Health Science Diet food?

Hi, fellow cat lovers!  (old picture, but still cute!)
 

While I know that the majority of cat owners here will suggest wet as opposed to dry, I'll just put in my two-cents' worth for now.

When I first got my kitties I was feeding them Iams, until one day (like you) I did some research on cat food and discovered Iams was one of the "bad" cat food brands. After some more research I discovered Orijen. Reviews on this brand were very high everywhere I looked and so I bought some (I get the Regional Red one; brown bag). It's roughly $36 for a five pound bag, but the 12 pound bag is a better value. Once I started feeding this to my cats I noticed changes very quickly - they became more active, their coats became softer and shinier, and there was less to clean up in the litter boxes.

Cat Food Reviews has this to say about Orijen....

"Orijen cat food gets the highest possible rating of five stars for its healthy and nutritious cat food made from fresh proteins, fruits, and vegetables. This Canadian company uses human-grade meats such as free-range, antibiotic-free chickens, wild-caught whitefish, and whole eggs. All the ingredients arrive fresh to the facility every day, and they are preservative and chemical free. In addition, the company is an independent pet food producer that creates and packages all products at their facility in Alberta, Canada. This means that they have complete control over all the healthy ingredients that go into their nourishing and ‘biologically appropriate’ foods."

It's pretty much the same everywhere I looked. People claim it's the best dry food on the planet. I don't know about that, but if you have to feed them dry you might as well spend a little extra and get the best.

Thank you for the reply.

I'm particularly looking for a wet food that is good for them. But I will certainly look into this dry food you mentioned. I do give them Health Science Diet dry food as well, but small quantities when I am not home. The reviews for Health Science Diet foods in general worry me because I can't afford another vet bill for my cats.

Then until you find a wet food your cat likes, give the Orijen a try. My local Chowhound has small bags of Orijen (I think they're 1 lbs bags). Those are the ones I bought in the beginning just to see if they liked it.

Is it Hill's Science Diet, or is it Hills Prescription Diet?  There's a big difference between the two.  If Junior had kidney or bladder stones, your vet might have prescribed the diet to keep his pH levels optimal - you don't want to feed a food that is detrimental to that.  You can of course ask him if he can recommend a proper canned diet for Junior IF he is not predisposed to urinary/stone issues.

cat-tech said:

 
Is it Hill's Science Diet, or is it Hills Prescription Diet?  There's a big difference between the two.  If Junior had kidney or bladder stones, your vet might have prescribed the diet to keep his pH levels optimal - you don't want to feed a food that is detrimental to that.  You can of course ask him if he can recommend a proper canned diet for Junior IF he is not predisposed to urinary/stone issues.

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It has been quite a while since his stones so I don't remember the exact brand, just that it was Hill's something, for his kidneys. Now I have 2 cats. I have been feeding them Hill's Science Diet Adult 7+ Tender Dinners Chunks & Gravy in tuna flavor. I noticed they liked it the most and don't seem to have any problems aside from Junior's extreme weight loss. They sometimes eat it all, but mostly lick the gravy off. 

cathaven said:

 
It has been quite a while since his stones so I don't remember the exact brand, just that it was Hill's something, for his kidneys. Now I have 2 cats. I have been feeding them Hill's Science Diet Adult 7+ Tender Dinners Chunks & Gravy in tuna flavor. I noticed they liked it the most and don't seem to have any problems aside from Junior's extreme weight loss. They sometimes eat it all, but mostly lick the gravy off. 

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Yeah that's what my cats do too - just lick the gravy and leave the food morsels. That's why I haven't invested too heavily in the "wet food" thing. They're eating the Orijen and doing fine so right now I'm satisfied (and not spending $$$ on wet food they won't eat).

You're saying "skin and bones" and "extreme weight loss" - these are red flags that something else may be going on undetected.  When is the last time he's seen your vet?  If over 6 months to a year, and if he's lost a significant amount of weight in only a couple/few months, you need to get him examined ASAP.

First, about licking the gravy. Most types of wet food that I see come in the form of pate. I don't know the wet foods available on your side of the ocean, but there should be plenty of excellent pates.

As for Orijen, many owners say their cat puts on weight eating this food, so it is worth a try. But all cats don't like or tolerate all foods. My own cat did not like Orijen, so I give him Acana, which is roughly the same thing, made by the same company, and he loves it.

cat-tech said:

 
You're saying "skin and bones" and "extreme weight loss" - these are red flags that something else may be going on undetected.  When is the last time he's seen your vet?  If over 6 months to a year, and if he's lost a significant amount of weight in only a couple/few months, you need to get him examined ASAP.

