Advice Needed On What Raw Diet Blend To Feed My Cat Who Had A Colon Resection Done A Week Ago...

Hello Forum Friends...

 I am reaching out again with another new Thread about "Raw Diet". Many have mentioned to me on this forum that a raw diet is best for my cat including her digestion needs as well as her bowel function with very little colon left. I met a pet groomer today who can order a raw diet of either beef or chicken that will be delivered frozen to me and it is good for two weeks in the refrigerator so no blender its already to go for me. She also mentioned that I should buy Goats Milk that she has frozen on hand that it is a good soother for the stomach pertaining to vomiting and it is a probiotic the groomer said....

Please share advice from those of you who use a raw diet and what is best for my cat, beef or chicken. My vet will be calling me tomorrow to discuss what brands of food to start my cat on now that her internal incisions have healed and she is ready to start a wet canned food so the trial and error begins to find the right one. I will get the vets opinion on a raw diet but I am also doing my own research and reaching out to you all on this forum for advice...

Thank you all so much for your input.

Sincerely,

Karin & Nala

Do you know which brand the groomer carries? If it's RadCat, that should be fine. If not, try to find the ingredient list. I would personally avoid bones, even ground up, as the reduced digestion time may mean they don't get properly assimilated, and the abrasive action of the bone could be a problem if she's still tender inside.

Have you ever tried giving her raw meat? Most cats who have been eating commercial cat food their entire lives don't quite recognize raw meat as food. It could be a lengthy transition process (or you could get lucky and she loves it!). Be prepared, and don't order too much before you know her opinion about it.

Does kitty prefer a certain meat over another, in canned form?  Beef is difficult for some kitties, so I'd probably try the chicken first.  You may also want to transition her slowly from canned to raw since she had a major procedure done and I don't know if her GI system can handle any major changes.  When I say major, I mean a full meal of raw in one sitting may be too much.  Or it may not be.  But I'd probably err on the side of caution and go slowly.

Good Evening Willowy...

Thank you for responding to my post I appreciate you taking the time and offering advice. I did not unfortunately ask the groomer what the brand name is. I have to talk to my vet tomorrow on what idea he has come up with for brands and types of food so if he says yes lets try raw I will ask the groomer about the name of the brand and to make sure it is boneless just meat. Thank you for the important tip Every little bit of knowledge helps...

I don't know if you know anything about this but the groomer also recommended Goats Milk because it is an excellent probiotic and because my cat tends to vomit has for years and she tested normal for everything the groomer said this will soothe her stomach and is very good to mix it in her food or put in a bowl as a snack to drink....They say Goats milk is he best for human babies for digestion why wouldn't it be for cats? I left a message for the vet as well about Goats Milk but I would also like you opinion about Goats milk and have you used or even know if it is a good idea.

The groomer has it in a freezer there so I need to pick it up if vet says its ok I may try it regardless...She seems to be vomiting up yellow not a lot but some must be bile and many hours after she eats. Strange vet said he is not concerned because she is eating and drinking not unhappy and sickly and because it is not often but sporadic. He said if the vomiting don't stop after she is on new food and stable then we will address vomiting he want to get food choice situated first...Maybe due the surgery just some upset? I don't know and she is on no medications at all just special food for after a colon resection. Vet said the week she was there on same food with meds she never vomited once but I bring her home Friday and all meds stopped same food and she is vomiting...Who knows but if he isn't overly worried yet I guess I will relax...

Let me know what you think about the Goats Milk I don't know where you buy raw food at for cats but if you know of any brands or flavors to look for please let me know. I have a Pet supermarket here, Petsmart and Petco....

I have never given her raw meat and I don't want to tied to a blender or grinding every day I cant not with my schedule there comparable raw diets already ready for you out there I just need help to find them....

Karin

Hi Peaches08

 Yes I was told beef is to rich for cats to stay away from it. I have had Nala on dry kibble her whole 11 1/2 years so she doesn't have a choice of meats I don't even know what she would like. I have read Rabbit is the best choice for a raw diet. I see it packed in the freezer frozen but I cant bring my self to thaw a rabbit and put it in the blender no way and my schedule I don't have time to blend and grind I need it already done for me. My vet said leave chicken as a last resort before her surgery he said Duck or Venison was best but that was before she had 12 inches of colon removed. He and I have to talk tomorrow about what plan he has come up with to try. I left him a message today I met a groomer who can order a raw diet it comes shipped to her frozen but they only carry beef and chicken flavor so I will run it by him first and see what he thinks and what his choices are.

