Young Again food? Bad experience?

[Ladyrosee]

Hi! I'm wondering if anyones cat got sick off of young again food/treats. I know diarrhea is common (which sounds bad and is because food shouldn't cause bad diarrhea) but what about sick sick? It always makes my cat have diarrhea but he loves it so much so I found a few tea spoons as a treat his stools are okay but I think I seriously screwed up. He hasnt eaten normal in a week and his blood work and examination is fine. ALL he will eat is young again treats he doesnt even want the food anymore or his normal orijen. I swear if he gets over this no young again not a single treat or piece of food again. I've given him 3 table spoons of treats today about 100 calories. I'm desperate to get him to eat but he only wants the damn treats. He will eat inaba churu too

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I don't know anything about Young Again, but perhaps you could call them and ask if any of their actual foods taste similar to those treats. I did see that they have more than one treat, and more than one food. It's possible they have something similar that your very picky little Morton would like


BTW, the diarrhea may be because of a switch in food, NOT because of the food itself. Hard to know.

 

[Ladyrosee]

I don't know anything about Young Again, but perhaps you could call them and ask if any of their actual foods taste similar to those treats. I did see that they have more than one treat, and more than one food. It's possible they have something similar that your very picky little Morton would like


BTW, the diarrhea may be because of a switch in food, NOT because of the food itself. Hard to know.

So the diarrhea is just the food. I've observed that. That's why I said he only gets a couple of tea spoons because if he has more he gets bar diarrhea. But sometimes I feed him more of it if hes being picky and wont eat his orijen. I'd rather give him no young again but it's hard when hes not feeling well and their treats is all he wants

 

[Time 2 Recognize]

I don't know and haven't used those food brands, but 2 ideas. Is this wet or dry food?
If you have a wet food he has liked in the past, try warming it up. I use a "double boiler" situation where I place a shallow bowl in another container and put hot water in the larger container -just enough to get bottom of bowl warm. This warms up the food nicely and avoids using microwave (which I've heard can potentially damage nutrients). Just like, warm mouse body temperature....this seems to really make my cat happy to eat.

This sounds like dry food though, which is harder. If there is any wet that he likes, another option if warming isn't enough to get him interested, is to make a crumble of the treats he likes and sprinkle a tiny amount on to get him eating more nutrition than just the treats which you feel might be upsetting his stomach/digestion

 

[Ladyrosee]

I don't know and haven't used those food brands, but 2 ideas. Is this wet or dry food?
If you have a wet food he has liked in the past, try warming it up. I use a "double boiler" situation where I place a shallow bowl in another container and put hot water in the larger container -just enough to get bottom of bowl warm. This warms up the food nicely and avoids using microwave (which I've heard can potentially damage nutrients). Just like, warm mouse body temperature....this seems to really make my cat happy to eat.

This sounds like dry food though, which is harder. If there is any wet that he likes, another option if warming isn't enough to get him interested, is to make a crumble of the treats he likes and sprinkle a tiny amount on to get him eating more nutrition than just the treats which you feel might be upsetting his stomach/digestion

So he will eat a tiny bit of royal canin Lite that I feed his brother every morning but most of the time he doesnt want it. He doesnt like wet food. And normal foods he just doesnt even show any interest he just walks around me to avoid it. I got him some whole hearted petco brand treats he used to love and he ate those. Little turd. It's so frustrating it makes me wanna pull my hair out! It's so hard to tell if hes sick sick or just addicted to a treat. Hes not playful though so I'm leaning towards sick with gi funk

 

[mani]

So he'll only eat Young Again treats? And they give him diarrhea , but he's decided he likes them and won't eat anything else? Does that seem the case?
Cats are continually trying to train us to feed them what they want. How long do you wait before you give in and give the treats? My cats will come over, sniff the food and walk away. Once they realise that's all they're getting, they'll give in.
Pehaps burying the treats in amongst other food?

