*** MOD NOTE - This post and some subsequent posts were split off from another thread
What a lot of you guys do not understand is that grains are not inherently allergenic, nor are they "bad" for animals. Animals need a BALANCED diet of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, fats, fiber and sugars in order to be healthy. As a vet tech with a struvite crystal kitty, I can tell you that about 75% of cats who develop UTI's and crystals are caused by stress AND too much protein. What a lot of food manufacturing companies do is go off of what YOU (the HUMAN) think is appetizing for YOURSELF, not what is actually good for you ANIMAL. I have been a technician for 10 years and I have never seen so many animals coming down with SPLEENIC TUMORS, KIDNEY FAILURE and UTI/CRYSTALS in my career, though it's becoming more and more common due to owners wanting to switch their animals over to RAW diets, GRAIN FREE diets, and "High quality" PROTEIN FILLED diets. Did you know that meat "meal" is actually concentrated proteins? And that "real" meat is only about 25% actual protein, the rest is water, fat and bone. So when you decline a food based on the fact that there is chicken meal in it, you are telling your cat that you do not want them to have concentrated proteins, but only a small portion of that protein in their diet - therefore you actually have to feed them more than they should be getting in order to get them the appropriate amount of protein for their diet - meaning you are overfeeding them and they are gaining weight and eating too much fat. Chicken meal is "real" chicken with the water and bone removed so that the animal is only getting the protein from the meat and not all of the extras! Did you know that "by-products" are REAL MEAT sources?? They have to be labeled "by-products" because they are not ideal cuts of meat for human consumption - which would be the Heart, Lungs, and Liver of animals. If you know anything about scavenging animals (meaning dogs + cats) - those are great meals for them, they enjoy them and they are actually filled with MORE nutrients than the cuts that us humans like. But, since humans are the ones who make the labels and who choose the cuts, WE label them "by-products" because WE don't eat them. So by feeding your animal a protein meal and by-product free diet, you are not actually feeding them the best diet that you could be. For those of you who feed RAW diets, all you are feeding your animal is the "real meat" proteins, but you are not meeting their vitamin and mineral requirements. You are not only giving them the best chance of developing nutritional deficiencies, but also to KIDNEY FAILURE, PANCREATITIS, INTESTINAL PARASITES - (due to the consumption of raw meat which holds parasites like salmonella, e. coli, TOXOPLAMSA GONDII (AKA Toxoplasmosis)). All of these parasites are zoonotic (meaning you can, and likely will, get them from your cat. Did you know that you can actually harm your pet's digestive and urinary systems, as well as their growth and overall life expectancy by not feeding them a balanced diet? I beg you to do some good research on the foods that you choose to feed your cat, or any of your animals, before you decide what to feed them. Talk to your Veterinary Technician to decide what options you have for your cat, especially if they are in need of a special diet. It is best to keep your pet on a URINARY SPECIFIC DIET if they have a history of UTI, crystals or kidney failure as it is specifically formulated to make sure that they receive a BALANCED diet with specific nutrient values to ensure that you are doing your best to keep the problem from happening again.
Believe me, as a pet owner I completely understand the price point that many of you are unhappy with. In treating my own little guy I have spent well over $400 in tests and antibiotics!! And we are still trying to get his infection under control. I have been in your shoes and I know exactly how hard it is to come up with the money to diagnose and treat the problem, not to mention the extra funding required to not only change their diet but to maintain their health. I have a miniature poodle (14 years) who is on a prescription diet and daily medications (costs me approximately $70-$80 a month), and now my cat (3 years) is going through his FLUTD w/ struvites. It's not cheap! And it is most definitely not easy to navigate all of the misinformation out there. I have been through hundreds of hours of nutritional education (from Purina, Hills, Royal Canin, and brick + mortar vet tech school and continuing education classed put on by non-affiliated veterinarians) and I can tell you that there are options that you can use. I cannot tell you exactly what to do for your pet because I don't know it's history and every case and every animal is different. If you don't like the Urinary SO diet, you can try Purina UR, Hills Prescription Diet S/D or C/D. There are over-the-counter commercially available urinary support diets that you can transition them too - but please make sure that the crystals and infections are gone before moving them to these foods as they do not help dissolve crystals like the prescription diets do.
The best thing you can do for your cat is to be OPEN and HONEST with your veterinary team. Voice your concerns, get the information and explore ALL of your options before making a decision. If you have research, please bring it into your clinic - we actually do like to know what you've found and that you are taking an active role in your pet's health and treatments. If you have concerns, do not be afraid to call in or stop by your veterinarian's office to discuss them. THIS IS WHAT TECH'S ARE HERE FOR! We are here to help you help your pets! We have access to studies and information that is sometimes not widely available, we can put you in contact with the people who develop these diets and we can help you understand your specific pets' needs and work up a treatment plan that works for you AND them!
