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Old March 27th 11, 04:51 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
cshenk
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Default 16 yr. old cat constantly throwing up

"Nitesbane" wrote
"cshenk" wrote
"jmc" wrote


Stay on canned food. Fancy Feast is actually very good for cats.
High protein and low or no carbs.


Well... some varieties. My understanding is that the quality of Fancy
Feast varies between varieties.


Correct. About 40% of them are grain-free and perfectly fine.


Do you have a list of which ones these are?


No sorry, I just read the labels. I know if I randomly select 10 versions
out of their 30 or so, 4 will be grain-free. It may be higher because
Daisy-chan will not touch tuna so I don't bother to check ones with tuna
obvious on the label.

What I have now (not all is fancy feast but this is the fancy feast onhand
list) is "Cod, Sole, and Shrimp Feast classic", "Tender Beef and Liver
Feast, Classic", "Tender Liver and Chicken Feast classic'. Don't let the
'classic' on all 3 lead you astray, that's just what was on sale for 55cents
a can that day. I got a box of each (24 per box) with a bunch of 1$ off per
box coupons inside them.

I just grab a can, take my glasses off (the print is pretty small) and look
for: Wheat gluten, vital wheat gluten, gluten, soy or soy by-products, corn
or corn by-products, corn starch and skip those cans.

With cats, you see mostly the wheat gluten (especially on beef ones with
'gravy' made to look tastey to us '2foots' but cats don't care about that).

Dry food, I use a little kibble because she likes it as a treat. There, you
have really GOT to check labels. Some of the most expensive 'promises to be
perfect' foods are worse than alley cat. I allow only 'Blue Wilderness' and
a local brand that is of same level grain free quality.

I have the wonderful luck to have a cat and 2 dogs, all with grain allergies
so my idea of a good food is a grain-free one.

With dog food cans you have to check for all 3 (wheat, corn and soy). I've
not seen soy in a canned cat food that I can recall but i probably put it
back so fast I never looked at the brand again.

In general, it is *much* more problematic to get quality dry items at a
decent price that are grain free for cats and dogs. The only 'dry treats'
Daisy-chan can get, are from the doggie isle. Dried duck, chicken, or beef
and sometimes you see salmon. These are sold as pet jerky and we snap off
little bits as treats for them all.

The last time they had a friskies canned sale, I didn't find any that suited
us but i seem to recall they have a few that are decently grain free.
Wellness also per the web site has some that are grain free but are not sold
in my area.

Common grain allergy symptoms in cats: Ear infections, over grooming
especially of the belly (may lick bare patches). Advanced cases, raw patches
and severe skin issues. Scratches self alot.

Common grain allergy symptoms in dogs: Ear Infections, chewing on toes and
belly or legs, bare patches. Advanced cases, may knaw holes in skin
creating lesions and other severe skin issues. Lots of self scratching.

Both tend to be mis-diagnosed as ear mites and flea allergies (even when
they have no fleas or ear mites). You can spend a bundle at the vets or you
can just test grain free only foods for a few weeks and watch it go away
(but you'll still have to treat the ear infection caused by the grains
untikl it goes away).