Wet Food For Sensitive Stomachs

[meganm123]

My 6-year old male cat has had sensitive stomach issues ever since he was a baby. He's been on a wet-food mixed with 1/4 cup of dry food diet for about a year now, per his vet because he is so skinny. His current canned food, Blue Buffalo Freedom (Grain Free) Chicken, does not seem to be working for him. His dry food is Nutro grain free. I've taken him to the vet countless times and no one has given me a good answer as to what he could be sensitive to. Are the sensitive stomach canned varieties actually built for sensitive stomachs? If anyone has had luck with a particularly brand or type, I would love to hear suggestions. Thank you.

 

[duckpond]

i feed both wet and dry, but i dont mix them together. If you mix the foods there can be a bacterial growth, so dont leave it out for more than 30 min or so. I normally feed two wet meals per day, and leave dry food out at all times. If he is skinny i would leave dry out at all times. then feed him all the wet he will eat a few times per day.

Personally i am not a fan of Blue foods, most of their wet foods contain Carrageenan. Even if you dont think that is a problem ingredient i think there is enough question on whether or not it causes intestinal problems for cats that i dont feed anything with Carrageenan. I sure would not feed foods with it to a cat that has a sensitive stomach.

A few wet foods my cats do well on, i dont think any of them are specifically for sensitive stomachs, but they are what i feel some of the best foods, that my cats will eat any way Tiki cat after dark flavors, this one does not have gums or thickners so it might be a good one to try, in case he has a problem with those ingredients. Most weruva flavors, paw lickin chicken and chicken frick a zee and steak frites are a few favs. Against the grain chicken and pumpkin might be a good try. Fussie cat the super premium flavors. Nulo the minced flavors only, and lately the American journey wet food i can get from chewy is a big hit in my house. they have a minced poultry variety pack that my cats like a lot.
Mine also get fancy feast, the classics or the grilled flavors now and then. however they have not liked those lately, they want the Tiki cat, or the Americn journey minced wet foods these days.
American Journey / Wet Food / Food / Cat - Free shipping at Chewy.com

For dry food i feed Dr. Elseys chicken. My mom feeds Taste of the wild their new prey formula, Turkey. Her cats are doing well on it, we were talking this weekend on how good they look, and their fur has gotten much softer. The prey formula is very limited ingredient, for a sensitive stomach that is often a good thing.

here is a link to the Taste of the wild. I think most pet stores carry it, as does our Tractor supply.

Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula for Cats - Taste of the Wild Pet Food

 

[meganm123]

i feed both wet and dry, but i dont mix them together. If you mix the foods there can be a bacterial growth, so dont leave it out for more than 30 min or so. I normally feed two wet meals per day, and leave dry food out at all times. If he is skinny i would leave dry out at all times. then feed him all the wet he will eat a few times per day.

Personally i am not a fan of Blue foods, most of their wet foods contain Carrageenan. Even if you dont think that is a problem ingredient i think there is enough question on whether or not it causes intestinal problems for cats that i dont feed anything with Carrageenan. I sure would not feed foods with it to a cat that has a sensitive stomach.

A few wet foods my cats do well on, i dont think any of them are specifically for sensitive stomachs, but they are what i feel some of the best foods, that my cats will eat any way Tiki cat after dark flavors, this one does not have gums or thickners so it might be a good one to try, in case he has a problem with those ingredients. Most weruva flavors, paw lickin chicken and chicken frick a zee and steak frites are a few favs. Against the grain chicken and pumpkin might be a good try. Fussie cat the super premium flavors. Nulo the minced flavors only, and lately the American journey wet food i can get from chewy is a big hit in my house. they have a minced poultry variety pack that my cats like a lot.
Mine also get fancy feast, the classics or the grilled flavors now and then. however they have not liked those lately, they want the Tiki cat, or the Americn journey minced wet foods these days.
American Journey / Wet Food / Food / Cat - Free shipping at Chewy.com

For dry food i feed Dr. Elseys chicken. My mom feeds Taste of the wild their new prey formula, Turkey. Her cats are doing well on it, we were talking this weekend on how good they look, and their fur has gotten much softer. The prey formula is very limited ingredient, for a sensitive stomach that is often a good thing.

here is a link to the Taste of the wild. I think most pet stores carry it, as does our Tractor supply.

Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula for Cats - Taste of the Wild Pet Food

Wow! Thank you for taking the time to answer so thoughtfully. I really appreciate it. American Journey has really promising ingredients and I've never heard of it before. I've also looked into Tiki cat. I had not heard that about carrageenan, so I will look for that from now on. He doesn't love the Blue Buffalo, but he eats it. Is Fancy Feast something you'd suggest? I've always been leery of it just because it is so cheap, but hey, if it works and is safe, then I would be willing to try it.

 

[lisahe]

Our cats have quirky stomachs, too, and have since we adopted them at 10 months old. They're Siamese mixes, which our vet told us are especially prone to digestive issues! Our vet said to feed only low-carb, grain-free wet food, something she recommends for all cats but especially certain breeds. What, by the way, is your cat's name, meganm123 ?

Every cat is different so it can be difficult to work through things and figure out what keeps a cat's stomach happy and what doesn't. Sometimes a food diary is helpful. In any case, what's worked for our cats has been feeding them foods with the simplest possible recipes. We feed one canned meal a day and, like duckpond , we avoid carrageenan, which is known to cause inflammation. We also avoid potato -- it makes one cat barf -- as well as peas and any other starchy vegetables. I also try to keep gums to a minimum; I can't be sure but I think our other cat (who seems to get occasional bouts of nausea) does best if she doesn't get too much food with gums. The rest of the cats' diet is commercial raw food and homemade cooked food. I settled on raw and homemade because they don't contain the ingredients I'm avoiding, plus our cats really enjoy them. If our cats were less picky about canned food, I might have done things differently but cats are cats!

As for specific canned brands, Fancy Feast Classics (the pates) are fine to feed! My only concern with them is the synthetic vitamin K (menadione) that they use, but I do feed an occasional can of turkey and giblets, which the cats really love. The other canned brands on the menu are Weruva's Cats in the Kitchen (canned, occasional pouches for treats; these foods do have a lot of gums), Koha (duck stew--they love it!), Feline Natural (chicken/lamb), Nutro Natural Choice (minced and chunky chicken, sliced turkey; some other flavors have carrageenan; all have gums), Fromm (chicken; has gums), Rawz (chicken, turkey, beef), and Wellness Core (kitten food, duck/turkey; have gums). I do occasionally toss in a can of something that has a "forbidden" ingredient, like Nutro Natural Choice duck, which has carrageenan, but it's not often at all.

Good luck! And welcome to The Cat Site!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - you've gotten some great advice - if you're interested Tender and True is a possibility.
Here's a site I found - its last update was November 2017, and the people got back to me and said they aren't going to continue maintaining it. All of which means what I knew already - that I've gotta keep looking at the labels (sigh), but in any case in the meantime it might help you;
Pet Food Guide

 

[meganm123]

Our cats have quirky stomachs, too, and have since we adopted them at 10 months old. They're Siamese mixes, which our vet told us are especially prone to digestive issues! Our vet said to feed only low-carb, grain-free wet food, something she recommends for all cats but especially certain breeds. What, by the way, is your cat's name, meganm123 ?

Every cat is different so it can be difficult to work through things and figure out what keeps a cat's stomach happy and what doesn't. Sometimes a food diary is helpful. In any case, what's worked for our cats has been feeding them foods with the simplest possible recipes. We feed one canned meal a day and, like duckpond , we avoid carrageenan, which is known to cause inflammation. We also avoid potato -- it makes one cat barf -- as well as peas and any other starchy vegetables. I also try to keep gums to a minimum; I can't be sure but I think our other cat (who seems to get occasional bouts of nausea) does best if she doesn't get too much food with gums. The rest of the cats' diet is commercial raw food and homemade cooked food. I settled on raw and homemade because they don't contain the ingredients I'm avoiding, plus our cats really enjoy them. If our cats were less picky about canned food, I might have done things differently but cats are cats!

