Midnight: food

[TMR]

I just went to the vet for the first time in about 2 months because of loose bowel movements (will start metamucil) and the vet asked me to compare the food they recommended (Purina DM) and the food she is on, as recommended by this board (the lowest carb dry food I could find due to her intolerance of wet food). Look at this:
CRUDE PROTEIN 50.2 %
CRUDE FAT 22.53 %
CRUDE FIBER 1.39 %
Carbohydrates (NFE) 6.64 %

VS:

Crude Protein (Min) 51.0%
Crude Fat (Min) 15.0%
Crude Fiber (Max) 3.0%
Carbohydrate* (Max) 18.0%

So the Evo (top numbers) have less protein, more fat, and less fiber. Some please tell me why that is better, just because there are less carbs.

 

[MaryB & Chester]

Yes, because it has fewer carbs.
Carbohydrates are not good for diabetics. Cats don't really need carbohydrates at all - their body chemistry is evolved for a basically pure protein/fat diet. There's a website http://www.catinfo.org that has some very good information about feline nutrition. Check it out when you get the chance.
Of course your vet wants to sell you food...they make money on that.

 

[Blue]

you can test it yourself..... the proof will be in your cat's numbers.
it does not matter much what's on the bag or can, all that matters is your cat's numbers.

you can try the vet's food and test. Then, after a week, switch back to low carb and test.
believe the numbers.


Also, the very worst wet food is better than the very best dry food for a diabetic cat.

 

[Deb & Wink]

The EVO is better because there is less carbs and less fiber, neither of which is needed in a cat's diet.

If you scroll down in this Wikipedia article on cat food, you will find a nutrient chart that actually shows no need for carbohydrates, no need for fiber. They aren't even listed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_food

These are the standards developed by the AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) for Cat Food Nutrient Profiles. Any commercial manufacturer that wants to make a claim for AAFCO standards, must meet these minimums.

Why are carbohydrates such as corn, wheat, soy, rice, potato, tapioca, peas, legumes, various fruits included in cat food? Because they are cheaper than meat.

The protein difference between the EVO and the DM food is only 0.8%. Quite small.

AAHA Diabetes Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats recommends feeding the lowest carb content your cat will tolerate. http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/AAHADiabetesGuidelines.pdf It's on page 217, bottom right hand side of the article. This is a vet journal article published back in June 2010. Your vet may not be familiar with it since it is so hard to keep up with all the research on the different animals and diseases that a vet treats.

 

[KPassa]

The protein difference between the EVO and the DM food is only 0.8%. Quite small.

And there are quite a few other OTC low carb, wet foods that have much higher protein content than Evo if that's a worry.

Eta: oops didn't notice you were comparing dry. Young Again Zero Carb is the preferred dry around here because it's the only dry (I know of) that cats have gone into remission while eating. I don't know the protein content in that one, but it may be higher.