Sensitive tummy food

Hi....I had previously posted about Calvin's continuous soft stool and many of you gave me wonderful advice. Once I stopped his Wellness Kitten dry his poop became normal. So he's been on only wet food for a few days now and the normal stool has continued (still cautious about it). So I am thinking of not doing the food sensitivity tests/ allerge tests just yet, since the issue has resolved, but I have copied all the suggestions if some of his issues return.

When I took Hobbes to the vet a fews back, I told him about Calvin and he feels that we can continue feeding him only wet. However, that's not something I am comfortable with. I leave out measured food and feed wet twice a day. But being the worrier that I am, I always feel that what if I am late in returning or something happens - I just dont want them to starve till other arrangements can be made.

So the vet suggested a formula for sensitive tummies. The 2 forerunners are the Science Diet and Royal Canin 33 - both for sensitive tummies. Now I do not like the fact that these food have some common allergens that I have kept out of Calvin's diet (soy, wheat, brewer's rice, corn etc) and also byproducts. So I'm skeptical. ANyone have any positive experience with either these or other sensitive tummy formulas?

My alternatives is to go for a grain free like Blue Wilderness/ Wellness Core/ Evo and see. But are grains frees generally richer than normal dry food? One of the reasons we think that Calvin could not digest the Wellness Kitten dry well was because it's too rich so giving him another rich food would be counter productive.

The other alternative is to try an adult food either by Wellness or Blue Buffalo - which would be less rich than the Kitten food and see.

Would appreciate any advice or if anyone could share their experiences.

If he's fine on wet but not on dry, I'd be more inclined to think it's the carb content of dry food rather than richness. It could be possible the kitten formula was just too rich, but I don't think all grain-free foods would necessarily have the same issue. I think kitten food generally contains more fat than adult food, and that may have been why it was too rich. I don't know enough about the dry foods mentioned though (I fed Wellness Core for a brief period, but no longer feed any dry) so I can't advise you on experiences with those.

The only way to find out whether it was the richness of the kitten food vs. the carb content of dry food is to offer him another dry food and see what happens.

Ultimately it may be he just needs to eat canned food. That's what happened with my Athena. She does best on raw, okay on canned, and terrible on dry.

I wouldn't stress about Calvin starving if you happen to get home late. He's not going to starve if his meal is a few hours late. He may be hungry when you finally get home, but it'd take much more than a few hours of meal delay to actually harm him.

If you do want to try a Sensitive Stomach formula food, Authority has one that's pretty good. Even the Purina ONE and Iams Sensitve Stomach formulas are better than the Science Diet formula (I don't know anything about RC).

I'd probably try him on an adult food first. Then if that doesn't work, a Sensitive Stomach food. Although if he's doing well on all canned food, I don't see any reason to change. He won't starve if you're late getting home.

You know, I'd give Sharky a yell - she's got a lot of experience re foods, and she's more than generous with her time and knowledge.

It's tough with growing kittens, I'd think - an adult will not starve if someone is an hour or two late, but I'm not sure about how happy a kitten would be, or how adverse the effect would be. I think wet is great if you can do it, and kitty likes it (my boy, who should get only wet, loves his dry kibble and actually has soft poo with too much wet - go figure)

Thanks so much everyone. I want to go on feeding the wet but it seems that kittens are to be fed on demand and eat more than adults and so now on a wet food diet I am feeding them 2 larger meals and 2 snacks. When I go out of town next month, they will not get the snack that they get at noon. Hobbes either ways does not eat his 12 pm snack but Calvin does. So for that I'd like to keep a little dry out.

Sharky - if you read this, would really appreciate your opinion as to sensitive tummy vs grain free vs good quality adult food.

Honestly .. IMHO look for a simple food .. ie one meat / one grain or starch...

California natural come s to mind as a good option that is a all stage with % simliar to kitten

Acana for grain free

Originally Posted by saitenyo

If he's fine on wet but not on dry, I'd be more inclined to think it's the carb content of dry food rather than richness. ...

Ultimately it may be he just needs to eat canned food. That's what happened with my Athena. She does best on raw, okay on canned, and terrible on dry.

I wouldn't stress about Calvin starving if you happen to get home late. He's not going to starve if his meal is a few hours late. He may be hungry when you finally get home, but it'd take much more than a few hours of meal delay to actually harm him.

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Originally Posted by Calvin&I

Thanks so much everyone. I want to go on feeding the wet but it seems that kittens are to be fed on demand and eat more than adults and so now on a wet food diet I am feeding them 2 larger meals and 2 snacks. When I go out of town next month, they will not get the snack that they get at noon. Hobbes either ways does not eat his 12 pm snack but Calvin does. So for that I'd like to keep a little dry out.

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It's good of you to be so persistent in trying to find the best food for Calvin and Hobbes. I'm glad you found one that Calvin's doing well on.

Generally speaking, wet food is much healthier than kibble. I understand your concern about being hungry, but in my opinion, feeding kibble just isn't worth the potential health cost. And kibble is coated with flavorings to entice kitties to want to eat it, so there is the possibility Calvin and Hobbs could get hooked on it and start refusing wet food altogether.

Can you get someone to come in and feed a third meal while you're on vacation?

Just throwing another opinion out there. Best of luck to you and the furkids!

AC

I really really appreciate all the inputs.
I really like the fact that I am feeding them both wet food but I just want them to be familiar with some dry food, just in case. When I will be gone for 6 weeks on work, they will be home alone for 12 hours or so each day alone. That's the whole reason we decided to get Hobbes for Calvin. Since we are new to this town and the petsitter will be way expensive for 6 weeks, they will be home alone. Both my kittens, so far, seem to prefer the wet food to the dry kibbles and so I am not too afraid that they will lose the taste for the wet food.
I do agree that a simpler food is what's more important that one for sensitive stomach initially.
Thanks, Sharky, for the suggestions. Picked up a test pack of Acana this morning. Let's see how that works.

