Healthiest dry food for 8 yr. old, male cat?

[KidsHappen]

I have successfully transitioned all of my pets to grain-free canned food except for this cat who refuses to eat anything except dry cat food (not even tuna). He hasn't eaten in 2 days now. I thought if he got hungry enough he would eventually give in and eat what I gave him but it hasn't happened so far. I have even tried putting his old dry food on top of the canned food and he still won't eat it. So I am thinking that I need to get him some dry food. I know he needs a urinary tract formula but I haven't been able to find a grain-free, dry, urinary tract formula. Any recommendations? What is the healthiest food for him?

[StephanieZ]

Well, if he needs urinary tract diet, I'd get what your vet advises, as not all urinary tract diets are the same.

 

I like Science Diet, but I know some folks want something different. Canned food would have been ideal, but if he won't take it, there you are. (This is why many vets advise starting cats as kittens on a rotation of a few foods, including at least some canned! They can get so picky!)

 

So, I'd go with Science Diet c/d or Royal Canin SO, but that's just b/c those are the two prescription lines I am familiar with. I don't know about grain-free. . .

 

Natural Balance is a nice line that has several grain-free choices, but I don't know that there are any that are specifically for urinary health. . . the grain-free lines tend to be aimed towards allergens, not urinary health.

 

If you don't find what you are looking for, I'd call your vet and ask for guidance. Dh routinely hunts down specific diets (i.e., natural balance) outside of what we carry for patients who have complicated needs. The vets have resources (consulting vet school nutrition professors, etc) that lay folks don't have, so if your vet is willing to do the leg work, he might be able to find what you are looking for. (Of course, you should be willing to pay for his time for him to do this work. . . and if you are a *gold star* client already, he might do it at no charge. . . but if you only go in once every year or two and get the minimum care, then you should be willing to cheerfully pay a reasonable fee for his time to do the research. . .) Also, depending on exactly what history your cat has re: urinary issues, he might be able to do a trial on a diet that is not labeled for urinary health -- there are some that are much better than others, and it really depends on exactly the nature of your cat's medical history.

 

FWIW, since the cat won't take canned food and has a history of urinary issues, you want to be extra sure to encourage water consumption. Try a fountain style water dish, leave the faucet dripping, put the dishes through the dishwasher frequently, add a dish on each level of the house, etc. . .

 

HTH

Edited August 8, 2010 by StephanieZ

[hornblower]

Natures Variety Instinct is a good grain free kibble.

[EthiopianFood]

This is purely annecdotal, but my kitty who is paralyzed is prone to UTIs, due to her condition. I give her the grain-free Natural Balance, and she does very well on it. I am still figuring out how to get her to drink enough, though.

 

Definitely give your kitty whatever he wants to eat right now. Cats can sustain liver damage in only three days of not eating. :(

[kokotg]

Taste of the Wild has a grain-free dry food. We've only used their dog food, but we've been really impressed with it, and my vet says their cat food is good, too.

[Pippen]

My cat was overweight and starting to develop signs of crystals so when I needed to change his diet I went searching. He only liked dry plus has a sensitive tummy and even minor changes would cause upset and I settled on Evo Turkey and Chicken. It's grain-free and he hasn't had a single problem on it. Bonus: he even surprised me and likes the canned food!

 

http://www.evopet.com/products/default.asp?id=1500

[ktgrok]

For now give him whatever he wants. If cats go much beyond 48 hours without eating they can develop a liver problem called hepatic lipidosis, or "fatty liver disease". It is VERY serious. Cats are NOT small dogs. Give him his regular food, then gradually offer the new food next to the old food. Don't take away the old food until he is eating the new stuff, it can take weeks. Cat's don't like change. And realize that "grain free" foods can still have just as many carbs, they just get them from potato instead of rice or another grain. Really, potato is no more a natural food for a cat than rice, so I am not sure it makes a difference in that regard. Grain free has become a marketing term more than anything.

[Scuff]

We use Wellness Core for our kitty. It had the highest protien content of anything I could find, so I figured it probably also has the highest amount of meat in it. Kitty held out for a day and a half, but eventually ate it. He doesn't have urinary issues, but did have a weight problem.

[momzilla333]

My vet recommended a 95% protein grain-free wet food. Mine do great on Evo 95% or Core Wellness. ( I try to keep the price down by ordering online by the case and stacking a sale with a discount code.) I keep hearing that raw is best, if you add in the vitamins etc, but...

[Laurie]

This is purely annecdotal, but my kitty who is paralyzed is prone to UTIs, due to her condition. I give her the grain-free Natural Balance, and she does very well on it. I am still figuring out how to get her to drink enough, though.

 

. :(

 

A vet recommended one of those pet fountains for our cat. The sound of the trickling water would encourage him to drink.