 

[Time 2 Recognize]

I feel for you @Catxmama! I know there is a article somewhere, and definitely threads if searched, that talk about how to transition stubborn dry food addicts to eat wet. Warming the food and using toppers to start are the two things that have always helped if my kitty is ever disinterested in a food, but she always has had wet so not same situation. Have you tried some of the treats he's in love with on top of wet? maybe worth a shot, might take a few attempts,

Don't you wish they could just telepathically talk or something and tell us what is wrong? And cats can be hard to read given their predatory instinct to be very secretive about things. Is he sitting or laying around uncomfortably at all?

 

[Ladyrosee]

So he'll only eat Young Again treats? And they give him diarrhea , but he's decided he likes them and won't eat anything else? Does that seem the case?
Cats are continually trying to train us to feed them what they want. How long do you wait before you give in and give the treats? My cats will come over, sniff the food and walk away. Once they realise that's all they're getting, they'll give in.
Pehaps burying the treats in amongst other food?

Well yes young again and then the treats I just bought. I stopped giving him the treats I bought again because he became addicted lol but this was a desperate time he was recovering from being in the icu for 3 weeks fighting to live so I gave him a lot of treats to make him gain weight and get more calories in. Well the thing is I know him so well and if he doesnt eat his food over night then something is wrong. He skipped a meal over night a week ago and hasnt really wanted that food since. in a week he has eaten over night 3 times. So he didnt eat over night and I offered him food at his normal day meal around 1PM and he didnt want it either. Then 7PM. So about 24 hours he didnt want his food so I caved and gave him treats and it's all he will eat. and I know for a fact he doesnt tolerate that brand of food so I'd assume the treats are the same

 

[Ladyrosee]

I feel for you @Catxmama! I know there is a article somewhere, and definitely threads if searched, that talk about how to transition stubborn dry food addicts to eat wet. Warming the food and using toppers to start are the two things that have always helped if my kitty is ever disinterested in a food, but she always has had wet so not same situation. Have you tried some of the treats he's in love with on top of wet? maybe worth a shot, might take a few attempts,

Don't you wish they could just telepathically talk or something and tell us what is wrong? And cats can be hard to read given their predatory instinct to be very secretive about things. Is he sitting or laying around uncomfortably at all?

I have tried EVERYTHING. He buries it. I cant leave any food out at all for him or my fat cat will eat it. That's why he usually eats over night hes always liked waking me up at 3 or 4 and eating a whole bowl of food I keep on my nightstand out of the fat cats reach and for Morton (the one who is being stubborn) he just meows every night to wake me up and I put the bowl down then he usually wakes me up again 11am or so to get more food then he doesnt really eat much again until the next early morning and that is normal for him. So skipping his night feeding then I know hes not doing okay.

He seems comfortable yes. Just not playing. He sleeps more because obviously his stomach isnt feeling well but he is semi active and grooms and purrs and sleeps comfortably

 

[moxiewild]

So you’re feeding the Young Again treats, not the food? Or are you giving him the (nutritionally complete) food as treats/in treat sized servings?

I’ve never fed any of the YA treats, but we do feed 3 varieties of the YA food to my kidney cats, because YA is the only dry food I’ve found with high protein, moderate fat, no-minimal carbs, and low phosphorus. Two of our kidney cats are picky with wet food, but love dry food, so we use YA as a food topper to encourage them to eat/finish their wet meals, and as treats to get more healthy calories in them. No one’s ever been sick or had diarrhea from it (we did a slow transition), but I know YA warns of diarrhea.

I’m not sure if it’s the same with the treats, but the food is very calorically dense. Have you checked the calories and suggested serving size of the YA food you’re feeding? Is it possible your kitty is able to feel full on what you’re giving him?

 

[Ladyrosee]

So you’re feeding the Young Again treats, not the food? Or are you giving him the (nutritionally complete) food as treats/in treat sized servings?

