Info Dry Food - PLEASE consider more than just carbohydrate content

[pangie]

Hello, im looking for some I'll with my cats diet. She was diagnosed with diabetes in january and started insulin. I switched her to a wet diet and she gained a lot of weight really fast. The vet wanted me to put her on prescription dry food so I did. She has lost the weight she gained from the wet food, and I feed the amount suggested by the vet but she seems constantly hungry. I feed her twice a day, before each dose of insulin and she eats it immediately and spends the rest if the day jumping up in the table/counters looking for food-she never did that before. I also hadto change how we feed the dog cause she would just go eat the dog food.

Is there an alternative to the hills prescription diet that would help her feel more full? I'm not sure what to do and the vets just tells me the prescription is the best thung for her. Ant tips or advice from experiences you have had would be great. Thanks!

 

[TerriC]

I have 13 cats I just recently lost my favorite boy to mouth Cancer. He also had kidney Disease & FIV but he was 14 & he had a great life. I found the perfect dry food for cats. Its high in protein, 50 - 54% & less than 5% carbs. There are several varieties. There are 2 that are designed for diabetic cats. I have 2 that are diabetic. You can only get it online at youngagainpetfood.com. It's made to have the same nutritional value of a juvenile mouse, which is what they eat in the wild. It will seem pricey but in reality it isn't as expensive as it appears because your cat will eat much less since it's so high in protein. They stay full longer so eat much less. A 25lb bag lasts my 13 cats for a month. I also feed them canned food but only twice a week now. I just can't afford to give 13 cats wet food every day, especially since the wet food I use is also rather expensive. I've done A LOT of research in order to find the healthiest cat food. There are a few canned cat foods that are extremely low in carbs. None are more than 2%. I use Nutro- chunky chicken dinner, WERUVA - Mack& Jack, Asian Fusion, Marbella Paella, & Backyard Grill. These are the ONLY varieties within the brands that are low in carbs & high in protein. All of my 13 cats like at least one of these flavors which says a lot because I have a really hard time finding foods they'll eat. I hope this helps ppl looking for healthy cat foods. The Young Again dry food is perfect for all cats. About 80% of diabetic cats can go off insulin but you have to make sure you don't negate the purpose of the food by feeding high carb wet food & treats. I also have a cat that was prone to UTI's but ever since I've been feeding the YA food, which has been several yrs, zero UTI's.

 

[Marje and Gracie]

I have 13 cats I just recently lost my favorite boy to mouth Cancer. He also had kidney Disease & FIV but he was 14 & he had a great life. I found the perfect dry food for cats. Its high in protein, 50 - 54% & less than 5% carbs. There are several varieties. There are 2 that are designed for diabetic cats. I have 2 that are diabetic. You can only get it online at youngagainpetfood.com. It's made to have the same nutritional value of a juvenile mouse, which is what they eat in the wild. It will seem pricey but in reality it isn't as expensive as it appears because your cat will eat much less since it's so high in protein. They stay full longer so eat much less. A 25lb bag lasts my 13 cats for a month. I also feed them canned food but only twice a week now. I just can't afford to give 13 cats wet food every day, especially since the wet food I use is also rather expensive. I've done A LOT of research in order to find the healthiest cat food. There are a few canned cat foods that are extremely low in carbs. None are more than 2%. I use Nutro- chunky chicken dinner, WERUVA - Mack& Jack, Asian Fusion, Marbella Paella, & Backyard Grill. These are the ONLY varieties within the brands that are low in carbs & high in protein. All of my 13 cats like at least one of these flavors which says a lot because I have a really hard time finding foods they'll eat. I hope this helps ppl looking for healthy cat foods. The Young Again dry food is perfect for all cats. About 80% of diabetic cats can go off insulin but you have to make sure you don't negate the purpose of the food by feeding high carb wet food & treats. I also have a cat that was prone to UTI's but ever since I've been feeding the YA food, which has been several yrs, zero UTI's.

We are all very familiar with Young Again and consider it still to be in the dry food category and not the best choice for diabetics. If you read the very first post by Dr. Lisa, a veterinary feline nutritionist, she addresses YA. Several other posters discuss moldy bags of YA that made their cats sick. Don’t drink the kool-aid on YA

If you read the website Truth About Pet Food, you’ll be shocked at what commercial pet food companies knowingly get away with. Even the ones that are supposed to be “highest quality”. Many companies have replaced carregeenan with gum which is still not a healthy alternative and can contribute to IBD and lymphoma.

It’s why many of us here have switched to homemade raw diets. Cats don’t need the majority of the stuff (to put it nicely) that commercial pet foods put in the food. And it’s not more expensive to feed a balanced raw diet. The makers of EZ Complete premix are, themselves on limited budgets with 13+ cats.

My philosophy is “pay now” by giving a balanced prey model raw diet or “pay later” in vet bills due to IBD, diabetes, urinary tract issues, and/or cancer from commercial foods.

 

[Chelon Nickolette]

Where can I buy this at?

I bought it at Chewy's. It arrives in the mail but I haven't tried it yet.

 

[Patricks]

I feed YA and Dr Elsey dry (after trying all the transition methods and spending hundreds on various canned food) but also make a "soup" from primal freeze dried for breakfast and dinner, each containing probably 2 ounces of water. Are there any actual guidelines on how much water a cat should be consuming daily?

 

[Kitty mom]

I have been feeding my boy YA for 5 years or so. I have never had a problem with it and my guy is still in remission.

 

[AliceR]

Just bought Heart to Tail cat food from Aldi.

Small 3-oz cans

• Gourmet chicken entree: protein 11% fat 5% fiber 1.5% moisture 78% ash 3%, which then according to the calculator would mean 1.5% carbohydrate ingredients in order chicken water animal liver meat by products poultry byproducts natural flavor salt guar gum....
• Cod Sole and shrimp entree: protein 13% fat 2% fiber 1.5% moisture 78% ash 3.5% ingredients cod animal liver meat by products fish water soul shrimp natural flavors guar gum

5.5 oz cans

• Ocean white fish and tuna entree: protein 11% fat 4% fiber 1.5% moisture 78% ash 3.2% ingredients ocean whitefish meat byproducts poultry byproducts water animal liver tuna mackerel guar gum
• Salmon entree: protein 10% fat 5% fiber 1.5% moisture 78% ash 3% ingredients meet by products water salmon poultry byproducts brewers rice natural flavors guar gum

 

[sherrib]

We are all very familiar with Young Again and consider it still to be in the dry food category and not the best choice for diabetics. If you read the very first post by Dr. Lisa, a veterinary feline nutritionist, she addresses YA. Several other posters discuss moldy bags of YA that made their cats sick. Don’t drink the kool-aid on YA

If you read the website Truth About Pet Food, you’ll be shocked at what commercial pet food companies knowingly get away with. Even the ones that are supposed to be “highest quality”. Many companies have replaced carregeenan with gum which is still not a healthy alternative and can contribute to IBD and lymphoma.