As for specific canned brands, Fancy Feast Classics (the pates) are fine to feed! My only concern with them is the synthetic vitamin K (menadione) that they use, but I do feed an occasional can of turkey and giblets, which the cats really love. The other canned brands on the menu are Weruva's Cats in the Kitchen (canned, occasional pouches for treats; these foods do have a lot of gums), Koha (duck stew--they love it!), Feline Natural (chicken/lamb), Nutro Natural Choice (minced and chunky chicken, sliced turkey; some other flavors have carrageenan; all have gums), Fromm (chicken; has gums), Rawz (chicken, turkey, beef), and Wellness Core (kitten food, duck/turkey; have gums). I do occasionally toss in a can of something that has a "forbidden" ingredient, like Nutro Natural Choice duck, which has carrageenan, but it's not often at all.

Good luck! And welcome to The Cat Site!

Thank you so much! The cat-food world is pretty overwhelming, so I appreciate all the advice. I have heard about most of the brands you recommended and they seem easy enough to find. I've also heard a raw or homemade diet is good for sensitive stomachs, so when he goes to the vet again soon, it's something I can ask. It's unfortunate that many of the pricey brands have carrageenan And I might just actually try Fancy Feast classic pate because apparently "expensive" isn't working either. He's my baby so I try to consider all angles and what's best for him.

His name is Chester and thank you for the welcome!

 

[meganm123]

Hi - you've gotten some great advice - if you're interested Tender and True is a possibility.
Here's a site I found - its last update was November 2017, and the people got back to me and said they aren't going to continue maintaining it. All of which means what I knew already - that I've gotta keep looking at the labels (sigh), but in any case in the meantime it might help you;
Pet Food Guide

That is an awesome site! Too bad they won't be maintaining it, but at least it's a start. It makes the task a little less daunting!

 

[Timmer]

My Timmer had IBD. For the years I had him he was fine and always ate Fancy Feast, all varieties. After he was diagnosed with IBD I became very aware of the carageenan. Terrible stuff but unfortunately it's in almost every food. You got good advice but you have to read the labels. For example some Tiki cat varieties do have it, some don't. Same with Weruva. If carageenan is way down the list of ingredients that might not be so bad but if it's in the top 5 or 6 ingredients, I wouldn't get that food if my cat had a sensitive tummy.
Good luck.

 

[mightyboosh]

I don't know where you live but in the UK I get the dried variety of this. Oliver has also been on the wet type as well but it's more expensive than the dry and both have worked wonders for his tummy problems.


Prescription Diet™ i/d™ Feline with Chicken

 

[meganm123]

My Timmer had IBD. For the years I had him he was fine and always ate Fancy Feast, all varieties. After he was diagnosed with IBD I became very aware of the carageenan. Terrible stuff but unfortunately it's in almost every food. You got good advice but you have to read the labels. For example some Tiki cat varieties do have it, some don't. Same with Weruva. If carageenan is way down the list of ingredients that might not be so bad but if it's in the top 5 or 6 ingredients, I wouldn't get that food if my cat had a sensitive tummy.
Good luck.

I feel bad for him. I had no idea about the carrageenan I will read labels better from now on!

 

[meganm123]

I don't know where you live but in the UK I get the dried variety of this. Oliver has also been on the wet type as well but it's more expensive than the dry and both have worked wonders for his tummy problems.


Prescription Diet™ i/d™ Feline with Chicken

I believe my vet has this one in stock, so I will ask her when he goes in next month Thank you!

 

[duckpond]

Wow! Thank you for taking the time to answer so thoughtfully. I really appreciate it. American Journey has really promising ingredients and I've never heard of it before. I've also looked into Tiki cat. I had not heard that about carrageenan, so I will look for that from now on. He doesn't love the Blue Buffalo, but he eats it. Is Fancy Feast something you'd suggest? I've always been leery of it just because it is so cheap, but hey, if it works and is safe, then I would be willing to try it.

