Following are selected posts to the Holisticat (TM) Mailing List on the subject of vitamin and mineral supplements. There's a lot of information here, and the posts are arranged in ascending chronological order. If there is a particular word you're looking for, it's probably best to utilize the "Find in Page" function in your edit menu!
Happy hunting :)
<15 Aug 1998 From Elaine Re Multi-vitamin mineral supplement>
Judy writes:
<< I *think* I may have come across a good *people* multi-vitamin
+ minerals, that is suited for kittys. Please critique!
And those that give a *kitty* vitamin to their kittys, please compare
this to yours. Thanks. Oh, I only want to use a multi-supplement
a couple times a week, not daily. >>
Wouldn't it be safer to just use a vitamin that is designed for cats? I use Wysong's f-Biotic. It is the most incredible vitamin I have ever seen. Dr. Wysong was originally a vet who was tired of seeing the after-effects of poor nutrition. So he started manufacturing cat/dog food and vitamins, etc. I use nothing but his products. I am very impressed with the vitamin. It has antioxidants, digestive enzymes, and lots of things other vitamins lack. I have some cards for a free introductory order of $45 worth of stuff for $10. It will contain both food and vitamin. If you want to try it, just let me know and I will send you a card. Anyone else, too.
Elaine
< < Please critique! And those that give a *kitty* vitamin
to their kittys, please compare this to yours. Thanks. Oh, I only
want to use a multi-supplement a couple times a week, not daily. It's by
Carlson called Mini-Multi:
Vit. E
60 IU
Vit. E 1.25 IU
Vit. C
20 mg
Vit. C 5 mg.
Vit. A 5000 IU
Vit. A 225 IU
Vit. D3 200 IU
Vit. D3 12.5 IU
Vit. B1 1.5 mg
Vit. B1 .5 mg
Vit. B2 1.7 mg
Vit. B2 .5 mg
Vit. B12
6 mcg
Vit. B12 .5 mcg
Vit. B-6
2 mg
Vit. B-6 .5 mg
Niacin
20 mg
Niacin 1.25 mg
Pantothenic acid 10mg
Pantothenic acid 1.25 mg
Folic Acid 133mcg
Folic acid .5 mcg
Biotin
30mcg
Biotin .5 mcg
choline 10
Choline 1.25 mg
calcium 10mg
Calcium 12.5 mg
magnesium 6mg
Magn. .375 mg
zinc 7.5mg
Zinc .25 mg
copper .66mg
Copper 7.5 mcg
iodine
75mcg
Iodine 10 mcg
maganese
1mg
none
chromium
25mcg Chromium .87
mcg
selenium
25mcg
Selenium .87 mcg
Boron, cobalt, molybdenum, silcon, titanium, bromine, lithium, nickel,
sulfur, vanadium.
The amounts I listed above to the right of yours, Judy (or I hope that's how it shows up on the list) are for one tablet. Mine doesn't have any of the last line of items you mentioned. Giddy's vitamin is a kitty vitamin that is only sold through vets. It also has .5 mg PABA, 2.5 mg DL-Methionine, 50 mg Taurine, Cystine, Betaine HCI, Lecithin, Linoleic Acid, Gamma Linolenic Acid, and digestive enzymes. I believe Tamara and some others on the list are also using this. He gets one tablet per day.
The Carlson vitamin seems to have a lot of minerals in it. Are those trace amounts of the items like boron, lithium, nickel, etc.? I don't think kitties would need those necessarily.
Leah
Hi all
Mine is Felobits by Beecham (I get it at the allo vet's)
Each tablet contains: d-Sorbitol: 145 mg / Vit A: 1500 IU / Vit D3: 150 IU / Vitamin E: 2 IU / Taurine: 60 mg / Thiamine mononitrate: 1 mg / Riboflavin: 1 mg / Niacinimide: 4 mg / Calcium pantothenate: .5 mg / Pyridoxine HCI (B6): .5 mg / Inositol: 10 mg / Zinc: .145 mg / Manganese: .11 mg / Linoleic Acid: 20 mg / Choline as the bitartrate: 50 mg / Calcium as calcium phosphate: 46 mg / Phos as calcium phosphate: 35.6 mg / Iron as ferrous fumarate: 5 mg / Cobalt as cobalt sulfate: .1 mg / Iodine as potassium iodide: .1 mg
So it seems that mine is meant to provide basic small amounts of, well, basics. Yours seems to cover a lot more of those basics. Is yours meant for kitties who already eat balanced meals or is it for sick kitties? I can't see there being a problem giving it once every few days.
