Cats and grain intolerance

[gollygee]

Has anyone ever dealt with this?

We got a cat from the SPCA about a month ago, and $700 in vet bills later, the best we can figure is that he's simply intolerant to any kind of grain. He is healthy - he's been tested for just about everything. He's had probiotics too. I've got him on a cat food called Taste of the Wild ( http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/ ) that doesn't have any grain in it. Then, yesterday, he was coughing up a hairball and I gave him a little hairball remedy and sure enough, he got sick again. I need to research this issue more. Does anyone here have experience with Taste of the Wild or other grain-free cat foods? This is the only one I've tried so far. Are there any web sites or anything about this particular issue? Is it common or not?

Oh and one final question - when he gets sick, he gets very very very gassy - I mean noxious empty-the-room kind of gas, and almost constantly for a couple of days or so. This isn't just bad for us (which it is). It is also bad for his quality of life, first because it has to be uncomfortable, and second because he's a loving cat and he really needs lots of attention, which he doesn't get at times like that. Is there anything he can eat or any kind of medicine that will help a cat with serious gas.

[Lorien]

1. It's not an uncommon problem. Commercial cat foods are often chock

full of grains to keep production costs down. Problem is, cats are obligate carnivores. I've written quite a bit about the ingredients in commercial cat foods here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=243&topic_id=4388&mesg_id=4388

I've had a lot of luck with Prairie Nature's variety freeze dried raw chicken and turkey (it's a canine/ feline diet). My cats also love indigo moon by Solid Gold: http://pookiesbowwowbakery.com/shop/solid-gold-indigo-moon-dry-cat-food-p-805.html I also use Innova Evo, Wellness Core, and Timberwolf Serengeti. My cats didn't go for taste of the wild, but it is a good brand. You might try grain free wet foods only, as some of the binders in dry food may be upsetting his stomach. See the other brands at the Pookie's list for a variety of grain free options. You may also want to test him for coccidia, which is a common parasite found in shelter cats.

Good Luck!

:hi:

On edit: I rotate brands regularly. I figure that since neither we nor wild cats eat the same thing every day, our domestic cats shouldn't either!

[BrklynLiberal]

6. I was glad to see that Pookies site also has Orijen. Makes me feel much better.

[Madrone]

2. I feed Innova Evo -

Good stuff, and the kitties love it.

Sorry about your kitty troubles.

[China_cat]

3. Lots of grains...high carbs.

Indicted in the growing incidence of diabetes even in younger cats. They need roughage to keep things moving, but they don't need grain and they don't need carbs.

[gollygee]

4. I'd like to thank everyone for your replies

it appears his food allergy problems go beyond just grain though and he's on a prescription non-allergenic food now. I'm hoping that will settle his tummy. Poor kitty. He has been so sick. :(

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Check out Orijen Pet foods...Totally grain free. My dog's breeder has just recommended that I try

them for my 10 year old GSD. They have cat food as well. They do not bake or extrude the food. It is steamed.

I have found that waggintails.com has it available.
It is made in Canada, and only 2 stores in NYC have it. They are both too far from my house to schlep. I am going to order online, both the cat and dog food, and start switching all my furbabies over to it.
It is expensive, but I figure I would rather spend the money on food than vet bills.
I am currently using Merrick, which is a very high quality food...but it has oatmeal, barley and rice in it.

You can check it out at this site.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=915&cat=8

Here is the main page.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Here is the page for Orijen foods...
http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/

Cat foods...
http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/products/cat.aspx
http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/products/ORIJEN6fish_cat.aspx

[gollygee]

7. Apparently my cat is also allergic to some proteins as well

and needs the proteins broken down in his food. So I'm buying food for $55 a bag. So far he hasn't been sick today.

[BrklynLiberal]

8. Well. That is a good sign..... hope his good digestion continues.

Better to spend the money on food than to keep giving it to the vet.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. Some good info about coccidia.

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/coccidiosis.html