Questions about pre-made raw

[bluebo]

Hi all! Haven't been here for a LONG time but I have a few questions concerning pre-made raw:

- my cat used to have chronic constipation on kibble (he is now on canned and is no longer constipated), aren't raw poops small and hard? Would the higher bone content in pre-made raw patties cause issue?

- my cat prefers beef, which has a higher taurine content then many poultry meats, would it be ok to feed it frequently?

- would pre-made require any supplementation? Mainly, extra taurine?

I love this cat so freakin much and I want to do what is best for him.
Any help would be great

 

[lilin]

Hi all! Haven't been here for a LONG time

but I have a few questions concerning pre-made raw:

- my cat used to have chronic constipation on kibble (he is now on canned and is no longer constipated), aren't raw poops small and hard? Would the higher bone content in pre-made raw patties cause issue?

- my cat prefers beef, which has a higher taurine content then many poultry meats, would it be ok to feed it frequently?

- would pre-made require any supplementation? Mainly, extra taurine?

I love this cat so freakin much and I want to do what is best for him.
Any help would be great

Hi, there! I use Nature's Variety and Primal, for what it's worth.

1. My kitty Pia doesn't have constipation on commercial raw, and she didn't on wet. Her feces are slightly smaller and drier than they were on wet, but they aren't pebble-like. However, I have heard of cats who are vulnerable to this in raw foods with high bone content, and Nature's Variety in particular has too high of a bone content for some cats who are prone to constipation. So you may want to look more at Primal or Rad Cat, which as I understand, have a lower bone content.

2. Yes, but keep on eye on it. Some kitties develop a bit of a beef allergy. He may not, but be sure you do rotate protein sources. Cats can develop intolerance to a lot of foods if they eat them too much. I usually have 3 types of raw food at any given time, and switch between them.

3. If the diet is labeled as complete, you do not need any additional supplementation. They have all the taurine required for cats.

 

[ldg]

Hi Bluebo! Hope all is well! SO glad to hear the all canned diet is working. :rub:

Don't have much to add to what Lilin said, just a couple of things. Taurine is water soluble, and they just excrete what they don't need. No need to worry about "too much." You only need to consider supplementing if you make homemade, as I'm assuming you're interested in a nutritionally balanced premade raw.

Nature's Variety is really affordable, but it does have too much bone. You can probably use it safely in rotation, but as a sole source of food, you'd have to to "thin it out" with plain meat. My kitties aren't prone to constipation, and two of them got constipated about two months into feeding mostly Nature's Variety.

You can also just add some raw meals in addition to the canned food. :nod: Many people don't feed 100% raw.

Another thing to consider is feeding him egg yolks several times a week if you want to use NV. Though, as Lilin points out, it's best to have several proteins in rotation. NV does have Bison. And for all I know, they've got venison now. :dk: Egg yolks help keep things moving smoothly, and they're really healthy.

 

[bluebo]

Thank you guys for the advice! My boy is doing VERY well on an all canned diet, so maybe I should leave well enough alone and just supplement with some raw?
The last thing I was is to ruin the progress we've made with his constipation issues!

 

[lilin]

Thank you guys for the advice! My boy is doing VERY well on an all canned diet, so maybe I should leave well enough alone and just supplement with some raw?
The last thing I was is to ruin the progress we've made with his constipation issues!

Yeah, you could do that. If it makes up more than 15% of his diet, make sure it's a complete raw food.

You could try a meal of a lower bone content food like Rad Cat or Primal and see how that goes, and then keep on with it or slowly increase the percentage of his diet if he continues to have good bowel movements.

Don't be surprised if they look more pale or slightly drier. That doesn't mean he's constipated. From what I understand, the pale color is the left-over components of bone moving through the body. Pia's feces are much lighter than they were on canned.