MY CAT HAS STOPPED EATING!

[Joanfkb]

I sure will and thank you again!

Joan and Bear

 

[Joanfkb]

Bear went to the out of state vet yesterday and looks pretty good - controlling his diabetes with about a drop of insulin but he is still having eating issues - which likely is part of his improving pancreatitis. But now he doesn't want to eat any food but dry! The vet sent me home with some Royal Canin kitten food - which he was eating - but also drinking more water. I tried Core dry kitten food - higher protein and less grain but he didn't like it. I know ideally, he should be on canned - that switch is what had him in remission for a year - but if he won't eat it !

Do any of you feed dry food and if so, what kind? But know that I am persistent with getting him to eat and do have Cypro if all else fails - and to prove that he is not starving - when weighed yesterday he was still 18.5 lbs!

Thanks.

Joan and Bear

 

[BJM]

If dry food is the only thing he'll eat, you might check Binky's Page Dry food list.

The 3 main ones are Wellness Core Original, Innova EVO Cat & Kitten, Young Again 0 Carb

Have you tried any raw food? Nature's Variety Raw Instinct is 7% calories from Carbohydrates per Binky's Page.

 

[rhiannon and shadow (GA)]

I have an outdoor cat that adopted us that is now getting Young Again Zero Carb dry...
pm me your address if you would like a sample to see if Bear likes it....

it's the only one I would go with in a dry....

 

[Joanfkb]

Nice of you to offer a sample. I think I have seen this online. Is that cat diabetic? I know I would need to check the protein first.

Joan and Bear

 

[rhiannon and shadow (GA)]

here's the info on it..... a 25 lb bag is supposed to almost last an entire year because after the initial introduction stage, they slow down and don't eat as much....
and a diabetic cat would slow down after getting into regulation numbers or remission.
https://youngagainpetfood.com/10browse.asp?category=cats&ProductCode=92125
and more info
http://youngagainpetfood.com/page.asp?c=966#hydration

I have a friend who has a cat that flat out refuses any wet food. She had been feeding Evo
dry. When she switched to Young Again Zero Carb dry, her cat went into remission within a month of switching....

It seems expensive but they don't eat as much of it since it's zero carb so one bag will last a long time. And if your cat has a chance at remission with a dry food, this is
the only one that I've seen that can do it.

here's her spreadsheet for an example
switched from evo dry to Young again dry


I haven't had my outdoor guy tested....
He's young, he was overweight ( but getting better now) and he's the low guy on the totem pole for expenditures....
I keep meaning to go test his ear and see what I get.

 

[Deb & Wink]

It's amazing what switching to a lower carb food can do to help drop the BG numbers. I've read so many posts on here that indicate switching even a few percentage points lower on the carb content has helped several kitties. It's one reason why we try to have people switch from the Hill's m/d foods with their higher carb contents to a food with <10 % carbs.

Joan, Keep up the good work you are doing with Bear.

I remember reading on here that this process of treating diabetes with our cats is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep asking questions and we will try to help. Good luck with Bear.

 

[Joanfkb]

Deb and Rhiannon,

Thank you both for your comments and suggestions. I have called Young Again and they are sending me some samples. If he eats that and is not drinking a ton of water - which started as soon as I started giving him the dry food - maybe more with the Core kitten than the Royal Canin kitten - but I have no idea about carbs in either. So let's hope we will soon have a solution for Bear and will even be in remission! And Deb, you are right about this not being a sprint but a marathon!

Joan and Bear

 

[MiloMistyMax]

here's the info on it..... a 25 lb bag is supposed to almost last an entire year because after the initial introduction stage, they slow down and don't eat as much....

If that's the case then I will make sure not to buy the 25lb bag. My cats tend to get sick of the food after it's been open awhile even if it's in an air tight container. So you say they will eat less as time goes on...how does that work exactly? Like for example if my cat needs 200 calories a day if they eat that food then they won't need 200 after awhile? That doesn't make any sense to me. So even at the same weight, in a few months they would need less calories? Or do you mean they won't WANT to eat as much? Milo rarely wants to eat anymore so I can't go by how much he wants to, I have to go by calorie count and weight loss.

Evo is wayyy cheaper and has about the same calorie count so my sample will have to convince me. Plus Milo's glucose doesn't change with Evo.

