Trying to find a good food and I have questions

[Okohme]

SO... i have been treating my Tater for diabetes for a while and am getting more and more information and thus confidence to do more at home treatment.
Once my life returns a bit more to normal (lots of travel lately) I would like to get into the habit of making most of their food and just giving them some canned food to cover their taurine needs.
I know they can get taurine from raw meat but Tater in particular cant handle food that isn't in small bits ground and processing destroys taurine.
My vegetarianism also makes me really not to want to deal with meat, but it is what it is.

But for right now, all four of my kitties are on Sophisticat canned cat food; Turkey & Giblets Dinner and Mixed Grill.
I selected these foods based on the Janet and Binky charts. The charts listed as containing 0% carbs.
However, when I look at the cans and "do the math" based on the (I know unreliable) guaranteed minimums and maximums, I get the following sums:
Mixed Grill 97%
Turkey & Giblets Dinner 96.8%

Are the Janet and Binky charts based on more accurate information provided by the manufacturer, or are the amounts possibly out dated?
Tater went into remission once from dietary changes and I am hopeful he will again and my goal is to reach 0% carb intake. (Except for occasional treats and a bit of live wheat grass or cat nip.)

 

[Melanie and Smokey]

Are the Janet and Binky charts based on more accurate information provided by the manufacturer, or are the amounts possibly out dated?

Probably a little of both ;-)

The information on the cans is just a minimum guaranteed analysis, the information on Janet and Binky's charts are based on the as-fed numbers which are more accurate. Most of the as-fed numbers were gotten by someone calling the company and getting the information from them.

Some of the numbers on the J&B charts are getting pretty dated, but I don't think any of them have been reformulated enough to move their carb % more than a % point or 2.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

Here's another list that was compiled by a member here and contains some additional brands of food, including raw, that are not on Janet & Binky's list. When it's been obvious that there's been a change in the food (e.g., a label change, food looks different, a new variety), someone has called the manufacturer to get the "as fed" values.

If you are thinking of making your own food, there are instructions on Lisa Pierson, DVM's feline nutrition website regarding how to make a nutritionally complete raw diet. You will need to get supplements, such as taurine among others, to add to the food. Alternatively, there are pre-mixes which contain all of the necessary supplements. These are dried ingredients that you mix with water and add to the ground meat/poultry. I doubt that by just feeding raw and occasionally supplementing with canned food that you will be providing a nutritionally complete diet. I suspect it would be like a human eating only steak/chicken/tofu and having a serving of one veggie a couple of days each week. Over time, it will cause problems.