Nutrition for older cats

pharber-murphy · May 26, 2015

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So, I had a bit of time on my hands this afternoon and was browsing this site. I came across this posting from White Shadow dated 2003 (it’s a white paper from Purina on the results of a five-year study of three types of diets for senior cats):

http://www.jarvm.com/articles/Vol5Iss3/Cupp 133-149.pdf

My question is - does anyone know of a cat food that provides the key ingredients identified in this study for increased longevity: dried chicory root, vitamins E and b-carotene, and a blend of n-3 and n-6 long-chain fatty acids? If so, I’m going to start feeding it to my Bertha, who just turned eight. I'd like for her to live a a longer, disease-free life!

Thanks very much.

pushylady · May 27, 2015

I don't know much about specific ingredients. I know a lot of members have done a lot research, so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in.
However, chicory root concerns me. This is where inulin comes from which is a fibre. It's added to many foods to boost fibre content and also as a mild sweetener. For most people, this isn't a problem, but for someone with a sensitive digestive tract it can do a real number on them. I have to avoid it myself as I react really badly to it, which is very annoying as it's added to a great deal of gluten free products. :sigh:

As for cats, seeing as they tend not to digest carbohydrates very well anyway, I am wary of chicory root being a good addition to cat food.

pharber-murphy · May 27, 2015

That's a very good point, Pushylady. I have often remarked that it's useless adding cranberries, carrots, etc. to a cat's diet because they can't digest these vegetables anyway. It's just the cat food companies trying to make us feel better about feeding canned rather than raw, I reckon.

But, I don't think chicory root is supposed to be digested. It's supposed to add fiber to help with elimination. I feed Bertha Fiber Formula from the vet daily, and occasionally give her Laxatone if she's missed a day or two because she's usually very regular.

I'll do some more research on this. Thanks very much for your input.

Best regards.

white shadow · May 27, 2015

I just happened to catch this thread.......

Quote:

pushylady said:
I don't know much about specific ingredients.....
However, chicory root concerns me. This is where inulin comes from which is a fibre...

As for cats, seeing as they tend not to digest carbohydrates very well anyway, I am wary of chicory root being a good addition to cat food.

I'm not posting to defend the paper - it reports the results of a real-life research study of a large number of older cats, and the results speak for themselves.

While there's a great deal of scientific language/terminology in there, the section on prebiotics (p12) would be well worth a reading - it might be easier than one would think:

Diet 3 contained whole dried chicory root as a source of intestinal prebiotic. Prebiotic fibers are fermented in the colon and selectively stimulate the growth of Bifido-bacteria and/or Lactobacilli, considered as “beneficial” bacteria of the large intestine. Multiple studies have demonstrated the efficacy of chicory in modifying intestinal microflora in dogs and cats. Cats consuming food containing chicory had a significant increase in fecal Bifidobacteria and a significant decrease in fecal Clostridium perfringens compared with the same cats when fed control products without chicory.
With advancing age, it is generally reported that Bifidobacteria are diminished in human feces, while Clostridium perfringens are increased. Similar results have been observed in cats. Results from studies in young and old cats have shown a significant correlation between age and intestinal flora, with Bifidobacteria decreasing and Clostridium perfringens increasing with advancing age. In older animals, positively modifying the intestinal ecosystem could have significant potential anti-inflammatory and immune benefits within the gut. Chicory is also reported to have antioxidant properties, due to the presence of active compounds such as flavonoids and polyphenols that could contribute to improving health status of aging animals.

77% of cats on Diet 3 responded with either an increasein Bifidobacteria or Lactobacillus and/or a decrease in Clostridium perfringens. These cats had an overall healthier intestinal microflora profile than those fed the control diet, as shown by the ratio of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus to Clostridium perfringens. In the long term, a reduction in inflammatory diseases of the gut could be expected. While preliminary, the analysis of the incidence of pathologies at necropsy in this study did show a trend for reduced numbers of cats on Diet 3 with histological evidence of gastrointestinal diseases.

In addition to positive effects within the gut, improving the balance of intestinal bacteria in aging cats could have systemic benefits. Reduction in toxic by-products of bacteria, such as Clostridium perfringens, could have far-reaching effects relating to inflammation in a variety of body systems. More favorable bacterial fermentative end products could benefit renal health by reduced ammonia production and consequent reduced urea load on the kidneys.

Now, as for the reference to carbohydrates, it's important to understand that not all carbohydrates are 'created equal' (and, it follows that they are not all used for equal purposes). Some are digestible and used as 'fillers' to feed the cat.......others used only to feed the gut bacteria:

PHarber-Murphy said:
...I don't think chicory root is supposed to be digested......

Precisely.

...dietary fiber does not feed the cat herself, fiber is nonetheless essential for the health of the gut and therefore the health of the cat. There needs to be something in the diet that is not digestible and is not absorbable, that flows on to the gut bacteria waiting in the large intestine (aka the large bowel).

