Zero Carb Young Again Cat food

[threefluffycats]

Has anyone been feeding this food? I can only buy it online. My cats seem to like it. I bought it to control one of my elderly cat's diabetic condition rather than the crappy Rx food. Seems to have done the job. Is this protein % too high?

http://www.youngagainpetfood.com/10browse.asp?category=cats&ProductCode=92100

Young Again Cat Food Ingredients
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS: Crude Protein (min) 55%, Crude Fat/Oil (min) 24%,
Crude Fiber (max) 4%, Moisture (max) 10%.

CALORIE CONTENT: 4,070 kcals/kg (590 kcals/cup) Calculated Metabolizable energy.

INGREDIENTS: Chicken Meal, Pork Protein Concentrate, Poultry Fat (Preserved with Rosemary Extract, Mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbic Acid), Fish Oil, Herring Meal, Cellulose, (Source of Dietary Fiber), Fructooligosaccharides, Natural chicken flavor, L-Lysine, Guar Gum, DL Methionine, Yeast, Yeast extract, Calcium carbonate, Taurine, L-Threonine, L-Tryptophan, Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, L-Carnitine, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Zinc Proteinate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Magnesium Proteinate, Betaine Anhydrous, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin B₁₂ Supplement, Niacinamide, D-Biotin, Manganous Sulfate, Vitamin A Acetate, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Iodate, Calcium Propionate, N, N-Dimethylglycine (DMG) HCI, D-Activated Animal Sterol (Source of Vitamin D₃), Cobalt Sulfate.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I had never heard of it until you posted this, however, I have to correct you.  It is NOT zero carb, but it is indeed pretty LOW carb.  It does have a lot of things going for it though

.   I would put it right up there pretty close to Epigen 90, which is what I recommend if people want to feed the best of the best and still feed kibble.  But I still recommend feeding canned over kibble, just because of the moisture factor.

But all in all, this seems like a very good food, from everything I can dig up on it

FYI 

Epigen 90

Crude Protein 60%

Crude Fat 12%

Crude Fiber 3.5%

Crude Moisture 12%

Organic Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Giblets, Vegetable Protein (consisting of one or more of the following: Potato Protein, Rice Protein, Corn Protein, Wheat Protein), Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols as a source of Vitamin E), Eggs, Yogurt, Flax Seed, Apple, Beet Pulp, Plums, Inulin, Dried Wheat Grass Powder, Dried Barley Grass Powder, Krill Oil, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Oregano Extract, Sage Extract, Rosemary Extract, Probiotic Microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus lactis), Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement

 

[maewkaew]

I've heard of Young Again: I have seen it being sold at cat shows. and I heard some breeders say they are using it and seem to be pleased with it.

I am glad to hear it has helped your diabetic cat!

Judging from the ingredients , that looks VERY low carb indeed. The wood pulp ( cellulose) could surely have SOME but not much. When it was discussed on the Feline Diabetes Message Board, someone suggested there was probably a trace amount in dry matter analysis , that the company rounded down to zero.
So if calculated on a percent of metabolizable energy basis, it may be a bit higher like 1 or 2% . and that is extremely low for kibble.)

Re protein amount, I think that is a fine amount of protein and I like that it doesn't have some of the protein coming from plants. which cats cannot use nearly so well. (and some of the plant proteins are common allergens for cats) .
There's been some thought that high protein could be hard on the kidneys of a cat with kidney disease. But many vets now think it is more about the phosphorus and the quality / digestibility of the protein, not the quantity of the protein.
I am not sure about the amount of phosphorus in Young Again. I saw amounts of 1.0 % calcium and 0.8% phosphorus.
but I have seen some vets like Dr Jean Hofve, write that high-protein low carb dry foods are even more dehydrating than typical higher-carb dry cat food.

I do agree with mrsgreenjeans, I am concerned about cats getting enough water since they tend not to drink enough to stay really well hydrated if they don't get it in their food. So I wouldn't feed even the best dry as very much of the diet.

 

[threefluffycats]

I received this reply in regards to phosphorous:

The last lab test came in at 1.01% for the Zero Carb and the Mature Health came in at .70%. We have sent the Zero Carb out for new testing and should have results this week; we expect them to be similar.

Michael J. Massie
President

 

[curlyqpgh]

I feed my older cat the 50/20 version. My younger cat eats RadCat.

My older cat is very much a dry food addict, so I'm satisfied with this as it's something he'll actually eat.

