Raw & Wet only for my 'Sensitive' Guy?? (Blood in Poop, Shedding & Itching Cat)

[nevermore]

EDITED to remove unnecessary information

BACKGROUND

Last year, I noticed some blood with mucous in ‘Lippy’s’ poop. Called the vet and they said to keep an eye out to see if it happens again and if it does bring him in. 

After it happened again in a short amount of time  (and then another time before I could take him to the vet on the weekend) and this time with runny poop (meaning not from straining). 

No tests were done, but after a thorough run-through questions and general check the vet said that it seems like a possible food allergy and that I would need to put him on Royal Canin Sensitive Stomachs (and if that doesn’t work to put him on the super hypo-senstive food). 

Also gave him a run of tablet and liquid medicine (anti-biotics) in case there was anything bacterial happening. 

So a couple months went past and zero blood. Yay!  - I struggled with the sensitive food because there is the only one brand that makes it (Royal Canin) and it was sold out everytime I went to get more. So when I couldn’t get it I would substitute with cooked chicken, beef and a bit of rice (as per vet’s instructions).

So what I was feeding them was:

DAY - Royal Canin Sensitive DRY food (graze through the day) 

NIGHT - 1 Pouch of Royal Canin Sensitive WET food. 

THIS WEEK

I had also fed them cooked beef mince for dinner (since the pet barn was out of the sensitive food AGAIN!) which they ate about 3/4 of. 

So when I went to clean their litter box at the end of the day I noticed a small spot on the outside of the litter box that was a little bit of mucous and blood. 

Naturally, I freaked out and ran and got gloves and with the plastic bag picked up the ‘fresh’ poop which was still slightly warm and grazed through it to see if there was any blood on or in it. There was none. 

Called the vet and was told to not worry about it unless it happens again. 

GETTING INTO RAW

So I went to pet barn to get the sensitive food and the girl there told me about their commercial raw food and suggested the Wuvera canned food to be used through the day. She said that it helped her dog who had similar problems which turned out to be IBD. She also told me to take him off dry food 

So I bought the CRF and the Wuvera and went home and did a bunch of research. 

What I came to was that this could possibly be a much better alternative to what the vet was suggesting to me in regards to food allergies and possible reasons for the plethora of sensitive issues that seem to plague Lippy. 

So I will be feeding them a can of the Wuvera in the morning before I go to work, then when I come home I will do a serve of the CRF split into two meals (when i come home and just before bed). 

Basically, would love another opinion on if this sounds like a good place to go food-wise for the poor guy. I don't want to see him struggle anymore. If I see more blood I will be taking him back to the vet but until then, I want to try all the things I can that won't require anything invasive for him. (he was absolutely traumatized when the vet had to put the thermometer up his bum!) 

Thanks in advance....

 

[nuieng]

First thing to mention is that I am not a vet and I don't have any cat with allergy.

If I were you, I will try to identify what food causes allergy.

• What food did he eat last year when he had blood in poop? What are the ingredients?
• What are the ingredients on the Royal Canin Sensitive? This list should be a safe list.
• Take a note if you feed any treats or anything new that cause blood in poop and try to find what the ingredients are.

Another thought is that you also mentioned that you fed him cooked chicken and beef while the dry food was out. If he is fine with that meat, you may try feeding him either raw or home-cooked cat food. You will have more control over the ingredients if you make it yourself and you can also rule out the cause of allergy.

 

[missmimz]

What raw are you feeding? 

 

[nevermore]

First thing to mention is that I am not a vet and I don't have any cat with allergy.

If I were you, I will try to identify what food causes allergy.

• What food did he eat last year when he had blood in poop? What are the ingredients?
• What are the ingredients on the Royal Canin Sensitive? This list should be a safe list.
• Take a note if you feed any treats or anything new that cause blood in poop and try to find what the ingredients are.

