dietary choices

[faeryhideout]

so after much research i've decided to change my kitten's diet. so far the foods i have tried with her are "performatrin" - recommended by pet valu, "prescription diet p/d" - recommended by her vet, and "iams" kitten food - recommended by another vet

Comments

[lost_cosmos]

There is this one brand of kitten food here in Ottawa that my Bebe was sold with that has a 1% rejection rate and is very good for kitten health... I think its called Nutriscience. It comes in a pink bag. If you ask someone at a reputable pet store [try Petsmart or Little Critters or Pet Valu] by the 1% rejection fact and the pink bag and you should be able to find it quickly.

As for wet food, you shouldn't really be giving a baby wet food right away. Its not very good for their teeth and urinary tract development. If you do want to give it to your baby avoid fish flavoured wet foods because those types do give your baby boo urinary tract infections.

[I am assuming you are in Canada however. We share the Vada fae.]

[rapier1]

I have never heard of wet food being bad for kittens, or for that matter, seafood based kitten food to be bad for them.

Can you provide a source for this? None of the material I've been able to find have said anything about this. In fact, several recommend wet food when transitioning kittens off of milk.

[lost_cosmos]

A source exactly no, but my vet told me this many many years ago about the fish based wet food thing. It was in her science vet journal thing that she got monthly that one of the main components of the fish flavoured wet foods helped promote UTI's in cats. As much as they love them, they are not healthy to be fed constantly to them. Once in a while is alright but not a once a day or even once a week type food.

As for the transition thing, it just makes sense. The babies need to use those baby teeth crunching kitten kibble to get them used and cleaned. Keeping them in that moist environment isn't the best thing. I am not a high supporter of letting cats continually eat wet food either way because its just not all too healthy for them being the animal they are and there are many vets who stand behind that.

[rapier1]

I'd have to disagree for a few reasons. The mouth in and of itself is a moist environment wet food or dry food isn't goign to change that in the slightest. Even if dry food does 'dry the mouth' out cats will simply drink more water to compensate. In fact, one of the more significant problems with dry food is that it provides very littel moisture on its own. Cats, you see, evolved as desert animals that would get the majority of their daily water needs from the food that they eat. Feeding them dry food means that they have to supplement their diet with external water sources. If they don't consume enough water then it ends up damaging their kidneys and can lead to other urinary problems. Wet food, on the other hand, supplies signifcantly more moisture in the diet and supplmental water intake is sharply reduced. They'll still drink water directly but they are less likely to develop problems which stem from chronic water deficits. This is actually part of the reason why vets suggest that cats with recurrent UTIs be transition *to* a wet

[faeryhideout]

oh! pleasure to speak to a fellow friend :)

yes i live in toronto, minutes away from vada in fact.

thx for the recommendation.

icon love btw!!!

[lost_cosmos]

No problem dear. Hope that your sweet baby does well. I have named my newest addition after our dear friend because she just shares her spirit. Although I call her Vaedee since she is just a babee, three weeks old Friday.

icon love right back!!

[faeryhideout]

awww 3 weeks old!! and her name is vada! that is so sweet!!! good luck with your lil cutey, i'm sure she must be very special.

(tori love!)