I agree she needs to be transitioned slowly not like I did the first time and switched her from dry kibble to wet canned food right away because no one told me to do it slowly but I know better this time. Right now she is on A/D by Royal Canin its a critical care food that produces very little stool and passes through the colon easy keeps stool loose but not watery....

So my question is I know how to transition slowly with dry food but I don't know how you do it with wet food because it don't seem right to mix to types of wet food like you do dry to transition. Please explain that to me when you can.

Thank you for reaching out to me

Mod Note:  This post and responses have been merged from another thread to this one as they require the same answers.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Hello Cat Forum Friends.....

 My cat Nala whom is an 11 1/2 year old Siamese that just under went one week ago a Subtotal Colon Resection which means 3 to 4 inches of colon was left and the rest removed.

Tomorrow the vet and I are going to discuss what is the "BEST" wet canned food brands for a raw diet on the market and what are the "BEST" flavors to use that I should purchase. I would appreciate any and "ALL" feedback from anyone with a post op Mega colon cat that had this surgery and living happily, what food does your kitty live on....?

Please share with me advice on Raw Diet brand and flavor and also regular canned food brands and flavors. My vet says cats should stay away from beef flavor regardless..

Thank you Sincerely,

Karin Marie & Nala

Did she have any preferences about meats in the dry foods?  For example, she may like chicken and turkey foods but not beef?  There are various commercial raw foods available in many different meats.  There's also the option of buying the meat from Hare Today already ground, but you're going to need to add more meat/organ to it plus Alnutrin.  Is that an option for you?  Or would you rather spend the money and buy raw that you just thaw and serve?  Either is fine, I'm just trying to narrow down your options for you. 

My understanding from reading about other kitties with megacolon in the forum that the best diet is a low residue diet that minimizes stool size. That means you need a really easily digestible diet, highly bioavailable. For cats, that's a high protein, moderate fat, low carb diet with little to no fiber.

For food ingredients, I think you're looking for foods with simple ingredient lists. I also think if introducing raw, you'd rather feed her a food with no bones and an alternate source of calcium, at least at first, until she's more healed up and her body adjusts. :heart2:

I can think of one commercial raw food. Rad Cat, by RadFood. http://www.radfood.com/

It is the highest quality food there is. Organic chicken, pastured turkey and lamb, a balanced food nutritionally that is very easy on the system. You can print the nutrient profiles to take with you.

Other commercial raw foods tend to include fruits n veggies, and are often kind of high in fat. There are pre-mixes, supplements that make just meat and liver or just meat complete and balanced, so they're not hard to use. You can use whatever proteins your vet feels is best - chicken breast, thigh; turkey breast, turkey thigh, maybe pork, cornish hen? Lamb sometimes? Can you source rabbit? :dk:

Although Primal Foods now offers some plain meats, I think. http://www.primalpetfoods.com/ I'm having trouble navigating their site from my phone. They don't use eggshell for calcium like Rad Cat does, but it is very finely ground even if you want the balanced food they sell. Many cats love it and do very well with it. The poultry varities are treated with high pressure processing, a kind of cold pasteurizatiin that uses pressure instead of heat. Vets like that.

Options that make plain meat really easy to balance are Better in the Raw https://www.knowbetterpetfood.com/cat_food_better_in_the_raw

TCfeline (though you have to order through the USA site, this has more info, and a link to where to order online in the US) http://tcfeline.com/

And my favorite, though you do have to include at least liver, about 7% of the amount of meat you use, the supplement you'd need is the Alnutrin with eggshell (from the e-shop on the site): http://knowwhatyoufeed.com/ This supplement, IMO, is the most straightforward.

I know it's a lot to think about. But I hope this helps.

for your Nala! :heart2:

Of course, we're here for questions, help, support, and transition advice, if needed.

Good morning Peaches08...

