Food recommendations for a cat that is losing muscle mass?

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Mizuniful

Mizuniful

Member Since 2017
I know this must get posted very often, but I can't seem to find a thread on it (probably right in front of me!).

Spork is an older cat that is losing muscle mass, so I think I need to get a high protein food? And of course low carbs. Please tell me if this is wrong, or if you have any other suggestions! He also has diabetes, of course, and chronic pancreatitis. Vet suspects acromegaly, but we have not tested for it yet.

I'm currently feeding Hill's MD until I can get used to giving insulin and checking numbers regularly, because I know this has enough carbs to keep him above hypo. He is getting 2.5 tablespoons twice a day, with free choice dry. I am going to try to give him only canned, but if I fail I think I will try Evo cat/kitten.

I have about a week left of the MD, so I'm looking for options on better food. I know about Friskies/FF but I would like something better (not saying there is anything wrong with those!).

These are what I'm looking at right now, thoughts/experiences/other recommendations?
- Against The Grain
- Tiki Cat
- Weruva
 
I was going to say the same thing as Janet. We can't see the spreadsheet. Once he gets enough insulin so that his body can use the food he eats better, he'll probably gain weight.
 
My experience with cat food is that the very best food is the one he will eat reliably. It took a great deal of trial and error with more cat food being thrown out than I care to recount for you before we found a combination that works for our little guy.

I've learned a few things along the way that I'll share...

DO NOT change from dry food to wet food until you are testing regularly. Regular testing is the only way to see what the insulin is doing. When we switched from dry food to wet food our cat's insulin needs changed drastically in just a few days. Testing will give you the knowledge you need to help your cat switch from dry to wet with safety. This link and this one will give you more information from a vet

1. Our kitty has food sensitivities so be on the lookout for things that your cat may be sensitive to like fish and other additives
2. Tiki Cat and Weruva are two of my favorite companies for the simple reason that they tell you exactly what's in their foods - no guessing required. The other thing that's great about these foods is that they are very very juicy so I know that he is getting plenty of hydration.
3. I was amazed at how quickly Radar refused to eat any more dry food once he tasted meat. He actually stalked our refrigerator in the early days of diabetes when he was hungry.
4. Our kitty has improved significantly since he decided that RadCat's raw chicken is yummy. We suspect that he has IBD so it's not too surprising that he feels better with food that's closer to what nature provides.

I wish you well as you attempt to help your kitty move to wet food. Spork is lucky to have you.
 
Sorry, I must have put the wrong link! Is that one better? We only started insulin a few days ago, so not much data.

He doesn't have any other health issues that we know of. No CKD. Last blood test showed high liver values + pancreatitis, but xrays/ultrasound showed just a "bright" pancreas, so we are thinking it is just chronic pancreatitis.
Possible acromegaly because he is a BIG cat with all of the symptoms. Jackrabbit back legs, thick nails, big lower jaw, etc. We just haven't done the test yet. We are just going off of physical symptoms at this point since he hasn't gone through enough insulin to show resistance yet.

I am testing at home, and he doesn't have a problem eating, even the not-so-appetizing WD and MD. I am aware of the massive change better food and a completely wet diet will bring, and that is why I want to get more comfortable with insulin doses before I make that switch (I should have listened to you guys before and switch him before insulin :( ). As far as I know he does not have any allergies or anything. I would LOVE to do a raw diet, but my other civvie cat is FIV positive so I am not sure if I want to risk it with him.
 
I did some quick reading and found if FIV+ kitty is otherwise healthy, a raw diet can strengthen the immune system. They recommended Primal (http://www.primalpetfoods.com/) over the homemade raw diet. There is another member that joined who has 2 FIV+ kitties and 1 is diabetic. She feeds FF or Friskies pate with EVO Cat and Kitten (purple bag). I'll tag her for you, she might have other knowledge for you @Caring4Claire
 
My understanding is that a raw diet is not a safe choice for an FIV cat. Some owners choose to risk possible bacteria exposure for the health benefits though, and I respect that. It's not something I'm willing to do because Baloo (gray kitty, no FDM) gets the sniffles over the smallest things. So I really haven't looked into it much.

