Transitioning back to raw?

Sorry but this is going to be long because I want to be as detailed as possible... I have 2 Siberian Kittens that are 5 months old. I had wanted to start them on a raw diet and tried giving them some fresh turkey meat that I bought at Whole Foods (per instructions on catinfo.org). They both loved it but we continued feeding them canned food because we didn't have everything we needed to start them on a raw diet. The male got sick and refused to eat, lethargic and started to look pretty bad. I took him to the vet who pretty much accused me of giving him Salmonella poisoning without any lab results confirming her suspicions. She took a few x-rays and an ultrasound and thought foreign object obstruction. Sent x-ray to radiologist who said no foreign object. She prescribed Panacur and Veraflox and sent us home. So next day he still isn't eating and very lethargic. I panic take him back more x-rays and a barium contrast. She says "foreign object", sends to radiologist who says "no foreign object". But this time she inserts a nasal feeding tube so that we can get some nutrients in him. Well antibiotics seem to work because he did get better for about a month. He did rip the feeding tube out the next day and started to eat again. We ordered our grinder, supplements and followed Dr. Pierson's recipe exactly as written. They were eating raw for over 2 weeks and then he got sick again... Back to the vet who said "no raw food" this is probably what is wrong with him. More X-rays, ultrasound, and barium study. Ultrasound showed inflamed lymph nodes (bacteria from raw food), and he probably has enteritis? So prescription diet (Royal Canin GI High Energy) was given and sent us home. I asked her for antibiotics but she said not until they know what we are dealing with. I contact the breeder who said he probably still has worms, you need to get back on Panacur. I asked vet who said she suspects parasites but no to antibiotic until she knows what kind of parasites we are dealing with. In the meantime he hasn't produced a bowl movement to be tested. I decide to follow the breeders advice and give him Safeguard, and 2 days later his appetite is back and he is looking much better. His litter mate refused to eat her raw food while this has been going on so both were put back on wet canned food (they both refused to eat prescription diet) for about a month. I don't like the way the food looks (Weruva chicken, Tiki Cat succulent chicken, and Fussie Cat chicken and gravy) and everything I have read tells me raw is best for them. Also, since they started back on canned food their fur isn't soft like it was before and OMG how their poop stinks!

So my question is do I need to transition them back to raw or can I just try feeding raw without transitioning? I am so paranoid about this because I don't want to mess up their GI system and cause them further harm. I know that cat's have sensitive digestive systems but I have also read that kitten's can go directly to a raw diet. I would appreciate any suggestions or shared experiences about starting kittens on a raw diet.

Young kittens can start straight on a raw diet, but at 5 months I'd definitely be looking at a gradual transition - especially with your boy's medical history.

It might be worth trying using meat specifically sold for raw feeding, rather than store bought meat. Meat sold for raw feeding comes under much closer scrutiny than even meat for human consumption, and as a result the bacterial load is often lower (salmonella, for example, is really no big deal in 'human' raw meat, as it's going to be cooked anyway). Another option would be to try HPP (high pressure processed) raw food, as that should, at least, stop your vet insisting that it's the raw food that's causing the digestive issues.[article="31673"][/article][article="31714"][/article][article="31138"][/article][article="31997"][/article][thread="272287"][/thread]
A cooked homemade diet might be a halfway house compromise, as at least you'd still be absolutely in control over what you're feeding [thread="263751"][/thread]

Do remember, too, that whilst feeding raw is a good and valid choice for your cats, it's not the ONLY good option out there. There is no scientific proof that a raw diet is superior to a cooked diet, and , like people, not all cats thrive on the same type of diet. There will always be some cats who don't take well to raw, for whatever reason. Ultimately, the best food for your cats is the one they will happily eat, and that their individual digestive systems can handle [article="29707"][/article][article="31089"][/article][article="32765"][/article]

I'd suggest starting with commercial raw if you can, something like Rad Cat is ideal. Also make sure you're giving probiotics, follow this link for instructions on probiotics. I use and recommend Nexabiotics, mixed in my cats raw food AM and PM. It'll help with digestion. 

http://www.rawfeedingforibdcats.org/probiotics-for-cats---why-and-which-ones.html

Thanks for the link. I did try Rad Cat but they wouldn't touch it. I bought some double ground rabbit and thought I'd mix a little with the canned food. They are both on Proviable but since it's so expensive I thought I'd try probiotics for cats by petultimates. I also bought some digest all by wholistic pet organics. They both received great reviews. Where can I buy the Nexabiotics?

Pet probiotics are pretty subpar. I'd stick with human grade if you can. Amazon sells Nexabiotics. Doesn't need to be refrigerated. A lot of raw feeders use it. You might also consider ordering meat from Hare Today. I'm really not a fan of using grocery store meats and since you already had a possible issue related to grocery store meats a place like Hare Today would likely be a good choice. I but from them a lot.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050FKPU0/?tag=&tag=thecatsite

I have seen read some forums where people have mentioned Hare-today. I will check them out. I did order ground rabbit from wholefoods4pets based on the recommendation on catinfo.org. I plan on transitioning them in about a month. My female will get her rabies shot on the 23rd and then spayed a week later. My male will get his FVRCP vaccine on the 23rd and rabies vaccine a month later. I want to make sure they are both well before I change anything in their current routines, to include food. I'm going to check out the Nexabiotics on Amazon. I should have it before I transition them back to raw. Thanks again for your recommendations. It is helpful to hear the experiences that others have had before making a decision on what to do/use.