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Food & Nutrition > what\'s wrong with feeding me what ever I like?

Gump

Love wrapped in- fur

Purred: Wed Nov 18, '09 8:50am PST


	"What's wrong with feeding me what ever I like?" Hi St. Luke - you little cutie, What's wrong is that you are a carnivore and have specific nutritional requirements. We feel that dry food stinks, not canned. Canned food (or raw done right) provides more protein, moisture and is more similar to a cat's natural prey diet. Dry food has too many grains and carbs. Hope you read some of the links that were given, like www.catinfo.org. Feeding just chicken is not balanced. Cats need certain nutrients and just chicken meat doesn't provide all of those. It's okay for snacks, but not as a basic diet. Also a lot of cats have trouble with dairy products and milk, it often gives them diarrhea, but if it's coming straight from the cow that's probably better with more nutrients! Here's another article to read: click here Best wishes and lots of purrs

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» There has since been 4 posts. Last posting by Molly Dutchess Marie (Loving M, Thu 2:57 am
Raw Food Diet > Hare-Today

Nadia

Nadia, sweet- little acrobat.

Purred: Fri Nov 13, '09 10:18am PST


	Hi Daisy, I have the same concerns about the NV. In the past I used the pre-ground Hare-Today (I used the pre-ground chicken). I then found the NV locally and it seemed easier and I stopped ordering the Hare-Today. I think I am going to go back to using it now, though; I also never liked the fruit and veggies in NV. I have heard some people don't add supplements and others do. I personally do add supplements. Some of the nutrients can be lost in freezing and grinding and I just feel better adding them. But others may feel differently. With rabbit, I think you should add some taurine at least. If you add supplements, you can mix up the thawed stuff in a large bowl and put it in little individual ziplock baggies or containers and freeze it. Or you can also freeze it in little ice cube trays if you want to make your own little medallions. Here is some information about this and a video using the Hare-Today and adding supplements (by one of the founders of Feline Outreach, Lynette) Click here ... if you watch the video you can use that for a recipe (if you add supplements). This isn't as convenient and little messy, but it really only take about 20 minutes or so to mix it up and put in little baggies or containers. And you know the source of the meat.

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» There has since been 7 posts. Last posting by Rumble, Mon 12:15 pm

Cat Health > 12 week old won't eat, is gagging, diarrhea

Nadia

Nadia, sweet- little acrobat.

Purred: Thu Nov 12, '09 10:41am PST


	It's in the FAQ's at the Nature's Variety site: "Do you source from China? We are currently sourcing rabbit meat and liver from a supplier in China. In order to insure the quality of these suppliers, members of our management team have personally visited and audited the facilities. Nature's Variety also has a full-time PhD food scientist on staff in China, who visits the facility regularly and monitors meat quality. In addition, samples from shipments received from this supplier are submitted to an independent lab in the United States for testing. All results of testing and auditing have matching our specifications for quality and nutrition." I don't like it. Can't they find rabbit in the US? (Don't rabbits reproduce like crazy, why do they have get them all the way over China?!) The dang pet food companies.

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» There has since been 14 posts. Last posting by Mary, Nov 15 8:50 am

Cat Health > 12 week old won't eat, is gagging, diarrhea

Nadia

Nadia, sweet- little acrobat.

Purred: Thu Nov 12, '09 10:26am PST


	Wow, NV is sourcing rabbit from China? Where did you hear about that, Shadow? I don't like the sound of that. If that is the case I feel differently about feeding NV. I need to look into this. How about the chicken, is that from China? Edit: Yup, I just went to their site and found that they do source rabbit from China . I don't like the idea of that, there have been too many problems. Glad to know that, thanks for the headsup, Shadow.

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» There has since been 16 posts. Last posting by Mary, Nov 15 8:50 am

Cat Health > 12 week old won't eat, is gagging, diarrhea

Nadia

Nadia, sweet- little acrobat.