Some people have a problem with Fancy feast, i really dont, i feed it to mine sometimes. The classics and the grilled flavors. not the other ones, and not the grilled with cheese very often. I like that fancy feast does not have vegetable oils, its hard to find food that doesnt, these flavors do not have carageenan, which i like as well, a few of the other FF do.. They do contain artificial flavors, colors and some people are not happy with vitamin K (menadione) that seems to be in all Purina foods. But i still find it a good food to have in our rotation.

Right now in my pantry i have tiki cat, after dark flavors...I always have this, usually the chicken and the chicken and beef.. tiki cat hookena luau, its tuna and chicken. Fussie cat chicken and beef. Almo nature the La cucina chicken and apple. Earthborn Catalina catch. The poultry variety pack of American journey. Assorted fancy feast flavors in the classic line and the grilled line. and not long ago at Tractor supply i found a new paws and claws pate. the kitchen sellects. the three flavors in this pack do not contain carageenan, or have menadione that many people do not like in the fancy feast. Otherwise i find it very much like the fancy feast classics. my guys quite like the chicken dinner in this pack. the other two.. so so. I do try not to feed too much fish, but it is in my rotation. that being said i dont feed fancy feast or many other brands of fish, these are normally pate, and i dont really know whats ground up in there, or the quality. For fish i like chunks of real fish, i stick to Tiki cat, Earthborn is the favorite fish in my house, or weruva.
Paws & Claws Kitchen Selects Gourmet Beef & Poultry Variety Pack, 3 oz. Can, Pack of 24 at Tractor Supply Co.

happy to answer any questions, if you cant tell i like to talk cat food

 

[meganm123]

Some people have a problem with Fancy feast, i really dont, i feed it to mine sometimes. The classics and the grilled flavors. not the other ones, and not the grilled with cheese very often. I like that fancy feast does not have vegetable oils, its hard to find food that doesnt, these flavors do not have carageenan, which i like as well, a few of the other FF do.. They do contain artificial flavors, colors and some people are not happy with vitamin K (menadione) that seems to be in all Purina foods. But i still find it a good food to have in our rotation.

Right now in my pantry i have tiki cat, after dark flavors...I always have this, usually the chicken and the chicken and beef.. tiki cat hookena luau, its tuna and chicken. Fussie cat chicken and beef. Almo nature the La cucina chicken and apple. Earthborn Catalina catch. The poultry variety pack of American journey. Assorted fancy feast flavors in the classic line and the grilled line. and not long ago at Tractor supply i found a new paws and claws pate. the kitchen sellects. the three flavors in this pack do not contain carageenan, or have menadione that many people do not like in the fancy feast. Otherwise i find it very much like the fancy feast classics. my guys quite like the chicken dinner in this pack. the other two.. so so. I do try not to feed too much fish, but it is in my rotation. that being said i dont feed fancy feast or many other brands of fish, these are normally pate, and i dont really know whats ground up in there, or the quality. For fish i like chunks of real fish, i stick to Tiki cat, Earthborn is the favorite fish in my house, or weruva.
Paws & Claws Kitchen Selects Gourmet Beef & Poultry Variety Pack, 3 oz. Can, Pack of 24 at Tractor Supply Co.

happy to answer any questions, if you cant tell i like to talk cat food

Thank you for your take on fancy feast. The classic pate ingredients are decent and the first ingredient is meat, so there's that. The problem with Chester is I cannot rotate foods often if at all. He does not do well on variations in his diet. I wish he did, though, but he just can't do it. So, hopefully I can find something that he likes and agrees with him, which I haven't found for the past 6 years Thank you for all the suggestions.

 

[lisahe]

Thank you for your take on fancy feast. The classic pate ingredients are decent and the first ingredient is meat, so there's that. The problem with Chester is I cannot rotate foods often if at all. He does not do well on variations in his diet. I wish he did, though, but he just can't do it. So, hopefully I can find something that he likes and agrees with him, which I haven't found for the past 6 years Thank you for all the suggestions.

The Fancy Feast ingredients really aren't bad and the most important thing is to find what works for your cat. If the same kind of Fancy Feast every day keeps him healthy, then so be it! I think the most important thing is to stick with the simplest possible recipes, something that often means the fewest possible ingredients, with as few fillers and thickeners as possible. The fewer the moving parts (as it were) the fewer ingredients to have to deal with if you have to use trial and error to figure out what's causing Chester's problem.