It’s why many of us here have switched to homemade raw diets. Cats don’t need the majority of the stuff (to put it nicely) that commercial pet foods put in the food. And it’s not more expensive to feed a balanced raw diet. The makers of EZ Complete premix are, themselves on limited budgets with 13+ cats.

My philosophy is “pay now” by giving a balanced prey model raw diet or “pay later” in vet bills due to IBD, diabetes, urinary tract issues, and/or cancer from commercial foods.

Very well said! Great job on everything, especially “ pay now or “ pay later”

Since, my sugar baby has passed on I’m more determined more than ever to get his brother switched over to Raw/Homemade but he is still NOT having it. They both refused ( I truly believe that contributed to skittles dying ) and now since skittles died, Feisty will only eat beef flavor Fancy Feast. Since he doesn’t have diabetes I stopped buying the pro plan that I had them both on for the last 2 years. I’m worry about Continuing to feed food for a diabetic to a non-diabetic. But like I said he is down to only eating that one flavor of food ( once the pro plan ran out, I switched back to Fancy Feast) . And with all of the stores still having trouble getting shipments of anything in, he actually went 2 days without eating because the stores were sold out of beef flavor. I know feisty is not a diabetic cat and I know I really don’t have any business asking this but if anybody help me out with tips on how to get him switched over to homemade or premix med ( I actually prefer the premade ones but I can just add protein) I would be forever grateful and I am pretty sure skittles would be very happy that you were helping his brother. Feisty is still mourning the death of his brother so bad .... I’m worried about that as well, so concerned that I’m going to make him an appointment with their doctor to talk about what to do and if I need to put him on anti-depressant medication . ( heck, I need some myself to be completely honest)
I don’t want to leave this site, I’ve been A member here and coming here with advice and getting advice since 2008, this place feels like home .
PS
Happy to report that my dog has been fully switched over to premix raw since July 3rd, I’m using Dr Harvey, hoping to be making my own raw soon , but for my life style right now I can only do premix add raw protein .Dr Harvey stopped making cat food though so I’m still on a hunt. Feisty won’t even drink the goat milk made by Answers. Also struck out with Tiki cat raw ( Duck )

 

[sherrib]

I have 13 cats I just recently lost my favorite boy to mouth Cancer. He also had kidney Disease & FIV but he was 14 & he had a great life. I found the perfect dry food for cats. Its high in protein, 50 - 54% & less than 5% carbs. There are several varieties. There are 2 that are designed for diabetic cats. I have 2 that are diabetic. You can only get it online at youngagainpetfood.com. It's made to have the same nutritional value of a juvenile mouse, which is what they eat in the wild. It will seem pricey but in reality it isn't as expensive as it appears because your cat will eat much less since it's so high in protein. They stay full longer so eat much less. A 25lb bag lasts my 13 cats for a month. I also feed them canned food but only twice a week now. I just can't afford to give 13 cats wet food every day, especially since the wet food I use is also rather expensive. I've done A LOT of research in order to find the healthiest cat food. There are a few canned cat foods that are extremely low in carbs. None are more than 2%. I use Nutro- chunky chicken dinner, WERUVA - Mack& Jack, Asian Fusion, Marbella Paella, & Backyard Grill. These are the ONLY varieties within the brands that are low in carbs & high in protein. All of my 13 cats like at least one of these flavors which says a lot because I have a really hard time finding foods they'll eat. I hope this helps ppl looking for healthy cat foods. The Young Again dry food is perfect for all cats. About 80% of diabetic cats can go off insulin but you have to make sure you don't negate the purpose of the food by feeding high carb wet food & treats. I also have a cat that was prone to UTI's but ever since I've been feeding the YA food, which has been several yrs, zero UTI's.

Unfortunately dry food is The worst food to have a cat on. Cats have a natural low thirst drive and they will never get the amount of fluid their body needs from eating dry food only. Even if they were to drink 10 bottles of water a day but it’s still not gonna be enough because cats are designed to get their fluid from their food. Dr Lisa explains this a lot better then I can, please look on the site and read about dry food.... it’s a real eye opener! I’m guilty of feeding dry food my entire life until I read Dr. lisa explanation. My non diabetic has not drank water since 2015 because he gets all the fluid his body needs from his can food. He did drink the day he got home after dental surgery and then again one more day after he had been throwing up and had diarrhea the day before. Other than those 2 times I swear to you he has not drank water. I’ve had to move 4 times within 3 years so he has had 3 different vets, all of them know he only eats canned food and all of them now that he has not drank any water and none of them were concerned at all because of the food that he eats and because they know cats get fluid from food ( AKA prey) just like you said they get all they need in the wild by eating juvenile mice. Think about the larger felines ( lions, tigers ) they don’t have a steady supply of water because they live in deserts, they get all of their fluid intake required from eating their prey. And I to have known a lot of people get bad food from that company.
Thank you for your time

 

[sherrib]

I feed YA and Dr Elsey dry (after trying all the transition methods and spending hundreds on various canned food) but also make a "soup" from primal freeze dried for breakfast and dinner, each containing probably 2 ounces of water. Are there any actual guidelines on how much water a cat should be consuming daily?

My non diabetic has not drank water since 2015, he gets all the fluid his body needs from his can food. He just had new bloodwork in April, all was really good. Even his kidneys ( he is 15 years old )
Probably longer then 2015, I just say that year because that’s when I starting noticing that I was having to fill the water bowl up a lot less because I moved and went from having 4 cats to 2 cats and my diabetic cat was the only one drinking and I was measuring his water intake ( Long story short, that’s the year that I finally realized that he was not drinking water anymore )

 

[Critter Mom]

Hi there,

Are there any actual guidelines on how much water a cat should be consuming daily?

Bit late to the party on this question, but just in case you didn't get it answered elsewhere as a rough guide a 10lb cat ideally needs about 300ml water per day. If you're feeding a wet diet then if you track the amount of food your kitty eats for a few days then you can use the moisture % on the food label and weight of food consumed to calculate how much water your kitty is getting via their food. (If you can't find the moisture content on the wet food label then work on the guide that most wet foods contain about 70% moisture.)


Mogs
.

 

[Pabs&Ro]

I recently found katovit diabetes wet pouches. Does anyone have experience of it?

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

katovit diabetes wet pouches

They look to be too high in carbs for a diabetic at about 17%

Most of the foods that say "diabetes" on them are really not good for them. We have the same problem in the US.