 I appreciate your questions and advice trying to help me it means a lot. I have always fed her dry and it was prescription for gastrointestinal purposes with all the mega colon issues years prior to surgery so it is all new with flavors. Just before surgery she had Evo 95 chicken mixed with turkey and I tried her on duck both which she ate fairly ok. I would love to grind and blend my own meats but I just don't have the time unfortunately so I am looking at buying a raw diet where it is frozen I am assuming so I thaw it out and it lasts in refrigerator for 2 weeks so I am told...The vet did tell me stay away from beef it is not good for cats even though people feed it he said it is to rich and stay away from it...I hear rabbit is best but I don't see it anywhere...This raw thing is all new to me and confusing as all hell. I am really over whelmed right now so much has happened non stop no break and now vomiting daily so I will talk to the vet today after 2pm about foods. I dropped off paper work on a raw diet with chicken with its ingredients and I also dropped him off paper work about trying Goats milk as a probiotic I will see what he says today...

LDG....I wanted to send you a quick note and say thank you for taking the time to write me a long post with detailed information I really appreciate your concern for my needs with Nala...I have an appointment this morning and when I return I will read your entire post when I am home and settled...

I have paper work on Goats Milk as a probiotic and to soothe Nalas tummy as it is excellent for the whole digestive track...I also got paper work on a raw chicken or beef diet. Yesterday I took my daughters dog to a new groomer here and she supplies the Goats milk frozen, carries dog raw diet but the cats must be ordered from the supplier which she can do for me. The groomer printed out a lot of paper work I am dropping it off to my vet this morning at 9am on my way to an appointment and he will call me after 2pm to discuss what food we will use. I am hearing do not get raw diet with bones in it and this one I found has bones she said it is essential for cats to have as I know nothing about raw and as much as I would love to grind and blend my own meats I don't have the time and I need to buy it already made frozen and I just thaw it out and keep in refrigerator.

I heard vets are for raw and also against it so I will see what he says I wanted him to look at the paper work along with whatever he was deciding on and weigh in on it all so we shall see. I don't know what to do honestly it is all becoming to much it is getting to me and I am feeling agitated. I don't have time to grind meet in a blender and mix this and that I need it can ready or like this groomer orders it frozen all I have to do is thaw it out and it is good in the refrigerator for two weeks...Nala vomited again at 445am semi brown with clear liquid. This is day 5 and it is mostly between 2-6am I don't understand it at all but it is every day. Nala eats at 6am and 6pm half a can and maybe a little in-between those time frames for a snack only if she acts hungry so last time she ate is at 6pm last night and vomits at 4am that is almost 12 hours after she has eaten and sometimes it is bile and sometimes it has brown in it like this morning was no bile but brownish with clear so that seems like food left over?

 I don't know but with the paper work I am dropping off this morning I attached the journal of her vomiting times and the description each time. I know he said he is not overly concerned yet but I am this is not normal to me.

Karin

The vomiting - does it look like coffee grounds? Or just liquid?

If coffee grounds, this is of concern and should be mentioned to the vet. It is indicative of upper GI bleeding.

If just liquid, it is most likely bile, and the result of going too long between meals. Many kitties do best with three meals a day, they do not need to be evenly spaced, but closing the gap between the last meal of the day and the first meal of the next day can go a long way to preventing vomiting due to bile build-up. Many feed the equivalent of before work, after work and before bed.

Ask the vet about an antacid given before bed. This can also help prevent that.

There's nothing wrong with bone per se, it's just a little more difficult to digest at first unless it is finely ground. An adult cat does just fine with a bone alternative, so your groomer is not correct in the statement that cats "need" bone. Yes, they need a source of calcium. Bone also provides magnesium and trace minerals. Those are all found in eggshell.

Yes, there are so many options, it can be overwhelming. If you do not have time to put meat in a blender and mix it with a supplement, then of course, premade raw is your best option.

I would recommend Rad Cat http://www.radfood.com/, or consider Primal (finely ground bone) http://www.primalpetfoods.com/ as my first choices. Another option is the freeze dried Stella & Chewy's (meant to be rehydrated), though it is more expensive to use. http://www.stellaandchewys.com/index.php

I have a feeling the groomer is making their own mix, but perhaps not.  But I question the fact that it can be left in the fridge for two weeks .  I've never heard of any raw meat that can be left in the fridge for two weeks.  I don't even leave COOKED meat in the fridge that long  (not unless it's been processed....you know, like salami type stuff)

As far as when Willowy was saying to avoid bones, that doesn't mean you can just give ground meat.  Radcat uses ground eggshell for calcium vs ground up bones, plus the necessary organ meats, and other "goodies" like salmon oil, egg yolk, etc.,   but the problem with them is they only have three meat varieties...chicken, turkey and lamb.  Lamb might be too rich...I just don't know.  Turkey might be a good one to try.  This is one of the more expensive commercially prepared nutritionally complete foods out there, but most cats love it.  (AND, you get what you pay for ).  I used to order this by the case for my little beasties before I started branching out and getting more brave )  They are hard to find, too.  I had to ask a local store to order it for me, or you can order via the internet. 

