dry food breakdown, would like advice

[TygerLilly]

Since I'm on a strictly controlled budget and just spent over $100 on dry cat food, I'm not in a position to switch completely to wet. Plus I don't want to switch cold turkey. So from what I've read here, is this an ok dry food for my civvy cats and for another week or so a side for my diabetic cat.

Link to the page with this information and more... http://www.mazuri.com/PDF/5M54.pdf

Mazuri Small Exotic Feline.

NUTRIENTS
Protein, %..................................................36.0
Arginine, %.................................................1.93
Cystine, %..................................................0.54
Glycine, %..................................................1.68
Histidine, %................................................0.55
Isoleucine, %..............................................1.33
Leucine, %..................................................2.92
Lysine, %....................................................1.91
Methionine, %.............................................0.81
Phenylalanine, %........................................1.36
Tyrosine, %................................................0.75
Threonine, %..............................................1.23
Tryptophan, %............................................0.27
Valine, %....................................................1.64
Taurine, %..................................................0.32
Fat, %.........................................................20.0
Omega-3 Fatty Acids, %............................0.56
Omega-6 Fatty Acids, %............................2.62
Fiber (Crude), %..........................................3.5
Neutral Detergent Fiber, %...........................6.6
Acid Detergent Fiber, %...............................4.9
Starch.........................................................14.0
Metabolizable Energy*, kcal/kg................3,825
MINERALS
Ash, %..........................................................6.6
Calcium, %..................................................1.33
Phosphorus, %............................................1.24
Phosphorus (non-phytate), %.....................1.00
Potassium, %..............................................0.65
Magnesium, %............................................0.11
Sodium, %...................................................0.30
Chlorine, %.................................................0.50
Iron, ppm......................................................447
Zinc, ppm.....................................................114
Manganese, ppm...........................................74
Copper, ppm..................................................25
Cobalt, ppm...................................................1.1
Iodine, ppm...................................................2.2
Chromium, ppm..........................................0.34
Selenium, ppm............................................0.62
VITAMINS
Thiamin, ppm.................................................81
Riboflavin, ppm..............................................25
Niacin, ppm..................................................122
Pantothenic Acid, ppm...................................27
Choline, ppm.............................................2,940
Folic Acid, ppm.............................................4.5
Pyridoxine, ppm.............................................18
Biotin, ppm..................................................0.49
Vitamin B12, mcg/kg.....................................245
Vitamin A, IU/kg......................................15,400
Vitamin D3 (added), IU/kg.........................3,740
Vitamin E, IU/kg...........................................300
Vitamin K (as menadione), ppm...................3.3
* Metabolizable energy determined using modified Atwater factors (3.5 kcal/g protein, 8.5 kcal/g fat, 3.5

Ingredients
Poultry by-product meal, ground brown rice, corn gluten meal, dried beet pulp, porcine animal fat preserved with BHA, poultry fat preserved with ethoxyquin, dehulled soybean meal, poultry digest, dried whey, fish meal, wheat germ, fish oil, phosphoric acid, brewers dried yeast, soybean oil, lecithin, potassium chloride, taurine, choline chloride, salt, DL-methionine, pyridoxine hydrochloride, menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite (vitamin K), thiamin mononitrate, d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (natural source vitamin E), cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), ferrous sulfate, inositol, biotin, vitamin A acetate, folic acid, ethoxyquin (a preservative), riboflavin, vitamin B12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, calcium carbonate, nicotinic acid, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, calcium iodate, ferrous carbonate, zinc sulfate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Based on the ingredients:
Poultry by-product meal, ground brown rice, corn gluten meal, dried beet pulp, porcine animal fat preserved with BHA, poultry fat preserved with ethoxyquin
It appears to be a typical high-carb dry food. I would not through it out but use it up like you said.

 

[Heather and Raja (GA)]

If it's dry food you bought at the vet you can return it. I returned a half eaten bag of cat food when I realized wet was the way to go and they took it back without any problem

If it's not something you got at the vet then if it hasn't been opened I'd return it (petsmart will take stuff back without a receipt) If it is opened I'd contact the company and explain your predicament and see if they will reimburse you.

I personally wouldn't feed the dry food at all

 

[squeem3]

If it's dry food you bought at the vet you can return it.

No, the Mazuri brand is not a vet food. It's a special brand that's you either have to order directlyy from the company or be lucky enough to live near a store/dealer that sells it or can order it. Mazuri makes diet for all sorts of exotic animals: exotic cats, aquatic animals, birds of prey, kangaroos, reptiles, etc. This particular dry food, the Small Exotic Feline, is what zoos and other places feed to wild cats.

http://www.mazuri.com

Since I'm on a strictly controlled budget and just spent over $100 on dry cat food, I'm not in a position to switch completely to wet. Plus I don't want to switch cold turkey. So from what I've read here, is this an ok dry food for my civvy cats and for another week or so a side for my diabetic cat.

Link to the page with this information and more... http://www.mazuri.com/PDF/5M54.pdf

Mazuri Small Exotic Feline.

I figured that's what you were feeding :smile:

The ingredients are junky, no different from a cheap brand of commerical dry cat food. All those grains means very high carbs which are not good for any cat, really.

You can temporarily feed your diabetic (and the rest of the cats) a grain-free food such as Innova EVO, Nature's Variety Instinct, or Wellness CORE. Not ideal but if it works for you, then go ahead :smile: I wouldn't feed dry food for more than a week or so. Diet has a such an impact on blood glucose levels. The sooner your diabetic gets on a low carb diet and insulin, the greater the chances for remission are.

Are you still planning on eventually feeding all the cats raw food?

 

[ohbell]

TygerLilly,
I contacted these companies and ask about sending me samples on their foods such as Innova EVO, Nature's Variety Instinct, or Wellness CORE.. The only place that did was Wellness Core and it was only 2 oz I think. But, they all said that wherever you buy them, if kitties dont like them, you can take it back to the store opened even and should be able to get $$ back or at least store credit (petsmart, feedstore). I went further and called the Petsmart I use and the feed store and yes, they would take an opened bag back. Petsmart would issue a store credit and the feedstore would do a refund. I believe the reason is because the companies will reimburse them.
Hopefully the company will let you return due to your situation.