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

I recently found katovit diabetes wet pouches. Does anyone have experience of it?

Is it the food linked to below from Bitiba? If so, it calculates at just under 13.2% cals from carbs.
https://www.bitiba.co.uk/shop/cats/canned_cat_food_pouches/kattovit/sensitive/493282

Here is a list of some UK foods that should be below 10%
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1J5JpMe6TDXrHq_aTl9hUtHy6Gs9oRBqlz4nPGKxtySA/pubhtml

And if you find a UK (or European) food that isn't on that list you can use this simple online calculator to calculate the % of cals from carbs:
https://secure.balanceit.com/tools/_gaconverter/index.php

Eliz

 

[ThommysMommy]

Thank you for the great post Dr.Lisa!

One of my cats was a kibble addict at the time I adopted him & after trail & error the method I had the most success with transitioning him to wet food was to slowly add water & eventually wet food to his kibble.

Im sharing the method that I used below incase someone else who's having a hard time transitioning might be able to find it helpful.

Transitioning by Slowly Adding Water & Wet Food to Kibble

1. On day 1, I started adding a very small amount of water to his food, just enough to moisten the kibble
2. The next day I'd double the amount of water and so on for each day (However, If I increased the amount of water to fast hed turn his nose up at it).
3. After a few days I started adding a very small amount of the meat chunks from a can of wet food to the kibble\water mix
4. Each day after, I would slowly increase the amount of wet food\water while decreasing the kibble at an amount equal to the wet food.

Eventually he was eating chunky, shredded & pate wet food. The odd thing was that it ended up that he'd prefer the canned food when I had added water to it (where it was like soup).

Prior to this method, I tried to do a similar method but without the water & he wouldn't touch the food. He was the hardest & pickiest to transition out of any cat that I have transitioned. I remember felling frustrated by his reluctance & confused by his super finicky preferences a lot, but luckily we eventually I found the method above & it worked for him.

 

[Shorty]

The worst wet food, is 1000% better, than the best dry food... for a cat. Do whatever it takes.

 

[Colleen Canaday]

Hello, im looking for some I'll with my cats diet. She was diagnosed with diabetes in january and started insulin. I switched her to a wet diet and she gained a lot of weight really fast. The vet wanted me to put her on prescription dry food so I did. She has lost the weight she gained from the wet food, and I feed the amount suggested by the vet but she seems constantly hungry. I feed her twice a day, before each dose of insulin and she eats it immediately and spends the rest if the day jumping up in the table/counters looking for food-she never did that before. I also hadto change how we feed the dog cause she would just go eat the dog food.

Is there an alternative to the hills prescription diet that would help her feel more full? I'm not sure what to do and the vets just tells me the prescription is the best thung for her. Ant tips or advice from experiences you have had would be great. Thanks!

Maybe try three to four smaller meals per day. My sugar Kitty is always hungry that's what I had to do. I hope this helps.

 

[GioC]

Thank you for this... This is so true and something everyone should be told.

I had 2 cats adopt me about 8 years ago and I have taken them in and looking after them. One of them is a tri-paw (due to cancer in the back leg) and doesn't get about as much as the other.

One of my biggest mistakes was giving them dry cat food. Even though it was a good brand, one never really thinks of the implications until issues come along.

I have since switched both cats to Lilys Kitchen, wet cat food, sometimes add a little fresh organic chicken (to higher the protein content even more), and also an extra teaspoon of water.

The vet has suggested Hills M/D tinned cat food but I am not really happy giving him food with a carbohydrate content of 13.1%.

As for transitioning, this is definitely A MUST, do it slowly if you have to but no excuses for not, and I would never go back to giving them all dry foods as I have seen how they improve on the wet foods.

 

[Scarlette & Fluffy]

You old timers know that I used to frequently post the link to Opie's story and I am very grateful to all of you who have picked up the baton and continue to remind newbies that diet is NOT just about carbohydrates but it is also about WATER.

Opie's story - suffering from a urethral obstruction

Yes, I truly am shouting.

I can't think of anything else that causes me as much emotional pain as seeing a cat suffering/dying from a urethral obstruction which in probably well over 95% of all cases is caused by humans and their love affair with dry food.

It pains me to read about Young Again Zero Carb or any other low-carb DRY food that come about when people get so focused on only the carb content of the food........and they neglect to keep in mind that a cat's urinary tract is much healthier when there is plenty of water flowing through it.

A cat on wet food consumes double the amount of water compared to a cat on dry food when all sources (food + water bowl) are considered. More water in => more water running through the kidneys and bladder to flush out debris (crystals, mucus, blood, protein, white blood cells, etc.) that could potentially lead to an obstructed urethra.

Feeding a low carb dry food as a treat is no big deal. What I am talking about is when people think that ANY dry food is a healthy substitute for a water-rich diet of either canned or homemade.

I would be beyond wealthy if I had a dime for every time someone said "but my cat won't eat canned food" or...."but my cat loves his crunchies!" (Oh how I hate that word "crunchies" to describe a food format that often causes such tremendous suffering.)

Or...."but my cat drinks a lot of water" which neglects to recognize a cat's inherent low thirst drive and the fact that they do consume more water when on a wet diet.

And, no doubt, some people will throw rocks at me but I will also say that in so many cases (but not all....), the human has simply not tried hard enough...they have not implemented enough tricks or the right ones....and have given up far too quickly.

Believe me, I know that there are some die-hard dry food addicts on this planet having dealt with my own cats (7 back in 2002 when I started the transition) + some stubborn foster cats which were all awful dry food addicts that did not even recognized wet food as food. It was a nightmare to get them all switched but all I had to do was think about the screams in agony of a cat with a blocked urethra and that was all I needed to stay the course.

Please see Tips for Transitioning Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food

I want to make it clear that I am not unsympathetic to the stress that a diabetic cat caregiver goes through.....which is seriously compounded when faced with a dry food addict. Quite frankly, you all amaze me with your dedication when so many people simply euthanize their cats when hearing the diagnosis of "diabetes."

However, I also hate to see a cat caregiver add more problems to their cat's 'plate' by contributing to urinary tract problems due to being fed a water-depleted diet.

Opie's obstruction: His medical costs came to $4,350. Ouch. Urethral obstructions are not cheap ($2K is not uncommon) and, again, they cause a tremendous amount of suffering.

Other urinary tract problems are also expensive. It can cost ~$200 just to run a culture and sensitivity to prove that an infection actually exists for supposed "UTIs" which is an acronym that should never be used. People should state "UT INFECTION" (as proved by a culture & sensitivity) or UT INFLAMMATION" but never just "UTI" which simply leads to antibiotic abuse.

