So many questions!

My overweight guy likes Natural Balance Reduced Calorie Formula.

For one cat I'd buy the 3 oz. cans, so you won't have to keep leftovers too long. I store it for up to 2 days in the fridge with one of those plastic covers made to fit the cans. I try to remember to take it out ahead of time to let it warm to room temperature. But if I do that,or not, I mix about a tablespoon of warm water in it to increase his fluid intake. He always eats this right up, but he only gets the canned food once a day, and only 1 oz. of it.

Robin

How much? IMO, feed as much wet food as your cat will eat, and as little dry food as possible.

What food? "Wieght Management" foods add more plants, which means more carbs, and that is why cats tend to get overwieght in the first place. How about something like the 95% meat canned foods (EVO, Nature's Variety Instinct, Before Grain) which is going to be very low carb and high protein, which is what you want.

http://catinfo.org/?link=felineobesity may be something worthwhile to read as well.

I would start with 1/4 can of wet and 1/8 cup of dry if you are feeding three times per day. The can is the 5.5 oz can. As for what dry food, I would just decrease the amount. Or you can put kibbles on each step of the stairs or hide them so he has to exercise to get his food. Or use one of those treat balls.

I put the leftover canned food in a glass container with an airtight lid. I dont like keeping the food in the cans becausr they ixidize and also release other chemicals. I can store little guy's food for two days.but schweppie won't eat it if it's been stored more than 12 hours.

1. That routine is perfect, you should give him wet at those times.

2. Is his mobility caused by weight or something else? If weight, then food will absolutely have an impact on his mobility. Don't bother with weight-management food however, they basically increase the amount of carbs to make the cat feel full (in theory) but the problem is that it also adds a ton more calories to the food.

3. For a wet/dry diet, I recommend 75% wet, 25% dry.

4. Yes, they make special lids for canned cat food that allow it to stay in the fridge for up to 2-3 days and in the freezer for much longer. The Only problem is that a lot of cats Won't eat it after it's been open for a while. My cat is very picky about how long it's been since the food was 'fresh out of the can.'


Or basically what furryfriends50 said. :P

What a sweetheart. Mine do the same, although they're just kittens & too short to scale the couch! lol!

Hi Orangeishcat - I don't see what kind of food and how much food you are feeding your cat a day. Four times a day is a good plan but how much are you feeding him each time and what kind? Not all foods are created equal. Maybe he's acting very hungry because he is very hungry.

That's true. If he is eating a low quality, low protein, high carb food, then it is absolutely possible he is feeling starved of protein.
That could also affect his mobility as more protein would help build muscles and such.

Ick, look at the ingredients on the side of the food, I think you will be surprised...
For weight management I don't recommend feeding any dry, but for what you are paying for Hills you can get a much better food.

Wait. Are you feeding the r/d prescription food or Science Diet? There is a difference.

I'm glad he is feeling full and happy now though.

Please be careful of advice you get on the Internet, no matter how well meaning. It is not a good idea that you disregard the recommendations of a qualified veterinarian - if you have confidence in the vet's training, experience, and intentions. They are the professional medical practitioners who have seen your pet. No one here has. If you do not have confidence in the vet you have been seeing, then maybe a second opinion is something to consider.

Robin

Your routine is really good and I would feed the wet at those times. For dry and wet you might try Nutro Natural Choice Healthy Weight dry and canned to see what he does with it. I would feed more wet than dry but that's me. Watch the weight management wet though. Any weight management wet may contain more carbs which you are trying to avoid. I would probably go to about 70% wet to 30% dry and if storage is a problem, buy the small 3oz cans so you don't have to store it too long.

I always use the 3oz cans because it is convenient for me and I don't have to store anything in the fridge.

Yes, they make lids for canned food. I would not store canned food in the fridge for more than a couple of days.

The problem is that vet's just do not get the training they need in nutrition. They just don't. And what little they get is from Hills/Royal Canin.

And if you want to assume that they do know what they are talking about, just look at the ingredients for yourself (I'm assuming it's this one http://www.petfooddirect.com/Product...a-Dry-Cat-Food):
Brewers Rice, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Powdered Cellulose, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken Liver Flavor (aka, not real liver), Animal Fat, Soybean Mill Run, Calcium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, vitamins.

Would you eat this if your doctor recommended it?


Also this:
Look how many carb sources versus meat sources are in that food.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure your vet is a wonderful one. I'm sure he knows how to spay and neuter, treat infections, suture up wounds, etc.
But for the same reason that you would go to a nutritionist for your nutrition related questions, you have to do your own research in nutrition or go to a cat nutrionist to get proper nutrition advice.

