# High protein, low carb wet food help!!



## Matti (Jan 28, 2013)

Hi all,

So i am a total beginner when it comes to food for my little one, and for medical reasons he is having to go on a high protein, low carb (and ideally low fat) wet food. He's currently on hi life natures essentials wet food but he's not really eating it... Just did a little test and put it out knowing he hadn't eaten much and he wouldn't touch it, but ran for the James wellbeloved dry that I had hidden in my hand.

Does anyone have any suggestions of a good wet food for him?! He's losing weight through not eating and his medical problem so any help will be greatly appreciated!


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## Toby Tyler (Feb 17, 2013)

Have you considered Raw? That would be the ideal recommendation.

That said, Wellness makes an excellent canned grain free wet food with a lot of variety. I don't know about availability in your area however.


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## Phoenix85 (Feb 10, 2013)

Try raw. 

Sometimes cats can end up being carb junkies if that is what they are used to.

I'd try raw, if your cat won't eat it, mix it with a little tinned fish or a pouch/tinned wet food that he does eat.


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## Phoenix85 (Feb 10, 2013)

Animonda Carny is a high meat, grain-free wet food. So is Grau but IIRC Grau is not a 'complete' food so mix it with other food (raw or animonda etc)


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## Tao2 (Sep 9, 2012)

Matti, Have you tried Zooplus? They do a good range of quality foods. Mittens is currently on a grain-free diet, she has: Kattovit mono-protein, grau grain free, Miamor, integra sensitive, feringa, porta 21, plus the odd bit of dry, currently Applaws, also grain-free. All from Zooplus. 
I see a few raw reccomendations, I know raw gets mixed reviews wrt IBD cats, so I have yet to bite the bullet and try Mittens on it. No idea if it would be good or bad for an EPI cat, do try and find out if you think you might go down this route. I know there isn't much info. for cats but maybe the info is out there for dogs which would be a help at least.


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

I think Grau is complete, though could be wrong (so easy to misunderstand cat food). I haven't yet worked out what "low fat" in cat food means in terms of percents etc but I think that Catzfinefood, Taffy and OmNomNom are the lowest carb of the ones that I feed. Then Bozita/Smilla, then Grau, Macs and Carny. On the same calculation, High life poultry comes in between Bozita/Smilla and Grau and co. It looks to be a lot lower fat (2%), so lower calorie overall. 

It will also depend on the flavours that you feed.

Has your vet advised what your cat needs most? It would help you to know which was more important - low fat, high calories. or low carbs.


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## Matti (Jan 28, 2013)

Raw and EPI don't mix too well, so I have to avoid that- plus I tried it once before and it made Tom's colitis worse.

What Tom needs most is high protein with low carbs due to his pancreas not functioning properly.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, and thanks Tao, I'll try zoo plus shortly.. I'm just getting stressed now- it's just one thing after another!!


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## nicolaa123 (Mar 30, 2012)

Matti said:


> Raw and EPI don't mix too well, so I have to avoid that- plus I tried it once before and it made Tom's colitis worse.
> 
> What Tom needs most is high protein with low carbs due to his pancreas not functioning properly.
> 
> Thanks for the suggestions so far, and thanks Tao, I'll try zoo plus shortly.. I'm just getting stressed now- it's just one thing after another!!


Don't stress!! Now you know you have to change diet I will pop you a can of kangaroo in the post on Monday..it's grain free and high protein and I think but will have to check its also low in fat..will clarify that tho..


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## Matti (Jan 28, 2013)

nicolaa123 said:


> Don't stress!! Now you know you have to change diet I will pop you a can of kangaroo in the post on Monday..it's grain free and high protein and I think but will have to check its also low in fat..will clarify that tho..


Thanks Nicola!  where do you even get all this stuff?! Just looking on zooplus has me confused, with all the brands and types of food!


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## nicolaa123 (Mar 30, 2012)

Matti said:


> Thanks Nicola!  where do you even get all this stuff?! Just looking on zooplus has me confused, with all the brands and types of food!


I get the kangaroo from

Vet-Concept GmbH & Co KG

I'm still yet to find another food he can eat..still looking tho..


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## Matti (Jan 28, 2013)

I swear the more I learn the more questions I have and the more confused I get!

With regards to Carny (or any wet food for that matter)- how much should I be feeding Tom realistically? He's about 1.5kg and 16 weeks old. Would about 200g per day be enough, if I also included a little dry food??