See Urinary Tract Diseases for more information.

I often hear people using the excuse that they are gone for 12 hours at a time as a reason for leaving dry food out. Canned food can be left out for 12 hours at a time. See my post below that discusses leaving out a good portion of the 12 hour needs in a frozen chunk to prolong freshness. I also do this every night in my house when I go to bed. 25% of their overnight needs are left out at room temperature or cold out of the refrigerator and 75% is left out as a frozen chunk.

Again, I want to thank all of you wet-food proponents for keeping at this mission to remind people that the water content of the diet is truly a critical component to feeding cats. I don't think you realize how much your help in this area is preventing further suffering of cats by keeping them from ending up with ruptured bladders.

The vet that originally diagnosed my kitty with FD strongly recommended that I do not take him off of dry food that they had dry foods that were low carb when I was expressing that I wanted him to go on a wet food diet or if possible a raw food diet and he spoke down to me and it was ridiculous the way I was treated and I never went back.

 

[Ozma]

You old timers know that I used to frequently post the link to Opie's story and I am very grateful to all of you who have picked up the baton and continue to remind newbies that diet is NOT just about carbohydrates but it is also about WATER.

Opie's story - suffering from a urethral obstruction

Yes, I truly am shouting.

I can't think of anything else that causes me as much emotional pain as seeing a cat suffering/dying from a urethral obstruction which in probably well over 95% of all cases is caused by humans and their love affair with dry food.

It pains me to read about Young Again Zero Carb or any other low-carb DRY food that come about when people get so focused on only the carb content of the food........and they neglect to keep in mind that a cat's urinary tract is much healthier when there is plenty of water flowing through it.

A cat on wet food consumes double the amount of water compared to a cat on dry food when all sources (food + water bowl) are considered. More water in => more water running through the kidneys and bladder to flush out debris (crystals, mucus, blood, protein, white blood cells, etc.) that could potentially lead to an obstructed urethra.

Feeding a low carb dry food as a treat is no big deal. What I am talking about is when people think that ANY dry food is a healthy substitute for a water-rich diet of either canned or homemade.

I would be beyond wealthy if I had a dime for every time someone said "but my cat won't eat canned food" or...."but my cat loves his crunchies!" (Oh how I hate that word "crunchies" to describe a food format that often causes such tremendous suffering.)

Or...."but my cat drinks a lot of water" which neglects to recognize a cat's inherent low thirst drive and the fact that they do consume more water when on a wet diet.

And, no doubt, some people will throw rocks at me but I will also say that in so many cases (but not all....), the human has simply not tried hard enough...they have not implemented enough tricks or the right ones....and have given up far too quickly.

Believe me, I know that there are some die-hard dry food addicts on this planet having dealt with my own cats (7 back in 2002 when I started the transition) + some stubborn foster cats which were all awful dry food addicts that did not even recognized wet food as food. It was a nightmare to get them all switched but all I had to do was think about the screams in agony of a cat with a blocked urethra and that was all I needed to stay the course.

Please see Tips for Transitioning Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food

I want to make it clear that I am not unsympathetic to the stress that a diabetic cat caregiver goes through.....which is seriously compounded when faced with a dry food addict. Quite frankly, you all amaze me with your dedication when so many people simply euthanize their cats when hearing the diagnosis of "diabetes."

However, I also hate to see a cat caregiver add more problems to their cat's 'plate' by contributing to urinary tract problems due to being fed a water-depleted diet.

Opie's obstruction: His medical costs came to $4,350. Ouch. Urethral obstructions are not cheap ($2K is not uncommon) and, again, they cause a tremendous amount of suffering.

Other urinary tract problems are also expensive. It can cost ~$200 just to run a culture and sensitivity to prove that an infection actually exists for supposed "UTIs" which is an acronym that should never be used. People should state "UT INFECTION" (as proved by a culture & sensitivity) or UT INFLAMMATION" but never just "UTI" which simply leads to antibiotic abuse.

See Urinary Tract Diseases for more information.

I often hear people using the excuse that they are gone for 12 hours at a time as a reason for leaving dry food out. Canned food can be left out for 12 hours at a time. See my post below that discusses leaving out a good portion of the 12 hour needs in a frozen chunk to prolong freshness. I also do this every night in my house when I go to bed. 25% of their overnight needs are left out at room temperature or cold out of the refrigerator and 75% is left out as a frozen chunk.

Again, I want to thank all of you wet-food proponents for keeping at this mission to remind people that the water content of the diet is truly a critical component to feeding cats. I don't think you realize how much your help in this area is preventing further suffering of cats by keeping them from ending up with ruptured bladders.

Any advice for switching a dry food addict to wet food? My cat, Jinx, refuses to eat anything but dry food and I'm worried she will have a hypoglycemic episode if she doesnt eat for two long and gets too low. Any help would be appreciated..

 

[James Passinos]

Tiki Cat® Born Carnivore™ Deboned Chicken & Egg

Try to find the carb count. using the Calc it comes out to 18% but that seems too high

 

[SasquatchLove]

You old timers know that I used to frequently post the link to Opie's story and I am very grateful to all of you who have picked up the baton and continue to remind newbies that diet is NOT just about carbohydrates but it is also about WATER.

Opie's story - suffering from a urethral obstruction

Yes, I truly am shouting.

I can't think of anything else that causes me as much emotional pain as seeing a cat suffering/dying from a urethral obstruction which in probably well over 95% of all cases is caused by humans and their love affair with dry food.

It pains me to read about Young Again Zero Carb or any other low-carb DRY food that come about when people get so focused on only the carb content of the food........and they neglect to keep in mind that a cat's urinary tract is much healthier when there is plenty of water flowing through it.

A cat on wet food consumes double the amount of water compared to a cat on dry food when all sources (food + water bowl) are considered. More water in => more water running through the kidneys and bladder to flush out debris (crystals, mucus, blood, protein, white blood cells, etc.) that could potentially lead to an obstructed urethra.

Feeding a low carb dry food as a treat is no big deal. What I am talking about is when people think that ANY dry food is a healthy substitute for a water-rich diet of either canned or homemade.

I would be beyond wealthy if I had a dime for every time someone said "but my cat won't eat canned food" or...."but my cat loves his crunchies!" (Oh how I hate that word "crunchies" to describe a food format that often causes such tremendous suffering.)

Or...."but my cat drinks a lot of water" which neglects to recognize a cat's inherent low thirst drive and the fact that they do consume more water when on a wet diet.

And, no doubt, some people will throw rocks at me but I will also say that in so many cases (but not all....), the human has simply not tried hard enough...they have not implemented enough tricks or the right ones....and have given up far too quickly.

