Overweight tabby but not overeating

[Charthecatlover]

What is the bone percentage of the BARF formulation? A raw fed cat should not be straining to defecate or constipated in the least on a raw diet and when it does happen it is almost always do to an excessive bone ratio. Excessive bone can cause a serious mineral imbalance and significant health consequences as a result.

And what sort of vegetables are in the mix and in what percentage? Carbohydrates from plants can cause weight gain and contribute to a lack of energy.

What are the mix of organs and offal, and in what percentages?

I'm very supportive of raw feeding--done correctly--and feed a raw diet to my cat (and dog), but am mindful the risks from unbalanced BARF formulations.

Bill

They can prepare three types:
1. For fish: 50% lean fish meat, 20% meaty bone, usually from chicken, 10% viscera or guts, that can be from chicken or fish, and 20% heart
2. For chicken: 70% chicken meat with bones, 10% guts and 20% heart all from chicken
3. For meat: same percentage as fish, but it's 50% lean meat from veal
It’s all 100% coming from animals, nothing is coming from plants.
The company is certified by National Service of Animal Health and the Ministry of Health. And their main nutritionist has been studying for years on creating a well balanced BARF formulation.
After my post, I reached out to the distributor and she kindly gave me the personal contact information of the nutricionist with his consent. I will take the feedback provided here into consideration when I’m ready to pick his brains

 

[Charthecatlover]

What is the bone percentage of the BARF formulation? A raw fed cat should not be straining to defecate or constipated in the least on a raw diet and when it does happen it is almost always do to an excessive bone ratio. Excessive bone can cause a serious mineral imbalance and significant health consequences as a result.

And what sort of vegetables are in the mix and in what percentage? Carbohydrates from plants can cause weight gain and contribute to a lack of energy.

What are the mix of organs and offal, and in what percentages?

I'm very supportive of raw feeding--done correctly--and feed a raw diet to my cat (and dog), but am mindful the risks from unbalanced BARF formulations.

Bill

Regarding constipation, Bentley exhibits no signs of it. I thought it might have been a possible cause of her feeling heavy but I would be able to hear her if she’s been straining. The only noise I hear is her shuffling the litter as cats like to do after they do their business. And maybe TMI, but sometimes I’ll happen to walk in the room and visibly observe her in the middle of it. Nothing seems out of the ordinary.

 

[Box of Rain]

Regarding constipation, Bentley exhibits no signs of it. I thought it might have been a possible cause of her feeling heavy but I would be able to hear her if she’s been straining. The only noise I hear is her shuffling the litter as cats like to do after they do their business. And maybe TMI, but sometimes I’ll happen to walk in the room and visibly observe her in the middle of it. Nothing seems out of the ordinary.

Good report that Bently isn't constipated. Ordinarily the stools of raw fed cats will be highly-compact, not stinky, and on the firmer side (as the nutrients are well extracted), but they should not be rock-hard. If they are rock-hard and/or a cat strains to eliminate it is a pretty sure sign the mix is too bone heavy.

I could not judge the percentage of bone in formulas you provided, but thank you for proving them.

BARF formulas (as popularized by Ian Billinghurst decades ago) generally included vegetables and (IMO) too much bone. The nutritionist in Costa Rica seems to have made adjustments, while retaining the name BARF.

The PMR consensus for cats tends to target bone at about 6%. That's much less than the PMR ratio for dogs (10-12%), but that aligns with the idea that cat prey (such as rodents) are 5% and the 6% target does produce ideal looking stools with my own raw-fed cat. Feeding higher bone percentages has resulted not in constipation, but in stools that I've judged to be too firm.

I may have misunderstood what I thought were concerns of yours in that area.

Bill

 

[Furballsmom]

How are things progressing?