[Felvtalk] Healthy dry foods?
Hi everyone, You haven't heard from me in a while because everything with Pixie, my 3 y/o positive, is going well at the moment. Except I'm running low on dry food... I'm at the bottom of my huge bag of Nutro Choice Complete Care Adult Indoor dry food so I called my local pet store to order more and learned it's very hard to get in Europe right now (I live in the Netherlands, BTW). I got three different reasons for the shortage from three different pet stores: 1. Dutch importers aren't bringing in Nutro from California anymore, 2. A Nutro factory in Hungary burned down, 3. EU competition laws have banned Nutro. The last vendor (an online retailer in Austria) promised he could get me the Nutro Choice if I'm willing to wait several weeks. So I'm wondering what to do. Should I order more ASAP and wait for it to arrive? Or should I do some research and find a better alternative? I'm not very knowledgeable about cat nutrition, especially for special-needs kitties. But Pixie likes the taste of this Nutro Choice dry food and I like to imagine that the ingredients are above average. But are these ingredients ACTUALLY good for her? (Please note the beet pulp and vegetable fibers, etc.): Ingredients: chicken meal, ground rice, corn gluten meal, rice flour, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), flaxseed meal, tomato pomace, brewers dried yeast, natural flavors, dried beet pulp, mixed vegetable fiber (carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress and spinach), potassium chloride, menhaden fish oil, oat fiber, soy protein concentrate, cranberry powder, choline chloride, taurine, dl-methionine, vitamin E supplement, dried egg product, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulphate, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), L-carnitine, inositol, dried bacillus licheniformis fermentation extract, dried bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, lutein, dried chicory root, yucca schidigera extract, niacin, copper sulphate, manganous oxide, vitamin A supplement, garlic flavor, biotin, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B-2), beta-carotene, calcium iodate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B-6), vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B-1), lycopene, vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), folic acid, sodium selenite. The Nutro Choice packaging advertises the following benefits: * Reduces caloric intake, prevents weight gain * Well-balanced protein and fat help keep your cat fit * Linoleic Acid, zinc, and important vitamins improve skin and coat health * Less shedding, fewer hairballs * Natural ingredients with vitamins minerals * Easy to digest for sensitive stomachs * Distinctly improves skin coat * Reduces stool volume and odor * Less Magnesium So I'm at this juncture -- should I make every effort to get more of this Nutro Choice Complete Care dry food since Pixie likes it and seems to do well on it (despite some belching)? Or should I try to find something better and hopefully more easily available in Europe? Your suggestions are most welcome! I'd be nervous, however, to start Pixie on a raw food diet since I know nothing about this and I'd have to prepare the food myself (time-consuming and gross for a vegetarian?) Many thanks in advance for your help :) Giselle Pixie ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Healthy dry foods?
I'd try and get another brand of food that's maybe the same nutrition-wise or a little better. I use Eukanuba Naturals, but I don't know if that's available in Europe. Eukanuba is classified as ultra-premium dry cat food. Good luck in your search! Jennifer - PROUD VEGETARIAN LOCAL SPCA VOLUNTEER. Be their voice. ~ loving mama to ~ Morrison (born Oct. 10, 2000) Isobel aka Fat Girl (born Feb. 7, 2007) Ash (born July 11, 2007, diagnosed FeLV+ July 28, 2008) --- On Fri, 8/8/08, Giselle de Grandis [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Giselle de Grandis [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Felvtalk] Healthy dry foods? To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Friday, August 8, 2008, 11:01 AM Hi everyone, You haven't heard from me in a while because everything with Pixie, my 3 y/o positive, is going well at the moment. Except I'm running low on dry food... I'm at the bottom of my huge bag of Nutro Choice Complete Care Adult Indoor dry food so I called my local pet store to order more and learned it's very hard to get in Europe right now (I live in the Netherlands, BTW). I got three different reasons for the shortage from three different pet stores: 1. Dutch importers aren't bringing in Nutro from California anymore, 2. A Nutro factory in Hungary burned down, 3. EU competition laws have banned Nutro. The last vendor (an online retailer in Austria) promised he could get me the Nutro Choice if I'm willing to wait several weeks. So I'm wondering what to do. Should I order more ASAP and wait for it to arrive? Or should I do some research and find a better alternative? I'm not very knowledgeable about cat nutrition, especially for special-needs kitties. But Pixie likes the taste of this Nutro Choice dry food and I like to imagine that the ingredients are above average. But are these ingredients ACTUALLY good for her? (Please note the beet pulp and vegetable fibers, etc.): Ingredients: chicken meal, ground rice, corn gluten meal, rice flour, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), flaxseed meal, tomato pomace, brewers dried yeast, natural flavors, dried beet pulp, mixed vegetable fiber (carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress and spinach), potassium chloride, menhaden fish oil, oat fiber, soy protein concentrate, cranberry powder, choline chloride, taurine, dl-methionine, vitamin E supplement, dried egg product, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulphate, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), L-carnitine, inositol, dried bacillus licheniformis fermentation extract, dried bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, lutein, dried