Question:
Hi all. I am now the proud mom to 4 cats: Penny, Molly, Sadie and Alex. Penny is almost 5, Molly is almost 4, Sadie is somewhere between 2 and 3 and Alex is about 11 months old. We have had Penny and Molly from kittens, and Sadie and Alex have just been adopted from the shelter. All are in good health, although I am concerned about Sadie - she gorges in the morning and then throws up. Her poos are also very loose and smell REALLY sour like nasty spoiled milk. I don't want to take her to the vet right now, becuase we have only had her since Jan 16, and she is extremely nervous and is only just starting to come out of her shell. I do have a fecal sample container, and as soon as I can I am taking a sample to the vet for a basic check to rule out worms or basic bacterial. My real question is, does anyone recommend a dry food. As Sadie and Alex were on Nutrience when we got them, they are all now on it. The vet did point out that Sadie may have had a bad reaction to the food in the shelter, and with all the cats they have it may have gone un-noticed. My vet recommends Eukanuba or Science Diet. I am more than willing to switch them, but as this is an expensive food (for 4 cats) I would appreciate some input from others as to any similar experiences, or other dry kibbly recommendations. Thanks.


Answer:
Hi there!

You have come to the right place. Several of us LOVE to talk about nutrition and foods.

First off, I would not take your vets advice about the Eukanuba and Science Diet. Both companies make prescription diets and I think that is why most vets recommend them. There are rumors that vets also have incentives to push Science Diet. If the stool sample is okay, it sounds like Sadie has either food allergies or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). I own a cat with IBS and his symptoms were very similar. Allergies and IBS are often triggered by lower quality ingredients, like corn (sometimes rice too), by-products, artificial flavors and colors.If you look at the ingredients for Eukanuba Chicken and Rice (trying to avoid corn), you will see that there are a lot of by-products, a low quality source of rise (brewer's rice), and corn.

Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Chicken By-Products, Fish Meal (source of fish oil), Corn Grits, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of vitamin E, and Citric Acid), Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Dried Egg Product, Natural Chicken Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), DL-Methionine, Brewers Dried Yeast, Choline Chloride, Salt, Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Rosemary Extract


Science Diet Adult Chicken and Rice

Chicken, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, corn meal, animal fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), chicken liver flavor, DL- methionine, taurine, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid, minerals (potassium chloride, calcium sulfate, salt, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), rosemary extract, beta carotene, vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of vitamin C), niacin, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement).
Contains by-products, low quality rice, tons of corn, and animal fat. The "animal" in the fat is not specified for a reason. It is to allow the company to alter this ingredient without having to change their labelling. And "animal" can mean ANY animal.

Nutrience is marginally better than these foods.

Chicken meal, ground corn, brewers rice, hydrolysed chicken, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), dried beet pulp, dried egg product, chicken flavor, lecithin, yeast culture, flaxseed meal, salt, potassium chloride, DL-methionine, L-lysine, calcium propionate (preservative), choline chloride, yeast extract, marigold extract, glucosamine sulfate (0.04%), chondroitin sulfate (0.01%), mint leaves, parsley, dehydrated green tea, citric acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, dried kelp, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried oregano, dried fenugreek, dried fennel, dried cayenne, dried ginger, rosemary extract, yucca schidigera extract, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), iron proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc methionine complex, zinc oxide, sodium selenite, vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, inositol, niacin, taurine, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, vitamin A acetate, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid
No by-products, but corn, and brewer's rice.

If Nutrience is all that you can afford, I would stick with it and definitely avoid the other two! I would really try to avoid corn though. It is a very common allergen in dogs and cats. If you need food suggestions, I have a list I can give you.

I posted this a little while back that might help you find a cat food.
http://www.pets-on-the-net.com/forum...ad.php?t=14159

As a final note, I would try to get that sample into the vet ASAP. Make sure to call ahead to ensure that it will be looked at while it's still fresh. You have to be really careful that she doesn't get dehydrated. If it were me, I would cart her off to the vet anyways. After all, it's for her own good.



Answer:
Yes, I have made an appointment for her on Sunday afternoon. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the info.


Answer:
Well we just got back from the vet, and Sadies ears, teeth and heart are all good. The vet examined her, and was concerned that she has not been getting the nourishment she needs. She has been dewormed, and has been started on the z/d hypoallergenic diet. She can have absolutely NO treats while she's on this, which is going to be harder for me than for her! We should see results in a couple of weeks, and when she's regulated we can start looking into different foods.


Answer:
Good luck with the z/d. It didn't work for me, I hope it works for you.


Answer:
Thanks, Candycane - I'll keep you posted. In an earlier post, you mentioned a list of food suggestions you had - I would appreciate it if you could post it for me.


Answer:
Well, I wouldn't feed Hill's. But it is your choice. The ingredients are horrible.
Rice protein concentrate, brewers rice, hydrolyzed chicken liver, vegetable oil (preserved with BHA, propyl gallate and citric acid), hydrolyzed chicken, powdered cellulose, glyceryl monostearate, taurine, ethoxyquin (a preservative), minerals (calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, salt, calcium sulfate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, niacin, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement).
BHA and ethoxyquin are both terrible preservatives that have been linked to cancer in dogs and cats. In fact, ethoxyquin is not allowed in any human food. Both rice ingredients are low quality. Chicken liver is a "dirty" form of protein (think of what the liver does in the body). There is really nothing good about the food. But if it works, it works. I had to feed my female a special disolution diet for her struvite crystals. It did what it was supposed to but I hated feeding her all that crap. For your cat, I don't think that this food is going to work any better than a high quality food. Cut out the corn and by-products and you'll probably see a huge difference. That's my unprofessional opinion.

Anyway, good foods.
Solid Gold
Innova, California Natural, Healthwise
Chicken Soup
Drs. Foster and Smith
Natural Balance

There are probably more that I am forgetting but those are some foods that don't contain corn or by-products. Most sites have a store locator.


Answer:
I hope the hypoallergenic food helps. We tried forever to figure out why our cat's stools were runny all the time, and it turns out he just needs to be on a hypoallergenic food. Which menas NO treats what-so-ever, which I feel bad about, but it's better for him in the long run. Hopefully Sadie's problems clear up quickly


Answer:
Candice has given you some great info I hope that the food works for you, but do not be afraid to try something good!


Answer:
Update - we have been on the z/d for a week (tomorrow) now, and while I haven't really noticed a change in consistancy of Sadie's poos, the sour smell has certainly diminished. However, all week I have been coming home from work and have been greeted by what I thought was her having been caught short on the living room rug. Not very impressive, I must say! BUT this morning she was wondering around meowing, and I was telling her not to poo on the rug - in actual fact she vomited! The sour smell was back. It can't be all bad because Alex ran over and started eating it - GROSSS!!!!!! I have got a sample of the vomit and an appointment for her at the vet's this afternoon. Hopefully it's nothing horrible. She was running round like an idiot this morning playing with the others and getting very upset because she wasn't winning - maybe that has something to do with it? Anyway, sorry to be so graphic, and I'll let you all know how we make out this afternoon