Mixing Raw And Dry Food

[PJBoy]

Hey everyone,

A month or so ago I had a thread open regarding the mixing of wet and raw food, which was locked due to some conversations going off topic within it. So I wanted to make this new one in regards to some questions I have about mixing raw and dry food..

Is this a general no-no due to the fact that dry food and raw food digest at very different speeds? I seem to be reading varying reports on whether it is ok to mix the two.

I am a raw feeder, although am at this time only able to do commercial pre-made raw. I have been feeding her Primal frozen (rotating between proteins), with lots of water mixed in, and when she is fed strictly that she gets a very irritated behind, very red and usually a bit of a bump (due to straining/uncomfortable bowel movements it seems). When we mix it with wet food, she often goes straight to having diarrhea. When it is only wet, it is definitely diarrhea. We're at a bit of a loss about what to do with food, as it seems either she is having uncomfortable stools due to raw, or uncomfortable stools due to wet. I never feed dry food, but have been considering doing a mix of high-end dry with raw to see if it helps with her stools. Any thoughts on this? Any suggestions? This may not be a permanent thing either necessarily, but I am curious to see if it helps with her stools and whether it is recommended.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Azazel]

If constipation is a concern, then the key is water. Dry food won’t necessarily help the constipation, unless it’s loaded with fiber, which might make her poops softer and bulkier, but that really just masks the issue. Constipation usually means the stools are not retaining enough moisture. In your case, I think it’s probably occurring because of the bone in Primal. Which proteins are you feeding? Some have more bone than others. For example, rabbit will have more bone simply because it’s difficult to separate bone and rabbit meat. It may also be due to the clay in Primal. Clay tends to absorb moisture and can cause constipation in some cats. If I were you I would slowly phase out the Primal and see if it gets better. Then I would find a different raw brand to feed that sits better with her.

Your cat might also be getting soft stools when you feed canned food because you are making too many changes to her diet at once. Any new brands or proteins should be introduced very slowly.

It’s not a problem to mix dry and raw. This is really just a myth started on the Internet. But, I just don’t recommend feeding dry food in general. It doesn’t have a lot of benefits for cats.

 

[PJBoy]

If constipation is a concern, then the key is water. Dry food won’t necessarily help the constipation, unless it’s loaded with fiber, which might make her poops softer and bulkier, but that really just masks the issue. Constipation usually means the stools are not retaining enough moisture. In your case, I think it’s probably occurring because of the bone in Primal. Which proteins are you feeding? Some have more bone than others. For example, rabbit will have more bone simply because it’s difficult to separate bone and rabbit meat. It may also be due to the clay in Primal. Clay tends to absorb moisture and can cause constipation in some cats. If I were you I would slowly phase out the Primal and see if it gets better. Then I would find a different raw brand to feed that sits better with her.

Your cat might also be getting soft stools when you feed canned food because you are making too many changes to her diet at once. Any new brands or proteins should be introduced very slowly.

It’s not a problem to mix dry and raw. This is really just a myth started on the Internet. But, I just don’t recommend feeding dry food in general. It doesn’t have a lot of benefits for cats.

Thanks for your response.

If I WAS to feed dry, I would mixing lots of water into it. Luckily, she eats anything and everything so if I were to mix the water in with dry and mush it up she would certainly eat/drink it all.

Yes, I definitely do think it is the bone causing it as she does always have lots of water mixed in, not to mention the actual moisture in the raw that is already there. I am feeding turkey and duck proteins, about to buy Pork as well (I was hesitant as I was under the impression pork wasn't great for cats but the bone content is only 7% rather than 10% in the ones she has now.) I had heard Primal was better than Stella & Chewys, so that was the reason I had avoided changing over to that but maybe I will give it a go if the pork protein doesn't help with the lower bone content.

I always switch over to new foods very slowly, even when switching proteins within the same brand I make sure to do it incredibly slowly so I don't believe that is the issue with her diarrhea. She has tried 3 different brands now and had diarrhea every time.

Good to know that it is a myth! Can you even mix raw with the dry, or would you recommend doing them in separate feedings?

Thanks again!

 

[darg]

Stella and Chewy's Selects frozen raw is bone free. But it's expensive. I think the S&C frozen morsels contain bone so if the bone is causing the constipation, that probably won't help.

Have you tried simply reducing the amount of the Primal raw that you mix with the canned and seeing if you can find a balance to regulate the cats stool consistency that way?

 

[PJBoy]

Stella and Chewy's Selects frozen raw is bone free. But it's expensive. I think the S&C frozen morsels contain bone so if the bone is causing the constipation, that probably won't help.

Have you tried simply reducing the amount of the Primal raw that you mix with the canned and seeing if you can find a balance to regulate the cats stool consistency that way?

S&C's Selects isn't yet available in my area, I'm in Canada and every store I've called still doesn't have it. That's what I want to feed once it's available (if ever) out here.

I have, yes, trying to find a ratio with the canned and raw that is perfect for her stools but so far any wet seems to cause diarrhea. I am going to continue to try and find a balance as that would be ideal for her, as I don't want to feed dry.