How many people read the nutritional profiles?

Well, they are the only one that provides a Rx diet for Cardiovascular health.

All of their Rx diets, however, have the same nutritional profile. I am not sure how it works.

I would also like to point out that they don't do animal testing, which is a tremendously good thing in my opinion.....but their food can become somewhat unpalatable as the result.

I'm not sure about Wysong on that, you can ask them if they conduct controlled feed trials in a home setting.

Originally Posted by blue Ash

I'm not sure about Wysong on that, you can ask them if they conduct controlled feed trials in a home setting.

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That would be something to ask... as I wont feed any food that is only by analysis with home or AFFCO feeding trials... I have read to many horror stories about many different mammals getting untested things and how wrong things can go ./// Commercial fed that is with Raw I dont have that option but I have enough data ( not % analysis ) to understand how and what and why certain mixes work and some dont

sharky: Keep in mind, even if they do not do animal testing, or even so much as feeding trials either in the lab or out doesn't necessarily mean the food will be a hazard waiting to happen.
Several foods and formulas are made from knowledge that we have already gained via testing.

For example...
Waltham/Advantage while not the #1 in America is the largest in the world. Hills/Purina, etc all started certain studies based off of test information they had already obtained, no need to repeat the process.
So for a company like Innova/Solid Gold, what have you to do the same thing based off of Hills/Purina isn't to far different either.
I realize there is much more to it then that, but I'm sure you get the gist.

I do, and I think a fair number of folks here do.

Originally Posted by blue Ash

sharky: Keep in mind, even if they do not do animal testing, or even so much as feeding trials either in the lab or out doesn't necessarily mean the food will be a hazard waiting to happen.
Several foods and formulas are made from knowledge that we have already gained via testing.

For example...
Waltham/Advantage while not the #1 in America is the largest in the world. Hills/Purina, etc all started certain studies based off of test information they had already obtained, no need to repeat the process.
So for a company like Innova/Solid Gold, what have you to do the same thing based off of Hills/Purina isn't to far different either.
I realize there is much more to it then that, but I'm sure you get the gist.

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I understand your veiwpoint but as a hard science major I dont like analysis only as I could make a dry food in my kitchen with my knowledge and use that process ... The safety is not built in and problems are harder to trace ...

I always read the nutritional profiles because that will give you more nutritional information than the ingredient list. For example if two dry foods have 35% protein all coming from meat and one has meat at the top of the list and the other is the second ingredient, you still know by the nutrient analysis that both foods have the same amount of meat in them. Also you can be sure that if the fat content is low, the food has even more carbohydrates and if it's high in fat it may be very rich in calories. Then you can call the company to get calories per cup if it's not on the package. Yes I'm very detailed about this.

The ingredient list will give you a better idea of how much of that protein may be coming from meat and how much could be coming from soy or plant based ingredients.

So I think it's important to read both.

My cat is on c/d and t/d. He can't go without his c/d without having the issues flaring RIGHT up im matter of a day-so I never messed around with that or trying other brands. The t/d is a recent addition to his "plan" lol he loves it but vet did warn me that if he at just that he'd get fat(also t/d is good for the urinary-first question I asked vet when he mentioned t/d was what about his urinary issues? he gets about 1/2 1/2 mixed..he loves playing with the large t/d kibbles tho I've seen a dog do good on waltham rx diet(do they make a cat one???) as for reading labels I don't. I buy the same brand so no reason to...If I want to use a new food as a treat I'll read label to see where it stands(I avoid colors and to many preseratives). RJ

I used to read labels before coming on here, but never really understood what I Was looking at. I have to admit to only looking at the ingredients and not the breakdown though, cos I dont really understand that! I have to check labels for my own food, as it is amazing what food isn't suitable for vegetarians. I have got to the stage where I have cats that wont' suddenly go off food, which is a bonus.

sharky: On that same level, then I hope none of us ever home cook and use recipes! LOL. I can tell you those are not scientifically tested as well.
So... should we all eat the prepackaged food made by doctors?? The doctors that designed the Atkins or South Beach diet, we should all just eat like that for the rest of our lives, much like you are saying cats should.

