Trouble getting cat back on raw after illness

[kitty queen]

I've started feeding raw commercial patties to my cat (7 months old) and she took to it really well.  I have a friend who has feed her dogs and cats raw for years now guiding me through this, but this has stumped her now.  She advised me that I could supplement her breakfast and dinner feedings with raw single proteins for "lunch" feedings since my cat is still a kitten and I didn't want to under feed her.  So I gave her some raw steak fresh from the store (human grade).  She ate the portion I gave her and was sick later that night and continuing for a few days after.  Finally got her system back to normal and was going to transition her back to her raw (she was unable to hold it down while ill, so I had to put her back on canned until things settled).  So her stool was normal, eating great and holding down the canned.  I gave her her raw patty like I had done many times, and she eats it all and throws it back up within 30 minutes.  So I figure I'll mix it into her canned with larger portions until she can handle it again.  Her stool has turned a bit loose now and when I tried to give her a bite of JUST the raw patty by itself, she just sniffed it and walked away.

So my question is...a lot.   She didn't get sick off her raw patty, but the steak (obviously system is not a beef eater and I'll never do it again). 

Do I continue to push the raw with the canned hoping to get her back on it?

Do I offer her plain raw chicken (she has had many times before) to try to entice her back into raw -mode? 

Do I change brands of raw so whatever has left a bad taste in her mouth with this brand will be gone? 

Do I decide raw isn't for her even after weeks of success and just feed canned from now on? 

I'm really confused as to what my next step should be.  She is healthy, happy and is perfectly fine in every other way, but the raw she used to be happy with she no longer tolerates even though it is the same bag, and it isn't what got her sick in the first place.   She is a chow hound so for her to turn her nose up at food is a RARE occurrence.  Obviously there is a stigma now with this particular type of raw in her mind. 

 

[ritz]

Sorry your cat wasn't feeling well.
I think she probably associates the brand with the bad taste in her mouth.
Several things occur to me: try giving her a raw novel protein, one she hasn't had before, either the same brand or a different brand. For example, rabbit, lamb or quail. (I'd suggest venison, but it's red meat.)
If you can find, for example, rabbit in Brand A and rabbit in Brand B, try that. (Though quail, pheasant or chicken is probably more widely available.)
See how she does with human grade pork.
RadCat (raw) looks like a juicy canned food, maybe she'd go for that. They are single source protein.
Worst case, you could try re-transitioning her, starting with mixing a teaspoon or tablespoon of raw with canned, and increase raw:canned ratio as she learns to tolerate raw again.
Also, is she on probiotics?

 

[ldg]

An intolerance to beef isn't uncommon. I'm a little surprised that the person guiding you through this didn't recommend to introduce new proteins slowly. Vomiting and diarrhea as we introduce new things really isn't uncommon, and red meats in particular can cause issues.

We've also seen on TCS a number of raw kitties that did fine on raw for the first few weeks or months suddenly start throwing it up. What most do is take a step back and start over - just slowly re-introduce whatever you want to be feeding her.

I would put her on a probiotic - the experience with the beef probably threw her system out of whack. I'd use an L. acidophilus-based probiotic twice a day for a month or two. As she's still a kitty, you should give her either 2.5 billion CFU or 5 billion CFU twice a day. Best to start at the smaller dose, give it a few days to make sure it isn't bothering her, and then bump it up.

My Spooky goes off her raw (2 years raw fed now) whenever she gets constipated. Fortunately, it hasn't happened for quite some time. But at least three times over the past two years I had to put her back on canned - from a few days to a few weeks - and then reintroduce a little bit of raw by mixing it into her food and slowly increasing the raw vs canned. I look at it like when people get sick. You want comfort food for a few days. Once you feel better, you get back to eating salads.

But yes - you might try a different brand, or a different protein. The stuff you have in your freezer can wait until another time. Just make sure whatever you offer her, start small.

 

[kitty queen]

Thanks for the responses! I went to my local specialty pet store and looked for the probiotics you spoke of (no, she isn't on any). They didn't have the type you said to get, so I'll try finding some online. Is human probiotics the same thing? I went and got a different brand of raw (still chicken) and gave her a very small piece. She ate it and held it down. I've decided to start mixing it into her canned and add the probiotics. I have no idea if she will ever eat the stuff left in the freezer, but I'll try getting her back on raw at all and will introduce new proteins (no red meats ever) at a much smaller amount.

 

[ldg]

Yeah, most of us use human probiotics.

mschauer uses this one for pets:
I don't know the dose for this one (the Eagle Holistic), but just follow the directions on the package if you choose this option.

Many of us use this one for humans:
The dose is 1/2 a capsule AM and PM - but start with half that for a few days to make sure she's OK with it.

 

[kitty queen]

Thank you! My significant other fed her this morning and didn't know to smash the raw and canned together. She ate the canned and left the raw (New brand). But she is holding it all down. I will order those capsules and get that started. Just hoping she will get back on it. The first time was so simple- I just put the party in her bowl and she ate it. I didn't really have to transition with canned. She ate everything we gave her. Hoping she will be like that again on the raw soon. Her stool was so small and well processed for those few weeks. I know this will be worth it.

 

[obzilla]

Many of us use this one for humans:
The dose is 1/2 a capsule AM and PM - but start with half that for a few days to make sure she's OK with it.

This is what I use for my more sensitive boy who has had a few issues. It certainly seemed to help. He is actually attracted to the flavor or scent. If he is being picky, I actually use it as a topper.

 

[obzilla]

Many of us use this one for humans: 
The dose is 1/2 a capsule AM and PM - but start with half that for a few days to make sure she's OK with it.

Natural Factors is what I use as well for my more tummy sensitive boy who has had a few digestive issues in the past. Certainly seemed to help him out.

He is actually quite drawn by the scent/flavor, so I use it as a topper as well for when he is being fussy about a meal.

 

[kitty queen]

Just wanted to post an update:
Probiotics have been ordered and should be here in just a few days. I've been mixing her frozen raw with her canned, but she really isn't transitioning as well as I'd like. She is reluctant to eat it. I decided to try freeze dried raw as an in between step and she is taking to it better than the frozen. So.... Not ideal, but its something.

 

[ldg]

Yeah - a few times I had to feed Spooky canned with no raw for ... at least a few weeks, and I think longer than a month once.