chicory root, yucca schidigera extract, niacin, copper sulphate, manganous oxide, vitamin A supplement, garlic flavor, biotin, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B-2), beta-carotene, calcium iodate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B-6), vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B-1), lycopene, vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), folic acid, sodium selenite. The Nutro Choice packaging advertises the following benefits: * Reduces caloric intake, prevents weight gain * Well-balanced protein and fat help keep your cat fit * Linoleic Acid, zinc, and important vitamins improve skin and coat health * Less shedding, fewer hairballs * Natural ingredients with vitamins minerals * Easy to digest for sensitive stomachs * Distinctly improves skin coat * Reduces stool volume and odor * Less Magnesium So I'm at this juncture -- should I make every effort to get more of this Nutro Choice Complete Care dry food since Pixie likes it and seems to do well on it (despite some belching)? Or should I try to find something better and hopefully more easily available in Europe? Your suggestions are most welcome! I'd be nervous, however, to start Pixie on a raw food diet since I know nothing about this and I'd have to prepare the food myself (time-consuming and gross for a vegetarian?) Many thanks in advance for your help :) Giselle Pixie ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Healthy dry foods?
Check out www.catinfo.org for cat food info For dry I prefer Nutro Natural Choice, EVO (vet) and Wellness Core. Laurie -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jennifer Sent: Friday, August 08, 2008 9:22 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Healthy dry foods? I'd try and get another brand of food that's maybe the same nutrition-wise or a little better. I use Eukanuba Naturals, but I don't know if that's available in Europe. Eukanuba is classified as ultra-premium dry cat food. Good luck in your search! Jennifer - PROUD VEGETARIAN LOCAL SPCA VOLUNTEER. Be their voice. ~ loving mama to ~ Morrison (born Oct. 10, 2000) Isobel aka Fat Girl (born Feb. 7, 2007) Ash (born July 11, 2007, diagnosed FeLV+ July 28, 2008) --- On Fri, 8/8/08, Giselle de Grandis [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Giselle de Grandis [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Felvtalk] Healthy dry foods? To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Friday, August 8, 2008, 11:01 AM Hi everyone, You haven't heard from me in a while because everything with Pixie, my 3 y/o positive, is going well at the moment. Except I'm running low on dry food... I'm at the bottom of my huge bag of Nutro Choice Complete Care Adult Indoor dry food so I called my local pet store to order more and learned it's very hard to get in Europe right now (I live in the Netherlands, BTW). I got three different reasons for the shortage from three different pet stores: 1. Dutch importers aren't bringing in Nutro from California anymore, 2. A Nutro factory in Hungary burned down, 3. EU competition laws have banned Nutro. The last vendor (an online retailer in Austria) promised he could get me the Nutro Choice if I'm willing to wait several weeks. So I'm wondering what to do. Should I order more ASAP and wait for it to arrive? Or should I do some research and find a better alternative? I'm not very knowledgeable about cat nutrition, especially for special-needs kitties. But Pixie likes the taste of this Nutro Choice dry food and I like to imagine that the ingredients are above average. But are these ingredients ACTUALLY good for her? (Please note the beet pulp and vegetable fibers, etc.): Ingredients: chicken meal, ground rice, corn gluten meal, rice flour, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), flaxseed meal, tomato pomace, brewers dried yeast, natural flavors, dried beet pulp, mixed vegetable fiber (carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress and spinach), potassium chloride, menhaden fish oil, oat fiber, soy protein concentrate, cranberry powder, choline chloride, taurine, dl-methionine, vitamin E supplement, dried egg product, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulphate, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), L-carnitine, inositol, dried bacillus licheniformis fermentation extract, dried bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, lutein, dried chicory root, yucca schidigera extract, niacin, copper sulphate, manganous oxide, vitamin A supplement, garlic flavor, biotin, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B-2), beta-carotene, calcium iodate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B-6), vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B-1), lycopene, vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), folic acid, sodium selenite. The Nutro Choice packaging advertises the following benefits: * Reduces caloric intake, prevents weight gain * Well-balanced protein and fat help keep your cat fit * Linoleic Acid, zinc, and important vitamins improve skin and coat health * Less shedding, fewer hairballs * Natural ingredients with vitamins minerals * Easy to digest for sensitive stomachs * Distinctly improves skin coat * Reduces stool volume and odor * Less Magnesium So I'm at this juncture -- should I make every effort to get more of this Nutro Choice Complete Care dry food since Pixie likes it and seems to do well on it (despite some belching)? Or should I try to find something better and hopefully more easily available in Europe? Your suggestions are most welcome! I'd be nervous, however, to start Pixie on a raw food diet since I know nothing about this and I'd have to prepare the food myself (time-consuming and gross for a vegetarian?) Many thanks in advance for your help :) Giselle Pixie ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Maizee Grace
Today would have been my beautiful baby girls 3rd b-day.What georgeous girl she would have been. Missing her like it was just yesterday that she left me. Sherry ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] No vaxes?
