How much premix do you need to add to a jar of baby food for assist feedings, and what's a good source of fiber/bulk to include as needed?

cheeser

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If you need to add premix to a 2.5 oz. jar of baby food, do you base the amount you need on 2.5 oz.? Or do you just assume each jar only contains 1 oz. of meat?

The reason I ask is because I recently stumbled across this info (from the article: Raw Feeding for IBD Cats), and now I'm wondering if I was provided with the wrong directions re: the premix we're currently using.

"Because there is water added to the baby foods via the broth or gravy, the 2.5 ounce jars represent 1 ounce of cooked meat."​

We're thinking about giving EZComplete a try to see if Buddy likes that any better. The only problem is that the instructions say that you add 1.67 grams of EZComplete per 1 oz. of meat, but we don't have a scale. Does anyone know how many teaspoons that would be? FWIW, I also have a set of smaller measuring spoons, e.g., drop, smidgen, pinch, etc.

Also, Buddy tends to be more prone to hairballs and constipation when we have to assist feed him, and our go-to remedies such as egg yolk lecithin and slippery elm bark syrup don't seem to help as much as usual. Besides canned pumpkin, what else could I add to his supplemental feedings that might help to provide a little extra fiber/bulk to keep things moving downstream, and that won't clog up the syringe?

Thanks much! :)
 

mrsgreenjeens

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you say you wonder if you were provided with the wrong instructions regarding the premix you're currently using. Where did you get your current instructions, and what are they?

I guess maybe that doesn't matter IF you want to try EZ complete then I would go with the instructions in the above article, AND I would call EZ Complete and ask them if they can provide you with a conversion rate of grams to measurements via your little spoons (i have those too, they're great)

Have you tried using psyllium husk to assist feed? I've never tried it so don't know if it would go thru a syringe or not. I give one of my guys Miralax though and that helps him out to keep things moving.
 
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cheeser

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you say you wonder if you were provided with the wrong instructions regarding the premix you're currently using. Where did you get your current instructions, and what are they?

I guess maybe that doesn't matter IF you want to try EZ complete then I would go with the instructions in the above article, AND I would call EZ Complete and ask them if they can provide you with a conversion rate of grams to measurements via your little spoons (i have those too, they're great)

Have you tried using psyllium husk to assist feed? I've never tried it so don't know if it would go thru a syringe or not. I give one of my guys Miralax though and that helps him out to keep things moving.
I got the instructions from the premix manufacturer quite a while back, and they told me to add 1-1/2 tsp. It made the baby food really thick and gloppy, so I had to add a ton of water to get the consistency thin enough to draw it up with a syringe. I mean, that's not necessarily a bad thing, as Buddy has a history of urinary tract problems, and can always use more moisture in his diet.

But then when I ran across the aforementioned article that said that 1 jar of baby food = 1 oz. of meat, then I started wondering if the premix company's calculations should have been based on 1 oz, not 2.

However, as you say, if we do decide to switch to EZComplete, then I guess that's all moot. :wink:

I haven't tried psyllium husk yet, but I'll check my notes. I used to be really good about writing things down for future reference until RL got a little crazy.

Miralax has worked wonders for Buddy when he's been constipated. Unfortunately, it can really cause his urine output to drop significantly, so we try to only use it as a last resort. But come to think about it, he goes tolerate guar gum well, and if I dissolve it in water like I do when I give him Miralax, it's easy enough to sneak into his syringe feedings. Maybe I'll give it a try tomorrow.

Doggone it, I just hate these phases where cat food companies change their formulas, discontinue Buddy's favorite products, or one day he just wakes up one day and hates pretty much everything we offer him! :)

Thanks bunches!
 
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