How much fat is to much?

[Jenn & Baxter]

Fat was brought up on one of my other threads. How much fat is to much fat? What should I be looking for on the can label or Binkey's food chart or updated chart?

Just recently I had Baxter off insulin but switched his food. It was brought to my attention that it could be the high fat content in the food that is making his #'s rise & need insulin again.

I have learned about carbs. Now on to learning about fat.

Thank you,

Jenn & Baxter

FD has been a everyday learning experience for me. angry(2)_cat

 

[BJM]

From your other post, it looks like you need to find foods with a similar profile of protein, fat, and carbohydrate.

Protein and carbohydrate are estimated at 3.5 calories per gram, while fat is 8.5 calories per gram.

Also, the cat has a very efficient metabolism - it can break down both protein and fat to make carbohydrates if it needs them.

 

[Jenn & Baxter]

Thank you so much.
I didn't ever think of that.
Now on to more food research. I got my charts printed out & highlighter ready.

 

[Jennifer & Saima (GA)]

Since he was doing well on the BG Beef but possibly allergic, could you try some of the other BG flavors if they are similar in fat?

 

[Jenn & Baxter]

I tried the Before Grain Turkey which he won't really eat. I didn't try the Chicken & Quail. The only other is Salmon & Tuna. Which I read isn't good to feed fish all the time.
He doesn't like Chicken very much. Except for boiled chicken breast as a cat treat.

 

[Jennifer & Saima (GA)]

Oh... OK. That makes it tough. I understand where you are coming from as Saima had food allergies. Trying to find something she would eat, wasn't allergic to, and was good for her was just about impossible.

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

I aim for less than 60% for fat, but you also have to feed what your cat will eat. Every cat is different, and some handle fattier foods better than others. Bandit didn't do so well on foods high in fat--he was happier and healthier eating Fancy Feast than he was eating EVO. If Merrick's ever went out of business, I would probably go back to feeding him a mid-grade food that's lower in fat and higher in protein.

However, some cats handle higher fat just fine. A friend of mine has been feeding her cat Wellness Turkey and Chicken flavors for years and the cat thrives on it.

Have you tried the non BG merricks? Cowboy Cookout and Surf & Turf have beef, but Grammy's Pot Pie, Turducken, and Southern Delight are all poultry based. Those first two are a little higher in carbs (8-9%), but if your cat isn't super carb sensitive then they're fine.

What's important to remember, though, is that foods higher in fat are going to be higher in calories--so you need to adjust the amount you're feeding to maintain a healthy weight. For example, if Bandit maintains his weight on 7.5 oz of Fancy Feast a day, he only needs around 6 oz a day of a high calorie food to maintain the same weight.

Just a warning...stay away from EVO Venison or Nature's Variety Venison if you're looking for novel foods. The phosphorus content for both is through the roof.