Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: JackSpratt on August 02, 2009, 22:07:46 PM
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As the title says really. Jack's looking a little scrawny and I was wondering what would be the best food to "beef him up" so to speak.
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I'm interested in this subject too, as Trigger could do with a pound or so more on him - he is not thin due to age or ill-health (he is 8) but I am concerned that if he does develop one of the common diseases of older felines he would go downhill rapidly
a high calorie dry food would be my best bet, as he is very picky with wet food
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You can get food specially for oldies ... but isn't kitten food supposed to be good as well? I know it's recommended for nursing/pregnant mums.
I'm sure someone will come and correct me completely on this! hehehe
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of the wet foods, the Hills k/d has the most calories per 100g but not many cats like it, but if they only eat a little food it's not a bad choice. Dry food usually puts on weight better than wet, but of course dry carries its own problems with oldies.
I've said this before, but a little known (in the UK) RC dry food, Senior for neutered cats over 10 yrs old, SO 28 veterinary food - vet UK do it- is eaten by virtually all of France's older cats. Mine used to eat it exclusively before their health problems and I had to watch how much I gave as it put on weight. It seems to be very palatable. If Jack has kidney issues though I'd not give much of it.
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Royal Canin dry food senior? Will look it up now. Jack doesn't seem to mind that he's a skinny bean, but it worries me a bit. Oh, not 100% sure but I think he might be having a bit of trouble eating after he had a dental - he still immediately gets stuck in, I'm just not sure how successfully. Any advice about this is appreciated. :)
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Cat milk really helped Byron put weight on but she seems to have gone off it now although her weight seems fine.
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is that cat milk made by Whiskas?
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She prefers the Felix one but will have Whiskas one for a change.
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this is the one http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=62_216&products_id=1004
Max likes it but he has good teeth. Swampy used to love it too, but then his teeth got too lousy.
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Have to say when Moose our golden oldie boy was diagnosed with heart, kidney and liver failure - he had his own consultants at Glasgow vet school for each organ and we were advised he had about 3 weeks to live and to feed him kitten food as it was high in calories - Moose loved kitten food and live a full glorious 9 months much to everyones shock - not ours though he had been an unwanted stray spent 11 months in his CP pen as nobody wanted a yellow and black cat - he was actually a stunning white and black longhaired boy in our care and wanted all the extra treats he had missed in being loved and unwanted
We tend to feed them what they like - only cats under 3 in our house eat Senior food the 3 older ladies aged 17, 15 and 13 look at us as if we are trying to posion them so now everyone eats normal food and all are happy!
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So I could feed him kitten meat and see if it helps? He's getting a lot of cat milk (own brand stuff, not whiskas or felix. The boy is a milk gannet!) and seems to be eating, I'm just not sure how much.
He ate some chicken the other day (about half a pack to be exact!) so I'm not sure it's his appetite. Am saving for a blood panel just to be on the safe side.
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Some cats do just go thinner as they get older though without being ill but always worth checking out.
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He has always been the most streamlined of my cats it has to be said. But I just want to ensure with him being older it's nothing I'm overlooking.
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I would be wary of kitten food, as it does have more protein, which isn't great for old kidneys. I use PAH catmilk, as it is pretty much always on offer. I have always used cat milk and more treats, although the vet nurse recommended a tin of a/d a week for Pebbles when we struggled with her weight.
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We tend to feed them what they like - only cats under 3 in our house eat Senior food the 3 older ladies aged 17, 15 and 13 look at us as if we are trying to posion them so now everyone eats normal food and all are happy!
And I thought it was just my lot! seniors love the kitten food, kittens like anything but.... :rofl:
Usually as long as they are all eating I am happy.....
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Royal canin outdoor mature biscuits have extra calories in and are very tasty (says magoo) i think your wise to get his bloods done incase hes becomming hyperthyroid. Can you have a look in his mouth to check thats ok?
Kitten food and cat milk can help but are more likely to give an upset tummy which would defeat the object as he wouldnt be digesting properly and getting the calories
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He had a dental not very long ago at all. Will look into the food suggested and continue saving for the blood test.
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Oh, not 100% sure but I think he might be having a bit of trouble eating after he had a dental - he still immediately gets stuck in, I'm just not sure how successfully. Any advice about this is appreciated. :)
Sometimes you can get problems if sutures dont dissolve properly, i dont know if he had many out but not all mouths heal up without fuss
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Will try and take a peep later. :)
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I took a look in Jacks mouth (despite the indignant expression that came about as I prised his mouth open....) and could see nothing that looked wrong.