Asking advice best canned foods? Low carb.

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Cheryl & Missy

Cheryl & Missy

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From what I see most people feeding Fancy Feast (which I have used mostly before) and Friskies, which I haven't used with missy for YEARS :shock:

With the other thread increasing prices decreasing quality 'http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=67885' I am getting more confused then ever. I can and will try wellness and tikicat chicken flavors again. Have tried some other better brands that Missy won't touch. She does love the Stella and chewy freeze dried or instinct. With Stella and Chewy's I usually have gotten the dog flavors as just give half patty, to add to nutrition of Fancy feast. I know to avoid gravys now and look and avoid corn or sugars.

OT canned food wise but what do people use as hair ball tonics or laxatives? As I have used Laxatone forever but that has hi carb molasses and corn syrup I think?

But as she's aged needs a bit of constipation help, what is better alternative?
 
Here we use miralax for consitpation. Works like a charm.

Food is Friskies Pate because with 14 cats the 13 oz cans and the price both fit our budget and all 14 cats can agree to eat it.

Hairballs aren't too much of a problem as I usually brush them all with in an inch of their lives :lol:

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Miralax? Cool can do that, just mixed in canned? I know questions seem silly to a degree but this am was. Wanting to give her LaxTone and thoughts were oh s**t, what can I give? Thinking of things hourly.
Some ways learning process stinks.
 
IMO, the "best" food is the one that your cat will eat and you can afford. There is no one brand that is better than another for a diabetic cat.

Cheryl A'Purrson said:
From what I see most people feeding Fancy Feast (which I have used mostly before) and Friskies, which I haven't used with missy for YEARS :shock:
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FF and Friskies and other big name brands are popular here because they are inexpensive and available everywhere - from the supermarket to big box stores to the pharmacy to warehouse-type stores.


I am getting more confused then ever. I can and will try wellness and tikicat chicken flavors again. Have tried some other better brands that Missy won't touch. She does love the Stella and chewy freeze dried or instinct. With Stella and Chewy's I usually have gotten the dog flavors as just give half patty, to add to nutrition of Fancy feast. I know to avoid gravys now and look and avoid corn or sugars.
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I would just stick to one or two brands and flavors that your cat will eat. Don't go nuts trying different foods :smile: The freeze dried raw is fine as treats. Have you ever considered feeding just raw food, either homemade or a commerical frozen brand?

OT canned food wise but what do people use as hair ball tonics or laxatives? As I have used Laxatone forever but that has hi carb molasses and corn syrup I think?

But as she's aged needs a bit of constipation help, what is better alternative?
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You can mix in a little unflavored powdered Benefiber into canned food that has extra water added to it.
 
Lol too late squeem I am already off my rocker and that was before all this. Thought had idea of what to feed before the warning of issues in pâtés. We did get more FF classics, makes me feel better that he can have ff as better I think then hills. Just have to keep repeating I can get through this... I have thought of raw but always skittish though did eventually start supplementing with freeze dried raw which she loves, bonito flakes and tuna bark treats... Both just protien.

http://www.tigertailfoods.com/barks_and_crisps.php

We do have miralax at home, how much to use?
 
Cheryl A'Purrson said:
Lol too late squeem I am already off my rocker and that was before all this.
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:lol:

I have thought of raw but always skittish though did eventually start supplementing with freeze dried raw which she loves, bonito flakes and tuna bark treats... Both just protien.

http://www.tigertailfoods.com/barks_and_crisps.php
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I just feed the Nature's Variety frozen raw. It's what's easiest for me to feed at the moment.

I've never seen those treats before. Are they crunchy?

We do have miralax at home, how much to use?
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1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon per day.
 
squeem3 said:
Cheryl A'Purrson said:
Lol too late squeem I am already off my rocker and that was before all this.
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:lol:

I have thought of raw but always skittish though did eventually start supplementing with freeze dried raw which she loves, bonito flakes and tuna bark treats... Both just protien.

http://www.tigertailfoods.com/barks_and_crisps.php
Click to expand...

I just feed the Nature's Variety frozen raw. It's what's easiest for me to feed at the moment.

I've never seen those treats before. Are they crunchy?

We do have miralax at home, how much to use?
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1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon per day.
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Yup tigertail treats are just freeze dried tuna cut thin very crunchy, sometimes break over or mix in canned, might use for bs check treats. Have not tried other flavors.
They are sold just in one store here but others can order.

