Problem With Acana Dry Food

Lalka

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Hello,

I would like to start with a little introduction;

I am the mom of two female cats (Bee and Pie, 9 and 12 years old). A bit more than a
month ago, Bee started to have health issue (over grooming, hairless circle on her back,
anal area always leaky , unknown pinkish discharge found on her bedding, black deposit in ears and at the base of claws). The vet prescribed two weeks of antibiotics which solved most of these problems (ears still black and my vet recommend a 2 months of flea/mites treatment even if the culture sent to the lab show no bacteria/mites...i might do it next week).

When her symptoms appeared, suspecting maybe an allergy, i looked into food info online (Fed them Hill's science diet oral care for years- recommended by my old vet to help Pie with her teeth). I was shocked to find out how bad grain is in a cat diet and why on earth! did the vet wanted me to feed that to my cats.

So i incorporated wet food (Canidae and Holistic select) each morning without any problem. Then, with the start of antibiotic, i slowly replaced the Hill's dry food with Acana Grasslands (Canadian's recipe). Its now been 14 days and their poop is still soft and very, very, stinky (there is less of it tho). I can sometimes tell which cat went to the litter because of the smell following them around.

I'm worried that it was a mistake to pick that brand and thinking about returning to my crappy old food. The other option i'm thinking about is trying the Now Fresh by petcurean. I feel like a bad mom for making all these changes.

I really dont want to put Bee into a new stressful situation since she was not well not long ago. I am myself now very stressed out by everything she does or doesnt do because i am scared of her becoming ill again. I even spy on her when she goes to the litter box to see if she is ok (i am turning into that crazy cat lady :p ).

Should i switch again or should i try Acana a bit longer? How long do you usually try new food before knowing that its not the one for your cat? Anyone know what cause poop to smell so bad?

I'm open to all suggestions :) and if you had a similar experience before, i would like to hear your story.

Thanks,

Have a good day!
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catlover1028

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Hi! I have heard that Acana and Orijen have switched and now make their food in Kentucky instead of Canada( I think some formulas are still being made in Canada but most are made in Kentucky. It varies by recipe). Lots of people who feed Acana are saying their pets have loose stools now but they were fine before they switched to Kentucky. Also, does your cat have allergies? When 2 of my 3 cats were kittens, I had them on Merrick Backcountry Kitten. At first it was ok but then their coats got oily, they had loose stools, and one had a respiratory problem( I rescued them when they were really young, so I think she caught something at the shelter, not the food). So I switched them to Northwest Naturals raw food and Nulo Kitten dry. All the loose stools disappeared and their fur was super soft. So it might just not agree with your cat. I wish the best of luck to you! O yea, one more thing. Be sure to check out the cat food brands I mentioned above. Hope this helps!
 
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Lalka

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Hi Catlover1028 :)
I thought it was an allergy before meeting with the vet. That's what started my search for better food...leading me to try Acana (i live in Canada and my bag does say "Made in sunny Alberta...". Must be very sunny over there :p ). The antibiotic helped the over grooming (i changed their food at the same time so i cant be 100% sure if its allergies)...i still dont really want to put grain back in their diet. How long did you wait before switching to new food?
 

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It can take a month to fully adjust to a new diet. Think about humans and how long it takes you to adjust to a new diet. If you do decide to switch to something else you want to do a very slow switch where you slowly decrease old and increase new. My favorite method is when I have a full container of the old I buy the new. As I use the old food I add in the new food and mix well. It can take me a few weeks to a month to fully switch but I have never had any digestive issues doing a switch extremely slow.

Since you are in Canada the Acana is a good choice. Petcurean is also a good brand. I wouldn't be suprised if the drastic switch from high carb to high fat/protein is hard on their systems. You might want to read the labels on the two brands and go with the one with a lower fat content. Or you may need to go with something with a slightly high protein from your original and slowly (over a 6 month to year period) do slow food rotations until you have eased their systems into a higher protein content.
 
