Cat Food Big Debate on Ash in their Food???(help)

[KK7]

You ever stand in front of the pet food and feel overwhelmed?????I want to change my cats on a better food the food their on makes their skin flakey ect.(On Healthful Life) So want to put them on Purnia One Smartblend. I was thinking of indoor but they don't have hairballs. Then thinking weight control because one is a litttle chunky. But the Chicken and Rice & Salmon and Tuna have the Omega 6 for the skin and coat. So think I decided on one of these. When I picked up at Walmart they didn't have the Salmon and Tuna it is a new product and they didn't have them all in stock. BUT then I noticed the Chicken and Rice has Ash in it and their is such a big debate. My head hurts!!!!! Any helpful advice would be great!

[jjbmat]

Hi KK7! I'm a vet tech and I would always stay away from products with ash in it especially for a cat and ESPECIALLY male cats because it causes crystals and stones to form in the urinary tract which is painful or even fatal if it blocks the urinary tract altogether. I always recommend a high quality food like science diet or veterinary quality foods. You can always add omega to the food separately so don't feel like you have to buy the food that has it in it. And in my experience the cheaper the food, the more problems those cats have.

[KK7]

I have Vet Assitant also not the full nine yards but took over a year. Not to argue but Sceince Diet isn't as good as people like to make it..... by product and corn are also the first ingreidents. Here is an actual comparision of the two

http://www.purinaone.com/products/Pr...0-3437ead59ca4

[abbasgirl]

I agree. It is confusing and overwhelming! There are so many gimmicky brands out there that prey on consumers who want to feed their cats properly but have no idea what to look for. They come out with whole grains (even though cats are carnivores) and all natural ingredients, but add cheap fillers. Science Diet is one of the worst, most sneaky brands! I look for things like protein quality and content and the absence of ingredients like corn or wheat. There are a couple of reasonably priced brands that I use with quality protein and no corn or wheat. PC (sold in stores under the Loblaws banner) has a brand called "Nutrition First" and Petsmart recently came out with a brand called "Simply Nourish." Both have ingredients lists that are easy to understand. I'm not sure what the ash content is in them though. It seems like if you want a perfect cat food you pretty much have to make it yourself and even then I would worry about leaving something out.

[Koolaid]

boy I wish I could help...but only have birds.....

[Patty Smyth]

My cat has a fish allergy so I'm really limited what I can get.

[jjbmat]

Yes, I only mentioned Science Diet because it's readily available and I can't even think of 3 cats who've gotten crystals or blockages from it. Whereas Iams I've seen more than 50 and lots of dead cats from it. Absolutely it's best to know your products whatever you choose and cats are carnivores so make sure they're eating a proper diet. Where ash is concerned, steer clear.

[FallenPixels]

Science Diet is overpriced crap that vets are led to believe is good because they sponsor the nutrition courses at vet schools - I know plenty of cats with crystals fed vet approved / sold diets

If you have a Global pet foods near you, they stock the higher quality stuff, talk to them about what your cats preferences are, and that you want a better quality, affordable, low ash food

[FallenPixels]

Also most indoor / weight loss formulas are made with even more carbs to make them feel full, which is bad to begin with, but if you free feed (not measure) its even worse because they digest the carbs more quickly than protein and just go back for more

[lekate]

Pet Valu is also a great place to start, but honestly cats should not be fed dry food. Cats cannot properly digest carbs. Plain and simple. Obligate carnivore.

[KK7]

Also most indoor / weight loss formulas are made with even more carbs to make them feel full, which is bad to begin with, but if you free feed (not measure) its even worse because they digest the carbs more quickly than protein and just go back for more

that I didn't know pixel but now you saying it makes sense thanks

[KK7]

Pet Valu is also a great place to start, but honestly cats should not be fed dry food. Cats cannot properly digest carbs. Plain and simple. Obligate carnivore.

I probally should of metioned that they eat wet food also half a can in am and half at night(fancy feast)

[opus]

We feed our cat a mix of EVO and Orijens for dry food.
We have a whole bunch of the evo from the promotion they did a little while ago,
so we are using that up, but he really seems to like the Orijens food, so weve been mixing that in.
The great thing about the orijens food is that its made here in canada.

For wet food, he gets the 95% beef or chicken/turkey EVO food.
And for a treat every once and a while we give him a little bit of almo nature (the chicken breast one) Which is just chicken and water.

None of these have wheat gluten and neither of the wet foods have any by products.

Hope maybe I helped somewhat.

[opus]

The nice thing about the evo wet food is the price isnt that different from grocery store brands, if your still on a budget, that is.

We pay 2.50 for a 374g tin of the wet evo food.
and the almo nature is 1.49 for a 70g tin. (we buy this one at whole foods)

And from what I see at work (zellers) the prices arent that different for the not so great stuff. Just putting in my two cents.

[nadiabreckon]

Also most indoor / weight loss formulas are made with even more carbs to make them feel full, which is bad to begin with, but if you free feed (not measure) its even worse because they digest the carbs more quickly than protein and just go back for more

Thank you for mentioning this! We don't free-feed our cat, and now even the more reason not to!!!