Prescription foods

maybe this could be a simple sticky??


Many of you come on here asking for alternatives to an Rx aka percription diet ...
The simple answer is yes and no to whether your cat can get off there food ...
Rx food s are just like human medications, many of them are able to come off after a time period .... BUT many will need to stay on them ...
If you arent happy with the food , ie ingrediants , your cat wont eat .... CALL and TALK to your VET ...
Vets like human drs dont know Fluffy wont eat it unless you say something....
99% of VETS will order in a different type / brand of RX food if asked ...
Also by talking with your vet the vet may tell you that an OTC food will work and which one or give what they want it to have or not have ..

I hope this helps

Widely avail brands of RX
USA
Science diet
Eukanuba
Iams
Royal Canin / Waltham /IVD
Purina


Canada
add Medical( if I spelled it wrong say something)

For those that are thinking about homemade or raw food .... Please consult a nutrtion minded vet if yours doesnt want to help....

I know the grammer isnt perfect but

I completley agree Sharky, with one exception. Some (if not most) people do not have access to a vet who is open minded about nutrition, or who has taken the initiative to learn beyond what Hills taught them in school.

If not for forums like this, I wouldn't have ANY idea of alternative options, as my vet would never have suggested them. Only when I came to HER with the options layed out (and well planned as to exactly why I feel they were better) did she realise she had to help accomodate me. Most vets will NEVER present alternative options in terms of nutrition, especially in regards to the rx foods.

I mean lets face it, the Hills Science Diet, and Royal Canin, and Medi-cal prescription diets (and the rest) have lots of research backing them, etc, but they all use sub-par ingredients. And a lot of the problems these foods have been prescribed for CAN be solved with a simple switch to a higher quality (canned, or fresh) diet. But people need to be educated, and know that these things exist, before they can consider approaching their vet about it.

Vanilla

Very true... I also had to talk to my vet and ask for help when Kandie was diagnoised with kidney failure ... He didnt have a clue on cat nutrtition other than the foods they should never consume ... but He did read the stuff I brought and guided me ....

my current vet is much more knowledgable about nutrition than my last vet, but stills pushes Science Diet, because she sells it. Henry is now on the C/D for his crystals, which I hate. I hate everything about the ingredients. I asked her about other foods and she still pushes SD. So, a lot of people don't have a vet they can talk to about nutrition, so they come here to talk to someone who might have advice for the situation. I have no seen anything different from the Hill's C/D and some of the super premium foods, except the magnesium is lower in the Hill's, but only by, like, .002 points. And the ingredients are so much better in the super premiums.

Originally Posted by vanillasugar

If not for forums like this, I wouldn't have ANY idea of alternative options, as my vet would never have suggested them. Only when I came to HER with the options layed out (and well planned as to exactly why I feel they were better) did she realise she had to help accomodate me. Most vets will NEVER present alternative options in terms of nutrition, especially in regards to the rx foods.

Click to expand...

I also agree, Sharky...and I don't want to get your hopefully soon to be sticky thread to far off track, but I can't help but comment on the point that vanillasugar made. It is true. It is here that I learned about an alternative plan for Beandip's diet and medication. I talked to the vet techs first and they said, "Well, I don't know...never thought about it!". Then I talked to the vet and she was very open minded about it. And he's doing so well now...anyway, fast forward to yesterday when I called in a prescription to them and had a short chat w/the vet's assistant. Would you believe that she said they have another chronic crystal cat that they're treating w/a simlar plan to Beandip's?? And that cat is doing great too.

I guess my point is, I do see the proper place for the RX diets. But I also know that the "cookie cutter" solution doesn't work with every cat. I did learn that it's very very very very beneficial to have a good relationship with the vet. If the one you have won't listen, find another who will. Because walking right out of the office, with the bag of RX food in hand, and a bad attitude about it doesn't really help either.

bump as some new people may want to read

Beandip --

If you read this, would you mind sharing, again, your food selections/plans for your UTI/crystals kitty? We're still using Hill's s/d (for about another 3-4 wks) to make sure all struvite crystals/residue is eliminated...then we'll transition to c/d until the bag runs out. We've researched Royal Canin & Wysong, but would like to revert back to non-Rx diet if possible.

Also, our other cat was eating the Rx diet, and he seems to be reverting to his over-grooming-with-bald-spots behavior, again. (We worked w/ the vet for about 2 years regarding this, including getting 2nd & 3rd opinions...we thought he was completely "over it" (on NB duck & pea and Solid Gold Katzenflocken) until the Hill's food was added for the sake of the other kitty...)

P.S. Any help is MUCH appreciated!!
P.P.S. As you recommended, sharky: We'll review any plans w/ the vet to be sure it's appropriate for our guys...

Whiskery ... Yes, please talk to the vet, it really helped me to have mine on my side. With that said, I sent you a PM.

Since SG worked for your other cat...could it be the corn bothering him now? Sharky may have more insight on that.

Bumping as this seems to be a issue again..