 

[Joanfkb]

I would not buy the HUGE bag either - IF Bear eats the samples - the most I would buy is the smaller 8# bag because he may also stop eating it after a while. But I do want to ask you Rhiannon - what Evo are you feeding your cat?

 

[rhiannon and shadow (GA)]

its a high calorie food so they don't need as much....
Ninja ( the cat in the spreadsheet example ) ate more when her bean first bought it but then slowed down.... just as the website claimed.....
she only eats approximately 2 tablespoons.

CALORIE CONTENT: 4,070 kcals/kg (590 kcals/cup) Calculated Metabolizable energy.

In less than three months, Young Again may help your diabetic or pre-diabetic cat :•Better manage their diabetes and possibly reduce or eliminate their need for insulin
•Increase lean muscle and lose excess fat
•Want and need to eat less - and never go hungry
•Quickly achieve and stay at their healthiest weight
•Have much more energy and a friendlier disposition
•Also avoid urinary tract issues
•Produce less solid waste for a cleaner litter box
•Have the soft, kitten-like fur you love to touch
•Dramatically reduce your food bill considering canned food can cost two dollars or more per day

I do not feed dry to Shadow .... my avatar... my diabetic altho' she has had a kibble or two of the Young Again as a treat or crumbled on her food to inspire her to eat....
She was a canned food cat before diagnosis and she is now in remission.

The outdoor cat we have has eaten every brand out there and last year got fat from all those carbs and less activity. (He's killed every critter within a few doors down on my block...
eats lizards, birds, gophers :thumbup , chipmunks, squirrels and baby rabbits :cry:
Now that there isn't anything to hunt and he's gotten older, he gained weight.
I give him canned food too at least once a day .... but he gets a controlled amount of Young Again too.
He needs a home.... I let him sleep in our garage... has a heated bed. He needs someone with a barn full of mice....
We have coyotes everywhere so I give him shelter since he found us.

Shadow would be most unhappy if he came inside. She doesn't share. And she's my baby so I won't stress her out by bringing another cat in.

I prefer the canned only BUT...
I know there are those out there who don't want to deal with canned or have a cat that won't eat canned ( like Ninja won't)
I believe its Your choice what you feed.... no judgement from me.
it's just that after watching Ninja struggle ...and she was on a high dose of insulin because of the Evo dry food..... and then went into remission after switching to YoungAgain....

I want anyone who is choosing to feed dry to know about the Young Again.
Ninja's owner doesn't post on fdmb because she felt ostracized for having a cat that wouldn't convert to canned food.
I tried every way I could to help her think of ways to get her cat to switch.
I'm allowed to share her story. see the post from earlier below to see her spreadsheet ......

 

[Joanfkb]

Thanks again for all the detailed information!

Joan and Bear

 

[MiloMistyMax]

I get what Ninja's owner feels. I almost feel like I am breaking a law giving Milo dry food. I also get that most of the people just want to help, they aren't judging. It still makes you feel bad though. I have tried with Milo but with the pancreatitis he just will not eat enough canned. Even when he is nauseous he will eat dry.


Joan---I use the Evo cat and kitten. The purple bag. I think it's still on recall though right now. And fyi, the fish one smells HORRIBLE. I tried it once with my cat that had hemolytic anemia. Never again.
I guess I am lucky that Evo doesn't raise Milo's glucose. Hopefully that won't change. Right now I am trying Nature's Variety chicken since I can't get Evo. It's not as calorie dense as Evo or Young Again so he needs a bit more which is not ideal. And I am not sure if it's the reason his numbers have been around 100-130 or if it's the pancreatitis. I want to try Young Again to see if it brings him back down to his normal 80s.

Milo got diabetes while on Evo as well but I wasn't feeding him the right amount. I had no clue about calories and everything. I just let them eat whatever they wanted. So he weighed 25 pounds and that is most likely why he got diabetes, not necessarily the food. Now he is at 16 pounds and in remission and hopefully he will lose more :smile:

 

[Joanfkb]

While I hate to see anyone going through all this - it is somewhat comforting to know my cat and I are "not alone" Thanks for the Evo info - I did know they were on recall. I am anxious to try the Young Again - meanwhile just coping with whatever - oddly - or probably not - Bear ate some Fancy Feast classic a while ago. Keeps us on our toes!

Joan and Bear

 

[BJM]

...Even when he is nauseous he will eat dry...

That might be like eating saltines with nausea for humans. Seems to be less irritating and less likely to provoke vomiting.