Is PURINA ONE an OK food?

[anneryan]

Hi All,

A food question......again! I had been feeding my kitty Eukanuba Sensitive Stomach formula dry food and she did really well on it. Her coat was wonderful, no vomiting, etc. Gradually, she stopped wanting to eat it, so I tried a few other options and she settled on Purina ONE Salmon and Rice dry food. She loves the food and has lots of energy but seems to shed more and I think she is having trouble with her anal glands (for the second time).

We are going to the vet tomorrow, but I am wondering whether the Purina ONE may not have enough fiber or is not as high-quality as the Eukanuba food. Any opinions? I will ask the vet his thoughts tomorrow too.

Thanks,

Anne (and Mia)

[Traci]

Whatever happened to ruling out food allergy? I'm curious,....

[anneryan]

You have a good memory, Traci!

We decided to wait a while and let her skin calm down after the treatments for the demodex mites. She has completely stopped scratching her neck and head, so hopefully food allergies aren't an issue.

Interestingly, though, she was eating the Eukanuba Sensitive Stomach food during the mite treatments and for a month or two afterwards and was still scratching quite a bit. Then, she stopped eating it for some reason and I tried the Purina ONE. She has completely stopped scratching
her head, neck and ears! So, I don't know if an ingredient in the Eukanuba was bothering her or if her scratching would have subsided anyways once her skin calmed down.

[Traci]

Hard to tell, but if she seems to be doing well on the Purina ONE, don't change it.

Ask your vet about an EFA supplement you can pour over the food to help with the coat condition. Please don't use off-brands, use what your vet recommends. Your vet probably has liquid form or liquid capsules you can break open and mix in the food.

If you're concerned about anal glands, get those checked promptly! Do you notice her straining in the litterbox? Are her stools abnormally soft or abnormally hard?

[anneryan]

We went to the vet this morning. He also said that Purina ONE is a fine food--just like you, he recommends Purina, Iams, Eukanuba, Hill's or Waltham's diets. Since Mia is a little chubby, he wants me to try giving her more canned food and less dry food, little by little.

He did check her anal glands and one of them needed to be "expressed", so she should feel much better.

I will ask him about the EFA's next time we go.

Thanks!

Anne (and Mia)

[BarneyTheCat]

Hi

We are also still researching foods (Cat Urinary Tract Infection this time) but here's a great resource regarding the big-name foods. The brands you mentioned are under the "1"; All ingredients are listed, and explained.
Although this is for dog food, imagine the same standards apply for our cats:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Good luck! It's certainly been a challenge this year with food! Have learned a lot about ingredients.

[Traci]

BarneyTheCat, the link you posted is obviously biased, and interestingly, has no information about the "editors", nor any indication they have any veterinary or animal health background to support their claims. It's clear the site is based on opinions only.

"the brands" Anne mentioned are perfectly appropriate for her kitty's needs, and carry quality research and clinical studies and gaurantees behind them.

[mamabear]

anneryan, please call the vet and ask about the efa's. Waiting till next appt might to long. Certainly dont change her food again as that might cuase her tummy to get upset.

Brush her out often to help with her shedding. warm weather will make any animal with hair blow coat.

THe undercoat rake at any petsmart or walmart or petco helps a great deal.

[anneryan]

Thanks to you all for your suggestions. Mia's shedding has improved greatly--I think it was either the extremely hot weather or stress from when we went on vacation and left her for a few days with a pet sitter.

She is much better--her coat is silky, her eyes are clear and she is very interactive and playful. I think I'll leave well-enough alone and stick with the Purina ONE as Traci and my vet suggested.

Thanks!

Anne (and Mia)

[Traci]

Glad to hear everything has improved, what a relief! If however, any vomiting/itching occurs on the Purina One, might want to discuss food allergies. Let's hope she does well on this!