We are feeding Evo purple (8%) and Friskies. Friskies isn't an awesome food when it comes to the quality of the ingredients, but it is very low carb (5%) and the right composition for your cat. By feeding by product meals you get a better bang for your buck which is why many of us do so. Also my cats gobble it up. If money isn't a concern at all, there are better foods. Unfortunately, that's not the boat we're in! We are planning to move to Young Again Zero dry food, but I suspect I will be giving little treats of Friskies twice a day anyways :)
 
Thanks for chiming in @Caring4Claire :)What do you think about the Primal freeze-dried nuggets to help with extra protein and vitamins? Freeze Dried Feline Beef & Salmon calculated to 1.4% dry matter carbs. I think these ingredients would help me :p

Mizuniful, another member who did a lot of diet research is @Sieden . Maybe she can help a little. Sieden, looking for a diet to work with diabetic kitty and a FIV+ civvie :)
 
Thank you so much everyone!
Maybe once Spork is regulated, I might try a raw diet, but not yet. I can't handle two sick kitties at once lol.

So far I am leaning towards Tiki cat + Evo. I might try Young Again at a later date because that has really interested me as well.
I know Fancy Feast is really popular, but I've only seen people recommend the classic/pate versions. What about the 'naturals' selection? The food chart says it has zero carbs, even less than the classic. More protein as well.
 
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Yes these are fine :).
 
I feed one of the against the grain canned. I only buy



Caribbean Club with Chicken & Cheese

because i am avoiding seafood for my new kitties. They don't seem to be interested in it anyway.
It's zero carb.

the other chicken one is to be avoided chicken and pumpkin samba is 21% carb.

But all the other varieties are zero or 1%. They would be safe and are a better quality.
Tiki cat is also good quality but again mostly seafood.



The other brand I recommend for quality is Nature's Variety Instinct canned.

http://www.instinctpetfood.com/instinct-originals-canned-diet-for-cats
http://www.instinctpetfood.com/instinct-originals-canned-diet-for-cats
They are all diabetic friendly too with low carbs.
 
Looks like most of those have between 41 - 47 calories per pack. They were originally Appetizers and then apparently reformulated to be more meal sufficient. :)
 
Hmm.. I didn't realize how small those FF Naturals were. Only 2oz each.

Also, I changed my mind! I am going to try Dr. Elsey's dry food instead of Evo. I have seen a few threads about it here and it looks really nice.

Thank you for reminding me about calories! I might actually just go with some classic FF just until he is regulated since it is so much cheaper and he needs more calories than normal at the moment.

So, final decision (hopefully!) is Dr. Elsey's dry with classic FF canned. Boyfriend just said that he has been watching me look at cat food for the past hour. I think I need to stop LOL.
Thank you so very much everyone!
 
I like the classic FF to be honest, I've said it a million times. I don't like Weruva, or Tiki cat.
FF tends to be high in fat so I like to supplement with egg whites, raw chicken, cooked chicken, turkey... pretty much any meat that isn't fish and isn't in a can or processed because canned processed meats are too high in sodium and other junk. As far as raw chicken goes, it's very healthy for your cat and you can give them liver, hearts, gizzards, chicken wing tips, middles or ends with the bone and all as long as it's raw and never cooked.
 
I did go out and by some FF classic chicken and gave it to them for dinner :). Spork really liked it! I think my civvie cat liked it, but I didn't mash it enough for his liking. I know for next time I guess, haha. Ordered some Dr. Elsey's so that should come in the mail soon!

I really like the idea of mixing in other food like egg whites. Why didn't I think of that before! Man, these cats eat better than I do, I swear.
 
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