What is a Rabies Titer? blockquote dir=ltr style=MARGIN-RIGHT:0px; img src=http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/04.gif;font face=Comic Sans MSPaula Howell/font/blockquote - Original Message From: Marylyn [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Friday, August 8, 2008 1:30:56 AM Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] No vaxes? Kentucky accepts them. On Aug 7, 2008, at 10:31 PM, Sabrina wrote: Where are you that titers aren't accepted? Just curious. I *believe* that rabies titers are not accepted in lieu of the actual vaccine, as unnecessary as it may be, in any of the 50 states. Sabrina www.Pet-Sitter-Pro.com www.LovingGraceRescue.org Orange County, CA ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Maizee Grace
Sherry, If this makes any difference to you I do remember you talking quite fondly about her. Thanks for giving her love she needed from you while you had her in your care. As I remember a lot of the older members talking about their fur-angels on the B-days and Anniversaries. I do look back on my losses as well and think the same things too. (What if.) In a message dated 8/8/2008 9:18:58 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Today would have been my beautiful baby girls 3rd b-day.What georgeous girl she would have been. Missing her like it was just yesterday that she left me. Sherry TAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTS SIAMESE COLLIE RESCUE _http://tazzys.org/_ (http://tazzys.org/index.html) _http://www.hurricanepetsrescue.org/_ (http://www.hurricanepetsrescue.org/) OTRA VERIFIED TRANSPORTER (On The Road Again) Terrie Mohr-Forker **Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/cars-BMW-128-2008/expert-review?ncid=aolaut000517 ) ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] no vaxes?
A titer is a blood test that measures the amount of disease fighting anti-bodies in the blood at the time the blood is drawn. Vets who try to protect animals from over vaccination use them in a variety of ways. Google The Rabies Challenge. There is a trial that is now being lead by Jean Dodds DVM and other vets to prove that one vaccination is sufficient for the live time of an animal and that multiple vaccinations and boosters are often dangerous and damaging. This subject is highly controversial because if it is proven that we have been over vaccinating our pets, the economic impact on the veterinarian community and the pharmaceutical industry will be profound. Yearly checkups for shots and boosters has been the foundation of many practices. Changing the protocol from every year to every three years has met enormous resistance. You have to admire vets who are willing to challenge their profession and major drug lobbies, for the well being of animals. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Maizee Grace
Anniversaries are very hard. Talk to her. She will comfort you. On Aug 8, 2008, at 11:18 AM, Sherry DeHaan wrote: Today would have been my beautiful baby girls 3rd b-day.What georgeous girl she would have been. Missing her like it was just yesterday that she left me. Sherry ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] No vaxes?
I can't explain all the technical stuff. Try this website and then google it because you have to follow your own heart: http://www.horizonvetserv.com/ My understanding is that bloodwork is done to determine how much immunity an animal has. Again, follow your heart with the best information you can get. On Aug 8, 2008, at 11:24 AM, lexingtongrn wrote: What is a Rabies Titer? blockquote dir=ltr style=MARGIN-RIGHT:0px; img src=http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/ tsmileys2/04.giffont face=Comic Sans MSPaula Howell/font/ blockquote - Original Message From: Marylyn [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Friday, August 8, 2008 1:30:56 AM Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] No vaxes? Kentucky accepts them. On Aug 7, 2008, at 10:31 PM, Sabrina wrote: Where are you that titers aren't accepted? Just curious. I *believe* that rabies titers are not accepted in lieu of the actual vaccine, as unnecessary as it may be, in any of the 50 states. Sabrina www.Pet-Sitter-Pro.com www.LovingGraceRescue.org Orange County, CA ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/ felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Healthy dry foods?
