Wet cat food triggering stomach upsets
Bunny
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (78)
Related Discussions
All natural cat foods. Are they better?
Comments (44)Hello Everyone Was wondering if I could get an opinion. I have an approx 2 yr old cat. When I first got him, I sort of appeased (spolied) him and tried all sorts of foods till he was happy. He seemed to love the Pro-plan seafood varieties. This led to a a huge blockage and urinary tract issues. Luckily, he is all better with no issues whatsoever. I switched him to Science Diet beef only for the past year. He is healthy, acitve, and has a great coat. A friend had passed on Merrick cat food to me. My cat absolutely loved it. Im thinking of switching to Merrick, but am fearful of the seafood content. I had tried a few testers and he only loved the seafood ones. I was thinking of incorporating those and the SD beef for a little variety. Im fearful of another bladder/urinary issue since he had an issue at such an early age. Any thoughts?...See Moredry food for cats that can't eat dry food ;)
Comments (11)Lukkiirish, the problems with your cats was not due to wet feeding. Dry food is made to shatter IF the cat bites down on it. Of course, when it does, it's nothing but mealy grit that easily lodges in the gingiva. This leads to periodontitis, resorption, and other painful conditions. The only way to care for cat teeth at home is to brush them. Your claim that dry food is good for feline oral health is no different to claiming that eating saltines will clean your own teeth. If you know the anatomy of a cat's mouth, you can see that there are no chewing surfaces, ie., the molars are high on the outside and low on the inside near the tongue. This facilitates shearing action, which, rather than chewing, is what a cat's mouth is evolved to do. Chewing animals have flatter molar surfaces, so that food can be kept in place for chewing. Imagine the action of a mortar and pestle. The tool is designed to hold stuff in place for grinding. That's what your teeth are made for. Cat teeth are shaped to provide a scissor-like action. So, on that alone, you can understand why dry food is useless for feline oral health. Next, dry food is by nature very high in carbohydrates. It must be, since the plant matter is needed to glue the meat meal grit into kibbles. If you're reading labels, good-but if you're not translating them, then you have no idea what you're feeding your cats. Any claims on dry food labels of "50% protein" are utter hogwash. Firstly, any plant matter that is useful protein in any other animal feeds is also considered useful protein in cat food, despite the fact that cats cannot utilise plant protein. You need to know how much animal protein is in the mix, and manufacturers are not always going to tell you that if you call them. Secondly, you need to calculate dry weight to get a grasp of how much of ANY protein is in the mix. If you're lucky enough to get facts from the manufacturer, then you still do the maths. The best dry food on the market is probably less than 20% animal protein, which is grossly insufficient for obligate carnivores. Then you need to consider that cats are not particularly interested in drinking water. Everyone claims that "my cat drinks plenty of water!" But no one can tell you how much water "plenty" is! A cat's natural diet is prey, which is about 70%-80% water. So is wet food! Dry food? Under 10% water. Cats will drink, but are not thirst-driven, so are unable to know if they're getting enough water to function. The dry-fed cat will walk away from the water dish long before it has consumed sufficient water. As a result, dry-fed cats have undue strain on kidney function, digestion, urinary function, and who knows what else because they are always dehydrated. Dry-fed cats are also far more likely to be obese and to develop diabetes and hypertension. Oh, and let's not forget how many dry-fed cats end up with an excess of urinary crystals or even blockages! This is almost always due to dry feeding, which leads to concentrated, alkaline urine. Cats need the sufficiency of wet food fluid intake in order to reduce urine's concentration and to flush out crystals. The higher animal protein in wet food helps to maintain appropriate urine acidity. Another interesting thing is that so many people are completely hoodwinked by the"grain-free" movement! It doesn't matter! Grain-free does NOT equate carbohydrate-free! Grains are often primary suspects in food allergies. The grain-free bandwagon needs to be halted for the sake of our cats. Grain-free dry foods contain as much carbohydrate as do grained foods. You'll frequently see claims that cats in the wild will eat the stomach contents of their prey, but this is not fact. Cats are not keen on stomach acids needed for plant breakdown and carefully avoid eating any part of prey digestive tracts. I suppose that laboratory cats who are only fed digestive tracts will consume them in hope of avoiding starvation, but not cats in more normal surroundings. Lastly, I'm always hearing from people who claim to have cats who were dry-fed