Expert: Ali - 9/20/2009

Question
hi there,
I have read your article about pet food.and Im on the same stand with you.
I love my cats very much and would only want to give them the best food I can.
Do you know about Horizon this brand? (I also live in canada so I think you might know that :)..its a canadian company)
Im currently feeding my kitten horizon as it is made of human grade chicken and is all natural.

Also,Is it harmful to feed my kitten Vit C?
because my kittens has been sneezing ,alittle only,and got tiny discharge from nose..but my vet said he is fine even with these symptoms..
so I decided to give them Vit C (Ester C which I take everyday)hoping to help them fight the flu..

Thank you so much:)!
Best wishes from canada!
any thoughts on this brand?

Answer
Alisha,

I've actually never heard of Horizon, just because the bag or pet store staff member tells you the food is natural and made with human grade ingredients doesn't mean it's made the way you'd like to believe it is. There are currently minimal regulations when it comes to what pet food manufacturers can and can't claim on their labels and in their ingredient lists, I found this out after it nearly cost my oldest cat MC her life during the Menu Foods pet food recalls in 2007. I'd be more than happy to offer an opinion about the quality of Horizon if you'd like you can send me the ingredient list and type of food you're feeding your kitten and I will also provide you with explanations about how I've formed my opinion and why.

As for your next question it's not harmful to feed your cat vitamin C, but it's important to use a product made for veterinary use (human vitamins are made in much higher doses than supplements made for pets) and follow dosing instructions for your kitten's weight. If you're interested in learning more about the use of supplements and other natural treatments it's not a bad idea to consider purchasing a book called The Natural Cat by Anitra Frazier and Norma Eckroate, it's an interesting book and while I'm not entirely sure that I completely agree with everything she recommends there are some really good recommendations in the book about caring for your cats as naturally as possible. I would also suggest that you consider checking out catinfo.org, this is a website created by a veterinarian to help pet parents to better understand the nutritional requirements of their feline companions, how to make nutritious, properly supplemented pet food at home, she's also got some recommendations as far as feeding nutritionally dense, species appropriate cat foods that are commercially produced and there is also a section on feline behavior and preventing common problems.

My recommendation as far as preventing the viral infection from getting any worse would be to take time to clean away the nasal discharge with a cotton ball moistened with warm water so that your kitten is able to breathe freely. If you have other cats or kittens in the household I'd strongly suggest isolating the kitten from the rest of the population or you could find yourself with an outbreak of upper respiratory viruses in your home which could get costly. Many vets suggest allowing the virus to run its course, however my recommendations depend on the age of the kitten and his/her vaccine status. If your kitten isn't vaccinated and is very young I think it would be in his/her best interests to seek a second veterinary opinion to be sure that things don't get out of hand - upper respiratory viruses can be fatal if they're severe enough in young kittens.

I would strongly suggest that you feed your sick kitten(s) the very best food you can afford to in order to help their immune system be strong enough to fight off the virus more quickly. I'd say that feeding a well balanced homemade raw diet would be best, you can find good recipes at catinfo.org or catnutrition.org. If you don't have time or aren't comfortable preparing a raw diet in your kitchen you could try a product called Feline's Pride which is a commercially produced well balanced raw food diet that the company is willing to ship within the US and some of Canada. The website for Feline's Pride is http://www.felinespride.com they will guarantee that the food will arrive frozen provided that you are there to sign for and accept the shipment. Feel free to check out their website and the testimonials about their product.

I really only feel comfortable recommending two commercially produced pet foods at this point, Wellness and Spot's Stew by Halo - as far as I know these products have NEVER been recalled for any reason, they're made from human grade ingredients, their foods are well priced and best of all, the cats typically seem to find these foods pretty palatable. Halo has a great article about commercially produced pet foods that's informative but still rather scary. If you'd like to check that article out the website is http://www.halopets.com/pet-education/pet-articles/pet_food_what_you_need_to_kno... Hopefully this information helps - just so that you know, Halo does make high quality vitamins for pets. If you have any further questions, concerns or you'd like me to clarify anything in this answer please feel free to contact me again and I'll do my very best to help you out.