Unfortunately, Acana did not work and Calvin started having softer stool again. It may have been due to the new food or Acana was again too much for him to handle. I went to the "fancy" pet store we have in the area who store the best quality food to pick up some wet food and got talking with one of the ladies working in the store. She gave me a sample of California Natural and will give a last shot with that. If that does not work, it will be only wet food then.

I went through so many different food over the recent years for Pipsqueak. I too tried Acana and Orijen. Way to rich for him and the diarrhea started. I have very good luck with Wellness Core dry. Although I feed three quarters of their diet wet and one quarter dry. It has been working very well for all my babies.

Originally Posted by Feralvr

I went through so many different food over the recent years for Pipsqueak. I too tried Acana and Orijen. Way to rich for him and the diarrhea started. I have very good luck with Wellness Core dry. Although I feed three quarters of their diet wet and one quarter dry. It has been working very well for all my babies.

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Finding the right food is definitely not an easy task. Was "richness" the issue with Pipsqueak? My impression was Wellness Core dry is quite rich too. Perhaps will try that down the road. I am giving them very little California Natural at a time - so far so good.

I am finding that Hobbes's poop just smells horrendous. He's eating the same food that Calvin is but the smell is just impossible.

Originally Posted by Calvin&I

Finding the right food is definitely not an easy task. Was "richness" the issue with Pipsqueak? My impression was Wellness Core dry is quite rich too. Perhaps will try that down the road. I am giving them very little California Natural at a time - so far so good.

I am finding that Hobbes's poop just smells horrendous. He's eating the same food that Calvin is but the smell is just impossible.

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Yeah, different cats can react to foods very differently. My one cat, Apollo, was fine on whatever I fed him (minus some smelly stools on Wellness kitten), but Athena, eating the same food (originally Blue Buffalo kitten formula) had horrible pudding-like smelly stools and frequent gas. She was like that on every type of kibble that was attempted (Natural Balance, and Wellness Core), and while not as bad on a grain-free canned, still had soft stools on that. Only a raw diet gives her normal, not-smelly stools.

Just wanted to share that going all wet with Petey took care of his runny poop! Good solid form now! Going to mix in some raw using that NV coupon since he's always so hungry! Best of luck Calvin&I!!

Originally Posted by silva_unt

Just wanted to share that going all wet with Petey took care of his runny poop! Good solid form now!

Going to mix in some raw using that NV coupon since he's always so hungry! Best of luck Calvin&I!!

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That's awesome, Silva_unt! Congratulations!

AC

Originally Posted by silva_unt

Just wanted to share that going all wet with Petey took care of his runny poop! Good solid form now!

Going to mix in some raw using that NV coupon since he's always so hungry! Best of luck Calvin&I!!

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Am so glad that it worked out for you.
Thanks!

Aaarrggghhh! And here comes the softer poop again. We were trying out California Natural showly increased it from a tiny bit to about 1/4 cup and his poop today is softer and he was gassy yesterday.
Holding on to my last bit of hope - does anyone think that this can be related to "introducing a new food" as opposed to "Calvin does not do well on dry food?"

Originally Posted by Calvin&I

Aaarrggghhh! And here comes the softer poop again. We were trying out California Natural showly increased it from a tiny bit to about 1/4 cup and his poop today is softer and he was gassy yesterday.
Holding on to my last bit of hope - does anyone think that this can be related to "introducing a new food" as opposed to "Calvin does not do well on dry food?"

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Because of the very process that creates it, dry food is not really a species-appropriate "food" for an obligate carnivore. Digesting it is difficult, stresses the cat's body, and leads to other health issues; the consistency of a cat's waste material is just a symptom, a by-product, of what is going on inside his body.

While it might be possible that this is "new food issue", it's most likely a kibble-intolerance issue.

<<<hugs>>>

AC

Originally Posted by Calvin&I

Aaarrggghhh! And here comes the softer poop again. We were trying out California Natural showly increased it from a tiny bit to about 1/4 cup and his poop today is softer and he was gassy yesterday.
Holding on to my last bit of hope - does anyone think that this can be related to "introducing a new food" as opposed to "Calvin does not do well on dry food?"

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Could be either but likely with the past issues .. it is time to think "allergy food" this can be a no grain one protein food for some all the way to a complete diet change( ie all canned , raw or homemade).... IMHO this is the time to talk with the vet and go over what has not worked... Have you tried a food without any chicken?>

Originally Posted by sharky

Could be either but likely with the past issues .. it is time to think "allergy food" this can be a no grain one protein food for some all the way to a complete diet change( ie all canned , raw or homemade).... IMHO this is the time to talk with the vet and go over what has not worked... Have you tried a food without any chicken?>

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Thanks Sharky. No I have not tried giving them food without chicken. Since he does fine on only wet (and he gets a lot of chicken there) do you still feel that this can be an allergy to chicken? Would he not have had tummy issues if he was allergic to chicken and his wet food consisted of chicken?

The last time I brought it up with his vet, he suggested since Calvin was doing well on wet only - to just feed him wet food. It was I who wanted him to get a mix of about 75% and 25% dry and tried Acana and California Natural, as you suggested. The kitties loved both but Calvin again has soft poop and I felt Hobbes did a little too. That's why I was wondering if they are both having issues transitioning to the dry. I know I will have to keep an extra eye out for Calvin because of his history.

Thanks AC - I agree with you about the kibbles. But I just felt that if we could find a dry food that Calvin was able to tolerate, it would be convenient for us (and am being totally selfish here). Even though I know I will get someone to look after them if we went out of town but I still would have liked if they had dry food available to them all the time.