Others may argue with me left and right about this, but from what I've read (even from vets themselves) is that they receive very little training in nutrition and what they do receive is from Hills and Royal Canin themselves. Here is an article that I think you will find very helpful: http://www.rawfed.com/myths/vets.html

I don't think it's something that most vets do intentionally, it's just that they're preaching what they were taught... unfortunately, they were taught by Hills/Purina/RC.

Think of it this way - would you take nutrition advice from a nutritionist who's course was sponsored by Christie? I doubt it (even though it would be fun to eat cookies all the time and still be healthy). It's the same thing with pet food.

As an example - vets are still saying that low protein diets are essential for dogs with kidney problems. The original study for this theory was done on rodents! Rodents have a completely different digestive system and different nutritional needs than dogs, so of course a rodent's kidneys are going to start to shut down when it's fed only meat. There have been studies done since that disprove this theory and actually prove the exact opposite, but because the original study is still being taught, it's considered fact.

Think of your pet as a wild animal, what would he be eating in the wild? For both cats and dogs, it's carcasses with the only plant matter they eat being from the stomach of the carcass and perhaps a bit of grass here and there. Animal proteins are far easier than plant proteins for our pets to process, carbs also tend to "stick" to the intestines and what not as well.

I would suggest talking to your vet and seeing if he will support you switching the food for a short period of time, it may help.

Totally agreed Robin. If you think your vet is qualified, knows your animals and you trust him/her; do not listen to the armchair experts. Nothing can replace the advice you will be getting from a qualified, licensed professional. And yes, a second opinion can be very useful if you don't think your current vet has given you the best advice.

Ahhhh... didn't know the vet had recommendations. I'd stick with what your veterinarian has suggested you do.

I'm totally with Minka, etc. on this - not only is the very little nutritional training vets receive given by the pet food industry itself, vets receive money for the foods they sell.

Both of these present a very large conflict of interest, yet, if the veterinarian never does his/her own nutritional research, he/she could truly think the foods they're selling are healthy.

Orangeishcat, your kitty isn't on prescription food - that's great! AND, you've already done a trial run in which your little furface told you exactly what he needed, and it ISN'T that high-priced, heavy-grain, completely species-inappropriate Science Diet kibble.

Under these circumstances, there is no reason (in my opinion) for you to ask permission to change your cat's diet to something that obviously gives him more of what he needs.

Good luck!

AC

I'm actually going to start my degree in Veterinary Medicine, so I'll come back in 8 years and confirm whether they gave me proper nutrition training there or not.

In three years I can tell everyone how well they train Vet Tech's about animal nutrition. Hmm, for that test do I tell them what I really think, or say what they want me to say

I don't think they train Vet Techs in nutrition at all, but if there is a test, put down what they tell you to. XP

Actually, at least at the school I am going to, Vet Techs are trained about nutrition. Or, at least some food rep probably comes in, and tells us why Science Diet is the only food to feed pets, and hands out bags of samples

Well, at least you can donate them to TNR organizations :P

I'm sorry to say - that as a one time vet tech student the "arm chair" experts are correct. The vets are "taught" by "experts" that come in who are reps from food companies. That's why we have so many problems with our pets now! The food -poison- that is put into their bodies! The stuff at most vet's offices accounts for a HUGE portion of the income generated into a vet clinic and they depend on that income every month. I don't think it's malicious in anyway but at the end of the day a Vet's office is a BUSINESS and treated as such and food sales are just that - SALES!

Your vet recommends what he SELLS in his office - not what you can buy in another store. YES YES ALWAYS take advice with a grain of salt - and that includes your VET!!! Someone graduated by the skin of their teeth! Not every Doctor is the best one out there.

Do your own research - investigate a product and a company!! I'm sooo glad to find a group of people with minds of their own! I fight my family all the time about pet food and how bad most of it is! If they see a commercial saying it's good then they believe it

I personally feed Orijen and Weruva. For now - subject to change if the company does. www.truthaboutpetfood.com will change how you think forever.

LOL - Well, it has been my very long time experience that tells me a completely different story on the "arm chair" experts. In particularly on the Internet and especially on pay per click websites. That said, I've learned a great deal about they type of nutrition education veterinarians receive in vet school and it is sadly, sadly lacking. My cousin is married to a veterinarian and I talked to him at a family get together about this very issues a week ago.

Basically what it boils down to is if you have a good vet, they will educate themselves on pet nutrition. However, many of them go by the minimal AAFCO standards

If you know how paltry the nutrition education vets get is, why do you recommend to people to always follow their vet faithfully and not change food without their permission??