Science Diet confliction.

[Krienze]

My vet suggests I put my obese cat on Science Diet Lite. The problem is between review sites and this forum, I've seen and read such negative reviews about the brand and food.

Currently my cats eat Nulo dry food mixed with the nulo wet packets and a can of nulo mixed in

We're looking for a wet food to also mix into it and I thought Science Diet but... I don't want to give our cats something that might make them sick. I don't know what to think here.

Financially we buy a bag of dry then mix with the wet, because we can't afford to buy cans for all 5 of our cats. So the dry + 1 can of the wet mixed in seems to help with the cats vomitting issue, but the problem is that I think the nulo wet food cans we WERE giving them might be contributing to Sammy's weight.

Honestly I don't know what to think. Sammy doesn't seem to lose weight no matter what I do and he eats the same amount of cat food as the others, who are all normal weight. There's no medical conditions, the vet just wants him to lose the weight. It's been a struggle for at least a year.

Should I try science diet or is it really as bad as some of the posts suggest?

 

[Kflowers]

I don't know if this is what they used to call w/d weight diet or not, but mine gained weight on that.

 

[Babypaws]

When I’ve checked out ingredients in the RX foods I’m not impressed especially for what they charge…

 

[LTS3]

It's perfectly ok to not feed what the vet suggests / insists If you don't like the brand for whatever reason, don't feed it. Tell the vet "thanks but no thanks".

You need to feed the one cat enough calories for body weight. Every cat is different so feeding the same amount to every cat means some may be getting more calories than they need, hence weight gain and no loss. Feed the one cat roughly 20 to 25 calories per pound of his current body weight to start. Then very slowly decrease the amount of calories until the cat starts to lose weight and achieves the ideal body weight. If you can feed this cat more canned over dry that would help.

 

[amethyst]

Do you feed one of the regular Nulo dry or the weight management one? If you haven't already it might be worth trying the weight management one. Also different cats need different amounts of calories depending on things like, age, activate level, and ideal weight for that cat. So if he is not the same size or not as active as the others that amount may be too many calories for him.

 

[Krienze]

I don't know if this is what they used to call w/d weight diet or not, but mine gained weight on that.

Oh, wow. I've heard other people say that too! That was part of my concern.

When I’ve checked out ingredients in the RX foods I’m not impressed especially for what they charge…

I noticed it was pretty pricy but... I mean we were giving him tiki cat until he started turning his nose up at it. So I figured I'd try it if it was good, but my gut is just feeling off about it.

It's perfectly ok to not feed what the vet suggests / insists If you don't like the brand for whatever reason, don't feed it. Tell the vet "thanks but no thanks".

You need to feed the one cat enough calories for body weight. Every cat is different so feeding the same amount to every cat means some may be getting more calories than they need, hence weight gain and no loss. Feed the one cat roughly 20 to 25 calories per pound of his current body weight to start. Then very slowly decrease the amount of calories until the cat starts to lose weight and achieves the ideal body weight. If you can feed this cat more canned over dry that would help.

I feel kind of bad going against my vet. My vet has ALWAYS been so good to us. He's saved our animals, been patient, etc. I hate feeling like I distrust his advice at all but my gut just says no here and I just don't know.

My biggest issue with feeding them is I have a total of five cats. I've tried separating them, but they just wander back and forth, or swap bowls on me. I've tried feeding them in other rooms but that ends up getting to be something we have a hard time keeping up with given 5 cats and 3 dogs need feeding.

My confusion is that he never really seems to over-eat, you know? I've been trying to get him to work out a bit by playing with him with the feather but that only lasts so long before he gets bored of it. I just bought a new laser, so hopefully I can get him going with that.

Do you feed one of the regular Nulo dry or the weight management one? If you haven't already it might be worth trying the weight management one. Also different cats need different amounts of calories depending on things like, age, activate level, and ideal weight for that cat. So if he is not the same size or not as active as the others that amount may be too many calories for him.

I'm unsure what the nulo dry was, I don't recall it saying anything about weight management.

Our local petsense started closing at 5 due to covid, but we didn't know that so we ended up unable to get nulo at all since we had to go to petco and they don't have it.

The girl at petco was super helpful though and she introduced me to Acana, so we're going to try that. I bought the weight management one of that, and Tiki cat cans to mix into his food.

 

[Kflowers]

In my experience, I've found Science Diet high carb, low protein. Not the best diet food.

I was like you until my cats got fat on the recommended diet food. Still listened about others things, but not food. Once I noticed them, the shelves of Science Diet in the waiting room kinda put me off.

 

[Flybynight]

Krienze
Have you tried a Da Bird wand toy ? My guys love that, it zips around.

 

[Krienze]

In my experience, I've found Science Diet high carb, low protein. Not the best diet food.

I was like you until my cats got fat on the recommended diet food. Still listened about others things, but not food. Once I noticed them, the shelves of Science Diet in the waiting room kinda put me off.

Yeah, I trust my vet so much but the sience diet is sold by him too. I just dunno that I can geton board with it. In the end I'm trying acana now and hoping for the best >.<

Krienze
Have you tried a Da Bird wand toy ? My guys love that, it zips around.

I have (if what you're talking about is the wand with the bird/fish toy?) he gets a lil obsessive with it though and hoards the toy part lol

 

[Kflowers]

Current cat gained weight on Orijen. No matter how good the food you need to count those calories. Chewy gives the calories per cup under nuetrican (under the what good what's in it does. I will never learn to spell that blasted word, not even enough for the spell check to figure it out.)