New Vet Recommended Adding Raw!!

Took my Feline Herpes positive kitty to the vet today because she's having another flare up. We decided to try a new vet who does both traditional western medicine and holistic/alternative medicine. Before prescribing antibiotics, although he wasn't opposed to that, he wants to boost her nutrition so that her immune system can fight off the sneezing and symptoms of the flare up on its own. So, we are to start adding Missing Link and some raw food (beef liver, fish/shellfish) to her diet.

She's already eating Merrick's canned, which he knew nothing about and spent several minutes finding their website online and having a fit that we were feeding nothing that he'd heard of before. His reaction really frustrated me because I did lots of research on it before choosing that for her, but he didn't say stop feeding it to her. (He had an entire room of Science Diet, though!) His main gripe about it, I think, was that it includes fruits and veggies, which he doesn't believe kitties need.

Now, DH & I are researching raw diets.

Kitties don't need fruit and veggies....they are obligate carnivores...they just need meat...protein, fat and water...they need mice...haha

There is alot of info about raw feeding. I'm going to start as soon as it arrives. I'd like to make my own, but need to find all the ingredients locally and find a grinder.

If you do a 'google', there are some sites that explain raw food. I have learned alot from catnutrition.com and from people who do feed raw.

You just have to make sure that the kitties get the supplements that they would naturally get from catching their prey...taurine...being the most important one.

I'm glad your Vet is a supporter..it's hard to find them around here.

Good luck and keep us posted on your results.

the website is www.catnutrition.org

Yes, she's been on lysine since we first got her 3 years ago. She takes at least 500mg daily, 1000mg daily during flare ups.

I do some raw and have four suspected herpes cats of various levels ... I find it good when theyll eat it

I'm not sure I'll go totally raw, but I'm not opposed to adding raw and supplements. Added half a dose of the Missing Link last night and she wasn't thrilled with it, which was to be expected. I added less of it this morning and she ate it. I think slowly adding to her regular food will be best.

I am a raw feeder. My cats are now 99 percent raw even my kittens. I give the occasional canned tuna treat but now they want nothing to do with any of the canned food.

http://www.catinfo.org/
http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/

I feed with my vet's full support and I can tell you that it is truly miraculous. People walk into my home and are amazed that they can't tell 6 cats plus 8 kittens live here. They see the trees and toys so they know a cat lives here but not so many. Their waste hardly smells and they use less litter. I have 10 litter boxes in my house too.
Because of the high water content of raw food my cats get plenty of water. I have not had to do any dental work because the meat chunks and chicken necks clean their teeth. I was even amazed when I saw the 6 week old kitten get a chunk out of his mothers bowl and rip into it.
None of my cats are obese or have weight issues except for one that was 2 pounds overweight from raiding the snack cabinet. I put a stop to it and he naturally lost the pounds.
I have been doing it for over 2 years now and once you get the hang of it, it is easy.
Good luck and I hope your cat takes to it. Changing over slowly is key. Some cats dive right in, 4 of mine did and then you have some that need some time.

I'm very surprised that the vet recommended feeding raw fish. I always thought that was a big no-no. Though I suppose if it's only given very infrequently it might not be so bad.

This site is one of many that I found which explains the potential hazards.

Originally Posted by stephanietx

She's already eating Merrick's canned, which he knew nothing about and spent several minutes finding their website online and having a fit that we were feeding nothing that he'd heard of before. His reaction really frustrated me because I did lots of research on it before choosing that for her, but he didn't say stop feeding it to her. (He had an entire room of Science Diet, though!)

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Just a side note on that comment... Our vet is the same way, but his gripe with me feeding foods that he doesn't know about is the fact that there are really no laws and regulations on pet foods. Anybody can make and sell a pet food. He would prefer it if I fed foods that were not just meeting the AAFCO standards, but have undergone long term studies according to AAFCO guidelines.