Believe me, I know that there are some die-hard dry food addicts on this planet having dealt with my own cats (7 back in 2002 when I started the transition) + some stubborn foster cats which were all awful dry food addicts that did not even recognized wet food as food. It was a nightmare to get them all switched but all I had to do was think about the screams in agony of a cat with a blocked urethra and that was all I needed to stay the course.

Please see Tips for Transitioning Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food

I want to make it clear that I am not unsympathetic to the stress that a diabetic cat caregiver goes through.....which is seriously compounded when faced with a dry food addict. Quite frankly, you all amaze me with your dedication when so many people simply euthanize their cats when hearing the diagnosis of "diabetes."

However, I also hate to see a cat caregiver add more problems to their cat's 'plate' by contributing to urinary tract problems due to being fed a water-depleted diet.

Opie's obstruction: His medical costs came to $4,350. Ouch. Urethral obstructions are not cheap ($2K is not uncommon) and, again, they cause a tremendous amount of suffering.

Other urinary tract problems are also expensive. It can cost ~$200 just to run a culture and sensitivity to prove that an infection actually exists for supposed "UTIs" which is an acronym that should never be used. People should state "UT INFECTION" (as proved by a culture & sensitivity) or UT INFLAMMATION" but never just "UTI" which simply leads to antibiotic abuse

See Urinary Tract Diseases for more information.

I often hear people using the excuse that they are gone for 12 hours at a time as a reason for leaving dry food out. Canned food can be left out for 12 hours at a time. See my post below that discusses leaving out a good portion of the 12 hour needs in a frozen chunk to prolong freshness. I also do this every night in my house when I go to bed. 25% of their overnight needs are left out at room temperature or cold out of the refrigerator and 75% is left out as a frozen chunk.

Again, I want to thank all of you wet-food proponents for keeping at this mission to remind people that the water content of the diet is truly a critical component to feeding cats. I don't think you realize how much your help in this area is preventing further suffering of cats by keeping them from ending up with ruptured bladders.

HI, I have been feeding Sasquatch only canned food for a while now. Currently, I am concerned about his weight loss. He is 15 years old, Diabetic and Thyroid Disease. Maybe it's par for the course. His BG has maintained a mid to low 80's without insulin, and a diet of Pro Plan DM canned. Knock on wood - he does not have any urinary issues. I add a little water to his canned food to be sure he stays well hydrated. I am giving him dry food periodically, as long as his BG in maintained, hoping he will put on a couple pounds. Recently, he doesn't seem to each much at any time. I chalk this up to a jaw/facial injury he had as a kitten and may have some arthritic issues. I would love to leave food out. Unless I separate my 2 cats, I am unable to. My young 3 yr old cat, Josie, does have urinary issues and is on CD. They always want to eat each other's food.....the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, right ? I do feed them frequently while I am at home. It's only 2 days a week that I am gone for 12 hours. I welcome any & all suggestions. I will be taking Sas to the vet this week for a follow up. I will inquire about his arthritic jaw and chondroitin or something similar. As every one of you know, facing the later senior years of our fur babies is difficult. I focus on giving him the best years of his life, from the beginning and always.

I want to Thank You for your post. I have been focusing solely on Sasquatch on this forum. As I have been writing my response, I have come to realize I am one of those 'old timers' and have been giving Josie only dry food. Starting today, I will be giving her canned CD as well. She has had some behavioral issues. Possibly changing her diet may alleviate some of those issues as well as prevent her any further urinary issues.

Again, Thank You !!!

 

[manxcat419]

HI, I have been feeding Sasquatch only canned food for a while now. Currently, I am concerned about his weight loss. He is 15 years old, Diabetic and Thyroid Disease.

Is he on medication for his thyroid and have you checked his levels recently? With weight loss in a cat that eats and is known to have hyperthyroidism, loss of control of the thyroid level is top of the list for reasons for the weight loss.

 

[SasquatchLove]

Is he on medication for his thyroid and have you checked his levels recently? With weight loss in a cat that eats and is known to have hyperthyroidism, loss of control of the thyroid level is top of the list for reasons for the weight loss.

Hi April, Yes, Sasquatch is on Thyroid medicine. I plan on taking him to the vet next week for a checkup and to update his labs. Fingers crossed there hasn't been any severe changes or anything new.

Is there a current "best food list' available on this forum ? Thanks !

 

[manxcat419]

Is there a current "best food list' available on this forum ? Thanks !

I think most people still use the list at catinfo.org. If I remember right, Hill's A/d is pretty low carb despite being a critical nutrition/high calorie food. You might ask your vet if they think that would help him to gain a little weight back.

Hi April, Yes, Sasquatch is on Thyroid medicine. I plan on taking him to the vet next week for a checkup and to update his labs. Fingers crossed there hasn't been any severe changes or anything new.

He may just need a little adjustment in his thyroid meds - it's usual for the dose to need to be increased gradually as time goes on, so with any luck it will be that simple and you'll be able to get him back to normal (and gaining a little weight) very soon.

 

[Nicole- Spicy Sushi]

Sushi is not a wet food hater by any means but she has early CKD and I have been having a hard time finding something she will eat that’s low carb and low phosphorus. She does love her Young Again Zero Mature which fits the bill so I’ve been running it through a blender with water. Is this ok? She doesn’t love it as much this way but I do notice she drinks less as opposed to when eating it dry

 

[manxcat419]

If it's all she'll eat, then you feed what she'll eat and handle things around it. However, if she'll eat higher phosphorus wet food, you could always add a phosphorus binder if her level gets too high - that's absolutely an option, and one that many of us have had to use. Personally, I would not add water to dry food this way - dry food goes bad very quickly if it's mixed with water and left out. You may need to introduce sub-q fluids a little earlier than expected if she only eats dry food, but that's not the worst thing in the world either.

 

[Nicole- Spicy Sushi]

If it's all she'll eat, then you feed what she'll eat and handle things around it. However, if she'll eat higher phosphorus wet food, you could always add a phosphorus binder if her level gets too high - that's absolutely an option, and one that many of us have had to use. Personally, I would not add water to dry food this way - dry food goes bad very quickly if it's mixed with water and left out. You may need to introduce sub-q fluids a little earlier than expected if she only eats dry food, but that's not the worst thing in the world either.

Thank you! I am only blending a days worth at a time and leave it in the fridge. I’m home all day so I give her small meals frequently and take up what she doesn’t eat within an hour but that’s still a concern. She loves her FF pate and opening a can is a lot easier than what I’m currently doing lol. Her last bloods said her phosphorus level was 6 which concerns me. I also don’t like that FF sneaks fish into all their poultry flavors but I don’t want her to stop eating as she just had pancreatitis. I keep trying to get her to eat the Weruva BFF play pate but she’s very meh about it. Do you have a binder you could recommend?