If Nala has never tried raw before, you might first try just giving her a tiny piece of whatever you're having for dinner and see if she'll eat it.  

I have a feeling the groomer is carrying the commercial pet food called Answers Pet Food. The only proteins they have for cats are chicken and beef and they highly promote their raw, unpasteurized goat milk which comes in a separate frozen container but is also a main ingredient in the raw food as well. 

When I was in the beginning stage of switching my cats over to a raw diet, I wanted to include this brand in my main rotation but there are NO distributors in Louisiana that carry it and it was just too costly to ship it. I think it was a pretty good quality commercial but it definitely cannot be left in the fridge for 2 weeks after thawing. 2 or 3 days I think is the general rule of thumb. 

Anyway....I agree with the other posters on starting off with RadCat because of the eggshell calcium and its palatability. It was very easy for me to transition my cats to raw with this brand.

Is she vomiting her food?  Like, the whole meal?  Is she getting some nutrition?  That's my biggest concern right now.

Peaches08.

You are the best your right there always concerned and following up and I appreciate that, you and Raintyger are good friends big hugs from me to you Well I talked to the vet today and I am glad I kept a journal of everything from descriptions to time & date etc. Nala is vomiting in the middle of the night every night for 5 days of bile. She is eating half a can in the morming, a snack of wet in the middle of the day and the other half og the can in the evening so 6am breakfast...1230pm snack and 6pm dinner Her last meal she eats is at 6pm so its 8 hours or so when she vomits and it clicked when he said this:  When Nala eats her meals she does not vomit and is always hungry good appetite and drinking so he said she is on a Hills brand food called AD for post colon surgery cats, the food has nothing in it really it is used while the internal sutures heal where he cut the colon and reconnected it so he said her body has healed and is now digesting this food so fast and leaving residual left over which is why hours later she is vomiting bile there is no food left because it leaves the body so fast by absorption and dumps the rest hense the vomiting the same time every night hours after eating...

It made sense as soon as he said it to me, he said it is a good thing she is not vomiting after eating because that is a big red flag and it is good but not good that she is vomiting almost 8 hours after a meal but it is clear the reason why is its time to graduate to normal food so today I am transitioning her slowly to Hilld ID which is normal wet food for the digestive system, she was on this before so I know she likes it. So I went and picked it up from his office today and gave her a snack at 3pm of mostly AD and introduced a small amount of ID mixed it together and she ate it so for dinner tonight I will add a little less AD and a little more of ID and tomorrow same thing and have her converted by Thursday or Friday...I need this middle of the night vomiting to stop.

The vet feels confident that this is the reason why she is vomiting and is not overly concerned. I just started the new food today a small amount she may vomit tonight maybe not but if she keeps pooing daily and vomiting stops and gains her weight back I will be very happy and relieved...If she continues to vomit after converting her I will be very upset this is very hard on me to handle alone its non stop vet and sickness for almost two months now...

I will keep you posted on the new food and if vomiting stops and how her stool will respond to this food...Fingers crossed it all works in conjunction and well together....

I hope the new food helps.  No, I'm not the biggest fan of Hill's, but for right now the important thing is she eats, heals, and gets back to some semblance of normal.  I wonder if she's got a little "acid stomach" going on?  If that is the case, I'd be tempted to ask the vet about Pepcid to help her out.

We can help you get her on raw eventually, and while I'm not 100% opposed to trying raw as soon as tonight, I'd rather you have a better handle on why she's vomiting and how to get that under control.  Sometimes when we make a bunch of changes at once, we can't figure out what really helped or worse, what's making things worse. 

Good evening LDG...

