AboutKC Expertise I can answer questions related to feline and canine diet including questions regarding ingredients, by-products, nutrients, raw diets, brand named products, etc. I can also answer questions related to pet health, behavior, grooming, and general animal management.
***Before asking a question, please read my past answers as they will more than likely answer your question:
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cat-Food-3490/indexExp_83830.htm
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Experience I have done research on the relationship between feline diet and feline diabetes due to my personal experience in dealing with one of my own cats. I am a pet lover and always have numerous cats and dogs. I believe in feeding a high quality and by-product free diet. Diet alone cured my diabetic cat as well as either cured or significantly helped many others.
Education/Credentials Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences and years of
experience working as a Veterinary Technician
Expert: KC Date: 1/7/2008 Subject: food to clear struvites
Question QUESTION: My 5 year old cat Bubbles was recently hospitalised with struvites. This all occurred after the birth of our baby so I have reason to believe some of it to be stress related. She was put on to the royal canin food , I give both her and my other cat the wet and dry food. When reading the back I noticed that it is recommended they stay on this diet for 6 months. My vet said she needs to have this for life. However I then found out she was charging me nearly twice the price, when I said I'd found the food cheaper, she became less helpful. I am now wandering if I should keep them on the wet and dry or if I could mix one of them with a different type of food, as the flavours are limited, and if I can do this what do I use. I have also noticed both cats have put on weight since using this brand.
ANSWER: Hi Donna,
Sadly, in recent years, struvites have become more commonly seen in cats and dogs. I personally believe it to be solely diet related. Your vet was correct to change her diet. However, that was totally unprofessional for her to become less helpful when you were no longer buying food from her...that just isn't right! Any of the by-produt free, grain-free, and human grade foods are find to use. I personally prefer Wellness, Nature's Variety, and Innova EVO. You can safely use all of the brands, mix them, and even feed raw in addition to them. The big name commercial foods (Science Diet, Eukanuba, Purina, 9 Lives, etc.) are the ones which are loaded in grains which are very bad for carnivores, loaded in fillers, preservatives, and many nasty and potentially toxic by-products. I believe these ingredients to contribute to, if not totally cause, feline diabetes, struvites, skin and respiratory allergies, digestive problems, as well as many others. I also feed a combination of wet, dry, and raw. Please see some of my past answers regarding feeding schedule, feeding amount, etc. http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cat-Food-3490/indexExp_83830.htm
I would keep the cats on the new diet permanently, as well as any new cats/dogs that you have in the future. The results that I have seen from changing diet have been remarkable. As for the cats gaining weight...please read my past answers on feeding... You should only be feeding twice per day and never leave food down. If after monitoring their feeding times and amounts, if after 2 months you don't notice a slight weight decrease, you can decrease the amount you are feeding even more. There is no sense in a food causing obesity if fed properly. My past answers will describe how to start feeding properly and once you learn how much they eat to become full per meal, you will know how much you can cut it back to reduce thier weight...there is no strict set amount...as cats vary in size and weight...and even slightly in their metabolic rate, as it all depends on age, size, and activity level.
Hope this helps!
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you for your quick response to my question. When you say to mix raw food with their diet what sort of meat should we be using and can we use fish? My cats are not keen on raw food so would it be ok to offer it to them cooked? I have also read that giving them cranberries is a big help, how would I go about giving my cats these?
Answer You can safely feed raw chicken, pork, and beef...all types. You can also feed fish. However, I do not recommend feeding fish regularly due to the high mercury content...which has sadly become a growing problem in recent years. You can safely feed meat cut into small pieces and/or include bones with the exception of fish bones. You might want to check out this site: http://www.rawmeatybones.com/
It's quite safe and healthy to feed entirely raw, provided that you add a good supplement like Feline Platinum Performance...as cats need a lot of taurine and other vitamins and minerals for optimum health. Many people don't recommend the supplements, even the Raw Meaty Bones site. However, after seeing older cats who have been on a raw diet for their entire lives, I really recommend supplementing. So, simply said, feeding raw is excellent...but you MUST supplement with an all-around excellent product...most store bought supplements are totally a waste of money and don't contain the proper nutrients for a cat, thus leading to serious problems later in life. Raw is definitely the best for teeth and gums as well. Most of my cats will eat raw now, and often get some with each meal. However, if you don't start them on raw at a young age, preferably small kittens, many will never develop a taste for it. You can totally give them cooked food as well...however, raw is better for them...it's more easily digested and better for their teeth. Plus, they don't need any salt, etc. that we would normally add to our own food for flavoring. Just try getting some raw chicken, any form, and cutting it into small cat bite sized pieces and offering it to him. You may have to add it to his canned or dry for him to even try it. You can also feed Yogurt (mine LOVE it), raw eggs, and milk provided that he isn't lactose intolerent. If you notice diarrhea and/or vomiting you will know to reduce or cut out dairy from his diet. Also, the Wellness brands of food do contain cranberries (some of the flavors/types do). I personally wouldn't recommend adding them to anything yourself...simply because cats could benefit from minute amounts of it on a daily basis...which would be hard to consistently feed and keep fresh...and know exactly what percentage of cranberries were contained in each meal.
Give the raw a try and see how he does. If he likes it, you can offer raw chicken legs, etc. Any raw bones (except for fish) are safe. Stay away from cooked bones though...the become brittle when cooked and will split.
Hope this helps!
