Thinking about foods

for Luxor.

My DH is a little leary of putting him back on Raw as he thinks that is the reason Luxor got sick last week. I don't think we should switch because the whole reason we put him on raw was due to heavy swallowing, itching and coughing which we really don't have any more.

We've just had him on wellness pate for the past week since his episode and he's been itching, swallowing hard etc. This is what he was on before - We took him off Natural Balance last March.

So now I'm wondering, should we just stick to raw? I've always wondered about Avoderm and how it may help him...I'm just kind of stumped on really what to do or if it's worth doing.

If anyone has any suggestions on why to or not to change foods, I'll gladly listen. Or if anyone has used Avoderm...

We feed Luxor wet, raw and kibble even though I know there are philosophies about why it should only be raw if you feed raw. He's done really well with his weight too - he's lost .5lbs since February!

I feed primarily raw to all our cats and kittens. A couple of our cats don't like raw that much so we have to be creative.

I have fed Avoderm in the past and it was OK, but had quite a bit of puking going on. Excellent coat condition was achieved, but the puking turned me off.

Royal Canin in kibble form has worked best for us as an all around acceptable dry food, used in addition to the raw.

For raw, I feel variety is a must to keep your cat interested. We feed, duck, venison, rabbit, turkey, beef organs and elk, in a rotating fashion, to keep their palate's happy. As we go along with this feeding regimen, we find out which cats prefer which foods, and try to accomodate them. When they get bored with a type of raw, switch them to something different. With raw, it won't affect their stool consistancy.

The major concern with raw is, that it MUST be fresh. Most cats are smart enough not to eat spoiled meat, but there are always a few behind the curve on that.

Is it possible Luxor got sick due to spoiled meat?

If he's improved on raw, I'd keep him on it. Switching foods around, especially commercial to commercial or raw to commercial really wreaks havoc on a cats digestive system. Very frustrating for the owner when you're trying to get a cat stabilized.

... Nial and Terri have loads more experience with feeding a large group raw than I do ... Kandie liked rabbit and beef with some poultry mixed in
Avoderm reg
Select Ingredients
Chicken Meal, Ground Whole Corn, Corn Gluten MealNot the amount I like for any cat but one with known issues I would avoid , Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbic Acid), Ground Whole Brown Rice, Ground Whole Wheat, Herring Meal known kitty allergens, Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Dried Chicken Liver, Dried Brewers Yeast, Dried Chicory Root, Avocado Oil, Avocado Meal, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Taurine Supplement, Lecithin, Dried Yucca Schidigera, DL-Methionine, Dried Kelp, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Source of Vitamin B2), Niacin, Choline Chloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source of Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Source of Vitamin B1), Biotin, Ascorbic Acid (Source of Vitamin C), Zinc Polysaccharide Complex, Manganese Polysaccharide Complex, Iron Polysaccharide Complex, Copper Polysaccharide Complex, Cobalt Polysaccharide Complex, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite.


too much corn for me for a sensitve cat plus wheat and fish

Good food but you can find better in the class .. I would actually recommend a no grain like orijen , evo or core

http://www.breeders-choice.com/cat_p...dermcatcan.htm

you're talking wet food right?

opss.. no ...

Avoderm wets are much better

Originally Posted by sharky

opss.. no ...

Avoderm wets are much better

Click to expand...

Yes,. I'm just talking about wet food...

I only feed raw and some canned. A little bit of fish during week as a treat and that is it. I would stick with it. Cleo used to get sick and I figured out it was the lamb. He can not tolerate raw lamb.
I stick to chicken, turkey and duck. I do livers and well.
I would try something very benign like raw chicken for a while and see if it clears up.
Also check food handling. I have been in the restaurant business and raw meat handling is something that sometimes gets away from us. Make sure you are washing your hands a lot with antibacterial stuff and I wash my stainless steel bowls by soaking them with a touch of bleach in water and then run them through the dishwasher. It sounds extreme but you want your dishes extra clean.

Originally Posted by Renovia

My DH is a little leary of putting him back on Raw as he thinks that is the reason Luxor got sick last week.

Click to expand...

Renova, is the raw food store bought or homemade? Besides freshness issue it's possible your kitty is allergy to that particular meat/brand of vitamin/veggie.

Our cats barf up venison even when feed in tiny amounts. They wouldn't touch lamb, no matter if I sprinkle bribe food or mix with canned. So now we just stick to poultry- rabbit, chicken, turkey & duck.

Originally Posted by Renovia

So now I'm wondering, should we just stick to raw?

Click to expand...

IMO if he's doing great on raw I'd stick to it. You may want to try another meat. If you make your own then you may want to whip up smaller batches, add taurine & then add one supplement at a time to see which vitamin (or veggie if you add any) he can't tolerate. It's a pain but once you find out what the problem is it all goes down hill from there.