 

[manxcat419]

I've only ever used aluminum hydroxide binder, so that's the one I would generally turn to if I needed one for one of our cats. You also have to consider that Epakitin, which is the other popular option, can only reduce the level by 30-40% maximum, so as time goes on it may not be enough especially if her level is already at 6 (in the early stages of CKD, you want it at 4.5 or lower). Epakitin might work for you for now, but she's already close to the limit of what it can do effectively.

Also, I would not get into a battle with her over food. If she does well on FF, go with that and use the binder. Food is one of the pleasures in our cat's lives. Sure, we might be able to get them to eat something they don't like as much, but we also have to remember quality over quantity when it comes to their lives.

 

[Nicole- Spicy Sushi]

I absolutely agree I do not want to take away what she’s enjoying! Can blood phosphorus levels ever decrease or is it at this point more of a matter of preventing it from increasing? Thank you so much for your help

 

[manxcat419]

Pretty much anything can change over time, but it's more usual for phosphorus levels to gradually increase if not controlled.

 

[Ally and Parent]

Where can I buy this at?

Chewys internet site.

 

[Maya and Avi]

Hi all! I am new to the page and have already learned so much. I have had Avi for the past year as a foster cat and am in the process of adopting and trying to navigate financial costs of owning a diabetic cat. Switching from an organization deciding everything to myself deciding everything has lead to a lot of quick learning!

He is currently on 3U of lantus twice a day (already have learned alot about saving costs with buying insulin from Canada...yayyy!)
1/2 can of Purina DM wet and 1/4 cup of Purina DM dry twice a day

I would really like to switch his food, partially because I would love to eliminate dry, but also would like a cheaper option. Currently, cost will be $115-$150 a month for food (sooo expensive, and from what I am learning, not super great for him).

I am having difficulty deciphering what wet food I could transition him to, can I really switch to Friskies classic pate? Any other specific food recommendations, are there brands folks love/hate? Would appreciate any guidance! (also, will be doing pretty constant curves during transition as my assumption is he will need less insulin!)

 

[Katsallday]

Hi all! I am new to the page and have already learned so much. I have had Avi for the past year as a foster cat and am in the process of adopting and trying to navigate financial costs of owning a diabetic cat. Switching from an organization deciding everything to myself deciding everything has lead to a lot of quick learning!

He is currently on 3U of lantus twice a day (already have learned alot about saving costs with buying insulin from Canada...yayyy!)
1/2 can of Purina DM wet and 1/4 cup of Purina DM dry twice a day

I would really like to switch his food, partially because I would love to eliminate dry, but also would like a cheaper option. Currently, cost will be $115-$150 a month for food (sooo expensive, and from what I am learning, not super great for him).

I am having difficulty deciphering what wet food I could transition him to, can I really switch to Friskies classic pate? Any other specific food recommendations, are there brands folks love/hate? Would appreciate any guidance! (also, will be doing pretty constant curves during transition as my assumption is he will need less insulin!)

Yes agree on ditching the dry! I personally feed my diabetics fancy feast pates. It is true! They are better than DM for a diabetic! Crazy right? I have one in remission, one on the way to remission, and one I just started on. I foster, I swear it's not something in my water lol! Try out fancy feast! That way you don't have to fumble with half a can at a time per feeding. I feed a whole can 4x a day. Yes that means I give out 12 cans a day. My house is wild though. Good luck! I'd love to see you start a thread in the main forum to keep up with your new changes

 

[.:. in.active .:.]

I haven't read the entire thread, but I'd like to chime in (pun intended) as I think it is fitting.
Although I have been feeding all of my cats a mixed diet for 10+ years, they were always more fond to wet food, which is fine.
However, due to this (and admittedly my own negligence) they have developed dental issues. One of them had surgery to remove all her top teeth (Stage 4 periodontal), whilst my other one's teeth (Stage 3 periodontal) were saved by the vet, scraping the tartar off somehow on a regular check-up with her nails, without putting him under (saving me about £1,000 may I add).
Anyhow, after doing some digging, I have changed their dry food to Dental Kibbles, predominantly to Royal Canin, to prevent further dental issues. I was very very happy, because they all seemed to love it, which is a god sent in a multiply cat household, where all seem to be fussy eaters and obviously liking different foods than one another. I don't know whether there is some sort of cat crack baked into them, but rest assured, even the now toothless girl (12) would munch on the kibbles. My youngest boy (8) who had no dental issues previously, would pay the same attention to both the kibbles and wet food, however, my gay boy (10) with the saved teeth, would inhale pretty much only the dry dental food, seldom touching wet food anymore. (All of them are drinking enough though, I kept a close eye on that.)
Amazing news, teeth are safe, cats are fed, everyone's happy and content, right?! WRONG!

I changed them over on the 7th of November 2022. Only four and a half months later, my neutered 10yo boy was diagnosed with diabetes on the 21st of March 2023.

Coincidence? I don't think so.

 

[manxcat419]

Coincidence? I don't think so.

Yes and no. There has to be a genetic predisposition to diabetes already there. However, if a cat is genetically predisposed, and is already pre-diabetic (which you might not know if he only ever ate low carb wet food), then kibble could act as a trigger for the predisposition. However, diet cannot and does not cause diabetes in and of itself.

 

[.:. in.active .:.]

They were all fed cheap, store's own brand dry and wet food, and I doubt they'd make any effort to make those super healthy and/or low carb for them. (Upon his diagnosis I've also just realised that in the UK no brand specifically state carb content on their cat food?! Or it might just be me, but I can't seem to find it on anything, not even on diabetic pet food?!)
But you're right, I wouldn't know whether he had any underlying health issues or perhaps was prediabetic for a while, but I'm certain it was a key factor for him becoming poorly.
One of my other cats regularly threw up on said dental kibbles. He'd go crazy for them too, but without fail would barf it back up on the daily basis.

I guess I'm just convinced now, that that thing is the devil

 

[manxcat419]

No brand in the US states carb content either - it always has to be calculated as it isn't a critical value like protein or fat. With the throwing up - did you switch the food gradually? Seeing stomach upset from a sudden change of any type of diet is common and is because of the change, not because of the diet itself. With that said, if a diet isn't working for your cats, it's not worth forcing the issue to try to avoid dentals...most cats need dental work sooner or later even with a dental diet, so while the dental kibble can help it isn't a certain solution.

 

[.:. in.active .:.]