And in general, should I be feeding kitten specific food or is that a massive finicky and he can eat adult food just fine??


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

Matti said:


> I swear the more I learn the more questions I have and the more confused I get!


Yep - but eventually you do see the light at the end of the tunnel!



Matti said:


> With regards to Carny (or any wet food for that matter)- how much should I be feeding Tom realistically? He's about 1.5kg and 16 weeks old. Would about 200g per day be enough, if I also included a little dry food??


Can't quite remember but from about the next 3 or 4 months it is going to feel like all you do is put down food, as it a very sharp growth curve. I think that mine at that age ate anything from 200 - 400 g, with a two week period of 500g around 5 months. Usual advice is to feed as much as they want while they are kittens.



Matti said:


> And in general, should I be feeding kitten specific food or is that a massive finicky and he can eat adult food just fine??


 If you are feeding high protein good quality cat food to start with (like the brands mentioned already) you don't need to feed kitten food.

Other places to get these brands are
Floyds Pfotenshop
Hundefutter Katzenfutter Tierzubehör günstig kaufen • www.fuettern-mit-spass.de


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

He will probably need more than 200g at his age - the kittens were going through at least that AND 150g of raw at his age. Basically don't limit it at the moment as he is growing very quickly. It will settle to less once he has stopped growing. 

As for kitten food it depends what brand you are feeding - if it's WHiskas or Felix etc then stick to the kitten food, if it's Bozita and the like you can use the adult.


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## Matti (Jan 28, 2013)

Okay thanks, so general rule of thumb- if the bowl is empty, put down more food!

Tom is barely eating at the moment- he's having a pouch of wet (85g) and some hills dry (about 30g- im weaning him off the dry since he doesnt need to be on the I/D anymore) a day and there is still food left down the next morning. I just can't encourage him to eat!


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## Phoenix85 (Feb 10, 2013)

Just FYI

Farmed animals are higher in fat that wild. If the meat is wild rabbit/game birds/venison/kangaroo or any other wild-caught animal, the fat content will be much better and lower than if the meat is farmed, particularly beef and/or lamb. I'd avoid foods containing lamb and beef for a cat who needs a low fat diet.

I do think though that he is only 4 months old which is incredibly young to have such serious health issues. 
I know dog-owners who had very good results managing colitis in there dog on a raw diet. I would really urge you to do a lot of reading up on it and try to feed Tom raw, his health will really benefit from it.

Even the best grain free tinned/pouched foods are still processed foods. It's the equivalent of a human only ever eating ready meals. 
Even if you get a better readymeal from M&S or Waitrose or where ever, it's still not as good for you as buying fresh ingredients and making it yourself. Plus, that way you make absolute sure you know what has gone into the meal.
It's the same for your cat.


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## Ianthi (Oct 21, 2008)

Matti said:


> I swear the more I learn the more questions I have and the more confused I get!
> 
> With regards to Carny (or any wet food for that matter)- how much should I be feeding Tom realistically? He's about 1.5kg and 16 weeks old. Would about 200g per day be enough, if I also included a little dry food??
> 
> And in general, should I be feeding kitten specific food or is that a massive finicky and he can eat adult food just fine??


Matti-if you're looking for a low-fat food then I'd leave out Animonda Carny tins. The fat content if high and very visibly so in the tins-one reason mine don't like it! I realise other cats don't object but mine do! Grau would be a far better option though not quite sure about actual fat content. I think the brand I was trying to recall was Schlesir which has much lower fat content than most maintstream foods.

Once the enzymes are added to this food Tom should put on weight since the food will from then on be 'digested' and absorped, not be excreted like before.


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## Matti (Jan 28, 2013)

Thanks for that tip Ianthi  Tom is on clincydamin (sp?) for his toxaplasmosis atm so I'm hoping that is why he has such a loss of appetite (fingers crossed) but if this carries on after the meds Are over I will change his food to something else (Grau maybe) and see how he goes.

Phoenix, I've spoken to the vet regarding raw and he has advised against it totally due to him having EPI and being unable to digest a lot of food properly. I understand your thoughts regarding raw but with the EPI I need to follow the vet's suggestions. And I know 4 months is young to have such serious problems, that is why I'm so stressed and at my wits end about it.


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## LDK1 (Oct 1, 2010)

I agree with Ianthi about the fat content of Animonda. Also, Animonda has a high* offal* content (according to Hobbs). I dropped it as Rosie's stools were nearly black and Watson always had the runs when I gave it to them.