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It's been a good while but I think he is fine other than his weight. I noticed that after his surgery though. I'm used to him being a chubby kitty. Back then he was eating all kinds of store brand food to fatten him up. I really don't think it's major, to be honest. It's not something I'm used to -- to me he is skin & bones.   

Why take the risk?  You'll have peace of mind for getting him a thorough exam.

cathaven said:

 It has been quite a while since his stones so I don't remember the exact brand, just that it was Hill's something, for his kidneys. Now I have 2 cats. I have been feeding them Hill's Science Diet Adult 7+ Tender Dinners Chunks & Gravy in tuna flavor. I noticed they liked it the most and don't seem to have any problems aside from Junior's extreme weight loss. They sometimes eat it all, but mostly lick the gravy off. 

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If you were originally feeding him HILLS science diet for STONES (which CAN be purchased at Petsmart, but does require a prescription) that is no where near the same food as what you are buying them now.  At least the prescription food had the benefit of working to prevent stones.  This other food in all likelihood doesn't.  How long ago did he have this problem...years, months? 

If all they are doing is licking off the gravy, they aren't getting the MEAT portion of the food, which is the most important part...that's the protein, which they really need. Is you other cat losing weight too?   Since you shop at Petsmart anyway, perhaps you could try Nutro Natural Choice Chunky Chicken.  It seems to be a favorite of many cats in our community, and it's a pretty healthy food. There is no gravy for this to lick as it's primarily a pate with some chunks added in.  They also have other "Chunky" flavors. I wouldn't go with any other types yet, since they are gravy lickers. 

cat-tech said:

 
You're saying "skin and bones" and "extreme weight loss" - these are red flags that something else may be going on undetected.  When is the last time he's seen your vet?  If over 6 months to a year, and if he's lost a significant amount of weight in only a couple/few months, you need to get him examined ASAP.

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I totally agree here.  Any noticeable weight loss in a short amount of time is suspect of a health issue.  Is he acting any different?  Drinking more, more vocal, more lethargic, anything off? 

mrsgreenjeens said:

 
If you were originally feeding him HILLS science diet for STONES (which CAN be purchased at Petsmart, but does require a prescription) that is no where near the same food as what you are buying them now.  At least the prescription food had the benefit of working to prevent stones.  This other food in all likelihood doesn't.  How long ago did he have this problem...years, months? 

If all they are doing is licking off the gravy, they aren't getting the MEAT portion of the food, which is the most important part...that's the protein, which they really need. Is you other cat losing weight too?   Since you shop at Petsmart anyway, perhaps you could try Nutro Natural Choice Chunky Chicken.  It seems to be a favorite of many cats in our community, and it's a pretty healthy food. There is no gravy for this to lick as it's primarily a pate with some chunks added in.  They also have other "Chunky" flavors. I wouldn't go with any other types yet, since they are gravy lickers. 

I totally agree here.  Any noticeable weight loss in a short amount of time is suspect of a health issue.  Is he acting any different?  Drinking more, more vocal, more lethargic, anything off? 

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I read that Hill's Science Diet has some bad ingredients in it. I couldn't remember if it were the same thing or not. He had stones about 2 years ago. After surgery was the weight loss and he was lethargic. He has since perked up and is actively running around hopping/climbing on everything. His water consumption is normal. I mix a little in their food,too. My other cat has always been skinny and energetic. Her body type is different than Juniors. Inky is naturally skinny and Junior is boney, skinny.

Thanks for the canned food suggestion. I am up for trying any other brands of food for my cats, not only the kind from Petsmart. I'm disabled and shop online mostly--Amazon is a favorite. It's where I bought my Hill's from. I didn't know there were a lot of healthier kinds out there. 

When shopping on-line for cat food, I use Chewy.com.  I find them to be a LOT less expensive than Amazon.  But if you can get to Petsmart, you can at least let your furkids sample some different foods first to see if they like them before buying a case or two on-line.   A lot of cats really like Weruva, but it's not very high in calories..  Maybe this article will help you in what to look for as you begin to look at different foods:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/what-makes-the-best-canned-cat-food   But remember, even the best food is no good if your cat won't eat it. 

There is a distinct difference between skinny and BONEY and skinny.  I have a cat who's always been thin, and I had a cat who was normal weight until she got sick, then she went from normal to BONEY.  If you can easily feel Junior's spine or hip bones, not good.  You need to get him in to find out what's going on. 

Thanks again for all suggestions. I did buy this from Chewy.com https://www.chewy.com/nutro-senior-soft-loaf-chicken/dp/114508 

Thanks again for all suggestions. I bought Nutro food from chewy.com