Oh I had no idea, I was in the belief that on your end carb content is listed, my bad! I find this so misleading, because carbohydrate is one of the three main macronutrients, and is a predominantly utilised energy source, by humans, that is. Granted cats are different and they do not need it, nor can their system break it down properly, I just find it somehow infuriating that it is, unlikely to labels on human foods, is not listed on pet foods. It's like certain companies pry on this, and pump pet food with unnecessary additives and sugars, because they know it's "hidden". Makes me associate it with an agenda similar to big pharma's, but let's not open that can of worms.

With that said, I did feed them cheap food for years, I was utterly oblivious that it could/would affect their health so much. (Again, it should have been obvious, and admittedly I've been beating myself up about it on the daily basis since the various diagnoses they've been receiving lately e.g. the dental, diabetes... Feeling like the worst pet mum ever.)

Yes, of course, I've transitioned them slowly. None of the other two had GI issues on the dental kibbles, only one of them. The one that never otherwise throws up. When you have three for 10+ years, and clean up many poops and pukes, you can differentiate between which is who's (yes, gross, I know, haha!), besides, none of my three ever had GI issues, not before, not after, they mainly just bring up hairball, grass, or the diabetic one bile amps, but that is under control now too, since he's eating better :knocks on wood:

We did ditch the kibbles completely now, but I have to admit, it did do wonders for their teeth. And in all fairness, I definitely rather deal with dental cleanings in the future than three diabetic cats! (Although I was taught by the vet how to break off built-up tartar at home, doubt I'd ever have the courage to do so... I value my life to some extent, to not chance doing such thing on my own )

 

[manxcat419]

My approach to cat food in general is a little different from most of the opinions you'll find on the internet. As a licensed vet tech, my training on nutrition has always been to focus on the macro- and micro-nutrient content of foods rather than on specific ingredients. It's a different way of looking at things, but it does work well. But yes, it is a little frustrating that carb content isn't listed on any pet foods internationally. For most pets, it's not much of an issue of course - even our cats have alternate pathways for processing carbs. While it was thought at one point that they can't process them at all because their digestive enzymes differ from ours, that has since been found not to be accurate although I'm not sure how far that information has made it around the internet. So, for me, cheap doesn't always mean "no good". And please, don't beat yourself up. My Rosa and her twin Regan were fed only high end food and both still developed serious health issues. Sadly, it's the nature of life - we all know that person who can eat junk food all day, yet is in perfect health. And others who eat a healthy diet, exercise etc yet still develop serious health problems as they get older. Cats are the same. Just because a cat is fed a particular food, or lives in a particular environment, but then develops one of the illnesses that cats are genetically prone to doesn't mean you caused the illness.

Yes, of course, I've transitioned them slowly. None of the other two had GI issues on the dental kibbles, only one of them. The one that never otherwise throws up. When you have three for 10+ years, and clean up many poops and pukes, you can differentiate between which is who's (yes, gross, I know, haha!), besides, none of my three ever had GI issues, not before, not after, they mainly just bring up hairball, grass, or the diabetic one bile amps, but that is under control now too, since he's eating better :knocks on wood:

I always ask. It's my training - we ask the questions that we know most people are aware of just to make sure. I try not to assume people will know what might seem obvious to me, while also knowing that with some things most people actually do know. No offense intended.

I wouldn't attempt any dental work on any of my own cats at home...and I'm someone who often does the entire dental once a cat is under anesthesia! Like you, I'd like to have my fingers still attached and sticking them in a cat's mouth and poking around is a fairly certain way to get bitten sooner or later! Dentals aren't the worst thing that can happen for a cat - none of mine get them every year because I don't really want to put them under once a year unless it's truly needed, but if they need one I'll make it happen.

 

[.:. in.active .:.]

I hear you. It's also funny that as a (human) nutritionist, I look at (human) food and labels differently too, which being the exact reason I should have known better when it comes to cat food too. But we learn, and move.

And you're right, once I started to use the converter, and looking at the numbers, I was in shock, that certain big brand foods labelled as "diabetic" have actually more carb content, than some cheap, store's own brand ones

 

[manxcat419]

And yet (and this may be shocking to many) I have personally worked with a number of cats who went into remission on those very same diabetic foods. Diabetes in cats, and I suspect in humans too although you would have far more knowledge than me of that, isn't a one-size-fits-all condition. There are many different solutions and the key is to find a solution that works for your individual cat and that you are also comfortable with.

 

[Tiggy's Mom]

You old timers know that I used to frequently post the link to Opie's story and I am very grateful to all of you who have picked up the baton and continue to remind newbies that diet is NOT just about carbohydrates but it is also about WATER.

Opie's story - suffering from a urethral obstruction

Yes, I truly am shouting.

I can't think of anything else that causes me as much emotional pain as seeing a cat suffering/dying from a urethral obstruction which in probably well over 95% of all cases is caused by humans and their love affair with dry food.

It pains me to read about Young Again Zero Carb or any other low-carb DRY food that come about when people get so focused on only the carb content of the food........and they neglect to keep in mind that a cat's urinary tract is much healthier when there is plenty of water flowing through it.

A cat on wet food consumes double the amount of water compared to a cat on dry food when all sources (food + water bowl) are considered. More water in => more water running through the kidneys and bladder to flush out debris (crystals, mucus, blood, protein, white blood cells, etc.) that could potentially lead to an obstructed urethra.

Feeding a low carb dry food as a treat is no big deal. What I am talking about is when people think that ANY dry food is a healthy substitute for a water-rich diet of either canned or homemade.

I would be beyond wealthy if I had a dime for every time someone said "but my cat won't eat canned food" or...."but my cat loves his crunchies!" (Oh how I hate that word "crunchies" to describe a food format that often causes such tremendous suffering.)

Or...."but my cat drinks a lot of water" which neglects to recognize a cat's inherent low thirst drive and the fact that they do consume more water when on a wet diet.

And, no doubt, some people will throw rocks at me but I will also say that in so many cases (but not all....), the human has simply not tried hard enough...they have not implemented enough tricks or the right ones....and have given up far too quickly.

Believe me, I know that there are some die-hard dry food addicts on this planet having dealt with my own cats (7 back in 2002 when I started the transition) + some stubborn foster cats which were all awful dry food addicts that did not even recognized wet food as food. It was a nightmare to get them all switched but all I had to do was think about the screams in agony of a cat with a blocked urethra and that was all I needed to stay the course.

Please see Tips for Transitioning Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food

I want to make it clear that I am not unsympathetic to the stress that a diabetic cat caregiver goes through.....which is seriously compounded when faced with a dry food addict. Quite frankly, you all amaze me with your dedication when so many people simply euthanize their cats when hearing the diagnosis of "diabetes."

However, I also hate to see a cat caregiver add more problems to their cat's 'plate' by contributing to urinary tract problems due to being fed a water-depleted diet.

