grain free dry food without peas or potato?

muddygrl

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Is there any? All the ones I keep seeing have potato and or pea in them. I want something grain free that doesn't have those ingredients. Is that possible?
 

2cats4me

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my2cats67

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Sorry to hear that I to have tried many brands I just tried halo peas and sweet potato I use merrick wet grainfree I have tried a lot of brands limited and every thing this is what works best for my boy he has been on this for two years now
 

kitkaturday

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I am feeding two cats Epigen 90 once a day. Their 2nd feeding is wet food. They love it and I'm sure they would eat it exclusively if I let them. I always ordered from Amazon in cases that contained 8 2-lb yellow bags but I think they just changed their packaging. I sure as heck hope they didn't change their formula. It is very pricey but (a) not so much when compared to their other meal of high-quality wet food and (b) a 1-meal serving for one cat is 1/4 cup. 

There is a  long and convoluted explanation on Wysong's website about how this is starch-free and why that is important, but I don't fully understand the science. It does contain fruits so it has some carbs, but it doesn't have potatoes, peas, corn or other non-grain starches that are often used in grain-free foods.

Ingredients from the yellow bag I currently have at home: Organic Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols as a source of Vitamin E), Chicken Giblets, Gelatin (source of collagen and proteoglycans), Apple (source of soluble fiber), Beet Pulp (source of prebiotics), Plums (antioxidant source), Inulin (prebiotic), Blueberries (antioxidant source), Tomato (source of lutein), Taurine (amino acid), Oregano Extract (antioxidant source), Sage Extract (antioxidant source), Rosemary Extract (antioxidant source), Probiotic Microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus lactis), Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement.
 

2cats4me

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I am feeding two cats Epigen 90 once a day. Their 2nd feeding is wet food. They love it and I'm sure they would eat it exclusively if I let them. I always ordered from Amazon in cases that contained 8 2-lb yellow bags but I think they just changed their packaging. I sure as heck hope they didn't change their formula. It is very pricey but (a) not so much when compared to their other meal of high-quality wet food and (b) a 1-meal serving for one cat is 1/4 cup. 

There is a  long and convoluted explanation on Wysong's website about how this is starch-free and why that is important, but I don't fully understand the science. It does contain fruits so it has some carbs, but it doesn't have potatoes, peas, corn or other non-grain starches that are often used in grain-free foods.

Ingredients from the yellow bag I currently have at home: Organic Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols as a source of Vitamin E), Chicken Giblets, Gelatin (source of collagen and proteoglycans), Apple (source of soluble fiber), Beet Pulp (source of prebiotics), Plums (antioxidant source), Inulin (prebiotic), Blueberries (antioxidant source), Tomato (source of lutein), Taurine (amino acid), Oregano Extract (antioxidant source), Sage Extract (antioxidant source), Rosemary Extract (antioxidant source), Probiotic Microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus lactis), Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Sup

   My cats are also eating Wysong Epigen ...  I was informed by the company that the food is appx 5 % carbs  My cats eat 6 ozs  of  can food plus  1/4 cup of kibble ..  You can buy Epigen on  chewy.com  as well .. .. I get the Epigen instead of the 90 it is half the price  and only around  5 % carbs ..  My cats love it ..http://www.chewy.com/cat/wysong-epigen-starch-free-chicken/dp/103305    .
 
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thehistorian

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I would switch my girl's dry food to a potato/pea free formula, but most dry foods that are potato/pea and grain free add fillers like rosemary extract, sage, etc. and other plant items that either a.) have a toxic effect on cats over a long period if time or b.) we have no idea what they do to cats.

As a result, I stick to Canidae Pure Elements, which does contain potatoes and peas, but which contains four different meat meals and no other plant material. As a result, I keep her wet food 100% plant free most of the time.
 

monty007

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Columbine

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Chickpeas are the same as Garbanzo Beans not like Peas at all ..
They are related actually. They are loaded with Carbs too.  http://tip10.info/archives/103391
Ultimately, it depends on the reason those ingredients are being avoided. If the goal is to have the lowest possible carbs, then of course chickpeas/garbanzo beans will impact in a pretty similar way that peas or potato would. If, however, the reason is a food allergy/sensitivity, then chickpeas/garbanzo beans would likely not cause a problem. (Peas and potato are two of the most common non-meat allergens in the cat world ;) )
 

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Do you have any research pointing to potatoes/peas being common allergens?  My cat has a food allergy and we can't figure it out because I've always rotated the proteins in his diet BUT I also always noticed that the whole peas in some of the canned foods gave him diarrhea...now he is on a limited ingredient rabbit/pea food and I'm not seeing much improvement, plus he has loose stool.  However, my vet insists that peas are not an allergen and all of the other limited ingredient diets that I can find all have peas...
 

thegreystalker

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I'll guess that research about potatoes and peas being potential allergens is either negative or inconclusive because those ingredients are found in many supposedly "high end" cat foods.  And while I know that companies such as Purina invests much research $$ into pet food, I'm sure that one of the reasons they include cranberries and sweet potato in some of their formulas is that there is an oversupply of those products during the year and thus those ingredients are cheap.  Think about it.  There's a reason why you can purchase soy-milk and pomegranate juice anywhere these days. The ubiquitous availability of Soy-milk and pomegranate juice in the U.S.A. is the result of loads and loads of extra tons of the source product that the growers didn't know how to dispose of until relatively recently.
 