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Lalka

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Thank you Kieka for answering me :)
I do love the Acana ingredients...but there is a lot of peas as filler. Hill's oral care had corn and wheat but also peas at the end of the ingredient list. Now Fresh also use potatoes as main filler, thats why i didnt buy it when i was looking for new food. I didnt want another new ingredient.

I'm gonna give Acana another week. If the stools still stink like garbage...i ll have to switch. Tonight, Bee didnt even buried her last poop (im sure she dont want to spend another second next to the litter box). I sent a email to Acana asking for the digestability percentage of this formula and also mentioned the stink problem. I can do a follow up when they answer me, if you guys are interested. Petcurean did reply: 85% digestability.

Thanks for the answers guys..its helping a lot and i feel less anxious :)
 
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Lalka

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i decided to stop the wet food in the morning till i find the good dry food. Its gonna be hard because they both love wet food.
 

catlover1028

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I waited about 2 weeks because right after I transitioned them, they started to have loose stools. Normally I would wait a bit longer than 2 weeks but the poor kittens looked like it was very painful to poop(yes, I know that was kind of gross to say)
 
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Lalka

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got the reply about Acana Grasslands. Leaving it here if someone ever need the informations.

"Thank you for reaching out to us in regards to our ACANA Grasslands. Our ACANA cat formulas have over 80% digestibility and over 90% of the protein comes from meat. "
 

valentine319

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If you're dealing with a cat or cats with allergies both orijen and acana have like 40 ingredients. My cat had horrid stinky poop on it. Soft food is always better for them. If you want to try a limited ingredient canned that would be a good option. Just be sure to not buy by the case. You might end up with a lot of uneaten food. I switched from orijen 6 fishes to orijen chicken to natures instinct lid turkey then rabbit. She's now on raw.

I believe natures instinct LID (better than natures variety but both are options) have dry if you need it due to cost. I used i think Turkey and pea while transitioning her. Venison in any form was not popular.

My cats poop stunk less on natures instinct canned.
 
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Lalka

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I had my eyes on natures instinct LID kibbles for a long time...but i cant find a pet store here where they sell it (sherbrooke, QC, Canada). They have good price on amazon.com but they wont deliver in Canada. amazon.ca sell a bag for triple the price ...not sure whats going on with that, its insane. When Acana replied to me (about the stinky poop) they said it might be the lamb or duck included in that formula and i did told them that i wish they could make a LID like Nature's Variety Instinct :p ). The only good wet food i've found close by is Holistic select.
Sadly, feeding only wet would be too expensive for me and i need them to eat some dry because i am often gone for 2 nights every month , sometimes twice a month (i've been doing that for 7 years)...but i will still feed some wet for breakfast before going to work and i ll do it before bed when i figure out what dry food ll be best.
My cats drink water all the time tho...im not worried about that. I would be more worried about them drinking too much.

Almost forgot about my question: I dont know if the smelly poop is from allergies but was it a symptom of allergy for your cats? Im also wondering about lamb meat...some people says to stick with any kind of poultry (chicken, turkey and duck) or rabbit.
 
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valentine319

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I have not tried lamb yet. A novel protein is recommended. Basically something they haven't eaten. Poultry is fairly common in most foods. Lamb is less common along with rabbit. Venison my cat didn't care for. The problem is getting food without fish and poultry in it to see if it helps.

I believe soft stinky poop is related to allergies. My cat had a sensitive stomach and poop that got worse. She had gas and farting too. But most cat food isn't really appropriate for cats that are obligate carnivores. The fiber in cat food does seem to cause some smell plus the carbs. I understand raw isn't a choice for everyone.

