I give up. broke buying all this food

Kat0121

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
15,036
Purraise
20,362
Location
Sunny Florida
question Jack does not have diarreah but does a poopy about every 3rd day o i guess fortiflora says for diarreah its still ok to give him? i want it as a stimulant
Plain canned pumpkin is better for poop issues. I use Fortiflora as an appetite stimulant. Pumpkin is what I use when one of mine seem to be having an issue either way. It's a great source of natural fiber and has a good amount of water in it. They also like it. I add about a teaspoon a day to their food and it helps. Just make sure that it's plain pumpkin puree not pie filling. I find it in grocery store in the baking aisle under the canned pie fillings. Most stores carry Libby's. Check the ingredients. There shouldn't be anything but pumpkin in it. you can probably use the FF and pumpkin together if you need to.
 

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
and i see i can buy frozen chicken an beef raw for him. how do i convert?
For info on feeding raw food, please see these threads:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/263955/helpful-resources-raw-home-cooked-cat-food-forum

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/264154/raw-feeding-resources

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/264153/home-cooked-cat-food-resources

A raw diet can be fed to cats but only if done correctly. Just feedig meat and nothing else will lead to a nutrional deficiency and your cat may develop some serious heatlh issues.
. have to buy at petsmart or walmart.
I didn't realize that PetSmart sells raw food now or was it a different pet store? Do you remember the brand of the frozen chicken and beef you saw? Were they rolls / chubs? Some brands of raw meat for pets are not complete diets and must have additional things added in order to be a balanced complete diet, such as a pre-mix (Alnutrin, TC Feline, etc) or organs and bones or with supplements as listed in a balanced recipie (like the one at Catinfo.org). There are commerical raw pets foods you can buy that are completely balanced, such as Rad Cat and Nature's Variety Instinct.

PetSmart does sell Nature's Variety. If they do have raw food, it's probably the Nature's Variety frozen Raw Bites. Just mix a few pieces into canned food over the course of a week or so until your cat is eating just the Raw BItes without any canned food. The little 1.25 lb bags don't last very long so see if the store will order the 3.5 lb bag for you.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #23

mema62

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
Messages
91
Purraise
2
Location
ga
they have it at a individual pet supply its chunks beef and chicken. don't know lbs but its 22$ abag. she said its already fortified. natures variety is the brand. started fortiflora today to stimulate his appetite.he did not refuse his food and ate alot more than usual. don't plan to make it a permanent part of his diet if we don't have to.
 
Last edited:

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
they have it at a individual pet supply its chuncks bef and chicken. don't know lbs but its 22$ abag. she said its already fortified. natures variety is the brand. started fortiflora today to stimulate his appetite.he did not refuse his food and ate alot more than usual. don't plan to make it a permanent part of his diet if we don't have to.
Oh, Nature's Variety frozen raw food
It's a very good brand if you want to to give it a try. $22 might be for a 3.5 lb bag of Raw Bites. The 1.25 lb is more like $14 or so. The 3.7 lb medallions cost closer to $30, at least where I live.

Both the Raw Bites and medallions are complete diets so you don't need to add anything to the food. Make sure to get the cat formula. Nature's Vairety also makes raw food for dogs and those formulas do not contain taurine which cats need in their diet. Up until summer of last year, all of the NV frozen raw foods were in a cat / dog formula. NV has since made separate formulas for cats and dogs.

Neither the Raw Bites for cats or the medallions for cats come in beef so double check with the store before you buy. Here is the current NV raw product tlisting for cats: http://www.instinctpetfood.com/instinct-raw-food-cats

FortiFlora is ok to give long term. It won't hurt your cat, even after the expiration date. Many people use FortiFlora as a food enhancer, not as a probiotic as it is intended to be.
 

samus

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2015
Messages
374
Purraise
27
question Jack does not have diarreah but does a poopy about every 3rd day o i guess fortiflora says for diarreah its still ok to give him? i want it as a stimulant
If you just want to use it as an appetite stimulant, you don't have to use a whole packet at once, just enough to make the food smell appetizing. I've had a packet last a few days. So the box lasted a couple months of my cat trying out different foods.

I think someone else on this forum said after giving their cat Fortiflora consistently, it stopped eating food without the extra Fortiflora flavor, so I guess some cats can get addicted. Mine didn't, though.

