100% raw food diet. how much to add taurine?

[cge2809]

Hi guys!

I posted few months ago, about i was wondering how to feed raw food and how to switch over from grocery quality food to raw.

with your advices, my cat is 100% on raw diet now!!!

her eyes look better ( white persian, used to have tear stains ALL THE TIME) and everything else is better!

now my concern is still TAURINE!

my cat gets raw food called 'Big Country Raw' it's canadian raw food. they have pure meat formula, which contains muscle meat + ground bones +

organs ( kidney, liver, heart)

she is on rabbit now, and I rotate all the time between chicken, lamb, beef, turkey and rabbit.

I'm sure she's getting natural taurine from organ meats ( like some of you mentioned last time)

but I always feel... it's not enough! the raw food she's getting, there is no added vitamin and minerals.

all the ingredient on package is meat, bones and organs.

should I still add taurine powder?

I give her multi vitamin+mineral supplement once a day, with some fish (salmon) oil. and on and off she will get some cranberry extract.

I still leave some dry food for her during the day, but it's only half cup of shot glass ( I give her Grain-free dry food only, either Orijen or Acana)

and another question is,

I tried to feed her chicken neck. I cut in half.

my cat is about 5lb. she has very small mouth with VERY SMALL TEETH.. ( I almost thought she has no teeth. all I can see is the canine teeth)

because she has very small mouth, I don't think she can chew the chicken neck... she can only lick it..

but I want her to eat some soft bones to clean her teeth. her back teeth are really bad.. it all turned yellow and she's only 1 yr old.

any good suggestions?

thanks!

 

[2ketzels]

I can't give you any advice but I would like to know where to purchase the raw food - I live in toronto

 

[cge2809]

where do you live in Toronto?

 

[2ketzels]

bloor & yonge so it's got to be close-ish

 

[pinkdagger]

Because taurine is present in raw meat, even commercial raw should still contain enough taurine. I think the heart has the highest amount of taurine if you would like to offer more of that, or a supplementary powder. My understanding is that even if your cat is receiving more taurine than she needs, it'll just come out in her waste if it doesn't get absorbed.

edited to add; @LDG posted a thread on the supplements she has for her cats, and she also adds some extra taurine:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/264199/homemade-supplement-for-raw

What about smaller pieces of chewy meat? Gizzards? Giblets? Hearts? They're not as chewy as necks, but they can give her jaw a good workout. If you want a thorough cleaning through, a dental by a vet and tooth brushing are the only ways to ensure her teeth are actually being cleaned.

@2ketzels Big Country Raw has a list of stores that sell their products. They have a drop down list for the Greater Toronto Area as well: http://bigcountryraw.ca/retailers.php

If you want the specific brand @cge2809 is feeding, I think the closest ones to you are 1500 Bathurst St. or 184 Front St. E. (about a 45 minute walk from Bloor/Yonge, in opposite directions though), but most of the places are pretty TTC accessible. I've been able to find commercial raw in any Petsmart or Pet Valu stores with freezers.

 

[cge2809]

I work at one of the stores where pinkdagger mentioned. and We carry Big Country Raw in store. I've been feeding my cat BCR for about 2 months now.

if you want more information about company, visit their website www.bigcountryraw.com

 

[cge2809]

Hi !

thanks for your reply!

so if I decided to add more taurine powder.

how much do I need to add?

is there specific kind or brand that you get for your cat?

thanks

 

[pinkdagger]

I don't feed a full raw diet so I don't do supplementing, but I went back and edited my post above to link to @LDG's thread where the lower posts talk a bit about why she adds more taurine. She uses NOW 1000 mg taurine capsules, but her measurements are supplements for bigger batches of food, so you'll need to adjust the math based on how much you prepare for your cat at a time. Hopefully she or the other full raw feeders will come around soon and provide their first-hand input.

 

[2ketzels]

thank you so much, kind kitty person. i have been considering raw for a while now but i think it might be better than what i have been feeding them.

are there any 'results' i should notice in the kitties once they start eating naturally raw?  what does it improve?  

 

[cge2809]

cats are carnivores.

they need 'meat base food' not grains.

plus, cats don't digest dry food well because they don't drink much water.

I noticed her feces are better ( not too dried ), she used to get constipated, now she goes regularly.

and her eye stains got better.

 

[andrya]

Their site only lists one formula specifically for cats:

Turkey, Beef and Lamb Blend

BigCountry's NEW line of Raw Diet's designed specifically for cats. Extra finely ground and available in smaller 8oz sizes. Our Feline Formula's contain a higher % of ground meat and organ meats (specifically liver and heart) making them an appropriate meal choice for cats.

Are you feeding this one, or the Dog Blends? Do they have more Feline blends than listed on the website?

You could add the taurine powder as a supplement (especially if you're feeding the dog formula). l add it to my homemade raw, but not to the commercial raw.

Or you could give her raw hearts as a treat a couple of times a week. l buy chicken hearts from either Farm Boy or T&T.

 

[cge2809]

I feed Feline formula as well as some of the pure line. 

some pure lines only contain meat & bone ( like chicken) but some of them contains meat, bones & organ meats. 

I feed my cat feline formula and any pure line with organ meat in it.

 

[emandjee]

Originally Posted by cge2809  

and another question is,

I tried to feed her chicken neck. I cut in half.

my cat is about 5lb. she has very small mouth with VERY SMALL TEETH.. ( I almost thought she has no teeth. all I can see is the canine teeth)

because she has very small mouth, I don't think she can chew the chicken neck... she can only lick it..

but I want her to eat some soft bones to clean her teeth. her back teeth are really bad.. it all turned yellow and she's only 1 yr old.

any good suggestions?

thanks!

I would try smashing the necks (placed in a sturdy plastic baggie first) with a hammer first, to get her used to eating it. Or try chicken wing tips (smaller bones than the necks). If she cannot or refuses to eat it, I'd start brushing her teeth. Starting earlier in her life will help make it easier later. CET sells toothpaste that makes palatable flavors for cats, and they also have tiny toothbrushes for a cat's mouth. 

Just my opinion, but I don't think taurine is necessary if you feed your cat enough muscle meat like chicken thighs or hearts. The heart is the hardest working muscle in the body, thus it will have the highest taurine content. Supplements are ok, too, if you feel the freezing and grinding degrades its adequate levels.

 

[cge2809]

thank you for your reply.

I think my cat is getting enough taurine from her raw food.

like many of you said, she is getting raw food + I buy extra chicken liver & heart for my both dog and cat.

thanks all for advices.

 

[sunbeam]

I got the Big Country Raw from Global Pet Foods. I am also looking at Tollden Farms but I am in Wasaga Beach and they do not carry it here yet, but they do in Toronto. 

Can you explain how you put out the raw food for the day please. I just got the food today and it is thawing in the fridge, the 1lb container. 

I work during the week so gone from 9-3ish roughly. I was thinking, if I portion it out for breakfast and lunch and leave it out for the two servings and hope it doesnèt go bad in a few hours. Then at dinner feed the third portion. Any tips on best way to do this.?

Also, I was wondering what is the best way to prepare the meals for the week, portion them all out and put some in fridge and rest re-freeze? Is that okay to do with raw food for cats? I read it is, but just checking to see what you have been doing. 

Thank you for any help you can provide. 

Eva

 

[zed xyzed]

I only thaw what I am going to feed them that day. I give my guy Stella and Chewy's and Natures Variety raw. Both are frozen nuggets so I just pour enough for a morning feeding into a stainless steel bowl to thaw over night. I feed raw in the morning and canned in the evening.