This isn't really a question, more an experience about different pet foods :-)?

Question

This isn't really a question, more an experience about different pet foods :-)?
I have two cats who until four months ago were being fed Purina. I thought I was doing them good for putting them on a so-called "name brand" food. One was overweight with dull fur, one was underweight and had recurring urinary tract infections.

I never thought it was the food that was causing this, because Purina is a huge company who supposedly cares about pet nutrition and would never put unnecessary ingredients in their food!

Anyway after the recurring urinary infections my vet suggested Science diet Urinary.. It cost $30 for a small bag which I thought was expensive, but anything for my babies!

So a month goes by, no improvement, and I happen to see a review of Sci Diet online that said it was crap with nothing but fillers and to feed a high quality grainless or raw. I looked into it and settled on mixing two brands, Orijen and Horizon Legacy, both grainless with the first three to four ingredients being meat, no by-products, no grains, no fillers. Upon further reading I found out a lot of bad things about commercial pet food.. Some of which use basically no meat except by products and teh first three ingredients being corn (including the so called good foods, Purina and Science Diet).

Two months later and both cats are at a healthy weight, super shiny coats and bright eyes, and both have more energy than I thought possible for them. My one cat has not had a urinary infection in more than a month and a half.

I encourage everyone to look at the food you are feeding your pets and feed the best you can afford for them. Research different brands and ingredients. Yes your pet can survive on crappy food, but it isn't fair and they will never be as healthy as they could be. I feel horrible for feeding them crap for so long! :-(

Anyway thanks for reading this and if it encourages even one person to switch, its so worth it!

Answer 1

My cat got terrible urinary crystals when she was eating Purina! She would go to the bathroom in front of us and just scream. I felt so terrible. After taking her to the vet and getting that all cleared up, we put her on Natural Balance and she's bee doing great since.



An alternative to the Science Diet for urinary problems is Wysong; its much better quality.

Answer 2

Thank you for sharing. Isn't it scary what we are told about pet foods? So many vets recommend what they are selling in their offices. Good job on the research. Same thing happened to us - sort of. I now only use Innova Evo for my pets. I experimented with a few different foods with horrific results. Never again.



If you don't mind me asking you - would you please keep sharing your story with people. The price of good quality food is so much cheaper than vet bills, medical issues and sick pets. I think people let the cost prevent them from feeding good food - but the end result is much more risky and expensive. Please spread the word - you personal experience is worth more than all the advertising in the world!

Answer 3

You may get more interest if you post in the cat section since this is about cats.

You're in the dog section here.

Answer 4

We were recommended the same, only it worked for us.

Answer 5

Maybe you should post this in the cat section.