Store Bought Or Homemade Raw For Ibd Cat

[fromthevalley]

I'm still trying to find another vet, but thanks to a few people on here, I suspect that my cat has IBD. I'm still experimenting with canned and dry, but I've been thinking about raw.

I am friends with a farmer, so I can get beef, chicken, and pork from her, or would it be easier to get something like Radcat, Primal, or NV Raw?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!

Radcat, Primal, or NV Raw

My opinion is that this way, you can introduce the food to your baby and see whether it's accepted.

 

[LTS3]

Try a small bag / container of commercial raw food first. No point in making a batch of raw food from scratch only to find that your cat won't eat it Independent pet stores often have samples, usually freeze dried but sometimes frozen. Give that a try.

Most cats will eat freeze dried raw since it's similar to dry food or treats. Start with that and then work your way up to frozen or homemade raw.

Or try offering small amounts of meat to your cat as a treat. Cooked meat is acceptable to most cats so give that a try if your cat won't go near raw.
I feed my IBD cat NV Instinct frozen raw. It works for him.

Many IBD cats are sensitive to chicken so you may want to avoid feeding that.

Here are more resources for IBD:

IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time
Raw Feeding for IBD Cats

 

[mschauer]

Ready to feed raw foods are certainly easier to use than home-made. And more expensive.

Just be sure you understand the causes of IBD are not well understood. It is believed that diet plays a role but that it isn't understood what about diet can be the cause. It might be a specific ingredient the cat has a sensitivity to and that which might be found in a commercial processed food and not in a raw food. Or it could be a protein that is the cause. If that is the case and if you feed a raw diet that contains the protein that is causing the IBD then the switch to raw won't help.

So, just switching to a raw diet won't necessarily cure the IBD.

 

[fromthevalley]

Ready to feed raw foods are certainly easier to use than home-made. And more expensive.

Just be sure you understand the causes of IBD are not well understood. It is believed that diet plays a role but that it isn't understood what about diet can be the cause. It might be a specific ingredient the cat has a sensitivity to and that which might be found in a commercial processed food and not in a raw food. Or it could be a protein that is the cause. If that is the case and if you feed a raw diet that contains the protein that is causing the IBD then the switch to raw won't help.

So, just switching to a raw diet won't necessarily cure the IBD.

I honestly don’t know if it IS IBD or not. My vet has not been helpful. He had put her on amoxi-drops (amoxicillin) for 7 days because he thought it might be an ulcer, but when she didn’t get better he said just to keep her on it for two more rounds (the bottle lasts 14 days) but she refused to eat on it and when I took her off she started eating canned again. I’ve tried everything from non poultry to LID foods to even food that their first ingredient isn’t even meat. She won’t eat dry anymore and she keeps on turning her nose up to more and more canned food, even stuff she used to love in the past. I live in a small town so there is only that vet, and calling to others say they aren’t taking new patients or the next available appt is in months. My resources are running dry because I have another cat who is sick and not responding well to treatment so he needs the most put into his treatment but I feel bad for her possible IBD but unable to find food for her.

 

[Furballsmom]

See if there's anything here in my post in this thread;
Cat Found In Garage W/o Food Or Water 36 Hours.

 

[maggie101]

My internal medicine doc said not to feed any raw to my ibd cat. I forgot the reason. Something about possibility of bacterial infection

 

[mschauer]

My internal medicine doc said not to feed any raw to my ibd cat. I forgot the reason. Something about possibility of bacterial infection

My vet recommends a raw diet for my IBD cat.

When a vet is opposed to raw feeding in general a risk of bacterial infection is the often used reason regardless of the health of the cat.

 

[mschauer]

My resources are running dry because I have another cat who is sick and not responding well to treatment so he needs the most put into his treatment but I feel bad for her possible IBD but unable to find food for her.

Why do you think she has IBD? I can't find a thread where you have discussed her problem. If you have started one can you provide a link?

Is it Artemis? If so in your thread you say she is only 1-2 years old. IBD would be unusual in such a young cat although I can't say it isn't possible. Also, if it is Artemis, is the problem just that she throws up when she eats dry food? I know you say she is being picky about wet food now, but did it start with just throwing up dry?

 

[orange&white]

I'm still trying to find another vet, but thanks to a few people on here, I suspect that my cat has IBD. I'm still experimenting with canned and dry, but I've been thinking about raw.

I am friends with a farmer, so I can get beef, chicken, and pork from her, or would it be easier to get something like Radcat, Primal, or NV Raw?

To your original question, a commercial complete cat mix is most convenient, if you're looking for "easy". However, since you have a friend who farms, It sounds like you can also easily source fresh meats, including organs.

You might consider getting supplement samples from Alnutrin and EZ-Complete, which you mix into 1 lb of meat and a little water to make a nutritionally complete mix.

If you go with commercial for convenience, RadCat has small sample sizes you can try. I think other companies may also offer samples.

