(04-09-2013, 10:50 PM)Rube Wrote: I find it quite shocking that cat food supplies can add ingredients without doing the research. If you could discover this about corn and its effect on the digestive system of a cat, why have the manufacturers not investigated the possible consequences of corn in cat food before adding it to their products. It would seem they care little for the welfare of the pets that consume their cat food and are only thinking of their profits. Corn is a cheap filler, but it certainly is not natural food for a cat.
In short, 95% of them are concerned about a higher profit line first, everything else second. Corn is cheap, in the U.S. at least. Corn farmers get subsidies. That is why it is everything, even gas now (which actually may be a very good use of the stuff, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and find out why this is bad as well...)
Large pet companies have always been this way. For reptiles, they still make "hot rocks". An electrical heater encased in cheap plastic, in the bottom of an enclosure with humidity with a live animal that may/will defecate/urinate on it, eat live prey on it, knock over water dishes, etc... Common sense says it is a terrible idea, but they still sell them at petsmart, petco, and places like that to new keepers, because, they will spend money on them.
You have to be your pets advocate. The info is out there if you look for it.
(04-10-2013, 03:27 AM)scotty Wrote: I hear ya my friend! My cat has had nothing but issues. He is only 2 years old!
He was fed Iams Kitten food, dry for his first year, then one day out of nowhere he started seeping blood out of his Anus. Turns out he had an intolerance and his bowel couldn't process the food.
We switched to a grain free wet / dry mix. This time with Felidae Platinum, and some probiotic dry.
The lack of grains, and the fact that is was for senior cats made it much easier for him to digest. Then around 2 weeks ago, out of the blue he became lethargic, he was at deaths door, I took him to the vet and he had a Urinary Tract Blockage. In short $1200 later he is up and running again.
Once again, his food has been switched. Now he is on Vet Prescription Dry food, sprayed with water before eating. And Wellness grain free chicken food.
Its crazy how bad for cats cat food is! It makes me so mad! I have been to the vet multiple times for no reason other than my cat's reaction to his food!! And he has never been fed cheap crappy food!
I feel your pain. The biggest thing I found in this whole UTI thing is, as you implied, water. Cats aren't designed to drink allot, as they are designed to intake water in their food, not to need EXTRA water in order to process the food, which is actually the case with dry food. (And the corn makes this even worse than other dry food). This mild dehydration seems to be the reason they have a problem flushing out the struvite crystals and they build up. Struvite crystals are the primary cause of UTI in cats.
Then problem two, many vets prescribe diets for cats, with a raised PH. A PH in the urine of below 6.5 is either the cause or a symptom of the struvite crystals, depending on who you ask. The problem is, the exact proper modified PH of the food isn't as simple as "just feed this" apparently. And, if the food creates a urine with a too high PH, you will end up with oxalate crystals, which is even worse.
The most important thing I have found is, water. Getting the cat to drink enough water, which with some cats, such as the male I had this problem with, isn't as easy as it sounds. I actually bought one of those fountains, which has helped immensely. I was hesitant to do so, but this male always wanted to drink from the sink, and I figured it would help. I bought a stainless steel model, so it is easier to clean, disinfect, and maintain, and though it wasn't cheap, I am happy with the thing.