Chester, by the way, if very handsome! He looks like he could be our previous cat's brother: she was a sweet, sweet tabby, too, and I learned all about cat digestive problems from her because she most likely had IBD, too.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Sometimes with particular foods and sensitive kitty digestion issues, it can be the type of fiber(s) a wet or dry food has in them. Have you looked at the labels of any foods he does okay with, and then tried to match the type of fiber with perhaps another new food to try (e.g. find a food with similar fiber(s))? It can also be that the cat is getting too much fiber, or that one fiber or filler in a food is almost cancelling out what another fiber is "supposed to do".

 

[meganm123]

The Fancy Feast ingredients really aren't bad and the most important thing is to find what works for your cat. If the same kind of Fancy Feast every day keeps him healthy, then so be it! I think the most important thing is to stick with the simplest possible recipes, something that often means the fewest possible ingredients, with as few fillers and thickeners as possible. The fewer the moving parts (as it were) the fewer ingredients to have to deal with if you have to use trial and error to figure out what's causing Chester's problem.

Chester, by the way, if very handsome! He looks like he could be our previous cat's brother: she was a sweet, sweet tabby, too, and I learned all about cat digestive problems from her because she most likely had IBD, too.

Simple recipes make sense Thank you! We've been doing a lot of trial and error over the past 5 years and nothing seems to work.

And thank you for saying that about Chester! I suspect he might have IBD, but no vet has ever given me a satisfactory answer and it's been frustrating. He has all the classic symptoms, poor boy.

 

[meganm123]

Sometimes with particular foods and sensitive kitty digestion issues, it can be the type of fiber(s) a wet or dry food has in them. Have you looked at the labels of any foods he does okay with, and then tried to match the type of fiber with perhaps another new food to try (e.g. find a food with similar fiber(s))? It can also be that the cat is getting too much fiber, or that one fiber or filler in a food is almost cancelling out what another fiber is "supposed to do".

 

[meganm123]

Sometimes with particular foods and sensitive kitty digestion issues, it can be the type of fiber(s) a wet or dry food has in them. Have you looked at the labels of any foods he does okay with, and then tried to match the type of fiber with perhaps another new food to try (e.g. find a food with similar fiber(s))? It can also be that the cat is getting too much fiber, or that one fiber or filler in a food is almost cancelling out what another fiber is "supposed to do".

I have not considered fiber as an issue, but that too is a possibility if he has loose stools. He seems to only have this issue since being on a wet diet and never with dry food only, but alas, he does not drink water at all, so I had to switch to wet food.

 

[duckpond]

Fancy Feast may not have the status as one of the "better foods". But i will never trash the fancy feast. My son has an IBD cat. after several years of working with a few different vets, different meds, different prescription diets, and nothing worked for more than a few weeks. They started feeding fancy feast classics. It is a food they can afford to feed to all 4 cats. they quit any dry, and just feed FF classics twice a day. The IBD cat recovered. As long as this is what they feed, and all they feed she is not sick with the debilitating diarrhea and tummy pains she previously had. This has worked for them for the last 3 years or so, when nothing else would.

 

[lisahe]

That's a very good story, duckpond ! I love (relatively!) simple solutions to what seem to be difficult problems. Fancy Feast classics are pretty simple foods, which is a great start.

And thank you for saying that about Chester! I suspect he might have IBD, but no vet has ever given me a satisfactory answer and it's been frustrating. He has all the classic symptoms, poor boy.

IBD definitely isn't always easy to diagnose! Maybe you already mentioned this but have you brought him to a cat specialist? I think one of the reasons our previous cat's digestive issues were never diagnosed properly is that we took her to a general vet practice that was much better with dogs than cats. They weren't very knowledgeable about feline nutrition or digestive ailments. (Idiopathic cholitis isn't much of a diagnosis, particularly when they have no idea what to do for it.) We take our two current cats to a cat specialist and it's a whole different experience! (And not just become she sometimes kisses Ireland, our needy cat!)