<<What does PMG mean?>>
PMG is an acronym for protomorphogens; they're similar, but not the same product as a glandular. My 18 yr. old kitty is taking two products like this for his kidney disease. Were you considering these for a kitty?
<<Can anyone recommend a good holistic full spectrum cat vitamin supplement?>>
Well, it's probably not "holistic" per se, but my kitty takes Nu-Cat vitamins. They seem to have a nice mix of vitamins/minerals that a cat would need. Cats that are in good healthy condition on a home prepared diet might not need much supplementation, but mine does as he is not in the best of health.
Leah
Hi all
Here are just a few general guidelines for vitamin dosages. This is
taken from CJ Puotinen's "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care". I'm looking
for other sources for this info as well. It appears that I was wrong about
vitamin A doses. I thought it was 1500 IU a week, but I was waaay off,
and she says it should be 750 IU a DAY. I don't mind being wrong, but this
doesn't sound right to me, so I'm still looking.
Anyway.
Vitamin C: 500 mg - 750 mg daily for adult cats. Sick animals can easily do with more.
Vitamin A: 750 IU per 10 pounds body weight daily. This is *supplemental*. Again, if anyone can come up with different figures before I do, feel free to post them. I don't feel comfortable with this number.
Vitamin B: Puotinen says that supplementing the B vits is usually unnecessary. But if you do, the daily requirements for adult cats are:
Stein says that D requirements for pets are unknown, but that there are some things to look for which *may* be indications of deficiencies: "This vitamin regulates the thyroid and nervous system, heart, skin respiration, and blood clotting....Pat McKay indicates the following as deficiency symptoms in cats and dogs: allergies; kidney and urinary disorders; diarrhea; arthritis; poor metabolism; poorly developed bones, muscles or teeth; and irritability. Supplement your pets with fish liver oils or with vitamin A [which often comes formulated with vitamin D], but use cautiously. Toxicities are possible, much more so than for vitamin A, and dosages for pets are not delineated by any dog or cat source."
Oh, and for what it's worth, vitamin D toxicity can show up as hypercalcemia, or excess blood calcium.
Vitamin E: 100 IU per 20 lbs body weight daily. Sick cats can do with more, though I don't know what max safe levels for sick animals might be. I hope someone else can say!!
Taurine supplementation will not hurt. Puotinen says that the typical mouse supplies 2.4 mg per gram of taurine. Beef = .2 mg; Beef liver = .1 mg; chicken = .2 mg; eggs = .1 mg; milk = .05 mg; clams = 1 mg.
Edmund Dorosz in "Let's Cook for Our Cat" (a lousy cookbook, but it's got some good info in it) says 1000 - 3000 IU of vitamin A *daily*, but that's overall, for total requirements.
And Diane Stein says that Wendell Belfield recommends 10,000 IU of A daily for short term skin problems. She says that Frazier recommends 10,000 IU a week for healthy cats, or about 1500 IU a day. Okay, I was wrong!
I don't have Frazier's book. Does she have a chart or anything with vitamin requirements? Anyone feel like posting it if she does? I'd be pretty interested in comparisons. BTW, I think it's Dorosz who says that liver, kept to 1/4 of the weekly diet, should supply all the A a cat needs. But Pitcairn says that dry, itchy skin is the first sign of an A deficiency. Now, I don't think for a second that all dry itchy skin is an A deficiency, but it's something to consider for those of you whose kitties have this problem (Kashmir included).