But if your cat is having stomach issues, giving him the whole packet might help with that, too. I mix it with a human probiotic so it's cheaper (the human probiotic is cheaper per cat dose/1 billion CFU than the Fortiflora, I keep the Fortiflora in there for flavor).
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #26

mema62

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
Messages
91
Purraise
2
Location
ga
jack did go to vet with gastritis or something. his small intestine was slightly thickened. but vet wasnt alarmed. thought something he ate. i changed his food he had lost a little weight not eating well. the purina wet and dry had some bad complaints lately. so i put on different brands gain free. he doent like anything. so scared to go back to purina. my vet said probiotics want stay in his gut very long due to their short digestive tract and wouldnt do any good. which probiotic for humans are you using and how much a day should I use with 1 pack fortiflora?
 

pharber-murphy

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2014
Messages
323
Purraise
79
Hi, mema62. I noticed in one of your earlier posts that your cat would love for you to open a can of human-grade tuna. I hope that if you're not feeding that to him, you're doing it in very small portions just as a rare treat. Human canned tuna is not good for cats. You not only have to worry about mercury in tuna, too much could cause a thiamine deficiency, which can cause severe illness.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #28

mema62

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
Messages
91
Purraise
2
Location
ga
If you just want to use it as an appetite stimulant, you don't have to use a whole packet at once, just enough to make the food smell appetizing. I've had a packet last a few days. So the box lasted a couple months of my cat trying out different foods.

I think someone else on this forum said after giving their cat Fortiflora consistently, it stopped eating food without the extra Fortiflora flavor, so I guess some cats can get addicted. Mine didn't, though.

But if your cat is having stomach issues, giving him the whole packet might help with that, too. I mix it with a human probiotic so it's cheaper (the human probiotic is cheaper per cat dose/1 billion CFU than the Fortiflora, I keep the Fortiflora in there for flavor).

I use the Pure Bites treats too. You can get a MUCH better deal on them from Amazon BTW. I also use Stella and Chewy's freeze dried Tummy Ticklin Turkey as a topper crumbled onto their food and sometimes Purina Fortiflora if they are being particularly fussy.
I use the Pure Bites treats too. You can get a MUCH better deal on them from Amazon BTW. I also use Stella and Chewy's freeze dried Tummy Ticklin Turkey as a topper crumbled onto their food and sometimes Purina Fortiflora if they are being particularly fussy.
thank you Sugglecat for the chicken topper purebites. Jack eats hs food along with it. he waits for me to add it. he gets so excited
 

snugglecat

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jul 31, 2013
Messages
718
Purraise
116
Location
Washington state
thank you Sugglecat for the chicken topper purebites. Jack eats hs food along with it. he waits for me to add it. he gets so excited
I'm so glad Jack likes the Purebites. Peaches loves it so much that I can put it on any food and she will eat it all gone. She used to slowly pick at her canned food. She can even be asleep in another room but if she hears me get the package out of the cupboard she will come running and gets so excited.
 

samus

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2015
Messages
374
Purraise
27
jack did go to vet with gastritis or something. his small intestine was slightly thickened. but vet wasnt alarmed. thought something he ate. i changed his food he had lost a little weight not eating well. the purina wet and dry had some bad complaints lately. so i put on different brands gain free. he doent like anything. so scared to go back to purina. my vet said probiotics want stay in his gut very long due to their short digestive tract and wouldnt do any good. which probiotic for humans are you using and how much a day should I use with 1 pack fortiflora?
Recent research with shows that probiotics don't always colonize the gut but they can change gene expression to reduce inflammation even if they pass right through, and reducing inflammation is what you want to prevent more damage to his intestine.

Right now I'm using the same probiotics that I take myself when I'm having stomach issues (SymbioLact Comp), it has Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactococcus lactis and Bifidobacterium lactis. Brand isn't super important, as long as it actually has live bacteria and it doesn't have any ingredients that will irritate your cat. If it's refrigerated at your local store, it's more likely to have live bacteria in it. When I was living in the US I had good results with Jarrow, but I can't find that brand locally anymore. There's discussion of brands/dosage in this thread, and you might even be able to find cheaper brands of pet probiotics at your local pet food store.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/238834/cat-probiotics

