IAMS vs Whiskas?

On Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:58:19 GMT, Gandalf ingold1234(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
(Gandalf) wrote:

On Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:46:17 -0400, Wayne Mitchell
wrote:

dgk wrote:

Yes, some cats do fine eating dry food all their lives. But that is
anecdotal, not any kind of evidence. Vets, who deal with lots and lots
of cats, say to use wet food.

Some vets may say that; others will say the opposite. Neither group
will have any scientific basis for their recommendation. It's *all*
anecdotal.


Ding Ding Ding: we HAVE a winner!

There has NEVER BEEN a SCIENTIFICALLY CONTROLLED comparison of dry vs.
canned cat food.

It would require a LOT of cats (hundreds), for their ENTIRE lifetime.

Nobody is EVER going to pay for such a scientifically controlled study.

So the 'canned food zealots' point to 'articles', written by PROPONENTS
of canned cat food, that contain NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER as
their 'proof'.

If it wasn't so pathetic, it would be amusing.

After Espy had a (very expensive) urinary blockage, the discharge
instructions said very clearly, NO DRY FOOD. These are the specialty
vets, all specialists in various areas. They see a lot of cats and
take very thorough histories. I think they might have some insight
into what contributes to various illnesses.

So, I follow their advice.

"Wayne Mitchell" wrote in message
...
dgk wrote:

Yes, some cats do fine eating dry food all their lives. But that is
anecdotal, not any kind of evidence. Vets, who deal with lots and lots
of cats, say to use wet food.

Some vets may say that; others will say the opposite. Neither group
will have any scientific basis for their recommendation. It's *all*
anecdotal.
--

Actually, there was a study that associated feline interstitial cystitis
with dry food:


J Am Vet Med Assoc 1997 Jan 1;210(1):46-50

Clinical evaluation of cats with nonobstructive urinary tract diseases.


Buffington CA, Chew DJ, Kendall MS, Scrivani PV, Thompson SB, Blaisdell JL,
Woodworth BE

Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine,
Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA.

"OBJECTIVE: To identify the underlying cause of clinical signs in cats with
nonobstructive diseases of the bladder and urethra.

DESIGN: Prospective case series.

SAMPLE POPULATION: 109 cats examined by the urology service of The Ohio
State University's veterinary teaching hospital because of stranguria,
hematuria, pollakiuria, or urination in inappropriate locations.

PROCEDU History was obtained and a CBC, serum biochemical
analyses, serologic tests for FeLV and feline immunodeficiency virus,
urinalysis, bacterial culture of urine, and contrast radiography or
urethrocystoscopy (females only) were performed.

RESULTS: 16 cats had cystic calculi: 8 had struvite uroliths, 7 had calcium
oxalate uroliths, and 1 had a urolith of unknown composition in conjunction
with an anatomic defect. Anatomic defects, including diverticulae, urethral
strictures, and a malpositioned urethra, were identified in 12 cats. A
urinary tract infection was identified in 1 cat, and neoplasia was diagnosed
in 2. One of the cats with neoplasia also had a struvite urolith. The
remaining 80 cats did not have an
anatomic defect, urolith, or tumor. Ten of these cats also did not have
radiographic orcystoscopic abnormalities and were presumed to have a
behavioral disorder. The remaining 70 cats had radiographic or cystoscopic
abnormalities, and idiopathic cystitis was diagnosed. In 14 of the cats
with
idiopathic cystitis, results of a urinalysis were normal. Cats with
idiopathic cystitis were significantly more likely to eat dry food
exclusively (59%) than were cats in the general population (19%).

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Results suggest that idiopathic cystitis occurs
commonly in cats with stranguria, hematuria, pollakiuria, or inappropriate
elimination and is associated with consumption of dry foods. Contrast
radiography or cystoscopy is necessary for differentiating idiopathic
cystitis from behavioral disorders in some cats."

As with diabetes, dry food may not cause feline interstitial cystitis, but
it could unmask or aggravate the disorder in cats that are predisposed to
it - as certainly seems to be the case with Meep.