Feline Constipation.org - Gut Bacteria and Fiber

Not only do we have to feed the cat.......we also need to feed the cat's gut.

PHarber-Murphy said:
.....it's useless adding cranberries, carrots, etc. to a cat's diet because they can't digest these vegetables anyway. It's just the cat food companies trying to make us feel better about feeding canned rather than raw, I reckon.

Cranberries are added to acidify the urine....that suggests to me a predominance of carbohydrates in the food because meat itself produces acidic urine.

the3rdname · May 27, 2015

PHarber-Murphy said:
...a blend of n-3 and n-6 long-chain fatty acids...

Did the paper mention which ingredients contain these particular fatty acids?

pharber-murphy · May 28, 2015

I don't think it did, 3rdName. It only listed the ingredients they specifically targeted for this study - the ones I listed above. I'm hoping to get some guidance on that part of this post. If this food is so good for cats, surely someone is manufacturing it! Since the white paper was published by Purina, maybe they manufacture a food with these ingredients.

Thanks you, White Shadow, for your input. And thank you for your original posting of the white paper. After Mr. Grimsby's sad demise, I'm looking for anything I can do to make Bertha's remaining years as healthy as possible (she'd only be happy if I let her outside-which ain't gonna happen-so the best she can hope for is a healthy long life ;-))

Best regards.

pharber-murphy · May 28, 2015

So, I've been doing some further research and have reached out to Purina (the authors of the study) to see if they are making/plan to make a wet or dry food that provides these essential ingredients. I will let you know what they say.

In the meantime, it appears that we get these long-chain fatty acids from vegetable oils and fish. That's probably not much use, since (I think) feeding fish isn't good for our little buddies and I doubt if I could get Bertha to lap up a bowl of corn or olive oil ;-)

Thanks, everyone, for your help with this!

Best regards.

pharber-murphy · Jun 6, 2015

Well I finally heard back from Purina - with a load of advertising rubbish:

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We appreciate the opportunity to address your inquiry. Our Company is extremely committed to food safety and quality control. Keep in mind that our products are formulated by professional pet nutritionists and veterinarians and are produced under strict quality standards. To learn how we ensure this quality, please visit: https://help.purina.com/answers/how-does-purina-ensure-the-quality-of-its-products.

Again, thank you for contacting Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.

I've sent them a reply asking them to do better. We'll see if I can get a more considered response next time. I'll keep you posted.

Best regards.

pharber-murphy · Jun 10, 2015

Another update - Purina sent me a toll-free number to call. I spoke with a customer service representative who tried to feed me (pun intended) the same lines as in the email. He did eventually agree to forward my question to someone "in that area" to see if they could provide any further details. I was told someone should phone me back within the next five business days.

Doesn't it seem odd that Purina would spend their time, money and energy on a five-year research project, then just let it wither away!? Why bother, if you're not going to do anything with the results. Or maybe they tried to design a food with those nutrients in it and the cats wouldn't have anything to do with it. Odd, I think...

I'll update you when I hear back from the Purina guru.

Best regards.

momto3cats · Jun 11, 2015

I don't know of any one food with all those things added, but you could easily mix several foods to include everything. I know some contain chicory, some have beta carotene added (and/or carrots or pumpkin, which provide beta carotene), and some contain fish oil for omega 3's (any cat food will have omega 6 fatty acids from the chicken fat or other main fat source, it's required). You can also add these things yourself, mixing them with wet food.

pharber-murphy · Jun 11, 2015

Oops, I've been outed! It's really not true that I'm lazy (although I do have my moments).

We started feeding Albert, our new one-year-old, Natural Instinct canned food. We also give him the Science Optimal Care that he was fed at the vet's, mixed with Natural Balance Wild Instinct. Even more than changing him to wet food, I'd really like to get him onto a raw diet because I think it would be better for him all the way around.

Bertha, our eight-year-old, gets Blue Buffalo Healthy Living with Life Source Bits and Royal Canin Oral Sensitive. I'm trying to move her onto Royal Canin Indoor Healthy Weight, so that's mixed in with the Oral Sensitive. She also gets Fiber Formula and Greenies Skin & Coat treats each day. And I give her a few pieces of chicken every day. She won't touch canned food.

Bertha goes back to the vet next week for a nother blood panel. Her T4 count was high on her first geriatric panel about six weeks ago. I understand that Purina Beyond is high-protein, low-phosphorous, so I may be switching her to that food soon. If I do, is there any reason why Albert couldn't be fed the same thing?

Thanks, Momto3cats, for your input. As I mentioned in my last post, it seems odd that Purina would spend the time and money on this research, then not design a cat food that provided all those nutrients. I'm just trying to find out if they've got such a product and, if so, what they call it. Maybe Beyond is their answer - if it is, their customer service reps should know, though.

Best regards.

Nutrition for older cats

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