Is Goats Milk Really The Best Alternative After Kmr?

[saleri]

So I've volunteered casually at a few cat shelters in the past, and I always hear for baby kittens when a milk giving cat or KMR isn't avaiable, raw goats milk is almost always the first thing that is recommended as an emergency use.


I was reading a vet forum and a vet said: "Whole cow milk is better than goat milk (in an emergency), but is still not good for kittens."


Arguing although goat milk has less lactose than cow milk, "Goat milk is even worse than cow milk for puppies and kittens due to its much lower fat and protein levels"


Couldn't find any studies on this remotely related besides this bit on "a cup of goat milk only has one less gram of sugar in it than a cup of cow's milk."


Thoughts? In emergencies should we actually be recommending people get Whole Cow Milk instead of raw goat milk, or is one really not that much better than the other?

I've heard arguments against raw milk due to potential bacteria like Listeria. As well as Goat milk not likely causing Diarrhea.

Thoughts?

 

[abyeb]

This thread discusses the benefits of goats milk: Sheep milk and goat milk ?

From what I gather, goat’s milk has less lactose than cow’s milk, and young kittens tolerate it well.

 

[kashmir64]

In a word...Yes.

Goats milk is not only a good replacement 'in an emergency', but I mix it with KMR in normal feeding of (orphaned) kittens.

 

[saleri]

This thread discusses the benefits of goats milk: Sheep milk and goat milk ?

From what I gather, goat’s milk has less lactose than cow’s milk, and young kittens tolerate it well.

Any sources? Seems most like guesses? How much less lactose is there really? Cause the vet I talked to seem to think it was fairly minimal, although they were assuming I think we weren't talking about raw milk. Since they didn't want risk of bacteria like Listeria.

 

[saleri]

In a word...Yes.

Goats milk is not only a good replacement 'in an emergency', but I mix it with KMR in normal feeding of (orphaned) kittens.

Why?

 

[Kieka]

I know I saw somewhere that raw goat's milk has more nutrition then KMR, taurine is one mentioned that I found just now. But I swear I heard it was better in general, of course I can't find it right now. Here are some links I could find:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fe...017/08/22/The-Benefits-of-Raw-Goat-Milk?_amp_
~Tails from the Foster Kittens~: Should you feed kittens goat milk?

One thing to keep in mind that this is an international site. Which means we do have members coming from areas where vet care is not easy to find and KMR can be even harder to find. For those members goat's milk is usually obtainable from the local market if not a neighbor or their own livestock. Making it a economicable and obtainable substitute if they don't have a store selling KMR within reach.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I don't know about babies. Sorry.
But my adult cats get lots of raw goats milk and occasional raw cows milk, the goats milk seems to win in preference hands down.
Even our IBD cat that has gone from "regular IBD" to "raging IBD" tolerates this well and it seems very beneficial, he's had no ill effects and between this and feline colostrum he's been crapping normal turds, daily, vs. weird, dry, twisted turds every 3-4 days. (So consider my happy review from someone who has an adult cat with a rather odd case...)
The medical stance is against raw any-dairy, as a whole, they don't like it and fear the milk may come from filthy farms (and it may.) We drink clean raw cows milk, have done so for a few decades. Not dead yet.
If you can source raw goats milk from a clean farm and/or reputable source, I personally would not hesitate to feed it to growing kittens and would personally consider it a good addition, scientific studies be damned...JMO.

 

[saleri]

I know I saw somewhere that raw goat's milk has more nutrition then KMR, taurine is one mentioned that I found just now. But I swear I heard it was better in general, of course I can't find it right now. Here are some links I could find:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.feederssupply.com/single-post/2017/08/22/The-Benefits-of-Raw-Goat-Milk?_amp_
~Tails from the Foster Kittens~: Should you feed kittens goat milk?

One thing to keep in mind that this is an international site. Which means we do have members coming from areas where vet care is not easy to find and KMR can be even harder to find. For those members goat's milk is usually obtainable from the local market if not a neighbor or their own livestock. Making it a economicable and obtainable substitute if they don't have a store selling KMR within reach.

So I suppose the raw vs pasteurized solves the nutritional needs. I guess the decrease in fat and protein is much less with cow milk, hence why raw goat milk has more?

Only worry is the bacteria such as Listeria?

One thing to keep in mind that this is an international site. Which means we do have members coming from areas where vet care is not easy to find and KMR can be even harder to find. For those members goat's milk is usually obtainable from the local market if not a neighbor or their own livestock. Making it a economicable and obtainable substitute if they don't have a store selling KMR within reach. [/QUOTE]

I understand that of course, I assume we can agree that:


Cat Milk from>>>>>KMR>(Goat Milk or Cow Milk)?

 

[saleri]

I don't know about babies. Sorry.
But my adult cats get lots of raw goats milk and occasional raw cows milk, the goats milk seems to win in preference hands down.
Even our IBD cat that has gone from "regular IBD" to "raging IBD" tolerates this well and it seems very beneficial, he's had no ill effects and between this and feline colostrum he's been crapping normal turds, daily, vs. weird, dry, twisted turds every 3-4 days. (So consider my happy review from someone who has an adult cat with a rather odd case...)
The medical stance is against raw any-dairy, as a whole, they don't like it and fear the milk may come from filthy farms (and it may.) We drink clean raw cows milk, have done so for a few decades. Not dead yet.
If you can source raw goats milk from a clean farm and/or reputable source, I personally would not hesitate to feed it to growing kittens and would personally consider it a good addition, scientific studies be damned...JMO.

So would you do that if you didn't know the source and it just came from a grocery store?

 

[1 bruce 1]

Any sources? Seems most like guesses? How much less lactose is there really? Cause the vet I talked to seem to think it was fairly minimal, although they were assuming I think we weren't talking about raw milk. Since they didn't want risk of bacteria like Listeria.

