Complete Dry Foods

[kirsty]

After lightly touching on this subject on another thread it was suggested by Janis and Janet to maybe start it up as a new topic.

I was just wondering what your thoughts were on complete dry foods. My four cats are fed on Hills and Royal Canin, three get tuna in springwater now and again and the odd bit of chicken , but one of them has a sensitive tummy so can't be fed tuna or pouches etc. My brother has lately had to get his two cats pts. The first one in Oct age 6 with kidney failure and the other one age 6 yesterday with a tumour on his kidneys. My oldest is 11 and has always mainly had hills as his diet. My brother looked up the internet yesterday when he came home from the vet and it was suggested on an Australian site, that dry complete diets are not the way to go as it can contribute to kidneys overworking especially in cats. On the other hand I have always been told by my vet complete dry diets are great, especially for teeth etc. He said to me he sees a lot more animals with tooth decay that are on "wet food" I have had two cats that were fed on raw turkey and chicken and raw beef when I got them as kittens and I had endless stomach problems, e.g diorhea and flatulance and colic. They had all kinds of tests done and came back with high degrees of salmonella in their test results, due to the raw turkey they had been fed. One of the cats I don't have anymore the other is the one I have already mentioned being on Royal can sensitive diet. So personally i would make sure before I bought kitten or puppy again they hadn't been fed raw.

I have Megan "the dog" on James wellbeloved dry biscuits as well but usually she gets a little cooked mince, cheese , chicken or a slice of roast beef over the top. Also does anyone know if kidney problems are as bad in dogs as they are in cats?

 

[jayp]

Vets are trained in nutrition by THE COMPLETE FOOD SUPPLIERS most will admit this is all they know.

Dogs and cats have a much shorter gut and stronger acid in the stomach to destroy bacteria which is why they can eat carrion with no ill effects although they can get salmonella from raw food they can also get it from complete food, they can also get bloat, bad teeth,allergies etc.

Cats i beleive i read somewhere are not great water drinkers and so their kidneys find it harder work on dry food.

Im also sure cats when hunting which most do dont have the mouse cooked and dried

Just my opinion and im sure most vets disagree as do mine

 

[Stripey]

) Lost my last cat to kidney failure about 10 years ago. He had never been fed dry food so I wouldn't say that the lack od fluid would be the only cause of kidney failure. However, at the same time I lost mine (age unknown as he was a rescue but at least 12) several of my neighbours also lost cats diagnosed as having kidney failure. Maybe there is something wrong with tinned catfood as well, or are the vets diagnosing kidney failure when there could be another possibility?

 

[pollyanna]

I also lost a cat to kidney disease. When she first got ill, I was warned not to feed only dry food (which I hadn't, though she did get some dry food) especially if the cat isn't much of a drinker. Instead I was told to feed a varied diet - fish, raw meat, cat biscuit treats for her teeth (which were good all her life) and good commercial cat food. It was not easy finding one she liked - and of course cats regularly turn up their noses at their meals, in order to keep the standard up. They learn this as kittens from their mothers :teehee:

I think trying to a mixed diet according to what your cat likes is probably the best way to go!

Good luck! :luck:

 

[Janimal]

My cats have always had a mixed diet. Personally I would never feed complete alone...even to my dogs buts thats just my opinion.

My cats have raw food sometimes, cooked meat...tinned meat, sardines, tuna

and biscuits too. All my cats drink water, (one even straight from the tap... :lol: )and I do give them goats milk now and then.

they are go outside and one is a serious hunter and will not let me take a mouse from him....he just crunches it up and eats it.... (w00t)

but they are regularly wormed and de-flead.

 

[Trish]

ive always fed my cat a mixed diet of dried and the pouches,cooked chicken and tuna from time to time.

he as started suffering with cystitis and i do try to give extra water through a syringe at least 4 times a week,and i do hope this helps him as he doesnt like it

the dogs get a variety too dried,raw meat,cooked chicken and rice and tuna and rice .

 

[JAX]

My cats have always had a mixture of wet and dry foods . I lost one throgh Kidney falure at 6years but I dont think Jeremy had ever had dried food , it wasnt out then.

My other cats have all lived to at least 12 years, .3 went to 19 years even Laura who had feline lekemia in the end

my sister breeds persians and she feeds the royal canin one for that breed , hers are long livers too

 

[kirsty]

My cats have always had a mixture of wet and dry foods . I lost one throgh Kidney falure at 6years    but I dont think Jeremy had ever had dried food , it wasnt out then.My other cats have all lived to at least 12 years, .3 went to 19 years even Laura who had feline lekemia  in the end

my sister breeds persians and she feeds the royal canin one for that breed , hers are long livers too

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Thanks for all the replys I am probably being a bit paranoid

The vet did say that feeding James wellbeloved to the dog was good at keeping her teeth good as well, but i have never thought to ask about kidney disease in dogs and if feeding a dry complete food could be a bad thing, as I say she does get a slice of roast beef or chicken or cheese with her JW most days, usually she goes and picks all what I have added out and goes back to the biscuits later on :- "