Another thought is that you also mentioned that you fed him cooked chicken and beef while the dry food was out. If he is fine with that meat, you may try feeding him either raw or home-cooked cat food. You will have more control over the ingredients if you make it yourself and you can also rule out the cause of allergy.

Thank you for the reply 

• Right before he pooped he had beef mince (human food... but cooked separately from ours with nothing added.) which after some research these past couple of days I realise wasn't a good choice.... but since my local pet barn had run out of the sensitive food I gave them both this until I received my order the next day. In addition I WAS feeding them Royal Canin Sensitive dry food as well. He has never thrown anything up which is why it is taking me a while to work this all out. 

On another note: I have cat grass around the house and he seems to eat that fairy often. I just thought it was because he likes it but now I am realising it is was a clear indicator that he has tummy issues. 

   

  - feeling like a terrible cat mum right now. 

• This is the Royal Canin DRY - Now looking I see rice, maize and vegetable protein up there and not feeling great about myself. 

dehydrated poultry protein, animal fats, rice, maize, vegetable protein isolate*, maize gluten, hydrolysed animal proteins, wheat, minerals, beet pulp, yeasts, fish oil, vegetable fibres, soya oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides. ADDITIVES (per kg): Nutritional additives: Vitamin A: 18500 IU, Vitamin D3: 1000 IU, E1 (Iron): 38 mg, E2 (Iodine): 3.8 mg, E4 (Copper): 12 mg, E5 (Manganese): 50 mg, E6 (Zinc): 150 mg, E8 (Selenium): 0.1 mg - Technological additives: Clinoptilolite of sedimentary origin: 5 g - Preservatives - Antioxidants. ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS: Protein: 33% - Fat content: 22% - Crude ash: 7.5% - Crude fiber: 1.6%. * L.I.P.: protein selected for its very high assimilation

This is the WET - and now I feel worse. 

meat and animal derivatives, cereals, vegetable protein extracts, derivatives of vegetable origin, minerals, various sugars. ADDITIVES (per kg): Nutritional additives: Vitamin D3: 175 IU, E1 (Iron): 9.3 mg, E2 (Iodine): 0.4 mg, E4 (Copper): 2.6 mg, E5 (Manganese): 2.9 mg, E6 (Zinc): 29 mg. ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS: Protein: 9.5% - Fat content: 4% - Crude ash: 1.3% - Crude fibres: 0.5% -

• That is pretty much what I am trying to do since my vet isn't really giving me any other guidance other than using the above. I just feel (in my own gut) that other than a lack of blood lately (which of course is great!) he doesn't feel like himself and I guess I want to make sure I give every avenue a go. 

 

[nevermore]

 
What raw are you feeding? 

I haven't yet. 

This is all brand new to me so I am trying to work out the best solution for my knowledge base at the moment. 

I want to eventually go homemade raw but I haven't done enough research yet to be doing it myself. 

I have bought Dr Billinghurt's BARF for Cats (Turkey) 

http://www.barfaustralia.com

I tried to give it to my cats last night and it went ridiculously bad!  

  -

• I tried it by itself - Failed - they both walked away

• I tried to mix it with canned food (Cats in the Kitchen) - Failed - they sniffed and walked away

• I tried to mix a teeny tiny bit in with canned food - Failed - Lippy ate a minuscule bit of the canned part then just walked away. 

• I then gave just the can food - Half Failed - Lippy ate all his, but Lion walked away... I think he thought it had the raw meat in it again... but it was a different flavour can AND a new plate!!! 

So I have looked at the forums here and looked at the best way to introduce it super slowly into their canned food diet and will be keeping a super sharp eye on what comes out their other ends too. 

 

[nevermore]

Also thought I would add...

Lippy is known for his ridiculously BIG and SMELLY poo. To the point where I have to open all the windows and doors to get the smell out of the house including upstairs because it wafts up there. 

Now doing more research I have come to realise this is a really bad sign in regards to stomach upsets. Since placing him on the sensitive diet I have noticed that while still big poops the frequency of the smelly ones has been few and far between rather than practically every night.