Spinoff of cat thread: canned vs. dry food...?

Cats are indeed carnivores - they were not meant to eat grains and dry food contributed to our previously overweight cat being, overweight. They are on a raw food diet and thriving. I have been using the same Northern Tools meat grinder for over two years now with no problems. After much research, this is the recipe I chose to follow and the supplement used: http://www.knowwhatyoufeed.com/alnutrin_for_meat.html. I also add some fish oil to the mix. Our vet was not thrilled when we first told her of the switch to raw food, but about one year later she said, "I have to admit, they really seem to be doing well." :)

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Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama

I was told dry food is filled with tons of empty calories, cats tend to overeat because they don't get satisfied. My vet also told me they are not big water drinkers at all so they are usually dehydrated. Tortilla is not a big canned food cat, she turns her nose up at it. I may have to put her back on it though because she is overweight and my vet felt canned food would help this issue.

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You might try a dry food like Innova that is high in protein. It won't solve the dehydration problem, but it might help with weight. Keep in mind that you have to be discerning when it comes to canned food, too. Some of it is just as carb laden as dry.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Titania, I've read a lot that refutes the idea that dry food promotes oral health. Having used dry food for years, it has done nothing to obviate the need for regular professional cleanings and care. My cats swallow their dry food whole as it is, so I'm not sure what benefit it could provide. In the end, it just seems that quality wet food provides better nutrition and moisture, which ultimately promotes better immunity.

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I'll have to do some digging on this...thanks. One of my cats is on a prescription urinary diet (Royal Canin S/O IIRC), and both eat the same thing. I've done BARF diets before when I had a dog...didn't think about doing it with a cat. Vet said to put Elliott on the prescription diet, so I did.

I hope you don't feel like I'm picking on you; I think it's wonderful you're caring for two FIV positive cats. If they have crystal issues, all the more reason to use a canned food. Better hydration promotes a less concentrated urine, which is helpful for kitties with urinary tract issues. Royal Canin makes a canned s/o formula. You might talk to your vet about it. But be aware that vets sometimes aren't as informed as you might think when it comes to nutrition.

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Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama

I was told dry food is filled with tons of empty calories, cats tend to overeat because they don't get satisfied. My vet also told me they are not big water drinkers at all so they are usually dehydrated. Tortilla is not a big canned food cat, she turns her nose up at it. I may have to put her back on it though because she is overweight and my vet felt canned food would help this issue.

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That is true of store bought cat foods. If you get the high quality foods they are not full of fillers. You need to get brands like Innova and Nature's Variety that you need pet specialty stores for.

Tatiana, Royal Canin is the better of the prescription diets. The SO is what our one cat is on also. You can try the wet food of the SO, but my cats won't touch it. We basically feed them Nature's Variety wet food, and sometimes Innova (they also won't eat EVO) and sometime Merrick. The Innova I can get from my vet the rest we have to drive to Raleigh to get.

As for the water, with some cats if you get one of the water fountains it will prompt some cats to drink more water, otherwise just find a high quality wet food and add that to their diet along with the dry food.

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Originally Posted by Koronin

That is true of store bought cat foods. If you get the high quality foods they are not full of fillers. You need to get brands like Innova and Nature's Variety that you need pet specialty stores for.

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It's actually not quite that straightforward. Some premium foods (or what some would call premium) actually have a high ratio of carbs. Plus, it varies from flavor to flavor, even within a certain brand.

Some of the cheaper varieties of food are not as bad as you might assume, at least in terms of protein content. It is true that they contain a lesser quality of protein, but it's arguably still better than a high carb diet, dry or wet. My Henry cat can't stand most of the premium, high protein foods, but likes certain varieties of the cheaper stuff. So, that's our compromise. I'm mostly concerned with his fluid intake at this point, but his current diet is not my ideal choice.

Most of what I learned about cat food, I learned from this. I am not a vet, however, and cannot attest to how accurate it is. It certainly made sense to me. There's a link within the article in the discussion about how to read a pet food label that I also found most helpful--in terms of actually selecting different foods to try.

Of course, there are lots of different things to look for in a food--beyond just protein content. I don't want to oversimplify it. For me, however, it was a place to start in terms of making sense of all the different elements to look for.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

I hope you don't feel like I'm picking on you; I think it's wonderful you're caring for two FIV positive cats. If they have crystal issues, all the more reason to use a canned food. Better hydration promotes a less concentrated urine, which is helpful for kitties with urinary tract issues. Royal Canin makes a canned s/o formula. You might talk to your vet about it. But be aware that vets sometimes aren't as informed as you might think when it comes to nutrition.