Take care all, Kathy and the cats
<<She says that Frazier recommends 10,000 IU a week for healthy
cats, or about 1500 IU a day. Okay, I was wrong! I don't have Frazier's
book. Does she have a chart or anything with vitamin requirements? Anyone
feel like posting it if she does? I'd be pretty
interested in comparisons.>>
Frazier's recommendations for vitamin supplementation differ according
to whether you have a "heathy cat" , one under going stress or fighting
a disease. In her anti-stress supplement section, she says 100 units
per day of Vit. E for two weeks, then 400 units per week. For Vit.
C, 250 units 3-4 times a day (this is while under stress, keep in mind);
for Vitamins A and D, once a week, give one capsule containing 10,000 units
of A and 400 units D. There are also some separate recommendations
for supplementation
for infections and wounds.
Just as a side note, when my cat suffered with his near-urinary blockage several years ago, the holistic vet with whom I was consulting at the time was a strong believer (as am I) in vitamin supplementation. His recommendation at that time was 1)Vit. C to bowel tolerance, 2)10,000 units per day of Vit. A for 2-3 weeks, then 1,000 units /day 3) 400 IU per day of Vit. E for 2-3 weeks, then 400 IU 3 times per week. I felt those guidelines were a little radical, but as I recall I did give those dosages for around a week, then tapered back down to a reasonable amount. I feel the body can tolerate higher levels of vitamins when injured or ill. You have to be *very* careful with fat soluble vitamins, such as Vit. A, D and E and not give high dosages for long periods of time.
Leah
Hi
Odin, my new kitten, came with a supplement called NuVet Plus Feline. It contains:
Minerals:
Calcium (from Oyster shell)
80.0 mg
Phosphorus (from Oyster shell)
65.0 mg
Zinc Proteinate
5.0 mg
Potassium (from Citrate, Iodine)
15.0 mg
Selenium (from Yeast)
100.0 mg
Vitamins:
Vitamin A (from Beta Carotene)
1000.0 iu
Vitamin E (from d-alph Tocopheryl Acetate) 25.0 iu
Vitamin C
25.0 mg
Also includes: Whey Protein Concentrate, Brewer's Yeast, Liver Powder (fresh dehydrated), Oyster shell, evening Primrose oil, blue green algae, shark cartilage, selenium yeast, cats claw, taurine, pine bark, zinc proteinate, Papain, alpha amylase.
This product is made by NuVet Labs in California and is a green powder. I had never heard of it prior to receiving some with our new baby. The package says to add 1/2 tsp to kittens food. Has anyone ever used this product? Any thoughts on the contents? I though pine was on the poison plant list.
TIA
Debbie, Apollo (eskie), Zeus (sheltie), & Odin (Ragdoll)
<<As you can see, I'm days behind in mail again... I've heard many vets recommend Nu-Cat vitamins, but when I looked at the amounts of the vitamins in it, it seemed low to me.>>
The levels of the various nutrients, vitamins and minerals are relatively
low, but I'm not terribly concerned about that, as I feel Giddy gets vitamins
from his food and the oils I give him too. I actually only give him
one tablet per day (based on my homeopathic vet's recommendation); that
provides 50 mg. taurine, which is one of the primary things of concern
to me since I alter his source of meat over a week and don't always include
an organ meat in his diet. It has a rather full spectrum of
many
vits.-minerals (35 different vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc.)
just small amounts. It also has digestive enzymes, which I thought
was interesting to include in a vitamin.
<<Do you feel comfortable with the levels in it versus the cost?>>
The bottle was $14 for 240 tablets; with an expiration date of
2001, that will last a looonnng time at this rate. My understanding
is that the product is only sold through veterinarians, but I could be
mistaken. As I mentioned above, I guess I don't get quite as concerned
about nutrient absorption, what cats can or cannot assimilate as some do.
I feel comfortable that I've got a pretty good homeopathic vet this time
and trust that his advice makes sense. That doesn't mean I don't
do my research, 'cuz I do, anybody that knows me well is aware of that.
