Lick Your Chops - Advanced Natural Nutrition

[Cleo]

Has anyone heard of or use this brand of cat food? It is manufactured by Integrated Pet Foods, Inc. in West Chester, PA. A 5.5oz can costs $1.39 (here in NY) and while higher price doesn't mean better quality, I was wondering about it.

www.integratedpet.com

[Traci]

I'm not familiar with them, Cleo, but I can tell you one thing, I don't necessarily agree with their "rationale", which is common amoung "natural' promoters:

Lick Your Chops was founded on the principles of natural nutrition and grew from an overwhelming love and deep concern for the health and well being of a Golden Retriever. In 1979, Dr. Robert Goldstein and his wife Susan discovered that their seven year old Golden Retriever, Leigh, was suffering from canine hip dysplasia and arthritis. Faced with the painful choice of major invasive surgery or euthanasia, they chose a different path.

They stopped feeding Leigh commercial dog foods and placed him on a home-cooked diet of fresh meats, whole grains, vegetables, vitamins and minerals, herbs and pure distilled water. Within six months Leigh's painful symptoms subsided and Leigh began once again a normal life.

Dr. Goldstein began recommending a nutritional approach to many clients of his veterinary hospital and suggested replacing commercial diets with "home cooked" diets. The corresponding improvements in health and vitality were so impressive that they formed a company that could provide more practical versions of these home-cooked diets.
That food is LICK YOUR CHOPS.

I could point out some inconsistencies here, but those that strike me as most misleading would be that 6 months on a new home-cooked diet attributed soley to the dog's once again leading a normal life. I strongly suggest tincture of time, additional medication such as antiinflammatories or glucosamine/chondroitin were given, in addition to other medical approaches. Diet alone does not "solve" arthritis or hip displaysia.

While proper diet is indeed necessary to aid in nutritiional therapy and/or to manage some disease conditions, claiming such "impressive" results, presumably for a multitude of conditions, without data to back it up leaves one with a questionable impression.

Commercial diets can and have achieved the same purposes.

[Cleo]

Thanks Traci. I just get confused with by-products and fillers in the ingredients and when I see a brand without them figure that it can't be all that bad. I didn't read the canine part of the website and totally agree that diet alone cannot solve certain health problems.

I did get the Purina dry growth & development (for the kittens) and also the Purina dry for sensitive stomachs (for Gwen) and gradually introduced it to them. I'm happy to say I found the bowls licked clean this morning and with the IAMS turkey and giblets, their stomach problems seem to be easing up.