Wellness CORE. Will it help my overweight cat?

post #1 of 10

2/1/12 at 5:12pm

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Hello all cat lovers my name is Meagan and I am new to the forum. I came here seeking advice for my cat Hobo who is about 2 pounds overweight. I have him on Earthborn Holistic Wild Sea Catch which is grain-free. I thought maybe putting him on that would help him lose weight, not looking like it. He gets 1/4 cup am and pm. Most of the time he does not even have an empty bowl by evening so I cut back a little on that pm feeding. He has been eating this food for at least 6 months now. I have contemplated switching him to Wellness Core, it is $10 more and 2 lbs less of food, but may be a better choice. Any insight? Thanks

Wellness CORE G/A and ingredients

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein

Not Less Than

45.0%

Crude Fat

Not Less Than

18.0%

Crude Fiber

Not More Than

3.0%

Moisture

Not More Than

11.0%

Calcium

Not More Than

1.8%

Phosphorus

Not More Than

1.45%

Magnesium

Not More Than

0.13%

Vitamin E

Not Less Than

400 IU/kg

Taurine

Not Less Than

0.3%

Omega 6 Fatty Acid*

Not Less Than

3.50 %

Omega 3 Fatty Acid*

Not Less Than

0.80 %

Beta-Carotene*

Not Less Than

2 mg/kg

Total Lactic Acid Micro-organisms*

Not Less Than

90,000,000 CFU/lb

(L. plantarum, E. faecium, L. casei, L. acidophilus in equal amounts)

Deboned Turkey, Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whitefish Meal, Herring Meal, Peas, Turkey Meal, Potatoes, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Natural Chicken Flavor, Flaxseed, Cranberries, Chicory Root Extract, Choline Chloride, Salmon Oil, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Biotin],Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract.

Earthborn Holistic_® Wild Sea Catch_™ Natural Cat Food: Ingredients

Salmon Meal, Herring Meal, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Peas, Potatoes, Chicken Meal, Pea Protein, Turkey Meal, Dried Egg Product, Pea Fiber, Natural Flavor, Ground Flaxseed, Blueberry Fiber, Cranberry Fiber, Choline Chloride, Apples, Blueberries, Carrots, Spinach, Cranberries, Taurine, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Vitamin K Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Yucca Schidgera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.

Earthborn Holistic_® Wild Sea Catch_™ Natural Cat Food: Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein, not less than	44.00%
Crude Fat, not less than	20.00%
Crude Fiber, not more than	3.00%
Moisture, not more than	10.00%
Calcium, not less than	1.00%
Phosphorus, not less than	0.80%
Magnesium, not more than	0.10%
Taurine, not less than	0.20%*
Vitamin E, not less than	300 IU/kg
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), not less than	100 mg/kg*
Omega-6 Fatty Acids, not less than	3.40%*
Omega-3 Fatty Acids, not less than	2.00%*
Docasahexaenoic Acid (DHA), not less than	0.05%*

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post #2 of 10

2/2/12 at 12:40pm

Carolina
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Will he eat wet? a 100% wet food would be your best bet IMHO..... or raw....
To answer your question, CORE is one of the richest, most caloric diets in the market, and also has a high phosphorous/calcium ratio.... which can be dangerous for UTI in the long run - especially in males.
I used it for my cat during her transition to a raw diet, as she would need to eat very little of it to sustain herself - but following the advice of a renowned nutritionist vet, Dr. Pierson, who recommends CORE to be used short term, on transition only..... this is what I did (for those two reasons - high calorie, high phosphorous/calcium).
If I were you, I would be thinking about wet....
this thread has great nutrition information: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/240809/raw-feeding-resource-thread

Good luck!

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post #3 of 10

2/2/12 at 4:06pm

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Carolina

Will he eat wet? a 100% wet food would be your best bet IMHO..... or raw....
To answer your question, CORE is one of the richest, most caloric diets in the market, and also has a high phosphorous/calcium ratio.... which can be dangerous for UTI in the long run - especially in males.
I used it for my cat during her transition to a raw diet, as she would need to eat very little of it to sustain herself - but following the advice of a renowned nutritionist vet, Dr. Pierson, who recommends CORE to be used short term, on transition only..... this is what I did (for those two reasons - high calorie, high phosphorous/calcium).
If I were you, I would be thinking about wet....
this thread has great nutrition information: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/240809/raw-feeding-resource-thread
Good luck!