[snip]
Leah
Hi Kidz,
I can't remember all the ingredients in Pet-Tinic anymore. I remember that it is a low potency B-complex with some iron added. Leah found this in the pamphlet book by Christine Farlow, D.C. "Food Additives: A shopper's Guide to What's Safe & What's Not": Potassium sorbate (the chief preservative in Pet Tinic) avoid if kidney or heart problems, sodium citrate - may cause kidney disturbances, sodium hydroxide - alters protein content of food.
I've been using Schiff's B-Complex 50, derived from whole rice. It smells sweet, and the boyz seem to actually like it's flavor. Laurie, does your Country Life brand contain PABA or yeast?
Judy
Judy wrote:
<<Potassium sorbate (the chief preservative in Pet Tinic)
avoid if kidney or heart problems, sodium citrate - may cause kidney disturbances
sodium hydroxide - alters protein content of food. Laurie, does your
Country Life brand contain PABA or yeast?>>
Good work, Judy. I thought I remembered there was some reason I didn't really want to use the PetTinic even though the vet recommended it. No yeast in the Country Life B-Complex, but it does contain PABA. I know some people/pets could have allergy problems with topically applied PABA, but does that go for taking a tiny amount as a vitamin as well? Is there something else bad about PABA that I should know? Thanks!
barbb@ wrote:
<<I hand't thought of probiotics. Where would a person
buy them?>>
Hi Barb,
I would try the local health food store. I use one with Tribble (and me!) called ProGreens by NutriCology, which is a powder that has all kinds of great stuff in it. Besides the beneficial bacteria, it has dried grass juices, spirulina and other algaes, FOS, anti-oxidant herbs, and tiny amounts of flax and apple pectin. FOS is a micro-nutrient for the good bacteria, to help get the good colonies well established. I also like to use one of the lactose-free acidophilus/bifidus cultures which come in capsules and are usually refrigerated, just to be sure I'm getting lively cultures. Good luck!
Laurie (Wildflower)
hey everyone --
i was using (am throwing it out after i type this) solgar's Bone Meal
Powder. here's the breakdown:
bone meal.................4977 mg
Calcium...................1650 mg
iron.........................1 mg
*PHOPHOROUS*...............750 mg
Vit B-12....................25 mcg
zinc.........................2 mg
bone marrow.................20 mg
*MAGNESIUM*.................40 mg
copper.....................0.1 mg
i stressed the Ph and Mg for a reason -- magnesium is implicated in FUS and phosphorous is restricted in CRF cats. when you use calcium, it's just calcium. to help out, there's a Ca:Ph calculator at http://www.dataweb.net/~sham/nutrient/index.html .... but i'm still trying to figger out what everything means there myself :)
hi again --
<<Those figures are horrific, even for healthy cats! How much do they recommend giving per day - i.e., what do the mgs work out to, did you do the calculation? Just curious.>>
jean, those numbers are per "rounded teaspoon" and pat mckay recommends 1 Tablespoon of bone meal per pound of meat. since a 3 pound chicken lasts sam about a week, he's getting a buttload of bone meal and all it's scary parts!!
Vick and the kitty company: Skippy, Sam, Max and Jezebel
Hi all
First off, thank you everyone for the forcefeeding tips. I think it'll
take awhile to get the hang of this! She's really weak, which makes it
easier, though not much fun. Thank you all for the continued thoughts.
She needs 'em. Two doses of the CliniCare (teeny amounts -- no measurements
on my syringe) made her hunch up like her tummy was upset :( Chicken broth
is still cooking.
[snip]
And, as per request, here are the ingredients for CliniCare (long list): water; maltodextrin; sodium caseinate; dried whey protein concentrate; soy oil; butter; egg yolks; calcium phosphate tribasic; potassium citrate; potassium chloride; calcium carbonate; L-arginine; lecithin; choline chloride; taurine; magnesium sulfate; carrageenan; calcium phosphate dibasic; ferrous sulfate; zinc sulfate; ascorbic acid; DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate; niacinimide; manganese sulfate; d-calcium pantothenate; citric acid; thiamine hydrochloride; copper sulfate; riboflavin; pyridoxine hydrochloride; vitamin A palmitate; folic acid; biotin; potassium iodide; vitamin D3 supplement; sodium molybdate; sodium selenite and vitamin B12 supplement.