 

[amy fagan]

I believe this is the absolute best thing to offer a Diabetic cat. I started feeding my cat the Zero Carb cat food in July. At that point I was giving her 4 units of insulin twice daily, and things were okay. Her blood sugars were sometimes high and sometimes low - the last reading before we started Young Again was 373! Last night, this is just over 3 months later, my vet advised me to take her off of insulin, as her blood sugars were regularly low, and I was giving 1/4 of a unit of insulin. I've never been more sure of anything in my life, that this food is the reason for this huge change. Please, if you have a Diabetic cat, try this food! The cost might look scary, but an 8lb bag of Zero Carb food costs $49, and for 1 cat will last at least a month and 1/2, and your insulin costs will go down significantly! Right now, instead of paying $49 for 2 months on a different food, plus $125 every month and 1/2, plus $30 for needles, I'm paying $49 every 35 days for TWO cats, and that's it!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

 
I believe this is the absolute best thing to offer a Diabetic cat. I started feeding my cat the Zero Carb cat food in July. At that point I was giving her 4 units of insulin twice daily, and things were okay. Her blood sugars were sometimes high and sometimes low - the last reading before we started Young Again was 373! Last night, this is just over 3 months later, my vet advised me to take her off of insulin, as her blood sugars were regularly low, and I was giving 1/4 of a unit of insulin. I've never been more sure of anything in my life, that this food is the reason for this huge change. Please, if you have a Diabetic cat, try this food! The cost might look scary, but an 8lb bag of Zero Carb food costs $49, and for 1 cat will last at least a month and 1/2, and your insulin costs will go down significantly! Right now, instead of paying $49 for 2 months on a different food, plus $125 every month and 1/2, plus $30 for needles, I'm paying $49 every 35 days for TWO cats, and that's it!

Sounds like a glowing endorsement for this food!  And not only are you saving money on the insulin and needles, but also on Vet bills, hopefully FUTURE vet bills for BOTH cats!  Good luck to you.  Just make sure they drink plenty.  Cats on dry food actually need to drink at least 1/2 cup of water per day minimum, but one full cup (per cat) is better

 

[alecat10]

I having been feeding 50/20 YA, (not the zero carb cat food) 3 weeks now and I am seeing positive results already! :-) Feeding dry kibble only, goes against what I had learned about feline nutrition and urinary issues! The science behind YA food is a paradigm shift from main stream thinking, however, I was desperate and decided to take a chance! Specifically Vets are now encouraging more canned/wet food to ward off urinary and dehydration issues.   YA food claims to really help in the urinary department, despite a dry food diet. so for now I am taking it day by day and hoping for the best! I am keeping  a close eye on the litter box to ensure that my cat has a decent output of urine and as well  ensuring that he is not showing any other signs of urinary distress, like licking his genital area a lot and going in and out of the litter box.  I will be bringing in a urine sample to the Vet soon to test for crystals etc.. and will continue to monitor him like a nervous nelly! :-(  What surprises me the most about his urine output now, is that he is eating only YA dry kibble, and his pee balls are the same size as when he was consuming a  mostly can food diet!! My cats have a stainless steel water fountain which they love and drink much more vs. from a bowl.His fur is soft as a rabbit and improving daily and he had a beautiful coat to start! Can't imagine what's to come! As well. he is no longer whining all the time for food. He is a very large cat and difficult to satisfy in the food department. YA seems confident in the dry kibble department BC they say the cat consumes much less food BC of the high protein content, and it's also lower in carbs about 5%, vs. 25%-35% other brands and therefore,  this results in lower overall mineral consumption which = less chance of urinary issues...according to YA. There is a lot of information on their web site explaining their thinking and it certainly makes sense to me! In closing, the company has been fantastic in responding to my sometimes in depth questions that probably very few people ask!  Keeping my fingers crossed and praying this food continues in a positive way for my fur family!

 

[chwx]

Anyone know the ASH percentage of this food? Unfortunately it's impossible to avoid in most brands canned or kibble, but it feels like these "high meat" foods tend to have the highest ash as well which isn't good for the kidneys. Seems "too good to be true" and I could see high ash % being a big downfall on something like this.

 

[alecat10]

Correction  YA 50/22 food

 

[mistymom1011]

Hi three fluffy cats -

Know you asked your question last year, but decided I had to make my enthusiastic recommendation for this food.  First & most important, 55% protein is definitely not too high.  Given their choice in the wild, cats the size of house cats would eat mostly mice - especially juvenile mice.  A juvenile mouse would provide 50 - 54% protein & 20 - 24% fat.  Zero Carb Young Again is the closest food available to their natural diet.

Second, the first person who responded to your question is incorrect, & by their response I believe was only familiar with Young Agan 50/20 at the time of the response.  Zero Carb is indeed ZERO CARB & by far the best food available for cats with diabetes.  It was actually formulated to be as close as possible to the nutrition provided by a juvenile mouse.

While I'm not sure that my cat will be able to stop insulin shots since she was 8 or 9 when we recently discovered this incredible food ( she's a rescue cat so uncertain of exact age) & has been receiving 2 shots daily since she was 4, I can only believe this will be very helpful to her health overall.  The best possible diet for a cat with diabetes is high protein with the lowest amount of carbs possible.  Cats of any kind, no matter how large or small, have no need for carbs or other vegetable matter in their diet.

Wysong has carb free cat food available - Epigen Starch Free & Epigen 90 Starch Free.  However, "Starch Free" is Grain Free, not completely Carb Free.  The % of carbs is their Starch Free is low, but I prefer that my cat have Zero carbs since she has no need for them.  Epigen foods also contain plant protein & other plant matter.  Cats can't digest plant protein, so it just goes through them without providing any nutrition at all.  All that plant matter may sound holistic & healthy to people interested in the healthiest possible diet for themselves, but it has no nutritional value for cats, so also just goes through them without providing any nutrition.