Please keep in mind a lot of processed dry and canned pet foods are recalled routinely for things like Listeria, and worse.
IMHE (in my humble experience...and this is decades of raw milk handling and consumption), listeria and salmonella are scary words that are most notable in filthy farms...NOT clean farms from clean, healthy animals.
If you had a goat that kidded, or a heifer that calved, and was harboring filthy, disgusting diseased ridden milk from illness or filthy conditions, would you let that kid or calf nurse that diseased and filthy milk? I wouldn't. I also wouldn't sell or drink this milk.

If the only goats milk available comes from a filthy kept goat in a filthy farm, PASS. If the goats milk is available from a clean farm or ranch, from clean animals and handled well, I say go for it.
Pasteurization is necessary on factory farms and on farms that keep animals in filthy conditions. Pus, blood, and other stuff is allowable because heating (pasteurization) kills bacteria from this pus and blood. Leave a glass of raw milk on the counter (un-cooled via fridge) for a few days and a glass of pasteurized milk. Both will go off, but the raw milk sours, and the pasteurized milk putrifies....rots. The smells is not the same.
I don't want anyone to lose their lunch (or their minds) over this, but part of my passion is protecting the decent dairy farmers that want to raise happy, healthy cows on healthy pasture and sell good, clean milk. I don't mean to be or sound contrite, but we've drank raw milk for DECADES and if the animals are healthy, kept clean, it's not an issue. We, and our animals, are living proof.
JMO =)

 

[saleri]

Please keep in mind a lot of processed dry and canned pet foods are recalled routinely for things like Listeria, and worse.
IMHE (in my humble experience...and this is decades of raw milk handling and consumption), listeria and salmonella are scary words that are most notable in filthy farms...NOT clean farms from clean, healthy animals.
If you had a goat that kidded, or a heifer that calved, and was harboring filthy, disgusting diseased ridden milk from illness or filthy conditions, would you let that kid or calf nurse that diseased and filthy milk? I wouldn't. I also wouldn't sell or drink this milk.

If the only goats milk available comes from a filthy kept goat in a filthy farm, PASS. If the goats milk is available from a clean farm or ranch, from clean animals and handled well, I say go for it.
Pasteurization is necessary on factory farms and on farms that keep animals in filthy conditions. Pus, blood, and other stuff is allowable because heating (pasteurization) kills bacteria from this pus and blood. Leave a glass of raw milk on the counter (un-cooled via fridge) for a few days and a glass of pasteurized milk. Both will go off, but the raw milk sours, and the pasteurized milk putrifies....rots. The smells is not the same.
I don't want anyone to lose their lunch (or their minds) over this, but part of my passion is protecting the decent dairy farmers that want to raise happy, healthy cows on healthy pasture and sell good, clean milk. I don't mean to be or sound contrite, but we've drank raw milk for DECADES and if the animals are healthy, kept clean, it's not an issue. We, and our animals, are living proof.
JMO =)

Honestly never seen someone say JMO, always being IMO.

Okay thanks for sharing. There are some farms in my area, although I don't thing any of them have goats, what would you say are things I would want to monitor to ensure cleanliness for my cats? I personally won't be drinking any.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Honestly never seen someone say JMO, always being IMO.

Okay thanks for sharing. There are some farms in my area, although I don't thing any of them have goats, what would you say are things I would want to monitor to ensure cleanliness for my cats? I personally won't be drinking any.

Ask for bacteria count. Know your states limits in safety.
Are the goats in clean conditions or are up to their stomachs in filth?
Are the goats fat, or ribby? Give them a quick once over. If they're thin, ribby, filthy, if the farm isn't well kept (manure up to the walls), pass.
If the goats are well kept, clean (excuse *some* manure, they're farm animals) and are alert, bright, vocal, eating, etc., pursue. Ask them where their goats milk goes. Familes, pets, their own families or pets, etc.
I dislike the taste of raw goats milk but love the taste of raw cows milk (provided there are no calves), so it all depends on your taste and preferences in humane handling.

 

[saleri]

Ask for bacteria count. Know your states limits in safety.
Are the goats in clean conditions or are up to their stomachs in filth?
Are the goats fat, or ribby? Give them a quick once over. If they're thin, ribby, filthy, if the farm isn't well kept (manure up to the walls), pass.
If the goats are well kept, clean (excuse *some* manure, they're farm animals) and are alert, bright, vocal, eating, etc., pursue. Ask them where their goats milk goes. Familes, pets, their own families or pets, etc.
I dislike the taste of raw goats milk but love the taste of raw cows milk (provided there are no calves), so it all depends on your taste and preferences in humane handling.

Yeah I don't drink milk, will just be giving to my cats. One last quick question, because I'm paranoid about my terms. The exact thing I should ask for is "unpasteurized goat milk" correct?

 

[1 bruce 1]

Yeah I don't drink milk, will just be giving to my cats. One last quick question, because I'm paranoid about my terms. The exact thing I should ask for is "unpasteurized goat milk" correct?

Depends on your preferences, my friend.
If you're not drinking milk yourself, you might be more comfortable with pasteurized milk. I, myself, am not, because I aim for enzymes from clean, raw milk. Pasteurization is good for milk from factory farms as the milk IME is not clean. Pasteurization kills all good bacteria and enzymes and benefits from drinking or feeding clean milk we hope to achieve. If the milk comes from a clean source, I avoid it, but if the milk comes from a source you distrust, go for pasteurized.
Do what feels right.

 

[AmaAmadeus]

Hello, i recently found a brand in a supermarket for lactose free goat's milk. So i suppose taking into account all the above comments it should be fine to give it to kittens?