Science-Diet ?

[Kdd921]

My vet told me to switch from Iams dry food and fancy feast wet, to science diet because it would be better for her diabetes. He told me absolutely no wet food at all. After hearing comments from people on here, I am trusting what I am hearing here more. Is Science Diet wet food okay to feed her? Or is there a better food out there like fancy feast that would be best? And how many ounces a day should I be feeding her, she weighs 15 lbs. I know she is a bit overweight but she has come a long way from 25 lbs. I apologize for all of the questions I am just so lost, I am not used to counting every ounce of food that goes in her mouth. Thank you all.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

My opinion is the the SD canned is OK but really no better that Fancy Feast or other canned especially when you see how expensive the SD is.

 

[Denise & Honey]

You also have the issue about whether kitty will like it.

At least with Fancy Feast Classics and Friskies Pate, there's a lot of choice in the flavours. I've been trying different premium brands for my hyperthyroid civie to boost his protein intake, but he always comes back to the FF and Friskies and often leaves the Evo, Wellness, Merrick etc.. that I want him to have.

You vet sounds a little confused to say the least - stick with the Fancy Feast wet (no dry at all, ever!) and both you and she will be happy

I don't calorie count with my cats as 2 of them (hyper-T and diabetic ones) are underweight but I did read that they regulate themselves better on wet food than on dry and are less likely to put on weight.

 

[Ry & Scooter]

Your vet is very very wrong about that. Please give www.CatInfo.org a read. It is written by a feline veterinarian and not just some "wacko on the internet". She explains, in understandable terms, why dry food is such an inappropriate diet for a cat. What she also explains is why the prescription/"vet backed" diets are so poor. There is no magical ingredient in Science Diet or Hills Prescription food that makes it any different than any other brand... but they sure price it like there is!!! A lot of prescription and "medical" diets actually make the problem WORSE or just mask the symptoms without treating it... for example, the diabetic food being too high in carbs, the CKD diet being dangerously low in protein, the hyperthyroid being dangerously low in iodine, the renal/crystal diet just altering urine pH, etc. read the labels... Fancy Feast is just fine!!

I have a stance like Dr Lisa on "how much do I feed"... too skinny, feed more... too fat, feed less! But most cats need 20-30 calories per pound of IDEAL weight per day, more or less depending on activity. If you've got a 10 pound couch potato (ie. my cats), 200 calories is about what they'd need in a day. I think most Fancy Feast classics are about 90-100 calories, so that would be around 2 cans for that particular cat.