Would Miralax be needed daily? Usually do Laxatone just as needed.
Hope can do this... Still anxious about it but with knowledge for food much less so, thanks to everyone's support and for this website board.
 
most people do miralax daily if there is an ongoing constipation issue. you could start at 1/8tsp twice a day and adjust based upon what the results are! ;-)

if it's an occasional problem, butter or vaseline will do the trick.

regarding the food - i saw your other thread about the dry food as well. we feed fancy feast because it's one of the better of the lesser expensive ones. the answer from squeem about the "right" one being the one you can afford and your cat will eat is right on - just stay low carb, pate-style classic chunk cat food. all of the fancier ones (with gravy, in cheese, blah blah) are higher carbs.

the wisdom here (from experience) is that the cheapest canned cat food is better for a diabetic cat than the most expensive dry food. if you give dry food you will have to have a higher dose of insulin to compensate for all the carbs. we find people who feed dry often never see a "normal" curve to their spreadsheets because the carbs from the dry food last up to 24 hrs. if a cat is highly carb sensitive, even 1-2 crunchies will raise their BG for the next day. truly, the best thing you can do at the beginning is to get off dry food.

many of us use timed feeders to feed the cat when we are gone. they are a wonderful bit of peace of mind when you have a diabetic cat and need to work or be gone for a while. i use a Petsafe 5 compartment feeder (amazon or most pet stores) and LOVE it. you'll see in reviews that some people complain about it not opening all the way - that's because they didn't reseat the food tray when they put it back into the feeder. all you have to do is press the button to rotate it one compartment before you leave it and you can see if you have seated it right.

i didn't see if what kind of insulin you are using. changing to all canned may drop the numbers right down. i *think* you said somewhere that you were changing diet now and starting insulin later, maybe on your other thread? is that right? some cats can be diet-controlled (ie, without insulin) if they are treated immediately upon diagnosis with the right insulin (lantus, levemir, prozinc) and helped with management of numbers, doses by experienced people.
 
Cheryl A'Purrson said:
Thinking of things hourly.
Some ways learning process stinks.
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Hi Cheryl! I certainly identify with what you typed. My brain has been on a 3-week overload due to so much information to read and try and absorb!

The people here are wonderful, though, for answering questions and providing links to useful information, and offering support when you need it.

It can be overwhelming at first, that is for sure! I wouldn't have made it through these first weeks without the help of the very nice people here!

Suze
 
Have you tried Wellness? It's better quality than FF. Many cats don't care for the chicken, but love the turkey. If you but the 12.5oz cans it costs about the same as FF.

I know there was a low carb hairball remedy mentioned some where here, anyone else remember? I've found just spending time everyday brushing (especially w/ a Zoom Groom) keeps hairballs from being much of an issue. Tess loves being brushed so much it is her reward for getting her teeth brushed every day. :lol:
 
I had been using the Laxatone a small amount daily or every few more as laxative lately. Past year or so that is. Yes I have used wellness actually that was her breakfast, which she enjoyed, I think was chicken but maybe turkey.
One thing since finding this place is relief of diet stress as most canned foods we used are on the good list. Haven't fed supermarket foods other then FF for years since she was 4-5 yrs or so.

Julie your correct, we have not started insulin yet, I was freaked thinking just hills food, :mrgreen: I know FF isn't the best but add freeze dried Stella's to it, even treats mostly protien,
Used just <1/4 tsp miralax last night but pooping pebbles still :? Will try daily, might try some Vaseline.
As worked medical field insulin shots dont stress me, sort of testing stressed, will see what vet wants us to do.
 
Isn't the corn syrup in Laxatone a no-no? I think someone told me butter worked as well.

I have a hard time with finding good canned food too. Someone recommended BG (Before Grain) by Merricks but my cats don't eat it unless it's mixed with the Fancy Feast. Wellness turkey should be ok, if they eat it.

I looked at labels of Friskies pates today and the ones I saw had rice in there. So, no to Friskies.
 
there are many friskies that are low carb and fine to feed.

yes, laxatone has sugar in it. butter and vaseline ought to do the same thing. on an ongoing basis, miralax is what most people here use.
 
I know, I WAS using Laxatone, I or rather Missy was just diagnosed, wonder if Laxatone was factor on dx. Yeah I know, talk about bargaining :sad: just realized it was bad when giving her a little Friday as result did not give usual amount!

I have some BG from prior to diagnosis.
Someone posted miralax and started using that last night.
 
I feed my gang Friskies pate, yes they have some rice in them but it doesn't seem to effect any of my 3 diabetics BG's. The ones I feed are Turkey & Giblets, Poultry Platter, Ocean Whitefish & Tuna, Country Style Dinner, Mixed Grill and sometimes will mix up the fishy flavors with Marnier's Catch and Sea Captain's choice. Just kind of depends on what I can find in town on any given shopping trip. Maxwell went into and has stayed in remission on this diet, Musette is flirting with remission and well Autumn just got here and she is loving her new diet of Friskies Pate. I tried putting Musette on Fancy Feast and she puked and then didn't eat on her own for 2 days...so figuring the difference between the two was dried egg, so thinking she just doesn't do well with the dried eggs.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette, Autumn & The Fur Gang
 
And Miralax works for constipation... Yay for Miralax, used 1/4 tsp.
Wonder if Laxatone could work in case of hypo, poor Missy what did I do to her :oops:
 
julie & punkin said:
i would refer to the Janet & Binky's Food List - check both the old and new food tables for the carb content of friskies, or whatever else you're interested in. the manufacturers can change things, but it's about the best reference we've got.
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Julie, we now have a group effort working on updating all of this canned cat food data. Go to this thread. :) Wanna help us out?

Suze
 
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