Even Hills does not do LONG TERM diet tests, compared to the over all life of our pets, it is actually rather short term.
So even these scientifically developed and tested foods could be extremely faulty over the course of a pets life.

I do see your point, I'm basically just being a snot ^_^

Originally Posted by blue Ash

sharky: On that same level, then I hope none of us ever home cook and use recipes! LOL. I can tell you those are not scientifically tested as well.
So... should we all eat the prepackaged food made by doctors?? The doctors that designed the Atkins or South Beach diet, we should all just eat like that for the rest of our lives, much like you are saying cats should.

Even Hills does not do LONG TERM diet tests, compared to the over all life of our pets, it is actually rather short term.
So even these scientifically developed and tested foods could be extremely faulty over the course of a pets life.

I do see your point, I'm basically just being a snot ^_^

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No your not ... just explianing your veiwpt ...lol... raw has I think been very throughly tested like a few thousand years ...

sharky:

Yeah, I'd certainly agree on that one!
While animals have had less then 100 years on cooked food, let alone these scientific diets in a shorter time span. Even in Japan, it's only been recent in the past 30 years now that they have started to feed kibbled/canned diets.

Humans on the other hand, had MILLIONS of years to evolve onto cooked foods, and slowly onto processed foods etc.

I had to laugh .... today was rabbit raw day and I am reintroducing it to Kandie the 18 in 12 days yr old and she just wanted the pachage ..lol... for some reason she loves rabbit

sharky: My gang loves rabbit to.. though that stuff (I buy the Wysong kind from time to time) smells horrid! Specially when I warm it up >_<

I do it!

I read ingredients and the nutrient panel on everything. Even when I'm in the grocery store I spend a few minutes examining the crappy foods, just so I know what's in them if a customer has a question regarding them.

I just have to say this, the doctors who designed the Atkins or South Beach diet (especially the former) don't really know much about nutrition. Any diet program that has an emphasis on losing weight is a sham. If you are eating properly and exercising you won't need a book.

Anyway. Yes, I do read the labels. Anything that doesn't have two meats in the first two ingredient slots is out. Anything that has fish as its main meat is out, partly because Zissou won't like it, partly because it stanks to me as a vegetarian, and partly because fish has the most pollutants concentrated in it even compared to other meat. And I've been to Lake Erie.

But in the end Zissou has veto approval powers. She gets choices between what's actually decently healthy and then she gets what she wants. After all, I'm sure not gonna taste it.

But I don't memorize the numbers... you ask me to make a rhyme out of its ingredients, and I will... but you want me to memorize numbers and I think my head would ASPLODE!

Originally Posted by sharky

C?D is usally an easier Rx to get a regular formula for ... what did kitties eat prior to?? Nutro and Purina make Urinary tract formulas that were tested to make sure they work for that issue but you would need to talk with a vet

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Sharky....

Before the C/D food, Ansel was on Purina Kitten Chow as a kitten & Purina Cat Chow as an adult cat. He is going to be 8 years old this year. So he had been on cat chow for approx. 6 1/2 years.

Sophie

Originally Posted by SophieC

Sharky....

Before the C/D food, Ansel was on Purina Kitten Chow as a kitten & Purina Cat Chow as an adult cat. He is going to be 8 years old this year. So he had been on cat chow for approx. 6 1/2 years.

Sophie

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Ask the vet what % of magnesium , phosphorus and ash he wants the kitty to have and then see what you can find OTC

Someone here told me it was a good idea to read the labels, so the next time I went to the pet store, I did

But I'm not a pro
I just looked out for animal/vegetable by-products, grain/soy and percentage of actual meat. Most brands seem to have soy and some by-products...