Hi Giselle, Glad to hear that Pixie is doing so well! I would drop Nutro like it's on fire! It's better than some foods, but it's still FULL of ingredients that our kitties are not designed to eat. Remember, cats are obligate carnivores, so they have ABSOLUTELY NO NEED for grains! They need MEAT, and a little, tiny bit of vegetable matter. If they do eat these foods they were never meant to eat, over time, it shows. Their bodies have to deal with these products that they don't know how to digest, which takes it's toll on the body. Especially the filtering organs like the liver and kidneys as they have to filter out the toxins. Arthritis, allergies, kidney/liver disorders, you name it. The BEST thing for our kitties is a natural, raw diet of meat, bone, and a little bit of veggies. Yes, it's a bit more work than opening a bag of food, but remember that these commercial foods were created to be a convenience to pet owners and food produced for convenience are rarely, if ever, nutritionally adequate. I'll be honest, raw feeding can be VERY intimidating at first, but then you'll get the hang of it. There are also Yahoo groups that can help you prepare a nutritionally-balanced diet. Contact me off-list if you'd like more info. Like I said, the BEST food for an animal is a home-prepared raw diet. Second best would be a commercially prepared raw diet. Then a home-prepared cooked, then a canned food only diet, and at the bottom of the list would be dry food only. If you MUST feed a dry food, go for Innova EVO, Wellness CORE, Nature's Variety (Prairie) Raw Instinct, or another grain-free cat food. These are somewhat better than grain-filled cat foods, but they are still HIGH on carbohydrates, and have FAR more carbs than our kitties can process. Whatever you do, stay far, FAR away from the best-known brands, like Science Diet, Iams/Eukanuba, Purina, Friskies, Meow Mix, etc. These companies spend so much money on advertising that there's really no money left over for the actual food, so they are about the lowest quality you can find. Well, actually, vet-prescribed diets are the lowest quality, but that's another rant all-together! Sabrina www.Pet-Sitter-Pro.com www.LovingGraceRescue.org Orange County, CA ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Healthy dry foods?
Primal Raw is as easy as opening a can. The freezer bag contains small cubes of meats and some veggies. I added organic veggies that were rich in iron and/or vitamin c to it (Dixie loved vegetables). I am vegetarian and, while I have cooked for my critters, it is a lot easier to do the Primal Raw. When I am sure the kittens are doing well, they will be converted to it. On Aug 8, 2008, at 1:23 PM, Sabrina wrote: Hi Giselle, Glad to hear that Pixie is doing so well! I would drop Nutro like it's on fire! It's better than some foods, but it's still FULL of ingredients that our kitties are not designed to eat. Remember, cats are obligate carnivores, so they have ABSOLUTELY NO NEED for grains! They need MEAT, and a little, tiny bit of vegetable matter. If they do eat these foods they were never meant to eat, over time, it shows. Their bodies have to deal with these products that they don't know how to digest, which takes it's toll on the body. Especially the filtering organs like the liver and kidneys as they have to filter out the toxins. Arthritis, allergies, kidney/liver disorders, you name it. The BEST thing for our kitties is a natural, raw diet of meat, bone, and a little bit of veggies. Yes, it's a bit more work than opening a bag of food, but remember that these commercial foods were created to be a convenience to pet owners and food produced for convenience are rarely, if ever, nutritionally adequate. I'll be honest, raw feeding can be VERY intimidating at first, but then you'll get the hang of it. There are also Yahoo groups that can help you prepare a nutritionally-balanced diet. Contact me off-list if you'd like more info. Like I said, the BEST food for an animal is a home-prepared raw diet. Second best would be a commercially prepared raw diet. Then a home-prepared cooked, then a canned food only diet, and at the bottom of the list would be dry food only. If you MUST feed a dry food, go for Innova EVO, Wellness CORE, Nature's Variety (Prairie) Raw Instinct, or another grain-free cat food. These are somewhat better than grain-filled cat foods, but they are still HIGH on carbohydrates, and have FAR more carbs than our kitties can process. Whatever you do, stay far, FAR away from the best-known brands, like Science Diet, Iams/Eukanuba, Purina, Friskies, Meow Mix, etc. These companies spend so much money on advertising that there's really no money left over for the actual food, so they are about the lowest quality you can find. Well, actually, vet-prescribed diets are the lowest quality, but that's another rant all-together! Sabrina www.Pet-Sitter-Pro.com www.LovingGraceRescue.org Orange County, CA ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] FIV Vac
Boy I must be lucky! Knowing what was said here I was against the vaccine but brought it up to my vet to see were he stood on it. He was totally against it. He said it is not even proven to work and gives false positives. It made me very secure to have my pets in his care. PeoplePC Online A better way to Internet http://www.peoplepc.com ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