Purred: Thu Nov 12, '09 8:51am PST


	I'm sorry you and beautiful Aura are going through this. I feed some of the Nature's Variety chicken and the rabbit (along with canned food) and we haven't had any problems. I'm for raw feeding, but if it started when she ate the pinky mouse, maybe it has something to do with that. Maybe the entire mouse was just too much for her and she needs time to get used to eating that. Maybe the mouse was a big change for her system? Could part of the mouse not have been completely digested?? (Sounds weird and may not be, but I was just thinking.) Could she have an allergy to rabbit (or mouse - never heard of that) ? Could there be a problem with the quality of the mice? Just some thoughts. Will she eat any canned food at all? We hope you get some answers and hope she starts feeling better soon.

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» There has since been 21 posts. Last posting by Mary, Nov 15 8:50 am
Cat Health > Ninja went to the vet...

Gump

Love wrapped in- fur

Purred: Wed Nov 11, '09 2:15pm PST


	Ninja, I just remembered that your vet or you (with a script) can get a FREE trial vial of BCP PZI insulin. PZI type insulin is a good insulin and a lots of cats use PZI. I use PZI by Idexx and it has been great. I believe it's a 5ml or 100 units which is half the normal size, but you could get month or two use + out of this free vial. And guess what, BCP vet pharmacy is located in Houston. Here is a link with info: BCP PZI click here Scroll down for the form for the free vial. Hope this helps

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» There has since been 1 post. Last posting by Ava Corrine ( My Angel), Nov 11 5:05 pm

Cat Health > Ninja went to the vet...

Gump

Love wrapped in- fur

Purred: Wed Nov 11, '09 10:25am PST


	It's understandable, Ninja/Carol. I've been there and it's very overwhelming in the beginning. A lot of people feel similarly as you have probably read at FDMB. I didn't know much about diabetes, cat health, diet or anything. I was so clueless that I wasn't even paying attention to all the water drinking and huge urine clumps - DUH- I didn't know cats could be diabetic. But I've been able to learn how to do all this. And, in a way, the silver lining is you learn that you can handle this, you also may feel empowered learning about cat health. If you are able to stick with it this, it does get easier and he may not need insulin for that long. There is a very good chance he can turn around. A majority of cats go into remission. Insulin injections take about 5 minutes twice a day, and once you learn how - the same with testing his BG levels. If he truly is diabetic and if you can't do the testing, then at least get him started on insulin. He will need a shot twice a day - approximately every 12 hours. One unit twice a day is a safe dose to start, it's what FDMB recommends. If you can test him (before shots and when you can), that's great. But, if he is diabetic, get him some insulin; it's not that costly (depends on the kind). You don't have to keep going back to the vet. If you are able to be online, you can get all the help and guidance you need at FDMB about doses or anything. And maybe try to put some of the wet food in near the dry he likes and see if he'll start eating it. Keep trying with the wet food. Finally, check your "pawmail" (I hope you're still online) I can send you a bg meter and some strips to get started, and also if you would accept it something to help keep your internet access going. I will send it to you if you would like. I know you are overwhelmed, but give the insulin and testing a try?

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» There has since been 2 posts. Last posting by Ava Corrine ( My Angel), Nov 11 5:05 pm

Cat Health > Ninja went to the vet...

Gump

Love wrapped in- fur

Purred: Tue Nov 10, '09 5:47am PST


	Hi Ninja, Vets will recommend "prescription" foods. The "diabetic" foods like Purina DM and others are low'er' carb food (not low enough), but the quality of the ingredients isn't the best and they are expensive. You don't need to use those foods (unless you want to try the dry for a short time). That's my opinion and also what you'll hear at the Feline Diabetes message boards. You can get better quality lower carb foods other than the rx ones, wet or for the time being dry. That is a good idea to get a copy of all the blood work and get copies whenever he gets tested. One other thing I thought about last night was the infection the vet said Ninja has in his mouth. Did the vet say anything else about that? Infection can raise glucose levels. I don't think this is the only thing that would cause his bgs to be high, but it can be adding to the problem and may be increasing them. I know having dental cleaning done would be even more to deal with (monetarily and other). But maybe the antibiotic would help, and see what the vet says about his mouth issues in general. Unfortunately, there aren't really diabetes vet specialists, unless you're really lucky and there is a vet around your area who works with a lot of diabetic cats. I haven't heard of many. Your vet can give you good starting info, and there are a lot of diabetic kitty owners that can give a lot of support online too - at the sites I mentioned and here, too . Treatment is insulin and proper diet. Figuring out the best starting dose is the issue, which is why hometesting is important along with the diagnostic tests. And it's always good to research things like you've been doing. Hope you're feeling okay this morning P.S. I just reread your post. You said the vet was going to give an antibiotic injection. There was just discussion at the FDMB about potential problems with a new injectable antibiotic called "convenia" convenia = convenience. Dr. Lisa Pierson brought this up on FDMB a day or two ago. I wouldn't use that one if it were me. There about other antibiotics. Just an FYI (another one).