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Only one of my cats (Elliott) has urinary tract issues. Not only does he have crystals, but he's had bladder stones removed previously, and he has kidney stones (seen on ultrasound). Kidney stones in cats can't be operated on...their kidneys are just too small. At this point, the stones are probably the least of Elliott's worries. He's been having almost fainting-like spells for about a year that would come and go. The vet was stumped until we had him in recently to get his teeth cleaned and almost lost him on the table. His "fainting" spells are from a 3rd level AV block. His atria don't talk to his ventricles. My boy is living on borrowed time, for sure.

The canned Royal Canin S/O is what we give them for treats. With two cats, it's not really practical to feed different diets (they both are pickers not gulpers), so Teddy gets the prescription food, as well. I think I'll start offering wet food as the staple and maybe the dry as a treat...especially since I just ordered a new 16 lb bag of it. :p

Thanks again for the info...I've got lots more to read, but I've read enough to make me think.

I used to give our cats mainly dry food. Sometime after my son got a dog, I felt like they were being neglected and started supplementing their food with canned food.

The last few months, our older cat Smudgie, now 14, lost a lot of weight. She does not seem to be able to hold down the dry food anymore. Shortly afterward, she got some kind of infection in her face, but antibiotics seemed to have solved that.

My son works at Petsmart and I don't remember the brand he was bringing home. We were feeding her just Friskies, but he replaced it with some of the Royal Canin. She seems to gaining back a little weight but seems to be hungry all the time.

Sadly, the other cat, which my daughter left with us when she went to England, disappeared about a week ago :(

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Originally Posted by azfiddle

I used to give our cats mainly dry food. Sometime after my son got a dog, I felt like they were being neglected and started supplementing their food with canned food.

The last few months, our older cat Smudgie, now 14, lost a lot of weight. She does not seem to be able to hold down the dry food anymore. Shortly afterward, she got some kind of infection in her face, but antibiotics seemed to have solved that.

My son works at Petsmart and I don't remember the brand he was bringing home. We were feeding her just Friskies, but he replaced it with some of the Royal Canin. She seems to gaining back a little weight but seems to be hungry all the time.

Sadly, the other cat, which my daughter left with us when she went to England, disappeared about a week ago :(

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Have you had her thyroid tested?

No... the vet suggested there might be a thyroid or kidney problem... we have hesitated based on the expense of the tests for now.

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Originally Posted by azfiddle

No... the vet suggested there might be a thyroid or kidney problem... we have hesitated based on the expense of the tests for now.

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I understand. My vet bills over the last couple of years have been ridiculously high, and the outcome for Sophie--whom we treated for thyroid disease--wasn't overly positive in the end. She was 14 at the time, too. I don't begrudge the money; it's just part of the bigger issue of how much to intervene in a older animal's health. Thyroid disease, in particular, is tricky in my opinion. Yes, it can be managed in a number of ways, but it also sometimes causes or unmasks other issues.

In any event, I hope your kitty starts to feel better soon, and that the other one returns home.

She definitely feels better- the infection was cleared up and she is a little more active (though definitely at a slower, senior pace. I am very sad about the other cat- she is a gorgeous and friendly blue point Siamese, who didn't know if she was a cat, a dog or a person- was on really good terms with the dog.

My cat eats mostly raw chicken and turkey, with a little dry food on the side. He adores any raw meat, fish, or poultry. The dry food is from a local pet food store that posts a lot of information on how the products they sell compare with and are superior to grocery store and prescription brands nutrient-wise. They recommended a food appropriate for my cat given that he has had surgery to remove stones from his bladder but always advise to make sure he gets plenty of water. I toyed with making raw food for him following recipes with essential supplements/nutrients but I knew I wasn't up for it for the long haul.

I got a fountain for him about two months ago and he drinks a lot more water, roughly double what he used to judging by the litter box and how frequently the fountain needs to be topped off. He used to frequently "ask" to have the tap in the bathtub turned on to trickle so he could drink but now that he has the fountain he ignores the tub.

My adult male totally ignored the water fountain we bought for him. The only thing he likes to drink from is the four-cup measuring cup we use to make coffee. We finally got him his own. He especially likes for me to hold it from him. Yes, he's spoiled, but I'd stand on my head each day if it got him to drink more.