It's more work to cube or grind meat and mix in supplements, but quite a bit less expensive (especially if it's working and you decide later to mix your own supplements).

As LTS mentioned, you may want to test her with small pieces of a variety of proteins to see if she'll eat it, and also see if she seems to digest certain proteins better than others.

If you're just offering her a piece of raw meat as a "test" along with her regular diet, you don't need to supplement. Some cats don't recognize raw meat as food after eating nothing but processed foods, and can take a few months to transition. Other cats, I'd say "most", take to a natural diet almost immediately.

Good luck! Whether you go with raw or not, I hope you can find a solution to her food issues.

 

[maggie101]

My vet recommends a raw diet for my IBD cat.

When a vet is opposed to raw feeding in general a risk of bacterial infection is the often used reason regardless of the health of the cat.

So true. If she has ibd her immune system is weak. Maybe her cat will be ok depending on how bad it is. If her vet approves, go for it!

 

[fromthevalley]

Is it Artemis? If so in your thread you say she is only 1-2 years old. IBD would be unusual in such a young cat although I can't say it isn't possible. Also, if it is Artemis, is the problem just that she throws up when she eats dry food? I know you say she is being picky about wet food now, but did it start with just throwing up dry?

Yes it started out with her just throwing up dry. Then she refused to eat it. Then refused to eat 90% of the canned I tried to feed her - even new brands I don’t like. And what she does eat, it’s a gamble whether she throws it up or not.

 

[Wile]

Throwing up can be a sign of a lot of things, not just IBD. My current cat throws up periodically due to a food intolerance. My last cat started throwing up towards the end of his life because he had cancer. I know you mention that money is tight, but really your cat should be diagnosed by a vet. You wouldn't want to assume IBD (guessing that it is IBD is no substitute for a diagnosis) and have it turn out to be something else.

 

[fromthevalley]

Throwing up can be a sign of a lot of things, not just IBD. My current cat throws up periodically due to a food intolerance. My last cat started throwing up towards the end of his life because he had cancer. I know you mention that money is tight, but really your cat should be diagnosed by a vet. You wouldn't want to assume IBD (guessing that it is IBD is no substitute for a diagnosis) and have it turn out to be something else.

I know that. Im working on it. I was just thinking of raw with all the cats anyways and I just want to try and get her to eat something and stick to it. (Like she used to LOVE pate foods in the food rotation but now she refuses to touch it). Her current vet just wants to keep her on amoxicillin and won’t listen when I say it makes her sick. The next available appt with a new vet is a month away. However her brother is extremely sick and not responding to treatment so he needs the emergency vet appt I could get first.

 

[maggie101]

The day before I took her to the vet,before she was diagnosed with ibd, she stopped eating,threw up water 24/7,cried in pain,and hid in corner. Your cat is young to have ibd. Like someone said, she might simply have food intolerance.

 

[mschauer]

Yes it started out with her just throwing up dry. Then she refused to eat it. Then refused to eat 90% of the canned I tried to feed her - even new brands I don’t like. And what she does eat, it’s a gamble whether she throws it up or not.

In my experience the most common cause of a young adult cat throwing up is an infection of some kind. Again in my experience, standard vet treatment to start with is an antibiotic. But not all antibiotics work against all bacterial infections. If one antibiotic doesn't work another might be tried.

Bacterial infections can cause stomach upset and lead to throwing up. If Artemis does have such an infection you switching foods on her may make things worst. She doesn't feel good and doesn't want to eat and you keep giving her foods she isn't familiar with. In this situation it would be best to stick with what she has eaten in the past. She isn't being picky, she's being sick.

Antibiotics can cause stomach upset. That's unfortunate but if it clears the infection it is worth the short term stomach upset. I strongly suggest you talk to your vet about your concerns rather than going down a path that may just be making the situation worst. Ask what the plan is going forward if the amoxi continues to not help.

It sounds like you are really trying to do what is best for your kitty. Good luck!

 

[missmimz]

I like Rad Cat for IBD cats, as bone can be harder for them to digest. If you really want to know if there is an underlining GI issue get an ultrasound.

 

[wannahelp]

My female has unconfirmed IBD or food allergies. There is one brand of canned food she can tolerate. I tried switching and she had an episode of vomiting. This has happened in before with other foods I’ve tried. She does also tolerate cooked chicken and egg I wanted to get all of my cats off canned food but chicken alone doesn’t have enough vitamins and I’m afraid supplements might indice vomiting.
I had a phone consult with a holistic vet and she really didn’t have any advice for me on feeding her. I’m going to try someone else because she’s always hungry on this food.

 

[maggie101]

Too much trial and error. My next guess is that my cat Peaches has food intolerance. She is able to keep down Dr Elseys canned I am guessing it's because it has less meat than Wellness core. I mix a little with weruva. Wide variety of meat. Small portions. If she begs for more I ignore her. Otherwise she would throw up. Also sensitive tummy in the morning for a different reason. I am hoping mixing the food is the answer. She has not been throwing up since I've done that. Could be coincidence