only, and lived to be 32 and never had a problem. Well, genetics can make some cats lucky enough to slip past troubles, but these are very much the minority. I also suspect that some of the owners were lying about the cats' longevity, or the cats had outdoors access so supplemented their dry food with nice juicy prey. It is also likely that the cats were never taken to the vet so any problems they may have had were never diagnosed. It's like the centenarian who, when asked the secret to his long life, answers " booze, cigars, and unrestrained sex!". Does that mean that EVERYONE should live like that in order to become a centenarian? Of course not. I see no problem with using dry food in place of cat treats. It's less expensive. Ten to twenty pieces of dry food in a day are amazing as training rewards. But there is no real benefit to dry feeding....See MoreCat with severe food allergies AND crystals
Comments (17)The only symptom she has is a high ammonia smell in the litter box. Her urine never smelled so potent before. She hasn't been tinkling in the house or exhibited any unusual behaviors. But then I noticed she was going outside (in her pen) so just wanted peace of mind that she was healthy and not peeing too frequently. Other than that, the Health Meter cat litter turned green, too (should stay yellow). The package doesn't say what green means... I can't believe the first vet gave me all of that incorrect information and was trying to put my cat through dietary changes that weren't in her best interest. I don't believe her second opinion vet thinks she's going to have problems. The only thing that stood out for him was the USG levels. He said that there was an at-home treatment for hydrating a cat but didn't even feel it was necessary at this point. He said she was okay to stay on the Prairie food (I don't really have any easy options) but canned would get more fluids in her system. That is all that we are doing right now. I was going to fill up her pool this weekend to see if she'll play in it and drink some extra water, too. I would like to do some more research on food and see if she can eat something even better than the Prairie. The foods cause immediate diarrhea so I need to wait on that. Right now she appears to be battling the darn herpes virus again from the stress of going to the vets. So, I'm really trying to get as much canned in her as possible because that's how I can get the Lysine into her. It took me months to get her respiratory problems resolved, I thought she was home free....See Morecat will not eat any food
Comments (4)They took three separate x rays over the course of a week. When he initially went in he had a little aspiration in his lungs and when they administered the iv it got worst. That's what they said could be the indication of a heart disease. It has since cleared up though, I have been giving him antibiotics. Seems to be improving now actually just extremely slow....See MoreBunny
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoBunny
8 years agoBunny
8 years agoBunny
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoBunny
8 years agoBunny
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoUser
8 years agoBunny
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoBunny
8 years agoBunny
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
Related Stories
PETS10 Tips for Keeping Indoor Cats Healthy and Happy
It's National Cat Day: Ask not what your cat can do for you (because it will ignore you) but what you can do for your cat
Full StoryPETSHouzz Pets Survey: Who Rules the House — Dogs or Cats?
New data shows that pets make people happy, and pet owners love spending big to return the favor
Full StoryPETSDealing With Pet Messes: An Animal Lover's Story
Cat and dog hair, tracked-in mud, scratched floors ... see how one pet guardian learned to cope and to focus on the love
Full StoryFEEL-GOOD HOME6 Design Ideas for Happy Pets
Keep your dog or cat feeling safe and in high spirits, and you'll all feel more at peace. Here's how
Full StoryLIFEHow to Keep Your Pets Safe During the Holidays
To avoid an unwanted trip to the vet, be aware of these holiday-related hazards for dogs and cats
Full StoryMOST POPULARA Fine Mess: How to Have a Clean-Enough Home Over Summer Break
Don't have an 'I'd rather be cleaning' bumper sticker? To keep your home bearably tidy when the kids are around more, try these strategies
Full StoryLIFE10 Ways to Cope With Grief During the Holidays
If you are experiencing loss, take it from an experienced griever — life has changed forever, but it does get better
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDES10 Design Tips Learned From the Worst Advice Ever
If these Houzzers’ tales don’t bolster the courage of your design convictions, nothing will
Full StoryFLOWERSGreat Design Plant: Lilies
Try these delightfully exotic stunners for paintbox colors, deep fragrance and intricately detailed petals
Full StoryHEALTHY HOMEDetox Your Kitchen for the Healthiest Cooking
Maybe you buy organic or even grow your own. But if your kitchen is toxic, you're only halfway to healthy
Full Story
MDLN