Food for Candy

[meriad]

Shas; I figured I'd start a new thread on this.... you were asking about high protein / low carb foods. Not sure if you feed wet and / or dry food so here goes the bit that I can share. But I will double check with a friend of mine tomorrow who knows all the in's and out's of the different cat foods.

However off the top of my head some foods you can try are Hi-Life and Natures Menu - both available from Pets at Home. I've just checked a pouch of Hi-Life that I have at home and it's about 50% meat content. It has no grains but it does have tapioca as a binder (to make the jelly stuff). As a comparison, Foods such as Felix and Whiskas typically have about 4% meat content; and they both have added sugars which may also affect Candy's diabetes. Another really good and very cheap food to try is Butchers Classic tins - again, I just looked at a tin and it's 48% meat with no added cereals (not sure about sugar, but it's not listed). Available from any super market and less than £3.00 for 6 tins.

Onother one are Feline Fayre black pouches; they also have a high meat content but also have glucose added; again not sure how that would affect Candy. I've only ever seen them at ASDA and Morrisons.

Dry foods are slightly more difficult and I cannot think of one that doesn't have carbs, but I'll ask on my cat forum if you want me to?

Again depending on what you're feeding now, the one thing to make sure of is that the wet food you're feeding is labelled 'complete' which means it'll have all the right minerals and nutrients a cat needs. Quite a few high meat content wet foods are what they call complementary so not enough. And if you do think you'd be happier feeding her food you've cooked yourself so you can monitor better then you'd need to add something like this http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/supp ... ins/155860 to the food to make sure Candy gets what she needs. One of the main things missing in complementary foods is taurine (which is found is muscle meat and bones I think) and a lack thereof can lead to blindness.

I hope this is of some help

[meriad]

Just to add that most vets and pet shop staff will push and try and sell more dry food as they apparently get quite a good 'kick-back' from the manufacturers. However I really do believe that wet food is a more natural diet for cats and you have a greater control of what you're feeding. It's quite interesting - of my six; Harry does not eat any dry food or treats; at all, ever. And I've never seen him drink. He gets all the water he needs from the wet food.

[miasmum]

I don't know about low carb, but I know the premium cat foods like Gourmet Perle and Sheba are very high protein. That is why Mia can't eat them.

[shazsha]

Meriad, thank you so much, that is some amazing info-exactly what I needed!

Candy is fed on wet food just now-she tends to regurgitate dry food so I keep her away from it.

I have a Pets At Home about 3 miles away from where I live and go there regularly for their litter and the dog's food and dental sticks.

I'll definitely go there tomorrow to look at the ones you've mentioned. I'm also loving the info about the food supplement if I decide to feed her chicken breast, etc...my main worry was she wouldn't get all her nutritional needs this way but this additive is ideal.

MM, thank you too I'll have a look at the brands you've mentioned too...the more choice I have the better!

I'm feeling a lot more optimistic for Candy-I know she doesn't have much longer but every bit of extra time is a huge bonus. I'm also amazed that for years I haven't really given a thought to how our pets can be affected health wise by the foods specifically aimed at them...I think I just assumed if it was a complete food it would be good for them. I'm now thinking of weaning Tuffty from her dry food(her preference) and on to something with less carbs.

One thing I have noticed tonight on reading about low carb/high protein foods online is that a lot of sites are saying that making these changes can mean an insulin dependent cat can very quickly go to needing no insulin - ie in a day or two. Therefore continuing the insulin can put them into hypo
I'm thinking it may be an idea to introduce it gradually, building it up to only feeding this way to coincide with going back to vet, i.e. having her fully on this type of diet on the day before her next vet appointment so that her levels are being checked as soon as possible after feeding her this way.

[miasmum]

I still blame the Go Cat for both of mine being ill, I would NEVER do that again, even if they did like it.

I have never minded paying for decent food, but they both loved it so much and it 'seemed' to suit them, that the cost saving was a bonus. Well it wasn't in the end was it

[shazsha]

I'm with you regarding the Go Cat, MM.

Tuffty, the wee nasty cat, ate that to begin with but she was getting a lot of urine infections. I changed her to Iams and she's never had any problem since.

I got the Butcher Classic food today and it's a big hit with all the animals (including the dog!) and, surprisingly enough, also cheaper than their normal food. I was looking on zooplus tonight and saw a food that I liked the look of so I'm going to send away for that tonight and gradually introduce it too Candy's diet. The only problem being how to stop Candy and Kaya(dog) from stealing each other's food.

Although too early to tell yet, it looks like Candy may get on better with this insulin. She has been a lot more active today and showing more interest in her surroundings

[Kaz]

Oh that sounds positive Shaz

[Gal]

Excellent Shaz Continued vibes for Candy xxx

[meriad]

Shaz, Butchers Classic is an amazing food and not many people seem to know about it (just as well probably otherwise I think they'd wisen up and raise the price loads).

As a matter of curiosity, what food did you order from Zooplus? I'm also curious to hear back how yours take to whatever it is you ordered

[Gal]

I haven't used Go Cat before but I hadn't heard anything bad about it....can I ask what the problem is?

Also I have seen Butchers Classic but I thought it was just dog food....can you get it for cats too?