So, what do you feed your dog/cat? (1 Viewer)

[Scott Merryfield]

I'm sorry to hear that, Aaron. Our male cat went through the exact same thing many years ago -- he's 16 years old now. He still hates going to the vet to this day, and I'm sure much of it is due to that experience.

The vet did not recommend a specific brand of food, but just suggested that we compare the ash content of the different foods. Most dry food has a high content, so we keep the dry food to a minimum for him, while sneaking the female some dry food when he's not in the basement where they eat. They both consider the dry food as a treat. Iams, Science Diet and Mother Hubbard all make a low-ash canned food -- I'm sure there are others, but they like the Iams and MH.

The above diet has worked well for many, many years. Both cats are very healthy for 16 years. The female is a little overweight, but the male is not.

 

[Philip_T]

dang, wrote a lengthy reply and accidentally deleted it.

 

[aaron campbell]

Thanks everyone for your concern. I brought Buddy home last night. Seems to be doing well. If only I could get Misty, my female, to quit hissing at him. Everytime one of them goes to the vet, it takes about a week until they get along again. Any ideas about that?

Rain, Thanks for the quick reply. I'm going to try some Felidae can, & kibble. The vet gave us some Waltham low ph kibble. How is that brand?


Thanks again

Aaron

 

[Philip_T]

Good to hear. From some of the research and reviews I found on Canidae/Felinedae, those results seem to be the norm rather than the exception. I should mention that Im not trying to pan this product onto others. Im just posting what I decided on and was curious as to what others decided on for their pets.

Rain, some really good info in your post. Some I knew, some I did not. If my cat starts to throw up again on the felinedae, I may have to try your feline menu. Glad to hear your getting Red.

Aaron, sorry as well to hear about your cat, hopefully he is back home and in better shape.

 

[Steve Zatkoff]

We have been feeding Roscoe Canidae for the last few years. When we first got him, he was a rescue dog and had a very sensitive stomach, so we fed him California Natural. CN is Lamb, Rice and Sunflower oil. He ate this for a year and really did well on it. After that, Canidae seemed like a natural upgrade. A big plus the premium brands have over the regular store brands including Science Diet and Iams, beyond better nutrition is that your dogs eliminations will generally not be as big in volume or as bad in small. They also tend to make the dog less gassy. My neighbors switched their dog, which is a Lab and NewFi mix to Canidae and she certainly doesn't make the same big smelly poop and the amount of gas has really been decreased.

The Cat eats Sensible Choice Senior.

 

[Kevin Thompson]

Boomer gets Nutro Natural Select (lamb meal and rice).

 

[Tom Fynan]

Finnegan, our Westie, developed food allergies last year, so we had to feed him foods he had never eaten before. He is now on a (very expensive) venison and potato dogfood. We call it the Bambi diet. He likes it, and his skin looks great, so we're sticking with it

 

[Ron-P]

Not sure what Rain thinks is good or bad dog food, but I can say after 11 years of experience that the Nutro Max I've have been feeding my older dalmatian (for all 11 years) has been very, very good to her.

She gets a blend of adult and puppy dry food which is mixed with water a short time before feeding. We also feed her pig ears (about 1 a week) and once in a while, hoofs. Other than that, nothing.

Dalmatians, due to their acid levels in skin and urine are very susceptible to skin problems. Angel has none, and never has. She has a perfect coat, soft and shinny and no dry skin patches. She is an extremely fit Dal for nearing 12 years in age, very healthy. Could not ask for more than that.

I would not hesitate recommending Nutro Max brand dog food from my experience with it.

 

[Shane Martin]

I've had very good experience with Nutro Max brand as well. It just really depends on when I need dog food and where I'm at. I usually alternate from Nutro Max and Purina

 

[Bob Graz]

I feed our dog Nutro Natural Choice Chicken,Rice and Oatmeal. Every evening he gets a dental chew we buy from our vet to help keep his teeth clean. He loves those things.

 

[Drew Bethel]

We feed our dogs science diet but I know we can do better. More research will be done with the diamond brand (which I heard is cheaper but better).

 

[Jeff_HR]

Science Diet Kitten for my grey boy & black girl.

 

[Michael.Hoffman]

Toward the twilight years of my dogs life I switched her over to Spot's Stew by Halo Pets and then started to make her my own version of Spot's Stew at home. She liked it very much and did pretty well on it. Since then I've come across a book by Pat Lazarus called "Keep your dog healthy the natural way" (there's one for cats too) and it opened my eyes to the importance diet plays in your pets life. I'll be using this diet for my next pet.

I'm not saying you should change your pets diet, but you should at least read this book. It's a very interesting read and could possibly help those whose pets are ill live a few more years.

Regards,
Mike

 

[Rain]

I've heard great things about Spot's Stew.

Aaron, you got mail.

Please keep in mind that because of where I'm employed, I can't really share my opinions on specific foods in this thread, but am happy to do so by private email so long as my comments are not posted here.

 

[Brian Johnson]

I've always fed my cat Iams Original(Orange).
I've accidently bought the hairball forumla and he had no problem eating that.(I guess if he's hungry, he'll eat )
I usually put a large handful in his bowl a day. He eats when he wants.
I did have a question while I was here, as it is the reason I spend $13.00 on a 8 lb bag of cat food.
My mother said "if you feed your cat a quality food, one that has less filler in it, then it A. won't eat as much, and B: digest more of what he's eating (less poop)"
Is she right?

 

[Rain]

You know that old saying "Always listen to your mother"? That would apply in this case.

 

[Zen Butler]

Rain, thank you very much for your e-mail exchanges. If you guys haven't already, do yourself a favor and e-mail Rain. It will open your eyes immensely.

 

[Tony Whalen]

Rain, you've got mail.

 

[Robert_eb]

I used to feed my cats Iams dry and Friskies wet until one of them got crystals. Now my cat doctor has prescribed a rather expensive prescription food called Hills Prescription w/d. It's costs $40.00 for a 20 pound bag. Is there a less costly alternative to this expensive cat food that will not bring back crystals?