Mickey, my 27 lbs foster and his journey back to a healthy weight

[ldg]

http://www.ziwipeak.com/air-dried-cat-food-ziwipeak-daily-cat-air-dried-cuisine/?accept_cookies=true

272 calories per scoop? :dk:

This is Ziwipeak's air dried lamb. Actually, the venison probably has less calories...

Not by much. :lol3: 267 calories per scoop. http://www.ziwipeak.com/air-dried-cat-food-ziwipeak-daily-cat-air-dried-cuisine/?accept_cookies=true

No idea how much a scoop is.

 

[franksmom]

If you send them that feline obesity article by dr, pierson  with the bennie case study she used some EVO dry to supplement his diet (http://catinfo.org/felineobesity.php?link=cannedfoods#Bennie_). What she did was use it as a game. You may want to suggest to them to use something like the slimcat food dispenser if they insist of giving some dry (http://www.thecatsite.com/products/multivet-slimcat-interactive-toy-and-food-dispenser). I personally think feeding less of a good quality grain free dry is better than feeding a food with lots of grains because as Dr. Pierson points out cats need protein and the low fat diets are not satisfying and the carbs are just converted into fat. Again maybe if they take a look at her article and some others like Dr Jean Hofve's article on weight management where she explains why high carb dry foods are really bad to feed overweight cats (http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/healthy-weight-management-for-dogs-and-cats/) and (http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/feline-obesity/)

 

[franksmom]

http://www.ziwipeak.com/air-dried-cat-food-ziwipeak-daily-cat-air-dried-cuisine/?accept_cookies=true

272 calories per scoop?

This is Ziwipeak's air dried lamb. Actually, the venison probably has less calories...

Not by much.

267 calories per scoop. http://www.ziwipeak.com/air-dried-cat-food-ziwipeak-daily-cat-air-dried-cuisine/?accept_cookies=true

No idea how much a scoop is.

i actually feed ziwipeak and totally forgot to suggest it- doah! Anyways the scoop looks like they are less than a cup but fill up a standard cat dish very well. 

 

[mschauer]

The ZiwiPeak is very high in fat (lamb- 26%, venison 25%) so they are going to be very high calorie. I think that is a no-go.

 

[ldg]

The Epigen 90 is out - it's 489 calories per cup

 

[ldg]

If you send them that feline obesity article by dr, pierson  with the bennie case study she used some EVO dry to supplement his diet (http://catinfo.org/felineobesity.php?link=cannedfoods#Bennie_). What she did was use it as a game. You may want to suggest to them to use something like the slimcat food dispenser if they insist of giving some dry (http://www.thecatsite.com/products/multivet-slimcat-interactive-toy-and-food-dispenser). I personally think feeding less of a good quality grain free dry is better than feeding a food with lots of grains because as Dr. Pierson points out cats need protein and the low fat diets are not satisfying and the carbs are just converted into fat. Again maybe if they take a look at her article and some others like Dr Jean Hofve's article on weight management where she explains why high carb dry foods are really bad to feed overweight cats (http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/healthy-weight-management-for-dogs-and-cats/) and (http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/feline-obesity/)

Honestly, I think this is the best idea - for Mickey. :heart2: The Merrick food is still almost 28% carbs.

 

[mschauer]

The Merrick food is still almost 28% carbs.

Where did you get that from? 

 

[ldg]

Where did you get that from? 

The website, converting the guaranteed analysis to DMB. I assumed ash is 8%, as that is typical for dry foods. They didn't provide the info.

But even if you assume ash is 11%, carbs are still 24%.

You may want to contact the company for the average nutritional analysis?

 

[mschauer]

Oh, you really can't get a very accurate carbs % from the guaranteed analysis because the values other than moisture are minimums, not as fed. The merrick certainly isn't low carb though.

I don't think the dry food needs to be low carb though especially since it will only make up a part of his diet and the canned they are feeding is low carb. 

 

[ldg]

Yes, but when companies don't provide an "as fed" basis, it at least provides some idea for comparison. ...and that's why Dr. Pierson's canned food tables are so valuable. :lol3: No such luck for the same info for dry foods though...

At least it's going to be just a portion of his diet.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I think that Merrick food is probably astronomically high in carbohydrates. This is very depressing news. I'm so sorry.

I just used my carb calculator, and it's 33% carbs

.  (without using anything for ash, since they didn't provide it...I see Laurie used 8%...just saw that after I posted

)  Yes, this is quite depressing. 

