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Old May 24th, 2013, 08:40 AM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tinman141 View Post
We currently have both our cats on dry food. My older cat has been on Cat Chow for 7 years now with no health issues.
Dry food is the main cause of numerous health problems in cats, urinary tract issues being one of them. The thing is, all cats do fine on dry food - until they don't. One of my own cats, just like your older one, seemed perfectly healthy for the first 9 years of his life, eating dry Science Diet Light (which is almost as bad as Cat Chow if you compare ingredients). And then he got diabetes. We can't always see the damage that long-term feeding of kibble does on the inside, until it's too late.


Quote:
Originally Posted by tinman141 View Post
I currently feed them canned as an occasional treat. It usually doesn't agree with them too well.
What brand/flavour? What happens when they eat it? Could be that they have food sensitivities to one or more of the ingredients (fish, brewer's yeast, wheat gluten, meat/poultry by-products.... can all be common sources of allergies in cats). Perhaps trying a brand with simpler ingredients might help.


Quote:
Originally Posted by tinman141 View Post
In light of her recent problems I will try them on some canned food for awhile.
You should notice quite a difference in the quality of their coat (softer, less shedding), and possibly their energy levels as well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tinman141 View Post
Can you recommend a decent not to pricy brand? The older cat is quite picky and won't eat canned food that has chunks.. only pate.
My cat was like that. Over time, he's changed his tune and now loves all kinds of textures and types of wet food. But to get him off his kibble addiction, I started with the junkier varieties like Fancy Feast (Classic Tender Liver & Chicken, Classic Turkey & Giblets are pate and many cats love them). Eventually I started mixing in some Wellness (grain-free versions only), and for variety, brands like Natural Balance, Holistic Select, Innova. Now he eats mostly raw at mealtime with Wellness, Weruva, Ziwipeak, Nature's Variety and Precise left out for snacking. If you can find Precise anywhere, they have some decent flavours that are relatively cost effective. Shake the can to make sure it's pate and not chunky (chunks will "slosh", pate goes "thunk" or doesn't make a sound).


Quote:
Originally Posted by tinman141 View Post
As for my cheapness on brands, it's also about what I can afford.
I hear ya. But remember that what you can spend up front in a good diet will save you exponentially down the road in vet bills. You probably could have bought a heckuva lot of canned food for the price of your younger cat's vet visit and Convenia injection.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tinman141 View Post
Any good supplements that may help her that you know of? I heard cranberry juice and vitamin C.
D-mannose (a powder derived from cranberries) is a great supplement if there truly is bacteria in her urine. Cornsilk or marshmallow root powder are good for soothing an irritated or inflamed bladder. Cosequin can help strengthen the lining of the bladder. I wouldn't add vit C without knowing what her urine ph was though. http://holisticat.com/flutd.html
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