I'm afraid Smilla is pretty similar with the whack of fat at the bottom. Well, at least the two flavours I get are - Lamb and Poultry with Poultry Hearts.

I would maybe give the grain-free version of Grau a go to start with. Bozita tins might be okay too. Again, some say Bozita causes dodgy tummies but my two are fine on it.

It's very tricky when a cat prefers dry though, so you may have to just find a grain-free wet food he really likes to break the dry food habit, then introduce a more appropriate wet food for his condition as soon as possible after that.

I think some people have found crushing some dry and sprinkling it over the wet works - though not always!

There is a lot to think about, but you need to take this one step at a time to avoid too much confusion and stress


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## Pippinpie (Oct 30, 2010)

My cat also has pancreas issues although he is much older than your kitten. 
I feed nature's menu pouches, grau grain free and cooked chicken. When he is off his food little bits of chicken hand fed usually keep him going. I've also found that crumbling chicken thrive treats on his food helps. I also sometimes use purina fortiflora as an appetiser when he's not eating. It's a probiotic but I only use a tiny amount. He loves the smell and can't resist it. It's made of animal digest, the same thing they spray on dry food to make it to cats so your little one should take to it ok. 
I know it's a worry, but give him the right diet and with regular vet visits it can be managed. 
Let us know how he gets on.


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## Treaclesmum (Sep 26, 2011)

My vet said that fatty foods can make colitis worse too - Jumpy had been having Chicken and Lamb raw food but lamb is a very fatty meat so I'm not sure if he should have much of that if he has a sensitive tum, which he currently has


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## Ianthi (Oct 21, 2008)

Matti said:


> .
> Phoenix, I've spoken to the vet regarding raw and he has advised against it totally due to him having EPI and being unable to digest a lot of food properly. I understand your thoughts regarding raw but with the EPI I need to follow the vet's suggestions. And I know 4 months is young to have such serious problems, that is why I'm so stressed and at my wits end about it.


And don't forget he already has toxoplasmosis so raw isn't suitable in my view!

Matti-I hadn't realised he wasn't eating for you and yes probably the antibiotic. Please don't worry about the EPI in terms of treatability though as it's one of those very manageable ones. Lots of dogs have it! Furthermore I've a feeling once the toxo is eliminated he may start producing enzymes of his own! 

Speak to the vet about alternative diets as he really must eat!


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

Just to say that Grau looks to have slightly more fat (5.5) than Carny (5)by the info on the label. Grau must just be better mixed, as Carny has that disc of fat at one end making it very obvious. Mac's is 4.5. 

I hadn't looked at Schesir (cans) but that looks to be very low fat (0.5) and carb but isn't labelled complete. 

Compared to a mouse they all seem low fat. Mice seem to have at least 3 times as much fat (17 - 26% depending on age).


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## Matti (Jan 28, 2013)

I'm going to call the vet tomorrow morning regarding food- in the meantime I've managed to get him eating a pack and a half of wet yesterday and the same today, with a little dry sprinkled over the top. That's only about 140g but it's a vast improvement... It has all been handfed though, so I'm a bit worried about how he's going to be tomorrow when I'm at work... Just hoping he'll get so hungry he'll have to eat on his own!!

If the vet doesn't suggest anything in particular I think I'll order some Grau and maybe some applaws kitten and a few others (I might even try the James wellbeloved kitten wet since its high protein and he loves the dry of it) just to try him out on a few different ones and see which he eats. 

He's still very energetic and is running around going mad which is good, so I will keep you posted. Just hoping that when he has finished his clindamycin that his appetite comes back.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Matti, one of my cats has IBD and is unable to tolerate raw food (which is real shame as he loved it before it triggered his colitis). Also like your kitty, he can't have fatty meats, so I never him give anything containing lamb, pork or beef, and stick to poultry, rabbit and fish. 

He does best on Grain Grain free, Miamor Sensitive, Kattovit Sensitive (all high in meat protein and available from zooplus). He has Royal Canin Sensitivity Control pouches sometimes too, as they seem to suit his tum and he loves them. Also, as a treat, a little home cooked chicken breast or turkey, with cooked lamb kidney or chicken livers. 

If he has a day when he is very off his food I steam a bit of white fish for him and he always enjoys this. 

I am sure your kitty's appetite will improve once the Clindamycin course is finished.


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