If you're fortunate enough to have cats who will eat Zero Carb Young Again, just be thankful for your good luck.  Mine isn't 100% enthusiastic, but this is important enough to me that I'm going to gently but firmly insist.  Definitely don't want to make mealtimes stressful for her, but I have some tricks up my sleeve that I'll use until I can completely transition her to Zero Carb.

 

[mistymom1011]

Oops - just noticed that the first response you got referred to Wysong Epigen, so no wonder she thought it wasn't Zero Carb.  She may not be aware of Young Again.

 

[mistymom1011]

Sorry - must correct myself.  She said Young again is close to Epigen 90 Starch Free, which is is true, but with important the important differences noted in my first response.   Sorry for my confusion that prompted the 2nd inaccurate response I made.  However, I still believe mrsgreejeans was only familiar with Young Again 50/20 when she responded.

 

[mistymom1011]

Ash % on Zero Carb is 6.6 % which is lower than any of the comparable dry food that make the content available.  alecat 10 just above you on the list of postings I'm seeing is describing great urinary issue results for a male cat, & males are the ones with the worst urinary tract issues.  Ash is actually the inorganic mineral content left over when the cat has burned off the energy provided by the organic (meat) portion of the cat food. Ash is made up of trace minerals.  However, research has conclusively shown that ash is not a cause of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease.  The main problem is alkaline urine (high  pH) that results from foods with a high grain & vegetable content.  A high protein diet is the best way to maintain more acidic (low pH) urine naturally.  

 

[alecat10]

 
I having been feeding 50/20 YA, (not the zero carb cat food) 3 weeks now and I am seeing positive results already! :-) Feeding dry kibble only, goes against what I had learned about feline nutrition and urinary issues! The science behind YA food is a paradigm shift from main stream thinking, however, I was desperate and decided to take a chance! Specifically Vets are now encouraging more canned/wet food to ward off urinary and dehydration issues.   YA food claims to really help in the urinary department, despite a dry food diet. so for now I am taking it day by day and hoping for the best! I am keeping  a close eye on the litter box to ensure that my cat has a decent output of urine and as well  ensuring that he is not showing any other signs of urinary distress, like licking his genital area a lot and going in and out of the litter box.  I will be bringing in a urine sample to the Vet soon to test for crystals etc.. and will continue to monitor him like a nervous nelly! :-(  What surprises me the most about his urine output now, is that he is eating only YA dry kibble, and his pee balls are the same size as when he was consuming a  mostly can food diet!! My cats have a stainless steel water fountain which they love and drink much more vs. from a bowl.His fur is soft as a rabbit and improving daily and he had a beautiful coat to start! Can't imagine what's to come! As well. he is no longer whining all the time for food. He is a very large cat and difficult to satisfy in the food department. YA seems confident in the dry kibble department BC they say the cat consumes much less food BC of the high protein content, and it's also lower in carbs about 5%, vs. 25%-35% other brands and therefore,  this results in lower overall mineral consumption which = less chance of urinary issues...according to YA. There is a lot of information on their web site explaining their thinking and it certainly makes sense to me! In closing, the company has been fantastic in responding to my sometimes in depth questions that probably very few people ask!  Keeping my fingers crossed and praying this food continues in a positive way for my fur family!

So far so good... 3 months on this food all good in the urinary department!!!!!!!..PH at 6.5.  and seeing all of the "benefits" that YA claim. The only thing I do different is add warm water to the kibble once a day for extra moisture. My cats love it this way!

 So happy and relieved!

 

[2cats4me]

@alecat10   ,  How are your cats doing on the Young Again 50/22  ?

I received 2 samples of the  50/22 and my cats like it ..  I am going to place an order in a few days .. 

My cats refuse to eat wet food of any kind so I want to find the very best dry food for them . The  YA looks pretty good ... 

I tried Wysong Epigen but they do not care for it too much ..

 

[alecat10]

My cats are doing well on YA and they  really seem to like the taste! I see lots of positive changes, and their coats have never looked so good!  My cats look super healthy, like never before & they have always eaten high end food, but so far this is the best !  I add warm water to their food for the extra moisture as my cats are canned food junkies!

 

[2cats4me]

 
My cats are doing well on YA and they  really seem to like the taste! I see lots of positive changes, and their coats have never looked so good!  My cats look super healthy, like never before & they have always eaten high end food, but so far this is the best !  I add warm water to their food for the extra moisture as my cats are canned food junkies!

Awesome , glad they are doing well ..

My cats liked the samples so I hope they do just as well .. I am placing an order on Monday ..

 

[mosimom]

Awesome , glad they are doing well ..
My cats liked the samples so I hope they do just as well .. I am placing an order on Monday ..

Where do you get the samples?

 

[2cats4me]

Where do you get the samples?

@Mosimom   , oh  you just contact the company and ask for samples of whatever formulas you like .. They come pretty quickly too. 

www.youngagainpetfood.com