Limited ingredient diets and or hydrolyzed protein diets. - what have you tried and what has worked,

myrnafaye · Jun 8, 2014

I am considering a LID, probably Nature's Variety, to see if Obi's issues are food related. Currently he is on the Natures Variety rabbit. I like NV because it has no guar gum or carageenenan, and my cats both love it. But, as I have said here, three vets think he has an allergy, over grooms and hacks up hairballs. He is on several supplements, and a low dose of pred, but I am wondering if I should switch to a LID. I know about Hills Z diet - and Royal Canin makes one too, but not canned. I am a little suspicious of these altered formulas, but would greatly appreciated hearing what has worked for others, and what has not.

stephenq · Jun 8, 2014

Z/D if it doesn't cause diarrhea can be very useful, but in many cats it creates awful diarrhea, mine included and it took 2 weeks to get over one day's worth of ZD, so i would proceed cautiously adding very little ZD to her existing diet, and increasing slowly to monitor stool if you go that direction.

peaches08 · Jun 8, 2014

I went raw for precisely that reason, to limit ingredients. However, that isn't always an option for some people/cats. I know @GoHolistic did something similar to LID. She might be a good one to ask about which foods to try.

denice · Jun 8, 2014

I personally prefer the Limited Ingredient diets. I know it can take a while to figure things out but I personally don't care for the idea behind the hydrolyzed protein. I know they have worked for some people but I don't like the idea of breaking something that a cat is allergic to down so their body doesn't recognize it.

AbbysMom · Jun 8, 2014

Abby is on the Royal Canin LID. We've had a lot of luck with it. I'm not sure where you are located, but it is available in cans here in the US.

.

http://www.royalcanin.us/products/products/veterinary-products/all-veterinary-products

goholistic · Jun 8, 2014

I find that the Royal Canin Selected Protein (formerly called Hypoallergenic) canned foods are not that bad in the grand scheme of things, but they do contain carrageenan (boo!

). Sebastian was on the Royal Canin Selected Protein PR (pea and rabbit) for some time and did well on it for awhile. They also have a PD (pea and duck) and PV (pea and venison). I now have Sebastian on a rotational diet consisting of premium canned and home-cooked with no guar gum (he's allergic to guar gum). His "menu" is here.

myrnafaye · Jun 8, 2014

Hi, Go. I have been giving Obi Nature's Variety Instint Rabbit formula. He loves it but still throws hairballs. (supposedly related to overgrooming, supposedly related to allergies). Ok, so what is next? a LImited formula? he only eats canned food, both my cats only get canned; and the LID formulas are Duck, lamb and turkey. I dont know what would be the best choice, or even if another food change is adviseable at this time. Any thoughts? He has been on the NV rabbit about a month. He does not look at all like a sick or uncomfortable cat. And he is 15.

goholistic · Jun 9, 2014

myrnafaye said:
Hi, Go. I have been giving Obi Nature's Variety Instint Rabbit formula. He loves it but still throws hairballs. (supposedly related to overgrooming, supposedly related to allergies). Ok, so what is next? a LImited formula? he only eats canned food, both my cats only get canned; and the LID formulas are Duck, lamb and turkey. I dont know what would be the best choice, or even if another food change is adviseable at this time. Any thoughts? He has been on the NV rabbit about a month. He does not look at all like a sick or uncomfortable cat. And he is 15.

My vet recommends at least 6-8 weeks for a food trial, so you could give the current food a little more time. The problem with the NV rabbit is that there is other stuff in there, which doesn't make it quite a LID food. One if the LID flavors would be a better option, but ideally it should be something Obi has never had before. And like you said before, how do we know for sure that Obi has food allergies? My experience with food allergies in cats have always showed more extensive symptoms.

myrnafaye · Jun 9, 2014

Hi, Go, right, there is pork in it but this would also be a "novel protein" for Obi.

Sometimes I just feel, what the hey, he has vomited hair all his life and appears to be a healthy senior; he is 15 with good organ functioning, normal blood count except for the slight elevation in eosinophils. Sometimes I think I am making myself crazy over hairballs, because I am afraid it is indicative of digestive disease or an underlying problem, but there does not appear to be one. I am not very good at "detaching" from my cats, nor am I good at having a problem that I cannot solve. Do I know this is an allergic condition? NO. If it IS an allergic condition, do I know it is food related?NO. am I going to allergy test him?NO again - would probably come up empty handed. So, perhaps your vet is correct and I need to give it a bit more time, and then possibly consider a Natures Variety single protein food.

goholistic · Jun 9, 2014

myrnafaye said:
Hi, Go, right, there is pork in it but this would also be a "novel protein" for Obi.

Sometimes I just feel, what the hey, he has vomited hair all his life and appears to be a healthy senior; he is 15 with good organ functioning, normal blood count except for the slight elevation in eosinophils. Sometimes I think I am making myself crazy over hairballs, because I am afraid it is indicative of digestive disease or an underlying problem, but there does not appear to be one. I am not very good at "detaching" from my cats, nor am I good at having a problem that I cannot solve. Do I know this is an allergic condition? NO. If it IS an allergic condition, do I know it is food related?NO. am I going to allergy test him?NO again - would probably come up empty handed. So, perhaps your vet is correct and I need to give it a bit more time, and then possibly consider a Natures Variety single protein food.

I know what you mean. An unsolved mystery is not an option in my house (if I can help it), which is why I find myself in a research frenzy at least multiple times a week.

By the way, a food allergy is not limited to a protein. Cats can be allergic to all sorts of things. Some cats are allergic to peas or kelp, for example. My Sebastian is allergic to guar gum. Go figure. When he was having frequent hairballs, it was a sign of some underlying GI condition, however. I think you're doing a great job with Obi. Sometimes it takes awhile for their systems to normalize after making changes. It'll be interesting to see how he does after hairball season is over.

myrnafaye · Jun 9, 2014

I eliminated guar gum, and carageenan from his diet. He used to vomit up green hairballs, what color is carageenan, do ya think? anyhow I researched carageenan on line and found it was in fact associated with hairballs. Guar gum? a filler. No need for guar gum, or agar agar. Tell you the truth, I am not even sure a cat needs vegetables; vegetables mean pesticides, and who knows what else but oh well, that is probably far down on the list of potential irritants. Thanks for saying I am doing a great job with OBi, sometimes I just feel like I am fishing in the dark. All I can say is that, knock on wood, he seems to be a healthy 15 year old male cat with a very healthy appetite, a giant personalty, and a great attitude. In a month or so, I will probably have some more blood work done.

Limited ingredient diets and or hydrolyzed protein diets. - what have you tried and what has worked,

myrnafaye

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