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» There has since been 7 posts. Last posting by Ava Corrine ( My Angel), Nov 11 5:05 pm

Cat Health > Ninja went to the vet...

Gump

Love wrapped in- fur

Purred: Mon Nov 9, '09 8:32pm PST


	Ninja, yes you can use a human blood glucose meter. At FDMB they will send you a free meter and starter kit. I can help you with this, too. The strips are the biggest cost factor. You can use any meter, and there's one from Walmart (not my fave store but...) called the ReliOn which is about $9.00 for the meter and the strips are about the cheapest around. The meter is used by a lot of people at FDMB. There is a "animal" meter that vets sell which is very expensive ($100.00 for the meter alone). You don't need a special animal meter, I'd say 99% of the people on the FD boards use a human meter. Here is a link with info on hometesting: click here I know all this stuff about testing is a lot take in, but I wanted to pass it along as a consideration. Maybe you could get Ninja lower carb dry food as you try to keep transitioning him to wet. Wet food is important, but you could try this while you working on getting him to eat the wet. There are a lot of stubborn cats who eventually eat wet food and seem to like it! Diet is a very important part of this (and for overall health), I guess you just have to keep trying and using the tricks & tips and being patient with him. I understand what you're saying about all the costs. At FelineDiabetes.com I believe there is a link on the homepage to some organizations that may provide financial assistance. I know it's tough Have a good night Ninja and Ninja's meowma. Lots of purrs from Gump and Nadia

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» There has since been 11 posts. Last posting by Ava Corrine ( My Angel), Nov 11 5:05 pm
Cat Health > Ninja went to the vet...

Gump

Love wrapped in- fur

Purred: Mon Nov 9, '09 6:21pm PST


	Actually Ninja, You don't have to keep going back to the vets for testing and to get him regulated there. For one thing, the stress level at the vets will affect him and they can't get a true indication of his bg levels in that environment. Vet may say otherwise in regards to that, but, if you go over to the FDMB or FD.com or ydc.com, you'll see that most people test their cats bg levels at home. I don't want to overwhelm you with this, but it's something to consider. Hometesting can be done even with difficult cats. You can get supplies at decent prices. And it ends up being a lot less than the vet charges. A lot of vets don't mention this, because they think it's too much for people, or it hasn't been done in the past or whatever. But, shooting insulin blindly is not a good idea, either. It's important to know what's going on with the bg levels. It's something to consider. We test everyday - Gumpie gets his ear poked (btw very few pain receptors there ). Like I said in the previous post, a lot of cats go into remission. There's not a guarantee, but catching it soon before the pancreas gets overly damaged is important. Good for you for noticing problems with Ninja and getting him seen by a vet! With proper diet (low carb wet), early diagnosis and insulin (often a short course) many cats can recover. You may have to outlay some funds initially, but there is a good chance he could go into remission. 408 is a high number, but not horrible. And there is also the vet stress factor. See what the fructosamine is, too. The site Shadow mentioned yourdiabeticcat.com is great, too. Dr. Hodgkins does "tight regulation" of diabetes using PZI there, where FDMB is a more general site. Sorry if this is an information overload! I know how overwhelming all of this can be at first! Hang in there, lots of

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» There has since been 14 posts. Last posting by Ava Corrine ( My Angel), Nov 11 5:05 pm

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