chiefcramer
USA Somewhere
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We have two cats, one of which, Casey, needs to be on a low magnesium diet. The other one, Kitty, is getting more and more picky as she ages. Kitty is 18 now and has started to lose a little weight but is still doing well. I would like to try some other low magnesium brands to see if she likes them any better.
We have tried all the flavors of Iams, Science Diet and PetSmarts Authority. Is there any others out there that are available without a prescription?
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dturm
Munster, IN
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Almost all the commercial pet foods are low magnesium. The special diets are "lower" for those that have special needs because of urinary tract problems. Any food designed for urinary tract health may be OK. Look at the "ash" content in the food and get it as low as possible.
Just a note on prescription diets: They are not considered "prescription" by the FDA - does not require a client/patient relationship with a veterinarian, BUT many vets may consider them as such. There may be good reason to regularly check pets on some special diets, but you may be able to work with a vet that just allows you to buy the food.
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tom_kat
way upstate new york/lake george area
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boil up some cheap chicken debone cut it small for old cats then add some brown rice and oatmeal and green peas or other veg they like see if that works for them you can add cat vitamins on the side been doing that since the poison food thing along with some dry food.
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goodmanjan
South Dakota
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There is absolutely NOTHING better than homemade pet foods. I have both dogs and my 18-yr old blind kitty on home made raw food. Sure was glad I did when the poison pet food came out. There is absolutely tons of info on the net about raw diets for pets (B.A.R.F.) Check it out on the net and then decide if you would like to eliminate all those nasty preservatives and dead and spoiled carcasses from your pet's diet. Create a recipe that works for you and your pets and stick with it. I reserve nearly my whole freezer for pet food, and when we upgrade the DP, we will have a freezer underneath so I can make plenty at one time.
It may take a few days or a week to convince your kitty of a change in food, but my dogs immediately went for it. Can't say enough about the benefits -- from better breath to better health, smaller stools (helpful when you are picking them up for large dogs). It takes one day about every 5 to 6 weeks for me to make the food myself -- small effort with big benefits. Just be careful to include all the necessary nutrients in your recipe, and weigh your animals every two weeks to make sure they are not gaining or losing weight. This food is very nutritious with no fillers - an extra tablespoon at each meal will put weight on that your pet should not have. We have "doggie weigh-in" every two weeks for all of us . . . Tom, me, Kitty, George, and Archie. We keep a log, and it keeps all of us in line!!!
Good luck.
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chiefcramer
USA Somewhere
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Original poster here - Well I went ahead and tried some new food I found called Natural Life Natural Life website. Sounded great on their website and I thought the nutritional information was ok?
Both cats loved it, ate it like it was going out of style. Three weeks later, the oldest, 18 year old female has a urinary tract infection. I was worried and watching the 15 year old male who has a history of UTI, never thought about the female who has never had any health problems at all.
I had the female in 3 days ago to an emergency vet hospital after she started going in and out of the litter box every 3 minutes and was only producing a couple drops of urine each time. She is on antibotics now and is responding well. They also did blood work and an X-ray, which were both fine (very slightly elevated thryoid is all). She is schedule to have a culture done on her urine next week just to be on the safe side.
I have given them Iams hard and canned food since then supplemented with canned chicken. Female won't eat the Iams so now I really don't know what to try to feed here. Others mentioned feeding home made food but I'm not sure what vitamins to add if I go that route.
By the way, obviously it could be a coincidence that she developed a UTI three weeks after starting the new food but I rather doubt it.
For those who are making their own cat food, specific recipes with amounts would be appreciated. Kitty and Casey thank you too.....
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Pawz4me
North Carolina
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Is there a specific reason you don't want to use a "prescription" food?
My male cat has feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). He does wonderfully on Royal Canin Urinary SO from the vet. He gets mostly canned food. The extra moisture in canned food is beneficial for all cats, and especially for those with urinary issues. He also gets a bit of the same brand of dry food.
I admit to being a pet food snob, and I was leery of switching to the Royal Canin because it's ingredients are not what I would prefer to see in a food. But he's done really well on it, and that's what matters in the end. My vet suggested getting a couple of cans each of the Royal Canin and Science Diet and trying them to see which one my cat preferred. The Royal Canin was his clear pick, and I was a bit happier with it's ingredients than with Science Diet's.
You may want to check into a pet water fountain. Many cats prefer to drink moving water. PetMate, Drinkwell and a few other companies make them. I currently have a Drinkwell and had a PetMate in the past. IMO the Drinkwell is better quality.
If you prefer a home-made diet, here is an excellent website with detailed information. The author/owner of the site is a veterinarian:
Cat Nutrition (click on the "foodmaking" link at the top of the page).
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chiefcramer
USA Somewhere
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It isn't so much that I don't want a prescription food - its that we have tried several and they simply don't eat them. They both drink lots of water already and have for a few years now. We used to have a water fountain but as they aged, they both stopped using it preferring a bowl.
I'll check into the Royal Canin and the website you mentioned. Thanks for the info.
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Pawz4me
North Carolina
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Ooops, I gave you a bit of bad info. The Cat Nutrition site I linked to above is not owned/authored by a vet (although IMO the info is still sound).
Here's the one I was originally thinking of (that is written by a vet):
Cat Info
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Hiker3
Florida
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My 15-yr old kitty has been on Royal Canin for about 3 years. I buy the canned version at my vet's office.
Venison and green pea flavor -- kitty loves it.
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catman2130093
Florida
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My cats eat "Evanger's"-it's organic, low magnesium, sourced in the USA, and has made a world of difference in my cats weight,fur, and eyes. I do feed them Science Diet Light once a week to help keep their teeth clean. The Evanger's is better than homemade, as it contains nutrients that cats need in addition to the chicken..it's even Kosher! If your cat is Jewish ;-)
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