Opie's obstruction: His medical costs came to $4,350. Ouch. Urethral obstructions are not cheap ($2K is not uncommon) and, again, they cause a tremendous amount of suffering.

Other urinary tract problems are also expensive. It can cost ~$200 just to run a culture and sensitivity to prove that an infection actually exists for supposed "UTIs" which is an acronym that should never be used. People should state "UT INFECTION" (as proved by a culture & sensitivity) or UT INFLAMMATION" but never just "UTI" which simply leads to antibiotic abuse.

See Urinary Tract Diseases for more information.

I often hear people using the excuse that they are gone for 12 hours at a time as a reason for leaving dry food out. Canned food can be left out for 12 hours at a time. See my post below that discusses leaving out a good portion of the 12 hour needs in a frozen chunk to prolong freshness. I also do this every night in my house when I go to bed. 25% of their overnight needs are left out at room temperature or cold out of the refrigerator and 75% is left out as a frozen chunk.

Again, I want to thank all of you wet-food proponents for keeping at this mission to remind people that the water content of the diet is truly a critical component to feeding cats. I don't think you realize how much your help in this area is preventing further suffering of cats by keeping them from ending up with ruptured bladders.

I actually add warm water to my cats wet food and make it like a thick soup. They love it!
They do still eat their kibble during the day but they get two wet meals a day, morning and evening.

 

[CORKY]

You old timers know that I used to frequently post the link to Opie's story and I am very grateful to all of you who have picked up the baton and continue to remind newbies that diet is NOT just about carbohydrates but it is also about WATER.

Opie's story - suffering from a urethral obstruction

Yes, I truly am shouting.

I can't think of anything else that causes me as much emotional pain as seeing a cat suffering/dying from a urethral obstruction which in probably well over 95% of all cases is caused by humans and their love affair with dry food.

It pains me to read about Young Again Zero Carb or any other low-carb DRY food that come about when people get so focused on only the carb content of the food........and they neglect to keep in mind that a cat's urinary tract is much healthier when there is plenty of water flowing through it.

A cat on wet food consumes double the amount of water compared to a cat on dry food when all sources (food + water bowl) are considered. More water in => more water running through the kidneys and bladder to flush out debris (crystals, mucus, blood, protein, white blood cells, etc.) that could potentially lead to an obstructed urethra.

Feeding a low carb dry food as a treat is no big deal. What I am talking about is when people think that ANY dry food is a healthy substitute for a water-rich diet of either canned or homemade.

I would be beyond wealthy if I had a dime for every time someone said "but my cat won't eat canned food" or...."but my cat loves his crunchies!" (Oh how I hate that word "crunchies" to describe a food format that often causes such tremendous suffering.)

Or...."but my cat drinks a lot of water" which neglects to recognize a cat's inherent low thirst drive and the fact that they do consume more water when on a wet diet.

And, no doubt, some people will throw rocks at me but I will also say that in so many cases (but not all....), the human has simply not tried hard enough...they have not implemented enough tricks or the right ones....and have given up far too quickly.

Believe me, I know that there are some die-hard dry food addicts on this planet having dealt with my own cats (7 back in 2002 when I started the transition) + some stubborn foster cats which were all awful dry food addicts that did not even recognized wet food as food. It was a nightmare to get them all switched but all I had to do was think about the screams in agony of a cat with a blocked urethra and that was all I needed to stay the course.

Please see Tips for Transitioning Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food

I want to make it clear that I am not unsympathetic to the stress that a diabetic cat caregiver goes through.....which is seriously compounded when faced with a dry food addict. Quite frankly, you all amaze me with your dedication when so many people simply euthanize their cats when hearing the diagnosis of "diabetes."

However, I also hate to see a cat caregiver add more problems to their cat's 'plate' by contributing to urinary tract problems due to being fed a water-depleted diet.

Opie's obstruction: His medical costs came to $4,350. Ouch. Urethral obstructions are not cheap ($2K is not uncommon) and, again, they cause a tremendous amount of suffering.

Other urinary tract problems are also expensive. It can cost ~$200 just to run a culture and sensitivity to prove that an infection actually exists for supposed "UTIs" which is an acronym that should never be used. People should state "UT INFECTION" (as proved by a culture & sensitivity) or UT INFLAMMATION" but never just "UTI" which simply leads to antibiotic abuse.

See Urinary Tract Diseases for more information.

I often hear people using the excuse that they are gone for 12 hours at a time as a reason for leaving dry food out. Canned food can be left out for 12 hours at a time. See my post below that discusses leaving out a good portion of the 12 hour needs in a frozen chunk to prolong freshness. I also do this every night in my house when I go to bed. 25% of their overnight needs are left out at room temperature or cold out of the refrigerator and 75% is left out as a frozen chunk.

Again, I want to thank all of you wet-food proponents for keeping at this mission to remind people that the water content of the diet is truly a critical component to feeding cats. I don't think you realize how much your help in this area is preventing further suffering of cats by keeping them from ending up with ruptured bladders.

I love this post Lisa, when I welcome a new member the first thing I want to talk about is the food their cat eats, from experience, my Corky now 11 was adopted at 8 weeks old, and all he ate was MeauMix dry food, not knowing the danger I was putting him thru as he got older, and diagnosed with diabetes January 2, 2022, my other fur baby Coco was immediately transitioned as well to the same wen can foods regimen between 0-10%, and my Corky has flourished with amazing BG's and I know by placing Coco on the same diet regimen I will avoid she does not get diabetes, or UTI's, This is such an amazing post, thank you

 

[CORKY]

If I switch to an all wet food diet (which I am not opposed to at all, and my cat is a very non-discriminant eater so no problems there) can I just leave it out all day? My worry is that he'll just eat it all as fast as he can (he does that now, but I limit his wet food to about a can and a half a day) and then starve the rest of the day. How do I safely feed him to be sure he has food when he's hungry instead of just when he's a pig?

here is a wet feeder I found on line

 

[Liane Jacobson]

if I tried to transition to wet food only my cat would starve. I have always tried to encourage her to eat wet food but it’s hit and miss. Sometimes she will eat 2 cans a day, then won’t eat even a quarter of a can in 24 hours. I don’t feed low carb kibble because I love it. I feed it because I love my 21+ year old cat. She also has water fountain because she drinks more water with having it. Actually she has 4 fountains placed all over the house, because I want her to be hydrated. The fact that she only just started showing early signs of kidney decline in October must mean something. Her only chronic health issues are her diabetes and arthritis. If a wet food ever exists that she chooses over dry, she will get it. As it stands, the dry is there to prevent her from fasting if the wet food isn’t what she wants.