Experienced opinions requested on this raw food product...

http://www.abcpetfoods.com/
I'm looking for opinions from those with first hand experience feeding their
cat a raw diet. This is a local vendor that I am considering trying. I would
like to avoid making a raw diet myself, if possible, thus the attraction to
this vendor.

Does anyone have an opinion on their ingredients? I'm concerned about the
grains, and what about taurine? Anything else missing or that raises any red
flags?

Thanks,
Hank

"Hank" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
http://www.abcpetfoods.com/
I'm looking for opinions from those with first hand experience feeding
their
cat a raw diet. This is a local vendor that I am considering trying. I
would
like to avoid making a raw diet myself, if possible, thus the attraction
to
this vendor.

Does anyone have an opinion on their ingredients? I'm concerned about the
grains, and what about taurine? Anything else missing or that raises any
red
flags?

Thanks,
Hank



When I began feeding raw about 18 months ago, I used a grain free diet. It
meant putting in alot more veggies, and so I had to put in more bribe food
to convince them to eat. Also, both my cats and my dog had constipation
problems with this diet and so I eventually decided to try out the
Pitcairn-Frazier style wich does add some grains. My pets do very well on
it, and they prefer the taste so I have been able to cut down considerably
on the bribe foods. It doesnt mean my diet is better than the grain free,
its just what *my* pets do well on. You have to research and try out things
to see what is best for your cat. The diet I prepare resembles the
recipes on the link except I do not add garlic or alfalfa, and use Quinoa
most often (wich is not a true grain, protein is of higher quality and amino
acids well equilibrated). I use salmon oil but am now questioning the use
of any fish oil, for its seems that it is close to impossible to get any
wich is not contaminated or rancid. I will need to find althernatives.
Taurine is not a problem with raw meat, but personally, I make sure they
get heart where it is most concentrated.(from free range chickens in my
case)
I would find it difficult to use a commercial all prepared diet because
research, and most importantly, the health of my pets make me change and
adjust all the time.

All the luck.

Elaine



--
My cats:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid906206
Article français sur le dégriffage
http://chakashiva.tripod.com/degriffage.index.htm

"Hank" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
http://www.abcpetfoods.com/
I'm looking for opinions from those with first hand experience feeding
their
cat a raw diet. This is a local vendor that I am considering trying. I
would
like to avoid making a raw diet myself, if possible, thus the attraction
to
this vendor.

Does anyone have an opinion on their ingredients? I'm concerned about the
grains, and what about taurine? Anything else missing or that raises any
red
flags?

Thanks,
Hank



When I began feeding raw about 18 months ago, I used a grain free diet. It
meant putting in alot more veggies, and so I had to put in more bribe food
to convince them to eat. Also, both my cats and my dog had constipation
problems with this diet and so I eventually decided to try out the
Pitcairn-Frazier style wich does add some grains. My pets do very well on
it, and they prefer the taste so I have been able to cut down considerably
on the bribe foods. It doesnt mean my diet is better than the grain free,
its just what *my* pets do well on. You have to research and try out things
to see what is best for your cat. The diet I prepare resembles the
recipes on the link except I do not add garlic or alfalfa, and use Quinoa
most often (wich is not a true grain, protein is of higher quality and amino
acids well equilibrated). I use salmon oil but am now questioning the use
of any fish oil, for its seems that it is close to impossible to get any
wich is not contaminated or rancid. I will need to find althernatives.
Taurine is not a problem with raw meat, but personally, I make sure they
get heart where it is most concentrated.(from free range chickens in my
case)
I would find it difficult to use a commercial all prepared diet because
research, and most importantly, the health of my pets make me change and
adjust all the time.

All the luck.

Elaine



--
My cats:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid906206
Article français sur le dégriffage
http://chakashiva.tripod.com/degriffage.index.htm

In article ,
"Hank" wrote:

http://www.abcpetfoods.com/
I'm looking for opinions from those with first hand experience feeding their
cat a raw diet. This is a local vendor that I am considering trying. I would
like to avoid making a raw diet myself, if possible, thus the attraction to
this vendor.

Does anyone have an opinion on their ingredients? I'm concerned about the
grains, and what about taurine? Anything else missing or that raises any red
flags?

So they stole Pitcairn's recipes and are now selling them. That's kinda
lame.

For me, there are two main reasons to feed a more natural/raw diet to my
pets. First, for their oral health which benefits greatly from ripping
and chewing large pieces of meat on the bone on a daily basis. And
second, to have control over what they eat and to know they are getting
healthful, wholesome, minimally processed food.

There's also the less-important reasons that it's quite a bit cheaper to
home-prepare their food and that my dog at least doesn't do as well with
grains as without them.

You lose all of these benefits by feeding an expensive commercially
prepared minced diet.

What about taurine? It's found in meat (though denatured by heat and
processing hence the need to add it back to extruded kibbles), and is
particularly high in the heart which is included in some of the mixtures
you listed. I wouldn't worry about taurine.

Why do you want to avoid preparing your cat's diet yourself?

-Alison in OH

In article ,
"Hank" wrote:

http://www.abcpetfoods.com/
I'm looking for opinions from those with first hand experience feeding their
cat a raw diet. This is a local vendor that I am considering trying. I would
like to avoid making a raw diet myself, if possible, thus the attraction to
this vendor.