Nice to hear from you again and thank you for more information I will save those websites you sent me the links to on my computer.Well I talked to the vet today and I am glad I kept a journal of everything from descriptions to time & date etc. Nala is vomiting in the middle of the night every night for 5 days of bile only. She is eating her meals with no problem its many hours later in the middle of the night after digestions does the bile come up never coffee grounds etc.. She is eating half a can in the morming, a snack of wet in the middle of the day and the other half of the can in the evening so 6am breakfast...1230pm snack and 6pm dinner Her last meal she eats is at 6pm so its 8 hours or so when she vomits and it clicked when he said this:  When Nala eats her meals she does not vomit and is always hungry good appetite and drinking so he said she is on a Hills brand food called AD for post colon surgery cats, the food has nothing in it really it is used while the internal sutures heal where he cut the colon and reconnected it so he said her body has healed and is now digesting this food so fast and leaving residual left over which is why hours later she is vomiting bile there is no food left because it leaves the body so fast by absorption and dumps the rest hense the vomiting the same time every night hours after eating...

It made sense as soon as he said it to me, he said it is a good thing she is not vomiting after eating because that is a big red flag and it is good but not good that she is vomiting almost 8 hours after a meal but it is clear the reason why is its time to graduate to normal food so today I am transitioning her slowly to Hilld ID which is normal wet food for the digestive system, she was on this before so I know she likes it. So I went and picked it up from his office today and gave her a snack at 3pm of mostly AD and introduced a small amount of ID mixed it together and she ate it so for dinner tonight I will add a little less AD and a little more of ID and tomorrow same thing and have her converted by Thursday or Friday...I need this middle of the night vomiting to stop.

I ran a raw diet and goats milk by him and he said right now it is not an option her colon is newly sutured and 4 inches if that left of it have to be careful what she eats it must be the right amount of everything. He switched her Hills ID wet for her digestive system which she has eaten for the past two years a tablespoon full twice a day to mix he miralax in so she definitely likes it. Vet feels she had been vomiting bile because she has been on temporary food while colon sutures heal and it is obvious body is now requiring more balanced food so I mixed a little ID in with the mostly AD I will have her converted by Friday.

The vet feels confident that this is the reason why she is vomiting and is not overly concerned. I just started the new food today a small amount she may vomit tonight maybe not but if she keeps pooing daily and vomiting stops and gains her weight back I will be very happy and relieved...If she continues to vomit after converting her I will be very upset this is very hard on me to handle alone its non stop vet and sickness for almost two months now...

I will keep you posted on the new food and if vomiting stops and how her stool will respond to this food...Fingers crossed it all works in conjunction and well together....

Peaches08...Just as I finished your last post she was vomiting her guts up a puddle of brown liquid all over my kitchen floor. She did not handle the mixing of AD & ID I guess. I just called vet her vet is off tonight a colleague called back said to give her Pepcid tonight and let her stomach rest and try giving her a little of the AD only around 9pm not the ID just what she has been on and tomorrow morning try mixing the two together and see if she get sick again. Right now I am in tears I have had enough of this I cant take it anymore I want to vomit myself. I am at a breaking point and my vet is off call tonight I understand they need time with their families but I don't know what to do anymore.

Abby2932....Yes you are correct it is Answers Pet Food that she carries and Yes it is the Goats milk frozen in the carton is what she carries and orders from in her shop. I looked at the website looks like good stuff but it does have bone mixed in with it not sure if that is good or not. Yes I saw the posts to me about RadCat. I have not looked into it yet but I need to and get things figured out here. I am beside myself right now with everything.

siameselove03 said:

 
Peaches08...Just as I finished your last post she was vomiting her guts up a puddle of brown liquid all over my kitchen floor. She did not handle the mixing of AD & ID I guess. I just called vet her vet is off tonight a colleague called back said to give her Pepcid tonight and let her stomach rest and try giving her a little of the AD only around 9pm not the ID just what she has been on and tomorrow morning try mixing the two together and see if she get sick again. Right now I am in tears I have had enough of this I cant take it anymore I want to vomit myself. I am at a breaking point and my vet is off call tonight I understand they need time with their families but I don't know what to do anymore.

Click to expand...

I'm so sorry.  I can tell you're at your limit right now.  I think your vet gave good advice about the Pepcid and giving only A/D food.  Did he give you a dosage for the Pepcid?  Also, did he give instructions on how to mix the food, such as giving only a little ID into a full meal of A/D?

Please be good to yourself, too.  A bubble bath, a pedicure, something.  Of course talking here helps too.