Some of the ingredients I question (carageenan, eg). But it's a temporary measure. I'm past desperate. She hasn't kept a single thing down since Friday night and won't drink anything on her own. Anyway, the chicken broth will be ready soon :)
Take care all, Kathy and the cats
I called Missing Link folks today and they said one teaspoon has 16 mg of phosphorous. Does anyone know how much Missing Link then would be ok to give CRF kitties?
Kaylen and Baranof
Hi everybody:
I had been giving Aldonza Felovite as a daily vitamin, but discontinued
it because of its high Vitamin A content. Some time ago I copied
a post from the crf list which included the ingredients in both Felovite
and Nutrical and have posted them below. The Nutrical is lower in
Vitamin A. Taking her kidney disease/spondylosis into consideration,
would the Nutrical be a better
alternative? Would it be better to give her one or the
other in smaller doses, (i.e. half tsp. instead of whole tsp.), or does
someone else have another idea for a multiple vitamin that would be good
for her? I think that she needs a good multiple vitamin especially
now because she is ill, but I don't want to give her one with the wrong
balance of ingredients (too high, too low, not advisable at all) either.
What do you all think?
Felovite II with taurine per tsp:
calcium (min)55mg
calcium (max) 67mg
phosphorus 67mg
salt (min)42 mg
salt (max) 3.3mg
cobalt .08mg
copper .11mg
iodine .28mg
iron .75mg
magnesium 4.42mg
manganese .24mg
potassium .09mg
zinc .34mg
vit a 1480 iu
vit d3 148 iu
vit e 6 iu
vit b1 1.5mg
vit b2 1.5 mg
vit b6 1.5mg
vit b12 6mcg
vit k .77mg
biotin 7.4mcg
choline 35mg
folic acid 44mcg
inositol 1.5mg
nicotinamide 7.4mg
d-pantothenic acid 2mg
taurine 100mg
(I don't know what the min and max means)
Nutrical per tsp
crude protein (min) .7%
crude fat (min) 34.5%
Crute fiber (max) 3.8%
Moisture (max) 14%
calcium (min) .16mg
calcium (max) .20mg
phosphorus .03mg
iron .53mg
iodine .53mg
magnesium .42mg
manganese 1mg
potassium .16mg
Vir a 1045 iu
vit d3 60iu
vit e 6iu
vitb1 2ng
vit b2 .2mg
vit b6 1mg
vit b12 2mcg
folic acid .2mg
nicotinamide 2mg
d-pantothenic acid 1mg
Charlie gets one of these a day mixed into his bfast. This is what's in www.dancingpaws.com
Feline Two Capsules Contain: (All Human Grade)
Vitamin A (Acetate) 2000 IU
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) 200 IU
Vitamin E (dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate) 10 IU
Thiamine (HCI) 0.8 mg
Riboflavin 1.0 mg
Niacin (Niacinamide) 8 mg
Folic Acid 60 mcg
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 40 mcg
Biotin 60 mcg
Pantothenic Acid (Calcium Pantothenate)
1.0 mg Iron (Amino Acid Chelate) 5 mg
Iodine (Potassium Iodide) 1.0 mg
Potassium (Potassium Chloride) 10 mg
Zinc (Oxide) 1.0 mg
Copper (Gluconate) 0.20 mg
Manganese (Sulfate) 0.20 mg
Choline (Bitartrate) 6 mg
Taurine 80 mg
Linoleic Acid (Sunflower Oil, Borage Oil) 20 mg
Sodium Chloride 20 mg
The holistic vet approved of them. She also gave me some stuff from www.standardprocess.com, unfortunatley I didn't see my products (Arginex & Renafood) on their site and can't tell if there's any hidden stuff.