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Nature's Variety Ultimate Protein uses only tapioca, no potato or peas.
 

Willowy

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Anybody can be allergic to anything.

White potatoes are in the nightshade family, and nightshades can cause problems in those with inflammatory issues. I had a dog who couldn't eat potatoes, or kibbles with potato as an ingredient. But for most cats it's probably as good as any starch source :dk:. I don't like to see peas too high on the ingredient list because they're high in protein so any food with moderate protein and a lot of peas probably doesn't have much animal protein. But I don't think peas are any worse than any other plant protein source.
 

missbreena

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Do you have any research pointing to potatoes/peas being common allergens?  My cat has a food allergy and we can't figure it out because I've always rotated the proteins in his diet BUT I also always noticed that the whole peas in some of the canned foods gave him diarrhea...now he is on a limited ingredient rabbit/pea food and I'm not seeing much improvement, plus he has loose stool.  However, my vet insists that peas are not an allergen and all of the other limited ingredient diets that I can find all have peas...


Hello. This is my first post on any message board, but the above thread inspired me.

I'm dealing with food sensitivities currently with my one little kitty girl. At first we thought it was just a protein allergy. And she was already eating mostly rabbit and venison so pulling the other proteins I was mixing in for a variety wasn't challenging. But when I incorporated the LID rabbit wet and dry by natures variety things blew up even further. So in addition to a suspected poultry allergy, we are convinced she is allergic to peas.

I am currently feeding Stella and Chewy's raw frozen rabbit, vital essentials freeze-dried raw rabbit, and a small amount of the wild calling canned rabbit. On this diet she is doing quite well and the itching and paw chewing is severely reduced... almost gone. As long as she doesn't get ahold of any of the other cat's food. One stolen kibble from my feral cats and she is itching for days. I am not a fan of feeding kibble to cats, but I was feeding some to her as treats because she loved it so much and I use some kibble in my feral's diet. She purrrrrs like crazy for kibble. But no kibble for my girl now. I cannot find a kibble that is single protein rabbit or venison with no peas.

I find it odd that your vet doesn't seem to think peas can be an allergen because my cat is certainly allergic to them. I hope your kitty's food sensitivities are/ have been alleviated. [emoji]128062[/emoji]
 

spotmenow

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Hello. This is my first post on any message board, but the above thread inspired me.

I'm dealing with food sensitivities currently with my one little kitty girl. At first we thought it was just a protein allergy. And she was already eating mostly rabbit and venison so pulling the other proteins I was mixing in for a variety wasn't challenging. But when I incorporated the LID rabbit wet and dry by natures variety things blew up even further. So in addition to a suspected poultry allergy, we are convinced she is allergic to peas.

I am currently feeding Stella and Chewy's raw frozen rabbit, vital essentials freeze-dried raw rabbit, and a small amount of the wild calling canned rabbit. On this diet she is doing quite well and the itching and paw chewing is severely reduced... almost gone. As long as she doesn't get ahold of any of the other cat's food. One stolen kibble from my feral cats and she is itching for days. I am not a fan of feeding kibble to cats, but I was feeding some to her as treats because she loved it so much and I use some kibble in my feral's diet. She purrrrrs like crazy for kibble. But no kibble for my girl now. I cannot find a kibble that is single protein rabbit or venison with no peas.

I find it odd that your vet doesn't seem to think peas can be an allergen because my cat is certainly allergic to them. I hope your kitty's food sensitivities are/ have been alleviated. [emoji]128062[/emoji]
So, I am currently feeding Wild Calling Buffalo  (not happy with the fact that they use an Evanger's plant for processing, but am out of options right now) and also Kona's kangaroo.  No dried food...cannot find one with a novel protein (no chicken, turkey, fish) that doesn't have peas.  I was even considering some of the dog foods that are just venison and sweet potato but they are not balanced for cats.

On top of all this, my poor little guy has some cavities...they did the pre-anesthesia blood work and found a slight elevation in his ALT (137).  He is picky right now because of the food changes and also because his teeth hurt.  They won't do his teeth, so we are having a difficult time getting him to eat...I guess the only positive is that he has stopped scratching.  Very allergic to chicken and I suspect also allergic to rabbit.  He cannot digest peas at all.
 

sa5150

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I would check out the Natures Variety limited ingredient  turkey,chicken or lamb  . Peas are a much better thickener then any type of gums ,starches. , They use the peas for the only thickening agent and it has some fiber .  
 

spotmenow

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I would check out the Natures Variety limited ingredient  turkey,chicken or lamb  . Peas are a much better thickener then any type of gums ,starches. , They use the peas for the only thickening agent and it has some fiber .  
Tried them originally...he can't eat peas.  Terrible diarrhea. 

Honestly, I was a huge fan of Nature's Variety for years until I realized that all of my cats do much better on foods that aren't full of vegetables...they are carnivores.  Switched to protein-based foods and litter box has much less waste, smells much better and no diarrhea anymore.  And don't be fooled - companies fill their foods with peas because they are cheap.  Cats aren't meant to eat peas. 
 
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