I'm desperate and need advice for cat food

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rbrumbaugh82

I know I'm lost for words because so many of you have reached out to me but I'm desperate. I am trying to be the best dad I can be to my diabetic cat and in addition to my other 9 cats. I just recently bought Young Again Zero Carb and Mature Zero Carb because I'm desperate to provide the best diet for my cats without worrying about diabetes, urinary tract infections or kidney problems. YA claims to prevent all of those problems and yet some on here have bought the food and switched their cats from a previous food to this one and had great results and healthy glucose levels. Why is so many people have results with this food but I can't seem to get Pooper's to eat it and if he does eat it a bit then he isn't interested anymore? I admit that I was giving him both foods because when I would feed him the original Zero Carb food he ate it but the food also contains higher minerals and the Mature formula is for grown adult cats who need lower mineral count to avoid urinary and kidney problems. So I get to worrying and so I switch him over to the Mature just so I don't worry about him developing those problems in addition to switching all the other cats over to it as well because I have a history of UTI's with my cats. However, they won't touch the food as the food bowls look the same as they did this morning. So I'm spent over $80 with these 2 foods and I probably can send them back and get my money back but I wanted to try so hard to get this to work since they appeared to have a great track record with getting cats into remission and not having any cats develop crystals or kidney problems.

Why do my cats have to be so damn picky and now I don't know what to feed them? I can go back to FF but a few of my cats just take a few licks and walk away. I've tried Sheba and Friskies but don't' care for it much. I can't order online because I don't know if anything would work given the poor track record I have with foods. I am just tired of seeing Pooper's numbers in the 400s and all he does is sleep and drink. I can't begin to imagine how he feels and I feel like a failure of a dad because I can't seem to get his numbers down. Do I just go back to FF Turkey and Giblets for him even though the food never has gotten his numbers down to the 100s? I think that is also why I changed to this YA food because FF wasn't helping him either. I know most of you probably will shake your head as all I do is complain and I envy those who have cats OTJ and have had wonders done with using Lantus and FF classics. I think I will have to get new Lantus pens because it doesn't seem to be lowering his numbers to healthy range either. What do I do?
 
You may need to just feed something, anything, they will eat and then adjust the insulin dose to accommodate that. Some cats are on insulin for life and that is OK.
What insulin protocol are you following to adjust his dose?
 
My cats eat young again, and it often looks like they haven't eaten cuz they don't have to eat as much of it...could that be it? I've had great luck with it so far..numbers dropping. Eventually they're gonna have to eat what's given to them..but if they were definitely eating the soft food then let em have it, there are a lot of varieties of it and I'm sure you've seen the food chart on binky's page right?
 
I need to restart the insulin protocol. I can't jump numbers like I have done. I know its not safe and I"m sorry for you guys and my cat. I am sticking to 5 units because 3 units never seemed to produce great numbers even after a few days. I don't know if the insulin is losing its potency because when I got it in the mail from the man that gave me them they weren't in a cold pack or anything. I refrigerated them once I got them and still in the box. The date of exp on the box says 2017 and I think it still works given that his numbers drop but they don't drop to anything healthy. A few times they did but I feel like it was a glitch. So 5 units 2 times a day about 12 hours apart is my protocol. As far as foods, what YA food are you feeding Mirnta? Are you feeding just the original YA Zero Carb or the Mature Zero Carb? I noticed that using the carb calculator from Cat Food Nutrition http://scheyderweb.com/cats/catfood.html that the Mature formula has 6% dry matter carbs. Dry matter carbs is what counts the most right? The original was like 4% dry matter. However, they say the Mature is better for those who had urinary or kidney problems as it contains less minerals and I worry about my cats and getting too many minerals and thus having small urine output. As for the soft food, I was told not to mix both foods and I feel like if I give them FF or some wet food along with the dry food that it would mess up their systems and cause loose stools or perhaps vomiting. :( I can't win.
 
Feed whatever they will eat. Ignore the marketing from Young Again. As far as I know, they aren't vets.
 
I use just the regular zero carb YA. I know someone on here uses wet food and YA and that works well for her, but I can't remember who now...look on the young again thread. I am considering doing that too, to make numbers get even lower (I pray).
 
So I switched all the foods back over to the original Zero Carb and they are eating it. Something in the Mature formula they don't like which I don't understand because its made about the same except first two ingredients are changed. However, the Mature has 6% dry matter carbs and the original has 4%.
 
mirnta said:
I use just the regular zero carb YA. I know someone on here uses wet food and YA and that works well for her, but I can't remember who now...look on the young again thread. I am considering doing that too, to make numbers get even lower (I pray).
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How long has your baby been on YA zero carb? How much does your cat weight and how soon after did you notice the better glucose numbers? I technically started this on Wednesday but have switched between both foods but will stay with this now.
 
BJM said:
Feed whatever they will eat. Ignore the marketing from Young Again. As far as I know, they aren't vets.
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Well I'd think that if their marketing was false then they would be sued by all those who have bought their foods and it didn't do anything for them. In today's world, I'd be hesitant to create a food that is supposed to do this and that and instead causes more health problems because I'd probably be sued by pet owners for making false claims. I have talked to a few people from there and they talk to me like they know what they are saying and doing and they try to offer advice. I know their food appears better than most store bought foods including Wellness Core. The 4% carbs is better than any of the FF or Friskies so will just have to see if anything good happens.
 
I was refering to making the food switch 100% on 1 day. That is the way to wind up with vomiting, and/or diarrhea and/or food refusals. Many cats will get 1 or more of those with sudden food changes, regardless of brand.
 
I gradually started switching around march 23, and have already seen major changes. Just days after he had his first PS number so low ( 124) he didn't need a shot! He hasn't had one quite that low since but definitely decreasing.. He is about 13 lbs.
 
mirnta said:
I gradually started switching around march 23, and have already seen major changes. Just days after he had his first PS number so low ( 124) he didn't need a shot! He hasn't had one quite that low since but definitely decreasing.. He is about 13 lbs.
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Must be nice to have a cat that adjusts to this wonderfully. I put too much faith into this food hoping that my overweight Pooper's would eat it just fine and take his BG and watch it be in healthy range. I only seen that 2 times on this food before he goes right back up into the upper 300s to 400s. I can't imagine what his pancreas is like.
 
I always found that my cats hated any "mature" or "senior" cat food. If your cats liked the original YA stay with it if his numbers looked good. I know it's hard to find a food cats will like.
 
Dusty Bones said:
I always found that my cats hated any "mature" or "senior" cat food. If your cats liked the original YA stay with it if his numbers looked good. I know it's hard to find a food cats will like.
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Yeah, tell me about it. Stressed beyond words right now! Half people here say avoid dry food and go all wet. Then some had success with YA and its like what do I do?
 
I think your numbers will always be a litter higher with any of the low carb dry foods compared to straight low carb wet. Fancy Feast and Friskies seem to be the best regarding carbs but I can't stand the ingredients in them. It's really junk food but it gets the job done as far as getting the numbers low and even getting our kitties into remission. I like the ingredients in YA, I might try it as a treat or for overnight and extended alone times.
Studies do show wet is better for their urinary system and for avoiding constipation however, you just have to do what works for you and your kitties, no two cats are the same.
 
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