I use tummyworks probiotic to help her but check with your vet before adding it in. Part of my cats allergies are fish and environmental. I gave her raw turkey and her lip swelled so thinking turkey too. Some are allergic to all poultry some only one or two types. Fish and chicken tend to be on the top of allergies. Some are allergic to mites that are on dry food. It gets to be a complex investigation. Some cats get acne on their chin when allergic to food.
Feline Food Allergies
What is Bothering Your Cat? It Could Be Feline Allergies

Here are a few online ordering places that might help. Online Pet Store Canada-Buy Dog Food,Pet Toys,Cat Treats at PetOnly.ca Here's a Canadian pet food delivery.
Wet & Canned Cat Food Canada | Shop at Homesalive.ca
 
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Lalka

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Thanks for your help Valentine. when i visit the usa i always buy some canidae pure elements wet food...but they had carrageenan in them. Recently they sold out every cans they had online and in store in the USA. they are putting a new product now
 
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Lalka

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Simply nourish import their ingredient ..and i really dont want to check diet with my vet. The only cat food they have is Royal canin...corn and wheat.
 
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Lalka

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If Acana could do a LID food it would be great
 

valentine319

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If Acana could do a LID food it would be great
Yes it would!

Here's the quote I was looking for. "A number of common foods can trigger sensitivities in your cat. These include chicken, fish, corn, wheat, dairy and soy, with beef, eggs and pork occasionally causing issues as well."

My cat so far is looking allergic to turkey but she gets egg yolks and has no problems with the yolk.
 
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Lalka

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I think if the stools do not improve in the next week or so, we should try the Wild Prairie. The Wild Prairie formula would be a closer formula to the Hills food you were feeding and may firm up their stools. I think this will be the best option to try next.


Warm Regards,





Megan
Customer Care

Champion Petfoods LP
 

neely

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Sorry I did not see your thread earlier. Several years ago when we adopted a new persian kitty I had asked about food recommendations on another cat forum. We had 2 persians in the past and knew they can have sensitive stomachs, not in all cases but we must be Murphy's Law. :wink: Long story short, Acana was suggested and at that time it was manufactured in Canada exclusively. It worked out so well for our persian guy. Fast forward to the Kentucky plant being built in the states and the formula change. I am also on a dog forum and members were up in arms about the formula change as well. Vets were seeing complaints with loose stools, diarrhea and digestive problems. I contacted the KY manufacturer and the rep. I spoke to was defensive and rude. Then I spoke with the manager at the pet store we go to when considering a change in food and she said their reps. visited the store. Needless to say they were not impressed with the Champion Pet Foods reps. who were apathetic and coarse/cheeky.
Here is a thread that was posted about Orijen, also made by Champion, but included Acana info as well:
New Orijen Formula, Too Much Fish?
and another one too: New orijin food= not impressed

I tried 5-6 different types of canned food and several varieties within the 5-6 types of food. I transitioned slowly but it gave our persian very loose stools. I was on a search for a new dry food and eventually switched to Fromm which worked out very well for us. In addition, I tried both Stella & Chewy and Primal freeze dried raw in the evening. Our persian absolutely loves both. But every cat is individual and what works for one may not work for another. If the Acana you have tried is only made in Canada and they have not doctored the formula there you may be ok but some people I know said it was too rich for their cats. Once again, every cat is different. I wish you the best of luck in your search. :hugs:
Please keep us updated on your cats, Bee and Pie.
 
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Lalka

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what do you mean by too rich? too much fat?
what canned food are you buying?

My cats stools are ok now but they still stinks...should i try the wild prairie formula like she said?
 
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Lalka

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After 6 weeks feeding my cat Acana, i decided to change. The stinky stool doesn't seem normal to me. It might be some digestibility issue.
I would like to know if any of you tried *Naturally Fresh* (turkey and rabbit) dry food before and what do you think about the ancient grains in it? Nutreco Pet Nutrition

Bee doesn't have signs of allergy on her skin and in her ears since i removed chicken, soy, corn and wheat...but this food have millet, barley and quinoa.

Another option is *Go!* (duck) GO! LIMITED INGREDIENT Duck Recipe for Cats | Petcurean
It does have chicken fat in it, but the lady at the pet store said that only chicken meat and meal can cause an allergic reaction. Is that true?

I removed the *Now Fresh, by petcurean* option because of the weird fruits in it. I could be wrong but bananas, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, papayas, pineapple, grapefruit?? NOW FRESH Grain Free Adult Cat Food | Petcurean

Thanks again :)
 
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