I have tried getting him to eat all wet as I have heard that is healthier and better for preventing urinary problems. The problem is he will eat it sometimes and not others. I still give his dry at the same time so would this be why he wont eat the wet? I tried many different kinds and flavored but all pâté style. Someone on a food site said she read pâté was best at preventing urinary problems as opposed to chunks or slices. Idk if that is true or not. If I just put out wet and no dry for a couple days, you think he would eat?

Thank you for the help, going to read that link now.

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post #4 of 10

2/2/12 at 4:27pm

LDG
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I switched my cats from dry food to timed wet meals. It wasn't fun.

You have to first convince them that wet food IS food. And though you do NOT want to starve them in the process, ultimately you do have to pull the kibble.

At some point, it becomes a battle of the wills.

But to help him lose weight, and for urinary tract health - and for his health in general - canned is much, much, much better than kibble. There's been a lot of discussion and debate here on TCS about kibble vs canned (vs. raw), but the bottom line is that cats are carnivores and have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates - and you simply cannot feed kibble without carbs. It's why they become overweight.

You might want to take a look at Brandy Rowe's thread about her transition to canned: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/240962/and-it-starts-stinky-wet-food-looking-for-light-smelling-ones I think Sugarcatmom posted some links to videos on how to transition to raw. I know you're talking canned, but the process is the same.

A couple of us are in the transition to raw food. With one of Carolina's cats, she's going from free fed kibble to timed raw food feedings.

And as the transition to canned is basically the same process as the transition to raw, reading her thread may also really help you with ideas about how to go about it: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/239771/this-is-going-to-be-one-for-the-books-transitioning-lucky-bugsy-and-hope-to-raw-challenges-galore

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post #5 of 10

2/2/12 at 5:13pm

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Is the pate better for them then slices, or chunks? Thanks everyone!

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post #6 of 10

2/2/12 at 5:14pm

Carolina
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Quote:

Originally Posted by LDG

I switched my cats from dry food to timed wet meals. It wasn't fun.

You have to first convince them that wet food IS food. And though you do NOT want to starve them in the process, ultimately you do have to pull the kibble.

At some point, it becomes a battle of the wills.

But to help him lose weight, and for urinary tract health - and for his health in general - canned is much, much, much better than kibble. There's been a lot of discussion and debate here on TCS about kibble vs canned (vs. raw), but the bottom line is that cats are carnivores and have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates - and you simply cannot feed kibble without carbs. It's why they become overweight.

You might want to take a look at Brandy Rowe's thread about her transition to canned: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/240962/and-it-starts-stinky-wet-food-looking-for-light-smelling-ones I think Sugarcatmom posted some links to videos on how to transition to raw. I know you're talking canned, but the process is the same.

A couple of us are in the transition to raw food. With one of Carolina's cats, she's going from free fed kibble to timed raw food feedings.

And as the transition to canned is basically the same process as the transition to raw, reading her thread may also really help you with ideas about how to go about it: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/239771/this-is-going-to-be-one-for-the-books-transitioning-lucky-bugsy-and-hope-to-raw-challenges-galore

IMHO you have to put them on a schedule, and ultimately pull the kibble all together..... With Lucky, my kibble addict, I first put her on a schedule, and instead of transitioning her to wet then raw, I am going straight to raw.
My other two, who ate mainly dry, and a bit of wet, I put them on a schedule, then on all wet, then transitioned from wet to raw.
Putting them on a schedule feeding is the first step, IMHO. Then the kibbles gotta go bye bye

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post #7 of 10

2/2/12 at 5:54pm

LDG
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The issue with canned or pouch food is not whether it's chunky, pate, sliced, or chunks in gravy. It's the quality of the ingredients, however they're delivered. And compared to kibble, it doesn't really matter at all - the wet food increases their moisture intake by definition, which helps everything. When I fed canned, I added a tablespoon of water to the food. My cats didn't like lumpy food. We started with lumps in gravy, and they liked the gravy. So I mushed the lumps, and made it all gravy. I found it easiest to use pate style food, add water, and again, basically turn it all into gravy.

But you want grain free for sure. Of course, most companies substitute other carbs for grains - you'll see "Grain Free!" and then find there's potatoes, peas, carrots, whatever in the food.

Nearly impossible to find food without it.