Grain Free Wets

I think it is time to redo this ... I am sure there is a thread but a quick search only yeilded me the grain free dry thread...
PLEASE keep this to COMPANIES with GRAIN FREE wets
Wellness - there grain frees say it ... Plus you can do the 95% meats thou not a complete food

Innova EVO - EVO is grain free and also has a 95% meat line

Merricks- If memory serves almost if not all are grain free

Natural balence- A couple are grain free

Natures variety- This one has a new line that looks good thou I dont remember grain or not.... But they do have all meat lines

Evangers - another one with some with and some without

Meow mix- yep you read that right ... read the labels some have wheat gluten

Sheba tubs- have tapicoa and are not complete

ADD if you know but read the note in orange

Wysong's just meat line
Canine Caviar - the beaver variety
IcelandPet Trout, Salmon, or Cod liver pate

Originally Posted by sharky

Wellness - there grain frees say it ... Plus you can do the 95% meats thou not a complete food

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Sharky, what does this mean.. not a complete food? I'm feeding Mitties Wellness canned grain-free exclusively... nothing else. Is this bad?

TickyTat, Sharky is talking about another line of Wellness food that is "95% Meat". I think it's marketed for dogs, but meat is meat...although not a complete diet, like she said. Your grain free Wellness cat food is "complete". Hope that makes sense.

By Nature Organics - http://www.bynaturepetfoods.com/prod...ccannedcat.php

Artemis - http://www.artemiscompany.com/produc...ct=cat_formula

The 2 Natural Balance grain free cans are Venison/Pea and Chicken/Liver

Originally Posted by beandip

TickyTat, Sharky is talking about another line of Wellness food that is "95% Meat". I think it's marketed for dogs, but meat is meat...although not a complete diet, like she said.

Your grain free Wellness cat food is "complete". Hope that makes sense.

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Oh, gotcha. Duh!

Originally Posted by TickyTat

Oh, gotcha. Duh!

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'nother example -the just meat by Wysong and by Evangers are not nutritionally complete for a cat because they simply contain only meat/or game/or fowl etc.

I don't really understand how something that's all meat could not be complete for a cat. Don't they eat exclusively meat in the wild? Someone explain this to me.

Originally Posted by Rolenta

I don't really understand how something that's all meat could not be complete for a cat. Don't they eat exclusively meat in the wild? Someone explain this to me.

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Go to this page: http://www.catinfo.org/ and scroll down to just under the clickable link for making your own cat food. The paragraph is about why meat alone is not adequate for cats...they must have calcium, and unless there is bone/bone meal with the "just meat" canned, it will not be adequate.

The site is very detailed and written by a vet, I trust its information, even if I don't choose to feed raw

So it is not just a question of taurine, its that they aren't getting the "whole mouse" when they eat canned pheasant or duck etc.

Well, I understand they need bones and organs as well, but I'm under the assumption that the non-meat ingredients in these cat foods are vegetables, not bones and organs.

Originally Posted by Rolenta

Well, I understand they need bones and organs as well, but I'm under the assumption that the non-meat ingredients in these cat foods are vegetables, not bones and organs.

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I am sorry? I must have misunderstood your question. I thought you were asking specifically about the canned foods listed in this thread that are meat only or 95% meat and listed as not nutritionally complete. I thought you asked why meat only would not be enough..hence my answer. None of the canned foods I listed contain any vegetables.

Originally Posted by Rolenta

Well, I understand they need bones and organs as well, but I'm under the assumption that the non-meat ingredients in these cat foods are vegetables, not bones and organs.

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The "complete" grain free foods contain meat, some contain vegetables, some contain organs (liver usually), but all of them are supplemented with vitamins and minerals. The vitamins and minerals are what make it complete, even if it doesn't contain bone or organs.

The "just meat" foods are just that - meat - no vitamins, nothing.

As a side note, cooked meat (like you find in a can) requires more supplementation than raw meat. A lot gets lost in the cooking process. So while a mouse may be a "complete" meal...a can of mouse meat would not be.

Example...Wellness cat "Turkey" formula (canned) ...a "complete" food

Turkey, Chicken Liver, Chicken, Chicken Broth, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Natural Chicken Flavor, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Flaxseed, Squash, Cranberries, Blueberries, Zucchini, Potassium Chloride, Garlic, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, Iron Proteinate (a source of Chelated Iron), Beta-Carotene, Zinc Proteinate (a source of Chelated Zinc), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Proteinate (a source of Chelated Cobalt), Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate (a source of Chelated Copper), Folic Acid, Manganese Proteinate (a source of Chelated Manganese), Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Biotin.

The bold stuff are supplements.

Wellness "95% Meat" Turkey formula (not complete)

Turkey, Water Sufficient for Processing, Natural Flavors, Cassia Gum, Carrageenan.

Just meat, flavor and thickeners...not complete.

Essentially, the supplements are what make the foods complete. Yes, some foods add veggies, etc. They aren't complete because of the veggies, but because of the supplements. As beandip said.

okay breakdown of a mouse.. now this aint perfect

60% moisture
DRY matter
50-60 protein
30-40 fat
5-10 other( I e the veggies and grains it ate)

A raw complete is
meat
bone
organ
and some small amount of veggie

Originally Posted by sharky

okay breakdown of a mouse.. now this aint perfect

60% moisture
DRY matter
50-60 protein
30-40 fat
5-10 other( I e the veggies and grains it ate)

A raw complete is
meat
bone
organ
and some small amount of veggie

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thank you for the breakdown of sir or ms mouse

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

thank you for the breakdown of sir or ms mouse

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Anytime

Okay, I get it now. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Rolenta

Okay, I get it now. Thanks.

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I'm sorry I was terse...I'm newly dealing with what looks to become chronic pain and not dealing with it well.

I hope you will check out the site I mentioned...honestly, despite it's overall message re feeding raw, it does discuss better canned foods, has a great section on what supplements a cat would need if feeding a homemade raw diet, and is kept up to date by the vet who wrote the site.

It truly is a wonderful little resource.

regards,