Trish
Cats Only is basically freeze dried Atlantic herring. It should
be used as a treat or as a bribe food when trying to switch to a raw diet
or to get a finicky cat to eat. Only use a very small amount, e.g.,
about 5 or 6 pellets.
It is not a "nutritional supplement," especially when feed a raw food
diet, as Cats Only is high concentrated protein.
It is good to have a jar in the house. Your cats will go crazy for it.
Jill
Hi list
I just read an intesting para in Dr. Dorosz' book "Let's Cook for Our
Cat":
<quote>
Cats can be finicky and refuse to eat some recipes or mixtures of various foods. They tend to like their food plain, something they can recognize. By mixing several ingredients together, we may turn them off when we place it into their dish. They recognize the smells but somehow they're different so the automatic, natural response is to refuse it all or pick out what is recognizable. If our cat is this way we may have to feed each ingredient separately. For example, cod liver oil may be licked up by itself but when mixed in with other ingredients may be refused. This then requires patience and trial and error to see what our cat will eat. Often it just may take time. Or the other alternative is to give each separately. Also we know that each cat is an individual with her own tastes; what one will eat, another within the same household may not.<end quote>
He also lists some "vitamin & mineral foods" to be added to homemade diets to ensure proper nutrition. Nothing new here but I thought it was a good reference for quantities:
<quote>
Diane,
<< just add a multi vit-min. recommended by my holistic vet - in one tablet, there's 1.75 mcg. - not a very large amount, so I don't worry about it. That way, I don't have to give a supplementary powder - my cat didn't eat his food very well using either one of those. If you can get them to eat it reasonably well, I do think the powder is a nice mix of nutrients.. You add no other supplements besides the multi-vitamin?>>
I add either flax oil or cod liver oil directly to the food mix when I feed it at each feeding - when I mix up a batch of food, I put a heaping teaspoon of yogurt into the mix. Beyond that, I don't add a powder supplement of any sort.
<<Which multi-vitamin do you use?>>
The one I'm using is called Nu-Cat by Vetri Science. I thought I wrote up some info. on it for the Products We Use section on the web page, but I'll double check on that. I had to get it from my homeopathic vet - it's not sold through catalogs or in HFSs. Vetriscience has a web site - I'll get you the URL. I think it's a pretty well balanced multi-vit-min tablet - I know there are some others on the list that also use it for their kitties.
Leah
Leah wrote:
<<The one I'm using is called Nu-Cat by Vetri Science.
I thought I wrote up>>
Most catalogs don't sell Nu-Cat but KV Vet Supply sells the Vetri-Science products at a discount. Their website is at http://www.kvvet.com
Here's what they say about Nu-Cat:
Multiple vitamin/mineral formula with taurine, perna, and gamma lindenic
acid (GLA) for cats. Also contains digestive enzymes. A very complete formulated
product. Suggested use: 2 to 4 tablets daily.
Catalog # Quantity Retail Your Price
40060 100
tabs $7.99
$5.99
40061 240
tabs $15.99
$10.99
Be well, Nancy and the furkids
<<Has anyone ever heard of Felovite II by Evsco, a taurine supp? Is it only taurine or is taurine one of many things in there? There's something like that in the U.S. and it's a multi I believe; sold by vets and in vet catalogs. If it's just plain taurine, I don't see any harm in it as long as it doesn't have a bunch of unecessary fillers in it.>>
Hello List,
Yes, I used felovite on the recommendation of an allo vet for my wiley when he was ill. (pre-holisticat days) It was an iron and multi vitamin supp too; he was anemic. But I believe it is preserved with sodium benzoate. <hiss>
My homoeopathic vet recommended that I stop using it immediately, and gave me liv-a-plex by Standard Process instead, plus a bunch of other supps. Maybe you might try to give the raw liver shake instead, if you can't get certain things where you are?