As for dosage, one packet of the probiotics I have is 2 billion CFU. I read that a cat dosage is 1 billion CFU per day, but that some people give their cats human doses with no problem. Fortiflora packets are each 1 billion CFU. I mix together a couple packets of the human probiotics and one packet FortiFlora, and then split that into five doses. The ratio depends on your cat, really. The question is, how much can you dilute the FortiFlora and it still be a strong enough smell/flavor to entice him to eat. The magic tasty ingredient in FortiFlora is the animal digest.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #31

mema62

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
Messages
91
Purraise
2
Location
ga
thank you. i have read horrible stuff what animal digest is. is it true and harmful. have read it can be diseased parts of animals put to sleep. what is your understanding. you have been so helpful. jack does not eat all of what I put down but almost. more than hes eat in a while. what do you think of wet food purina.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #32

mema62

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
Messages
91
Purraise
2
Location
ga
I cannot believe the difference I hope the fortiflora continues to work, but now since he has met the freeze dried pure bites chicken , he gets the food, with flortiflora, but sits and waits for me to shred and sprinkle the chicken bites, this is halarious., but good news, he poopies every day, and it does not stink., i am so thrilled, as you all know I was at my wits ends, buying all this food, now, I am using the cans I put in the fridge 3 days ago, and he has only fussed and refused to eat one thing, that was the wilderness trout, he does not like it at all....I appreiciate everyone who has stood by me through out this, Jack gets weighed by vet Tues, and i have no doubt he will not have lost any more weight if not put on a few he lossed, which means the vet will more xrays and blood work...wow...
 

samus

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2015
Messages
374
Purraise
27
thank you. i have read horrible stuff what animal digest is. is it true and harmful. have read it can be diseased parts of animals put to sleep. what is your understanding. you have been so helpful. jack does not eat all of what I put down but almost. more than hes eat in a while. what do you think of wet food purina.
You know, I never really thought about exactly what animals animal digest was digested from, I just know it's what can convince my cat to eat when she has no appetite at all and it's better than letting her starve herself into liver failure (which she's already done once). I was just reading more about it, sound like something that definitely shouldn't be in anyone's diet in large quantities. It's probably chemically broken down enough that any euthanasia drugs from source animals are broken down, and you only feed it in very small quantities.

I don't trust Purina as a brand at all and wouldn't feed my cat Purina food, though. I think I need to find my cat a new appetite stimulant.

If he's leaving a little food in his bowl, that's pretty normal. But so frustrating!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #34

mema62

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
Messages
91
Purraise
2
Location
ga
thank u I just get so fretful I am not doing something right but the fortiflora probiotic was highly reccomended. seems to work. hes eating more. its by purina but I was deparate
 
Last edited:

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
 
I don't trust Purina as a brand at all and wouldn't feed my cat Purina food, though. I think I need to find my cat a new appetite stimulant.
Have you tried the usual suggestions? Crushed up freeze dried treats, a little powdered Parmesean cheese, tuna juice, etc? Even a little crushed up dry food?

You can try the following. All can be used as food enchaners which could help entice the cat to eat.

Nature's Variety powdered supplement: http://www.instinctpetfood.com/instinct-raw-boost-healthy-supplements-pets-0

Halo Dinner Party Sprinkle http://shop.halopets.com/Natural-Treats/Dinner-Party-Chicken

Fish Sprinkles http://www.baxterboo.com/p.cfm/all-natural-fish-sprinkles-cat-food-enhancer

Stewart pet food ehancer http://stewartpet.com/stewart-flavor-enhancer/
 

samus

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2015
Messages
374
Purraise
27
I haven't been able to find freeze dried treats by me, I used to use bonito fish flakes but I'm trying to get her off fish because I think it's what's triggering her allergies. And don't want to try the cheese because I worry that it'll bother her stomach, too. The Halo Dinner Party Sprinkle looks promising if it turns out she's ok with chicken (I'm in the rotating proteins phase). Do you know what's in the Stewart flavor enhancer? I didn't see an ingredient list on their website. Brewer's/nutritional yeast and chlorella or other green powders work sometimes (she goes nuts over grass), but nothing else I've tried works as reliably as the mystery chemically digested animal in Fortiflora.
thank u I just get so fretful I am not doing something right but the fortiflora probiotic was highly reccomended. seems to work. hes eating more. its by purina but I was deparate
I started using it because it was recommended by my vet and it works really well. Hopefully it's a small enough amount that it won't cause more harm than help!  It's really frustrating not knowing what the very best thing you should be doing is. (Or not knowing why is she vomiting more today??? What did I do wrong???)
 
