. Personally, I’ve found that even when I increase the quality of their food the cost remains about the same because I have to buy less.

You might want to check out natures variety high protein or fromms for a slightly lower cost but still good food.

 

[RoryM]

The other thing to keep in mind, the more biologically appropriate the food is the less you (generally) have to feed. Your cat will be fuller longer and eat smaller quantities. It also is denser so they get more calories per ounce.

My three eat about 12 pounds of dry food a month. They split 4 ounces of wet food a day and free fed dry. They are highly active indoor/outdoor and my boy eats a lot for his size (30-35 calories per pound, at 13 pounds). So an indoor cat who needs less calories could conciveably eat less. You might only need 4 pounds a month of a higher quality food. Personally, I’ve found that even when I increase the quality of their food the cost remains about the same because I have to buy less.

You might want to check out natures variety high protein or fromms for a slightly lower cost but still good food.

The price on Chewy does seem more reasonable. I really do want to feed her correctly while she is young and therefore hopefully prevent some of the common diet-related illnesses that come later in life. I'll check out your other recommendations as well. Makes sense how they would eat less given they are receiving the proper nutrition and likely feeling full more quickly. Would you recommend not feeding the DM canned food as well?

 

[duckpond]

I also agree with what kieka has said in the previous posts. My cats eat Dr. Elseys as well, and it does last quite a long time, as it is so high in animal protein. Dry food often looks like its high protein, but you never know how much of the protein is animal, or plant. Very few companies tell you, i have asked some and they say they cannot give the information. Farmina list how much of the protein is animal. The only "budget" dry i know that list the % of animal vs plant protein is Taste of the wild Prey. i do like their very limited ingredients, but i free feed dry, so its a little higher in carbs than i like. Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula for Cats - Taste of the Wild Pet Food

You can always supplement with one or two wet meal per day. Fancy feast classics are a good budget choice. a good place to look at wet food is

http://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

 

[Kieka]

I wouldn’t feed the wet food either but that is because of the Guar Gum and Carrageenan. Both are thickeners that are added for texture and no nutritional benefit.

Guar Gum is less controversial of the two but commonly avoided when possible by many of our forum members, Pet Food Ingredients to Avoid: Guar Gum. It is safe for human consumption, however it is linked to intestinal issues. It is hard to avoid in food and is a lesser evil when it comes to decision making. One of the considerations you have to remember is that you are feeding it daily to your cat. Which means while humans might have some every other day or once a day, we are larger and it makes up a smaller percentage of our diet. A cat who eats it in every meal, every day is more at risk.

Carrageenan is equally controversial and in my opinion is the one to be avoided firmly and in all situations. I limit my own exposure to it and won’t feed my cats a food with it. https://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/CarageenanReport-2016.pdf. It’s just not good. It’s another example of taking something naturally occurring, over exposing ourselves to an altered version, and finding out later that natural doesn’t mean healthy or safe. Again, within cat food it comes back to daily exposure at higher levels being potentially more impactful then in humans.

It concerns me that the food has both thickener agents. Combined and fed on a normal basis there is an increased risk of intestinal complications.

The thing about cat food and everything I am saying is that a lot of this is just guesses. For a long time cat nutrition was thought to be just dog food with taurine. Over the last thirty years or so people have realized that cats are not just smaller versions of dogs. They do have different nutritional needs, different sensitivities and different biology in many facets. There truly aren’t enough studies to really know what is best and what is safe in the long term. I personally go with the “if I won't eat it, I won't feed it to my cats" when it comes to supplements and additives (like the thickeners mentioned above) and stay as biologically appropriate as I can within commercial diets. Companies change formulas and knowledge is always changing so it is an ever evolving attempt to do the best I can for my cats. Budget does come into play so I am constantly checking for sales and looking at different options. It is almost a full time job, but seeing my boy looking this good makes it all worth it...

He has some contouring going on to make him look skinnier then he is. But you can see his muscle tone and he is strong and lean with a good coat. It isn't all diet but diet is a contributing factor. He is my 13 pound boy who eats right around 400 calories a day; and he does have a primordial pouch that is just skin hanging down there.