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Old June 26th, 2010, 11:53 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Location: Calgary, AB
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Quote:
Originally Posted by driver8 View Post
They had been eating the dry Iams multi-cat, and when we mixed wet food in, they had a really hard time.
Were you actually mixing canned and dry together in the same bowl? That might have been part of the problem. Some cats, mine being one of them, hate the combo of textures. Putting out just the wet food alone would be preferable.

Quote:
Originally Posted by driver8 View Post
But I read the labels on the canned foods, and they all have less protein content than the dry foods,
Most canned foods are actually higher in protein than dry food. You have to subtract the moisture content in order to compare the nutrient analysis of wet vs dry. Some info for you on that: http://www.catinfo.org/commercialcan...tter,_Calories

Quote:
Originally Posted by driver8 View Post
she would only eat the cheap crap (wet) from super-valu.
The fact that it was wet was probably a big factor in her longevity. I've always maintained that it's better to feed cats the cheapest canned food than the most expensive dry food.

Quote:
Originally Posted by driver8 View Post
Older people don't often like the diet changes prescribed for them either, and at some point you've got to decide how much to push and when to leave it alone.
Exactly, which is why it's important when transitioning cats to a better diet to use techniques that are gentle and don't cause stress for us or them. This isn't a race. Just be patient and persistent, and I guarantee that even the most hard-core kibble addict can eventually be converted. If I did it with my boy (and it took months), anyone can do it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by driver8 View Post
I didn't ask the numbers of her lab values, I don't want to get too focused on numbers. (Treat the patient, not the numbers)
I totally understand that. But it's also a good idea to have a sense of what's going on, so you can make some adjustments along the way if necessary. Such as when to implement other treatments or supplements like probiotics, phosphorus binders, Calictriol, subQ fluids, potassium, omega3's etc. There is lots that we can do to help renal kitties be more comfortable and augment their health. Not all vets are current with these treatments and way too many of them just shove a bag of prescription kibble at their clients and call it a day.

Quote:
Originally Posted by driver8 View Post
I know that with CRI, diet is only a small part of it, and that the disease will still progress anyway.
I don't entirely agree with that, I think diet is a fairly big factor. Even to the point that it actually causes many cases of kidney disease in our cats.

Quote:
Originally Posted by driver8 View Post
I'm pretty confident that she has a lot of living left to do.
Excellent attitude! Staying positive can have a very real impact on cats, who are quite sensitive to the moods of their caretakers.
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