Do I need to add supplements?

[loveforruka]

Right now I'm mixing raw and low-carb wet food together for my 7 month old kittens. Right now my boy is eating 6% of his body weight, and my girl is eating closer to 4% in hopes she'll loose a little weight. She's plump, even for a kitten. The raw food I'm giving them is from Halshan (Might try Tiger Paw). It's just ground meat. In this case chicken meat, heart, liver, bones, and gizzard. I bought rabbit one this time around as well.

I guess my question is since they are getting wet food with the raw, do I need to add supplements? I have the Solid Gold Sea Meal Powder and taurine at my disposal. The resources are great but they don't really help in answering my questions. There is mention of supplements that aren't in the Solid Gold, do I need those? Because of the wet food, is it needed? A lot of these raw foods say they are for supplementation only. Does that mean I just need to add vitamins in order to make it complete?

 

[LTS3]

If the raw is less than 10% of the diet, then you do not need tio add supplemlents. But as you increase the amount of raw, you will need to add supplements or feed a commerical brand of raw food that is a complete diet. The canned food isn't enough to to provide a complete diet when you add more of the unbalanced raw.

The Solid Gold SeaMeal is only a probiotic (helps keep the gut happy with beneficial bacteria) so, no, you can't use that as a supplement vitamin/mineral to the raw food.

I can't tell from the Halsan web site wich product you are using that has ground meat and bone and organs. For the Halsan plain meat (no bone and organs), you  need to use a pre mix to provide the necessary vitamins and minerals. There are a few brands: TC Feline, Alnutrin, Better In The Raw. If what you have does contain bone and organs, you need to use Alnutrin for meat and bone. There's probably a way to use the raw food you have in a frankenprey type diet but I'm not sure how. Other members can better help you with that. You can browse through these in the meantime:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/263955/helpful-resources-raw-home-cooked-cat-food-forum

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/264154/raw-feeding-resources

 

[loveforruka]

Yeah Halshans doesn't have it on the website, least I've never been able to find it. Oh wait I think I did lol it's kind of hidden. It's under Complete Diets. The "Diets Including Ground Bone". It says under it "We offer with and without vegetables." So I'm guessing mine falls under that one. I might have to contact them and ask.

Thanks, the resources were ok but just left me more confused lol I Do like http://www.knowwhatyoufeed.com/alnutrin_for_meat.html it has some things the Solid Gold does not. I feel it is more cat orientated and would be easy enough to mix into my 1lbs packages. 

My ultimate goal is to have them eat half raw, half wet food.

Solid Gold Sea Meal is a vitamin supplement. It doesn't have any probiotics, but it does have some digestive enzymes, however I've never seen them help with transitioning to new food and I've always added my own.

Ingredients: Dried Seaweed Meal, Flaxseed Meal, Dehydrated Lemon Powder, Carotene, Chlorophyll, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Product, Pineapple, Lactose
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein (min) 9%
Fat (min) 10%
Fiber (max) 13%
Moisture (max) 12.2%
Elements, Vitamins & Minerals
Calcium Min. 0.028 g/tsp
Calcium Max. 0.04 g/tsp
Phosphorus 0.0055 g/tsp
Sodium Min. 0.061 g/tsp
Sodium Max. 0.066 g/tsp
Magnesium 0.0165 g/tsp
Sulfur 0.0014 g/tsp
Cobalt 0.024 mg/tsp
Copper 0.087 mg/tsp
Iodine 0.0008 mg/tsp
Iron 2.67 mg/tsp
Manganese 0.37 mg/tsp
Molybdenum 0.067 mg/tsp
Zinc 0.48 mg/tsp
Vitamin D 0.61 IU/tsp
Vitamin E 0.08 IU/tsp
Biotin 0.0003 IU/tsp
Folid Acid 0.0006 IU/tsp
Niacin 0.046 IU/tsp
Pantothenic Acid 0.0087 IU/tsp
Riboflavin 0.0113 IU/tsp
Thiamine 0.0059 IU/tsp
Vitamin B12 0.000011 IU/tsp
Ascorbic Acid 0.0624 IU/tsp
Linoleic Acid(Omega 6 fatty Acid) 0.041 g/tsp
Linolenic Acid(Omega 3 fatty Acid) 0.143 g/tsp
Oleic Acid(Omega 9 fatty Acid) 0.085 g/tsp

 

[LTS3]

Well you can use the Alnutrin for the raw meat and then add in some of the Solid Gold stuff right before serving.