I’ve never fed any of the YA treats, but we do feed 3 varieties of the YA food to my kidney cats, because YA is the only dry food I’ve found with high protein, moderate fat, no-minimal carbs, and low phosphorus. Two of our kidney cats are picky with wet food, but love dry food, so we use YA as a food topper to encourage them to eat/finish their wet meals, and as treats to get more healthy calories in them. No one’s ever been sick or had diarrhea from it (we did a slow transition), but I know YA warns of diarrhea.

I’m not sure if it’s the same with the treats, but the food is very calorically dense. Have you checked the calories and suggested serving size of the YA food you’re feeding? Is it possible your kitty is able to feel full on what you’re giving him?

Nope. Just the treats. I've spoken to his vet and they said he will be okay short term eating treats so keep giving them to him he is on life extension cat mix but they said if for some reason this is long term then they have a fully nutritionally balanced powder that is made for raw diets but basically you give it with anything and its nutritionally complete.

And he used to eat about one table spoon if the regular YAZ food when hes feeling fine and that is 40 calories. The rest of his calories he got from orijen

 

[moxiewild]

Nope. Just the treats. I've spoken to his vet and they said he will be okay short term eating treats so keep giving them to him he is on life extension cat mix but they said if for some reason this is long term then they have a fully nutritionally balanced powder that is made for raw diets but basically you give it with anything and its nutritionally complete.

And he used to eat about one table spoon if the regular YAZ food when hes feeling fine and that is 40 calories. The rest of his calories he got from orijen

Okay. Was it the vet or Young Again that told you about the premix? My understanding has been that there is a difference between a mix made for raw, and a mix made for cooked food (homemade, canned, dry).

Have you tried this mix yet to see if he likes it? It won’t do anything as a back up plan if he doesn’t like it. Maybe you can get a sample?

Did he have diarrhea on the Zero formula too?

Has the vet, or have you, ruled out things like nausea and stomach acid?

You said he was recently hospitalized - what exactly is his medical history? Is he on any medications right now? If so, are any of those medications fairly new?

 

[Ladyrosee]

Okay. Was it the vet or Young Again that told you about the premix? My understanding has been that there is a difference between a mix made for raw, and a mix made for cooked food (homemade, canned, dry).

Have you tried this mix yet to see if he likes it? It won’t do anything as a back up plan if he doesn’t like it. Maybe you can get a sample?

Did he have diarrhea on the Zero formula too?

Has the vet, or have you, ruled out things like nausea and stomach acid?

You said he was recently hospitalized - what exactly is his medical history? Is he on any medications right now? If so, are any of those medications fairly new?

The vet told me about the powder that makes anything a complete meal even if it's just treats. Hr has underlying health issues it's too long to explain but he had untreated diabetes the one vet ignored it was caused by cyclosporine. he got septic and dka and pancreatitis in august nearly killed him. Now hes drug free and ITP in remission somehow but now has chronic pancreatitis/ ibd

The young again zero is the only kind he likes and I've heard guar gum can cause diarrhea and in the zero foods that's high up on the list compared to the other kinds

 

[LTS3]

Nope. Just the treats. I've spoken to his vet and they said he will be okay short term eating treats so keep giving them to him he is on life extension cat mix but they said if for some reason this is long term then they have a fully nutritionally balanced powder that is made for raw diets but basically you give it with anything and its nutritionally complete.

The vet told me about the powder that makes anything a complete meal even if it's just treats.

Is this the product? Cat Mix, 100 grams - Life Extension

It's only a general vitamin / mineral supplement mix. It is not a pre-mix meant to turn any food into a complete diet. There is nothing in the product description that says it is.

Pre-mixes like EZComplete and such are only to be used with meat, either raw or cooked. I don't think any can be used with treats. Well, you could use it with treats but it won't turn the treats into a complete meal. I feel it's kind of like feeding a picky kid who's on a cookie eating only phase a daily vitamin supplement and somehow believing the supplement makes the cookie a complete balanced diet