Even if they went with the regular Adult versus the Healthy Weight, it would increase the Protein and decrease the carbs a little but (to 30% carbs), which, IMHO still stinks but is better than 33.

 

[mschauer]

i actually feed ziwipeak and totally forgot to suggest it- doah! Anyways the scoop looks like they are less than a cup but fill up a standard cat dish very well. 

What is the Ziwipeak like? I've seen the bags and it looks like little pieces of jerky. Are the pieces tough or are they pretty much like kibble?

I've talked to Charlie again and he said he is willing to feed a non-low calorie food. It will need to be one they don't have to drive half way across town for though. There are a couple of stores relatively close to where he and I work that carry premium pet foods. I'll see which of the foods you guys have suggested are available at them. I know he can get EVO at a near by store.

Thanks for all the help everyone!

 

[otto]

Ziwi Peak is like jerky. I tried it once, the lamb, but Jennie was the only one who would eat it, and it doesn't really hydrate like freeze dried does.

 

[franksmom]

Yes ziwipeak is a jerky and is sort of moist. Neither of my cats go crazy for it which I like because they used to gorge themselves on any other dry food I put out, but both will eat it though. I stopped giving it to Frank because it sometimes makes him puke. Now they are on all wet food I don't give it to them often- I just give it to Ava when I worry she hasn't had enough calories because she is still a kitten. 

I do not think it is easy to find in most stores, at least in Canada and I had to order it. Another dry food which I am not sure I mentioned in the nature's variety limited ingredient turkey (http://www.naturesvariety.com/Instinct/cat/kibble/LIDturkey). It is pretty high in calories at 436 for a cup but if they are willing to feed just a small amount it is not a terrible food and you can find it in almost all pet stores. Again the food toy dispenser would be a good idea with this food. I used this food  as a topper during my long transition to an all wet diet and my guy with a sensitive stomach did well on it and of course both cats loved it. It is funny I went through such a nightmare transitioning mine to wet food my heart just sinks when I hear someone wanting to transition a cat from wet to dry especially because there seems to be no reason to do so it this case because he was happy and losing weight on the fancy feast. I also suspect the fancy feast is cheaper than the vet diet, so I have not idea what their motivation is here. 

I would also mention to them to really watch the litter box for signs of urinary problems because even a little bit of grain free dry can can cause urinary issues in some cats. You should also encourage them to add extra water to his wet food to try to prevent this. 

 

[parsleysage]

Any update on Mickey and his new parents?

 

[mschauer]

Weeeell, lets just say I'm trying very,very hard to be patient with Charlie and Susan. 

The good news is Mickey isn't gaining any weight. The bad news is he isn't losing either. The other bad news is he is back on the prescription dry weight control food. Don't ash me why. Every time I talk to Charlie he assures me they are going to put him on a better food but they never do. 

For the time being I'm waiting for them to figure out that they can't feed him 240 calories of the weight control food and expect him to lose weight when I was feeding him 155 calories. 

I still have confidence that they will get their act together and get him losing weight again. I've given up trying to predict when that will be though. I think a major problem right now is that their idiot vet sold them a huge bag of the weight control food and they think they have to use it. Don't ask me what happened to them feeding some wet plus that dry food. 

  Charlie assumes me Mickey drinks a lot of water with his kibble so at least there is that.

 

[peaches08]

I'm sorry. I would be frustrated too. Very, actually.

 

[franksmom]

What does the rescue think of thus situation?While normally feeding dry food is not a reason to take a cat back in this situation it is very dangerous because of his risk of diabetes. Honestly I do not feel like they are acting like responsible caretakers for such a special needs cat. They also misrepresented themselves because they told you they would feed the diet you provided to them.

I know you don't want to cause problems but I kind of feel the rescue needs to have a serious conversation with them and determine if this is actually a good home for him.

 

[otto]

This is just the saddest thing ever. Mickey was finally getting to a point where he could move and play! On that horrible food it won't be long before he is right back where he was, barely able to wave a paw at something before collapsing in exhaustion.

I just can not believe your friends are being so stubborn and thick headed about this, after all you've gone through for that cat. I don't know whether to cry or scream.

All those companies "guarantee" their food and will take it back opened, no questions asked.

Perhaps they need to read this thread, to really understand what Mickey needs. Perhaps they need to admit they are over their heads, and GIVE HIM BACK to you.

 

[peaches08]

You have a good point, Franksmom. Giving Mickey dry food is like giving candy to a diabetic child and then withholding insulin. And then patting oneself on the back for providing fine care