What a lot of you guys do not understand is that grains are not inherently allergenic, nor are they "bad" for animals. Animals need a BALANCED diet of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, fats, fiber and sugars in order to be healthy. As a vet tech with a struvite crystal kitty, I can tell you that about 75% of cats who develop UTI's and crystals are caused by stress AND too much protein. What a lot of food manufacturing companies do is go off of what YOU (the HUMAN) think is appetizing for YOURSELF, not what is actually good for you ANIMAL. I have been a technician for 10 years and I have never seen so many animals coming down with SPLEENIC TUMORS, KIDNEY FAILURE and UTI/CRYSTALS in my career, though it's becoming more and more common due to owners wanting to switch their animals over to RAW diets, GRAIN FREE diets, and "High quality" PROTEIN FILLED diets. Did you know that meat "meal" is actually concentrated proteins? And that "real" meat is only about 25% actual protein, the rest is water, fat and bone. So when you decline a food based on the fact that there is chicken meal in it, you are telling your cat that you do not want them to have concentrated proteins, but only a small portion of that protein in their diet - therefore you actually have to feed them more than they should be getting in order to get them the appropriate amount of protein for their diet - meaning you are overfeeding them and they are gaining weight and eating too much fat. Chicken meal is "real" chicken with the water and bone removed so that the animal is only getting the protein from the meat and not all of the extras! Did you know that "by-products" are REAL MEAT sources?? They have to be labeled "by-products" because they are not ideal cuts of meat for human consumption - which would be the Heart, Lungs, and Liver of animals. If you know anything about scavenging animals (meaning dogs + cats) - those are great meals for them, they enjoy them and they are actually filled with MORE nutrients than the cuts that us humans like. But, since humans are the ones who make the labels and who choose the cuts, WE label them "by-products" because WE don't eat them. So by feeding your animal a protein meal and by-product free diet, you are not actually feeding them the best diet that you could be. For those of you who feed RAW diets, all you are feeding your animal is the "real meat" proteins, but you are not meeting their vitamin and mineral requirements. You are not only giving them the best chance of developing nutritional deficiencies, but also to KIDNEY FAILURE, PANCREATITIS, INTESTINAL PARASITES - (due to the consumption of raw meat which holds parasites like salmonella, e. coli, TOXOPLAMSA GONDII (AKA Toxoplasmosis)). All of these parasites are zoonotic (meaning you can, and likely will, get them from your cat. Did you know that you can actually harm your pet's digestive and urinary systems, as well as their growth and overall life expectancy by not feeding them a balanced diet? I beg you to do some good research on the foods that you choose to feed your cat, or any of your animals, before you decide what to feed them. Talk to your Veterinary Technician to decide what options you have for your cat, especially if they are in need of a special diet. It is best to keep your pet on a URINARY SPECIFIC DIET if they have a history of UTI, crystals or kidney failure as it is specifically formulated to make sure that they receive a BALANCED diet with specific nutrient values to ensure that you are doing your best to keep the problem from happening again.
Believe me, as a pet owner I completely understand the price point that many of you are unhappy with. In treating my own little guy I have spent well over $400 in tests and antibiotics!! And we are still trying to get his infection under control. I have been in your shoes and I know exactly how hard it is to come up with the money to diagnose and treat the problem, not to mention the extra funding required to not only change their diet but to maintain their health. I have a miniature poodle (14 years) who is on a prescription diet and daily medications (costs me approximately $70-$80 a month), and now my cat (3 years) is going through his FLUTD w/ struvites. It's not cheap! And it is most definitely not easy to navigate all of the misinformation out there. I have been through hundreds of hours of nutritional education (from Purina, Hills, Royal Canin, and brick + mortar vet tech school and continuing education classed put on by non-affiliated veterinarians) and I can tell you that there are options that you can use. I cannot tell you exactly what to do for your pet because I don't know it's history and every case and every animal is different. If you don't like the Urinary SO diet, you can try Purina UR, Hills Prescription Diet S/D or C/D. There are over-the-counter commercially available urinary support diets that you can transition them too - but please make sure that the crystals and infections are gone before moving them to these foods as they do not help dissolve crystals like the prescription diets do.
The best thing you can do for your cat is to be OPEN and HONEST with your veterinary team. Voice your concerns, get the information and explore ALL of your options before making a decision. If you have research, please bring it into your clinic - we actually do like to know what you've found and that you are taking an active role in your pet's health and treatments. If you have concerns, do not be afraid to call in or stop by your veterinarian's office to discuss them. THIS IS WHAT TECH'S ARE HERE FOR! We are here to help you help your pets! We have access to studies and information that is sometimes not widely available, we can put you in contact with the people who develop these diets and we can help you understand your specific pets' needs and work up a treatment plan that works for you AND them!
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