Last edited:

LTS3

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2014
Messages
19,209
Purraise
19,695
Location
USA
 
Do you know what's in the Stewart flavor enhancer? I didn't see an ingredient list on their website.
Stewart[emoji]174[/emoji] Flavor Enhancer contains only one ingredient, 100% pure chicken liver.  Sprinkled on food to increase palatability and stimulate appetites for even the finickiest of eaters and has proven to be a must have item for any pet products store. https://miraclecorp.com/cat-products/

I don't think it's bad at all to use a little FortiFlora to get your cat to eat. I know Purina isn't the best brand out there but what's most important is that you get your cat to eat somehow. A litlte "Purina junk" may be worth giving if it helps your cat.

Samus, are you in the US? Most pet stores sell freeze dried treats of various brands. Sometimes you have to look in the dog aisle. Ordering online is always an option, but usually more expensivve bcause of shipping costs.

If your cat likes grass, try Barley Cat: http://www.greenfoods.com/store/p/53-Barley-Cat-3oz.aspx
 

riley1

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
788
Purraise
196
Location
Greendale, Wi
Wow, been there & done that! Not knowing any better, I  fed my boy high quality, wet food.  The pet store said it was the very best.  After several years he would only it fish & became hooked on it.  The vet said IBD & gave me a list of good food.  Of course he would not eat it.  This progressed to giving him pred which worked for a while.  Can you force feed him good food?  This didn't work for me & sadly he didn't get better.  I have seen stories on this site that diet changes can really help. Eating is more important than not eating so you may have to give him what he wants.  Hopefully the tips you have been given by others will help.  Good luck!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #39

mema62

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
Messages
91
Purraise
2
Location
ga
I haven't been able to find freeze dried treats by me, I used to use bonito fish flakes but I'm trying to get her off fish because I think it's what's triggering her allergies. And don't want to try the cheese because I worry that it'll bother her stomach, too. The Halo Dinner Party Sprinkle looks promising if it turns out she's ok with chicken (I'm in the rotating proteins phase). Do you know what's in the Stewart flavor enhancer? I didn't see an ingredient list on their website. Brewer's/nutritional yeast and chlorella or other green powders work sometimes (she goes nuts over grass), but nothing else I've tried works as reliably as the mystery chemically digested animal in Fortiflora.



I started using it because it was recommended by my vet and it works really well. Hopefully it's a small enough amount that it won't cause more harm than help!  It's really frustrating not knowing what the very best thing you should be doing is. (Or not knowing why is she vomiting more today??? What did I do wrong???)
well forget fortiflora. worked 2 days. now he just is slacking again. all i can get him to eat at 7 this morning was purina wet food. I do not. want to use this. afraid it is what made him have expensive tummy troubles to begin with but was dedparate. HERE'S MY QUESTION. tonite he ate all the crumbled up freeze dried treats and avoided the food. is he sick if he eats treats ? or picky I put out 5 different brands and flavors and wasted fortiflora. I May have to rehome him. i live on social security cant afford to continue. dedperate because I love him
 
Last edited:

samus

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2015
Messages
374
Purraise
27
There might be stuff you can do with the texture of the food to entice him more. My cat likes me to mash her food into a thick gravy. Heating it a little might help too—makes it smell more, and have you ever tried eating cold leftover meat? Have you tried mashing the Purina wet that he'll eat into the new food? You might be able to get him used to the new food's flavor that way, and then phase out the Purina after a week or two.

After a lifetime of eating Purina, another week or two probably won't kill him, but if he starves himself into a fatty liver (hepatic lipidosis) that could kill him. Really the most important thing is that he eats something, even if it's just treats or Purina. I read that the minimum calories to avoid hepatic lipidosis is 15 calories per pound body weight, less than that he'll start digesting his body fat too quickly and it'll clog his liver.

Eating only treats will probably cause nutrient deficiencies in the long run, but in the short run it'll do to provide calories. Have you tried mashing the treats into the food so he has to eat some food along with the treats?

Baby food (chicken or turkey, make sure there's no onion, garlic, or "spices") can also be used to entice him to eat if he's starving himself, but long term will cause deficiency, too.

It's really frustrating trying to get a cat to eat a new food, and you end up throwing out a lot of food the first week or two. If the brand you're trying has the tiny cans or pouches that aren't a good buy if you compare them to the bigger cans, get them anyway because the bigger cans aren't a better deal if your cat only eats two bites and ignores the rest.
 
Top