If the Halsan raw is a complete diet then you don't need to add anything else. But double check with the company to be sure.

 

[loveforruka]

I thought I mention that I decided to go full raw. It's actually cheaper than the best price/wet food I can get. I'm scared but I'm confident! lol

I found recipes and used the resources to figure out what I need to do as far as adding my own supplement. I figure if I could add a little bit of the Solid Gold, but from what I've read I don't need to if I just add what these other recipes mention. However I am going to contact Halshans and as them about their food. I feel that's important.

 

[nora1]

 
I thought I mention that I decided to go full raw. It's actually cheaper than the best price/wet food I can get. I'm scared but I'm confident! lol

I found recipes and used the resources to figure out what I need to do as far as adding my own supplement. I figure if I could add a little bit of the Solid Gold, but from what I've read I don't need to if I just add what these other recipes mention. However I am going to contact Halshans and as them about their food. I feel that's important.

When feeding 100% raw, you need to balance it out by including:

80% meat, 10% organs, and 10% bone.

If you feed to these percentages, you don't need to supplement. I only add krill oil, as my cat can't have fish. The krill oil is a great source of omegas!

 

[loveforruka]

 
When feeding 100% raw, you need to balance it out by including:

80% meat, 10% organs, and 10% bone.

If you feed to these percentages, you don't need to supplement. I only add krill oil, as my cat can't have fish. The krill oil is a great source of omegas!

They emailed me back and said

"There is about 10% organ divided equally in the Duck, Rabbit, and Chicken with ground bone." They do suggest adding a supplement though. However I'm pretty sure it's 80-10-10.

I've been doing the common raw meat mix:  B50, Taurine, fish oil, egg, lie salt, and Vitamin E.

The store was out of the that recipe so I bought the one with veggies too and they liked that one as well.

This info they sent about their diets, that I fed my cats
Whole Ground Chicken (with bone): Protein 14%, Fat 10%, Fiber 1%, Moisture 72%
Whole Ground Duck (with bone): Protein 15%, Fat 11%, Fiber 1.5%, Moisture 69%
Whole Ground Rabbit (with bone): Protein 18%, Fat 5%, Fiber 1%, Moisture 72%

Whole Ground Chicken (with bone, Broccoli, Squash, and Spinach): Protein 14%, Fat 11%, Fiber 1%, Mositure 71%

 

[nora1]

 
They emailed me back and said

"There is about 10% organ divided equally in the Duck, Rabbit, and Chicken with ground bone." They do suggest adding a supplement though. However I'm pretty sure it's 80-10-10.

I've been doing the common raw meat mix:  B50, Taurine, fish oil, egg, lie salt, and Vitamin E.

The store was out of the that recipe so I bought the one with veggies too and they liked that one as well.

This info they sent about their diets, that I fed my cats
Whole Ground Chicken (with bone): Protein 14%, Fat 10%, Fiber 1%, Moisture 72%
Whole Ground Duck (with bone): Protein 15%, Fat 11%, Fiber 1.5%, Moisture 69%
Whole Ground Rabbit (with bone): Protein 18%, Fat 5%, Fiber 1%, Moisture 72%

Whole Ground Chicken (with bone, Broccoli, Squash, and Spinach): Protein 14%, Fat 11%, Fiber 1%, Mositure 71%

Some companies will suggest supplements, but in my opinion, if you're feeding 80/10/10, you don't need to, because they are getting their vitamins and minerals from that ratio.

Be careful when feeding veggies..it can upset their stomachs. Cats are carnivores and don't  need veggies.