Does anyone have an opinion on their ingredients? I'm concerned about the
grains, and what about taurine? Anything else missing or that raises any red
flags?

So they stole Pitcairn's recipes and are now selling them. That's kinda
lame.

For me, there are two main reasons to feed a more natural/raw diet to my
pets. First, for their oral health which benefits greatly from ripping
and chewing large pieces of meat on the bone on a daily basis. And
second, to have control over what they eat and to know they are getting
healthful, wholesome, minimally processed food.

There's also the less-important reasons that it's quite a bit cheaper to
home-prepare their food and that my dog at least doesn't do as well with
grains as without them.

You lose all of these benefits by feeding an expensive commercially
prepared minced diet.

What about taurine? It's found in meat (though denatured by heat and
processing hence the need to add it back to extruded kibbles), and is
particularly high in the heart which is included in some of the mixtures
you listed. I wouldn't worry about taurine.

Why do you want to avoid preparing your cat's diet yourself?

-Alison in OH

First, for their oral health which benefits greatly from ripping
and chewing large pieces of meat on the bone on a daily basis

What if I give him a chicken neck once a week to gnaw on? Would this not be
a good enough substitute for daily larger chunks of raw meat?

Why do you want to avoid preparing your cat's diet yourself?

I guess I'm concerned about the time and effort involved in preparing it.

First, for their oral health which benefits greatly from ripping
and chewing large pieces of meat on the bone on a daily basis

What if I give him a chicken neck once a week to gnaw on? Would this not be
a good enough substitute for daily larger chunks of raw meat?

Why do you want to avoid preparing your cat's diet yourself?

I guess I'm concerned about the time and effort involved in preparing it.

In article ,
"Hank" wrote:

First, for their oral health which benefits greatly from ripping
and chewing large pieces of meat on the bone on a daily basis

What if I give him a chicken neck once a week to gnaw on? Would this not be
a good enough substitute for daily larger chunks of raw meat?

Why do you want to avoid preparing your cat's diet yourself?

I guess I'm concerned about the time and effort involved in preparing it.

Taking away processed commercial foods apparently has some beneficial
effect on oral health--people claim it's "enzymes in raw food" or
something. I find it easier to put stock in the idea that tearing
through meat and bone provides a mechanical scrubbing action and gum
massage. One of my main concerns is the effect of chronic gum infection
on all the body systems--especially the kidneys. It only takes a day or
two for plaque bacteria to build up to the point where they are
cultivating anaerobes, colonizing the gums, forming calculus etc. So I
prefer to feed raw meat on the bone every day. Since chicken necks are
too bony to be a staple, I don't feed them very often.

On the other hand, it's certainly better than no preventive measures,
and most cats will take little convincing to figure out that it's fun to
crunch into a neck or even a single vertebra.

Personally, I find it easier to plop a meaty bone on my cat's plate than
to open a can and dish out glop. Luckily however, my cat took easily to
bones and I didn't have to do any grinding or other preparation as an
interim measure while getting him on bones. I do feel that investing in
a hand grinder, or even a $100 electric grinder, plus maybe an hour
every two weeks to prepare cat food, would have been worth it to achieve
the health benefits.

But that's me.

-Alison in OH

In article ,
"Hank" wrote:

First, for their oral health which benefits greatly from ripping
and chewing large pieces of meat on the bone on a daily basis

What if I give him a chicken neck once a week to gnaw on? Would this not be
a good enough substitute for daily larger chunks of raw meat?

Why do you want to avoid preparing your cat's diet yourself?

I guess I'm concerned about the time and effort involved in preparing it.

Taking away processed commercial foods apparently has some beneficial
effect on oral health--people claim it's "enzymes in raw food" or
something. I find it easier to put stock in the idea that tearing
through meat and bone provides a mechanical scrubbing action and gum
massage. One of my main concerns is the effect of chronic gum infection
on all the body systems--especially the kidneys. It only takes a day or
two for plaque bacteria to build up to the point where they are
cultivating anaerobes, colonizing the gums, forming calculus etc. So I
prefer to feed raw meat on the bone every day. Since chicken necks are
too bony to be a staple, I don't feed them very often.

On the other hand, it's certainly better than no preventive measures,
and most cats will take little convincing to figure out that it's fun to
crunch into a neck or even a single vertebra.

Personally, I find it easier to plop a meaty bone on my cat's plate than
to open a can and dish out glop. Luckily however, my cat took easily to
bones and I didn't have to do any grinding or other preparation as an
interim measure while getting him on bones. I do feel that investing in
a hand grinder, or even a $100 electric grinder, plus maybe an hour
every two weeks to prepare cat food, would have been worth it to achieve
the health benefits.

But that's me.

-Alison in OH

I use salmon oil but am now questioning the use
of any fish oil, for its seems that it is close to impossible to get any
wich is not contaminated or rancid.
Elaine

Elaine, where do you buy your fish oil? Have you tried drugstores?
Here we can buy it in drugstores. It´s listed as a vitamin A and D
supplement and sold as cod liver oil. The quality should be better
than ones bought elsewhere.