Special Dietary Needs

[wannahelp]

Right now, I have 3 cats, eating 3 different types of food. It's not only too expensive but I'm not completely satisfied with any of them. Plus, my cats are always hungry.
My female has stomach issues. She only seems to tolerate chicken. The young one is on a prescription diet, which I really don't like and my older male is eating weruva canned food, which my female does not tolerate, so she is on another brand of wet chicken food.

I've looked into prepackaged raw but it's very expensive, at least the nuggets and patties are. I know a dog breeder who feeds home-cooked food and her dogs are extremely healthy. I wonder if I can do that for my cats. I know they need certain vitamins and minerals and that would all have to be well researched but it may be the only alternative to what I'm feeding now. I may contact a holistic vet to see if there are any dietary recommendations.

Has anybody else taken their cats off commercial food?

 

[Azazel]

Hi there. We have a whole sub forum dedicated to this.

My cats eat homemade raw. You can find good recipes on catinfo.org and feline-nutrition.org.

 

[Tobermory]

Has anybody else taken their cats off commercial food?

Yes! There are a lot of us here feeding homemade and/or commercial raw. As A Azazel says, there’s a raw and homemade food sub forum under the Cat Nutrition forum here: Raw & Home-Cooked Cat Food If you post your questions there, you’ll get lots of help and advice. I switched my three to raw last December and they love it! And my vet says they look great.

 

[Gizmobius]

One of my cats is on a primarily homemade raw diet. He does split some canned as a snack with my other cat (she is strictly canned, she doesn't recognize raw as actual food.) I use the premix EZ Complete that I add into meat that I grind myself. I used Alnutrin before but I find I prefer not having to deal with liver, which Alnutrin requires.

 

[wannahelp]

i’m considering switching my cats, at least 2 of them, to homemade and/or raw food. However, one of them had an issue with cystitis and is now on rx food, which is inconvenient, overpriced and I’m not thrilled with the ingredients. Plus, none of my cats ever seem satisfied on canned food and they’re food obsessed, to the point that I can no longer eat at the table.
How do you go about preparing a diet for a cat wirh special dietary needs or restrictions?

 

[shadowsrescue]

I switched to homemade cooked cat food almost 2 years ago. During the switch one of my males presented with a urinary blockage. He ended up having surgery and was to be on a rx diet for life. I had been through this numerous times with my dog and decided that the homecooked food I was providing was much better than the rx crap. I would try and see how he did. If he regressed I would go back to the rx.

I started by using a mix; EZ Complete. It was convenient and easy to use. I started with boneless chicken thighs and cooked them in the crockpot. My only purchase needed besides the EZ Complete was a food processor. I then moved on to pork and then to rabbit and turkey. I have also added beef.

Do your research. There are tons of great articles here and some great recipes too. I found it easiest to start with EZ Complete and then after a few months, I bought all my own supplements.

With each meal, my cats all get 1-2T. of water added to the food. I also keep canned food in the rotation and they get the canned food 1-2x a week. With home cooking, I feed them 3x a day. Also I got rid of all dry food and dry treats. I use only dehydrated treats. I never understood rx diets for urinary issues that offer dry food. It makes no sense.

 

[wannahelp]

He's on a canned rx diet now. I just trying to figure out exactly what makes it a "urinary health" food. What are the things that are in there and aren't in there and in what quantities?

 

[Columbine]

Which rx food is he on wannahelp ?

 

[wannahelp]

Royal Canin

 

[Columbine]

As far as I'm aware, the primary 'active ingredient' in RC Urinary is Dl-methionine. Its primary function is to help break down struvite crystals in the bladder, so I'm not sure if or how much that helps with cystitis issues.

Talk to your vet (and I can't stress this enough) and find out if it is the Dl-methionine level that's helpful with cystitis. Dl-methionine can be bought as a separate food additive, but it takes a little time and a lot of care to find the appropriate dose for a specific cat. Too little and it won't help enough. Too much and you're putting him at a significantly increased risk of developing calcite crystals. These are MUCH harder to treat than struvite crystals, so it really is vital to work in close consultation with your vet to find the right daily dose.

There are several cystitis supplements on the market these days, too. My girl has FIC and, after consulting my vet, I put her on a cystitis supplement that really helps her. I would NEVER start any supplement without speaking to my vet. Even if they're not familiar with the exact brand, they can at least tell you whether or not it's safe to give
Nutritional Supplements: Does Your Cat Really Need Them?
Alternative Treatments For Cats: How To Minimize The Risk

 

[Azazel]

It’s my understanding that these diets alter the acidity of the urine such that the crystals break down. Raw food naturally should produce a more acidic environment since it’s higher in animal protein and do the same thing for struvites.... I think? Catinfo.org has an entire page on this that I recommend you read.