Non-chicken, non-prescription dry food recommendations?

LadybugsMama

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Hello! I have reviewed the sidebar FAQ and consulted my cat’s vet, but I am still having trouble deciding which dry food to switch her to. She is a 4 yr old domestic shorthair with a potential sensitivity to chicken (or perhaps corn, wheat, soy). She eats both wet (Tiki) and dry (Purina Pro Plan Chicken and Rice essentials). The vet suggested switching her to a novelty protein, but I can’t find one from a reputable brand.

The vet had mentioned Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck, but I’m uncomfortable with NB’s recall history. She said she prefers Hill’s or RC, but I can’t find duck, venison, or beef in any of their OTC lines. Hill’s does have a line without corn, wheat, and soy but the protein is chicken. The only non-chicken OTC Hill’s line is salmon based.

There’s Purina Pro Plan lines with either beef or turkey for sensitive stomachs, with the latter including a formula without corn, wheat, or soy. Chicken is listed lower in the ingredients list, so these might only be good options if I should first see if she is instead sensitive to corn, wheat, or soy.

I spent too long last night looking at non-vet recommended brands like Solid Gold and Ziwi only to end up back here confused over what to do.

Any advice for a suitable, non-chicken dry food—or if the Hill’s sensitive line would be okay—is appreciated!!
 

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artiemom

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Royal Canin's novel protein are all prescription food. They are also part of the 'supply chain shortage'...

I did see Freely food line on Chewy. Also Hound and Gatos, if you can find a store on line to deliver.. or a pet store to pick up.

Chicken is in 99% of the OTC foods. I wish you luck.

It has been very difficult, for over a year, finding appropriate food.

What you want to do is not feed too much fish. So stay away from a diet leaning mostly to that.

((hugs))
 

LTS3

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Merrick: Limited Ingredient Diet Grain Free Real Tuna and Chickpea Recipe | Merrick Pet Care

Nature's Variety rabbit: Original Rabbit Dry Cat Food - Instinct Pet Food Also available in duck and salmon. Does contain chicken fat which may or may not cause issues the same as protein.

Blue Buffalo LID in duck and potato: BLUE Basics™ Dry Cat Food Grain-Free Duck & Potato Recipe

Taste of the Wild Prey in turkey: Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula for Cats - Taste of the Wild Pet Food Also av available in beef Angus Beef Limited Ingredient Formula for Cats - Taste of the Wild Pet Food

Canidae has two LID foods but both are fish based: CANIDAE Grain Free Pure Dry Cat Food with Salmon

Open Farm in lamb: Pasture-Raised Lamb Dry Cat Food
 
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LadybugsMama

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Thank you so much!! I’ve seen a lot of these brands on the FDA’s list about grain-free being potentially linked to DCM. Are any of these brands known to have potentially whole grain lines? Or do you have an opinion on whether to worry about the potential connection?
 

Kieka

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The FDA warning about grain free is more related to large dog breeds with higher risk. There are some studies out but the long and short that I have seen is that it is probably related to taurine issues in specific brands. Since cat food is supplemented and tested for taurine it isn't as big of a risk. Even if that isn't the driving factor, the FDA warning is directed at dogs not cats. There is debate about the value of long grains as fiber and nutritional addition into food. But if you are feeding commercial they have the right nutritional balance and you can add a teaspoon of pumpkin for a healthy fiber option.

My crew are poultry free. They get a mix of Nature's Variety Rabbit Limited, Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Herring and Go! Carnivore wild boar as their dry foods. They also get wet twice a day. I fed a mix so that they don't lock onto a food, ideally if you do a mix rotate through the different options.
 

LTS3

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Grain free foods may cause heart issues in certain breeds of dogs. There are threads here on TCS discussing this topic. A list of some can be found in this thread: Raw Cat Food & Grains
 

MindyStClairesMom

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Dr. Elsy's Clean Protein comes in Rabbit, Duck, and Turkey. We feed the chicken (and they like it), and I hear you saying you need to avoid Chicken. I am fostering 3 ferals and NONE of them will touch canned food -- it's WILD. But they love the Dr. Elsy's. When I ran out the other day, I was forced to research what the "next best thing" might be that was carried locally -- and I was really surprised, protein-wise, how much better Dr. E's was than any other on the market. I got a little bit of Tiki Cat dry, but . . . meh. For my mom's cats (who like the crappiest dry food we can possibly find for them -- they strongly reject high-quality dry), they wanted nothing to do with "novel proteins." The thing about Dr. Elsy's that is kind of a pinch is how EXPENSIVE it is ($7/pound) and when they do not ALSO eat canned, it's quite dear.
 

MindyStClairesMom

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Yeah. It's a huge drag and I can't find it nearby (granted, I've only tried three places). Herself doesn't care for Tiki Cat which was the closest protein-wise (minus the junk) that wasn't raw / freeze-dried, and it wasn't much cheaper. She doesn't eat that much of it, but for my daughter's garbage disposal cats, I'm looking at Blue Buffalo. The part that blows my mind is that she will eat baby food, but will not eat Churos or canned food of any description.
 
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