Good luck,
Sue
Hi Melissa,
<<Well, one day she will eat it and the next she won't. Same with the raw, some days she likes it and the next day, she wants nothing to do with it. She'll smell it or lick at it a bit, but not eat it, or not much.>>
As I think a few others have mentioned, if given the choice between a canned food and raw, a cat that is new to raw will eat the canned. When I transitioned my cat I always included small amounts of the raw in *every* meal; sometimes mixed in slightly, sometimes with some baby food lamb on top to get him to eat it better. If you have a young cat that is fairly healthy, it also won't hurt them to fast for a meal or two. In fact, that might help, but as I recall, Angel has some health problems, right?
<<I am going to order from an online company called Waggintails. Anyone ever heard of it? Ordered from them? I think I got the web address from this list or another one, a few days ago. I really love their site!>>
I don't buy products from online sites generally speaking, so others will have to advise you in this area. Most of the natural pet care companies from whom I buy now do have an on-line site too, so I may consider it at some point.
<<These are my choices that I am considering: Missing Link or PHD's- Unleash, Wellness, or Recover. Ever heard of these or used them?>>
I'm familiar with Missing Link but have not tried it. I visited PHD's web site again to have a look at those supplements or enzymes. The Wellness formula looks pretty good, but I don't like giving any formula that contains herbs continuously - I'd also want to know what additional herbs are in the formula besides the ones listed. I noticed they said that you could give this for 60 days straight and then a couple times a week; that might be an option. The Recover formula has some good ingredients in it. I'd want to know about their source for the bovine blood plasma (i.e. are the animals raised "organically" w/o hormones and antibiotics). The cayenne in it is a good overall tonic and good for the digestive system. If you're striving to maintain a more alkaline environment for Angel, the ascorbic acid in the formula will alter that to a more acidic environment, though.
I use a multi-vitamin mineral cat supplement made by Vetri-Science. Nancy recently alerted me to the fact that there's an on-line company that sells it - was it KV Vet, Nancy? At any rate, this is a good full spectrum kitty supplement that you may want to consider also. If you do use it, you wouldn't need to use the Wellness formula, but might want to consider some supplementation of the Recover - if that product uses good resources for their ingredients, it really looks like a pretty good formula.
<<So, I ask again...what would be best (other than the raw) out of these *CANNED* foods: Innova(recommended by my homeopathic vet in Calif. because of Angel's prev. calcium ox. stones; Spots Stew, Wysong canned, or AVO by Breeder's Choice?>>
I sent you a note a couple days ago about AVO Melissa, hope you got
it. Of the ones you've mentioned I would probably go with Innova
or Wysong. Innova has lots of whole food ingredients and a high meat fraction,
but as Nancy mentioned the veggies are in pretty large chunks. I've
tried it with my cat and he likes it. I've tried some of the canned
food formulas from
Wysong and with my particular cat, he had a little bit of tummy troubles
with one of them. However, I do think that Wysong is one of the better
natural pet food companies out there and one of the few that actually recommends
(and has recipes for) supplementing a cat's diet with raw food additions.
Pet Guard also seems pretty good - I've tried the chicken and wheat germ
and one of the beef formulas.
<<I keep having to remind myself that I have ONLY been doing this for a little over a week now, and I can't expect to have ALL the answers yet. For some reason, I feel like I need to be perfect in this matter right now, and that is just not going to happen.>>
I know it's sometimes worrisome whether you're getting the proper nutrients into Angel. It will take awhile to do the transition and you have to not be too hard on yourself - you will get to a point where you feel more comfortable.
Leah
Hi,
Leah wrote:
<<I use a multi-vitamin mineral cat supplement made by Vetri-Science.
Nancy recently alerted me to the fact that there's an on-line company
that sells it - was it KV Vet, Nancy?>>
Yes, KV Vet does have NuCat vitamins as well as other VetriScience products. Their web site is at: http://www.kvvet.com They only have a fraction of the available items on the site now, but this one is there at: http://www.kvvet.com/petprod.htm It's way down on a very long page.
I know you were wondering about other catalogs carrying VetriScience products, Leah. Unfortunately I've trashed all my accumulated pet catalogs in a cleaning frenzy. I know I've seen it in others, but can't tell you which ones. Sorry...
Be well, Nancy and the furkids
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