My Top 10 Feline Feeding Tips.

My cat Magpie contemplates breakfast while perusing the passing food choices available 
on the others side of the windowpane.

There are few shortcuts to success in this march toward the final curtain call. When I talk to my clients about how to best care for their cat(s) I focus on essentially a very few topics.

I remind my clients that we really "are what we eat, and we get what we pay for."

For cats, the strictest of carnivores of all of our domestic species, the poorer the diet, and the more contained your cat, the more likely you are to have problems.

Cats are roamers and hunters. They are lean muscled inquisitive beasts who all roar loudly on the inside even if they purr quietly on the outside. They are built to eat flesh, and not chewy cookie like food, they are also less tolerant to the accumulation of adipose (fat) tissue then other species. They tend to accumulate fat around vital organs, like heart, and suffer significantly if that fat remains. The consequences are staggering and severe. Joint disease in 4 and 5 year olds when I typically only see it in 15 plus year old fit cats. Diabetes, the terrible consequences of this disease are often life-threatening and life-costing. Recurrent chronic infections, overwhelming amounts of urine that isn't always deposited in the litter box. Difficulty breathing, poor coat, inability to clean themselves leaving fecal matter stuck to the back of the rear legs and tail area. It is a sad reality that many cats struggle with obesity simply because we, their parents, are feeding them a poor quality kibble based diet.

Tigger presents for a pat.

Here are my recommendations for what and how to feed the felines in your life;

1. Rely on canned food and minimize access and quantity of dry food. 
A normal sized middle aged house cat (8-10 pounds) should be fed 1/2 of a high quality 5 ounce can twice a day. In my home for my 4 cats I use Science Diet. I vary the flavors to keep my cats interested and avoid problems posed by an exclusive single animal based protein. If your cat is used to eating only dry, and is currently overweight start at 1 can twice a day. If they aren't finishing it start to reduce to 1/2 can twice a day.
Confession Notice; The number of clients who tell me that "They cannot feed canned food," is ludicrous. When I ask "why?" The answer is almost invariably, "because I don't like the smell or the mess." I have trained myself to not respond the way my gut wants to. Instead, I remind them that the best diet choices available are freshly killed small rodents.

2. Offer 1/2 cup of dry food per cat a day. This should be age, lifestyle, and appropriate for any underlying disease(s). Again, in my home I use Science Diet adult feline. In general, most of my obese, diabetic cats have been on a poor all-you-can-eat food trough dry food. Worst yet, they are cartooned, day-glo foods with packages that look like these;

Cartoon logo, day-glo colors, and weird shapes,
the junk food telltale trifecta.

Drumstick and fish shapes, with filling..

Filling and "soft inside, crunchy out"
and a cartoon character.

3. Choose a high end commercially available diet. My personal favorites are Science Diet. I have fed it to my cats for decades and I have seen this company stand by their product, their patients and my non-stop veterinary help requests for decades. (I am not paid, compensated, nor biased in any form by any company). I typically buy multiple cases of different flavors and offer a mixed variety to my cats. It is important to not feed one type, or allow your cats to become addicted to only one flavor or type. Having your cat find a favorite can lead to them becoming intolerant to any other foods and make a treatment of a disease by change in diet incredibly difficult.

4. Food and water bowls should be emptied and cleaned at each meal.

5. Pay attention to who is eating and how much they are eating. Too often we catch a sick cat after days to weeks of reduced eating. Free feeders are the most difficult to monitor for adequate food intake. If it is out all of the time many people don't know when, or how much the pets are eating until it they are very skinny and weak.

6. I love water fountains for cats. They seem to enjoy running water, and it encourages drinking. I also like to add cat grass to them. The cats often enjoy the greens and they are fresh and organic.

7. Any kind of diet change, especially for cats, can be difficult. The best advice is to do it so slowly and so gradually that they don't realize it is happening. For the first few weeks (or months if needed) leave the wet food out and gradually reduce the amount of dry available. If your cat is finishing all of the dry and demanding more give in, but try to make it the highest quality dry available. If they are being reluctant to try the wet add a tiny bit of canned tuna, or chicken/beef baby food, or even lunch meat. 

My cat Wren, takes a little love bite nibble.

8. If your vet advises that your cat should be on a prescription diet I would still recommend that you try a gradual transition. If you cat is not so keen on the new diet it is better to have some of the 'good' versus all of the 'bad'. Let them decide how fast you can transition them. If you are having a difficult time with the prescription food ask your vet about other options. In many cases there are a few different manufacturers and a few other options.

9. Cats are ALWAYS in charge. The old "eventually they will get hungry enough and eat it," is NOT TRUE for cats. Cats can, and do, go on hunger strikes that can lead to irreversible life-threatening liver failure or disease. Surrender before they prove their point with an expensive potentially deadly disease (hepatic lipidosis). If your cat is getting so finicky that they are refusing the best stuff, start feeding other stuff. In the end a cat has to be eating, and as disease, or age, advances feed them whatever you have to to keep them eating. Try the following; gravied canned foods, chopped cooked chicken, fish, shellfish, meats, hot dogs, baby food meat flavors, tuna, or any of the foods or treats from number 2 above. In the clinic we have a special 'junk food' section that we pull out as our secret weapon to encourage our sick cats to eat.

10. Embrace the challenge that is the independent intelligent spirit of a cat. They have their reasons for every decision that they make. They need more than most of us can offer in a life of jobs, kids, responsibilities, and convenient diet choices. Too often we are not meeting their dietary needs, their inquisitive curious minds, and their exercise stamina. I have become an advocate of lots of choices, loads of mental and physical stimuli and an appreciation that we, unknowingly, and unintentionally asked them to live a life of boring captivity. Take your cats for a walk (try a harness or an enclosed outdoor cat cage), or even a playmate to chase and play with in the house. What about a cat room with shelves on the walls, cat trees, and an indoor garden of their own?

If you have any tips, or thoughts on how to best care for cats please leave me a comment. If you have a pet care question please visit me anytime at Pawbly.com. Pawbly is a free open pet community designed and dedicated to helping pet people care for the pets in their lives.

I am also available for veterinary care at the vet clinic, Jarrettsville Vet, in Jarrettsville Maryland, or on Twitter @FreePetAdvice.

It's Real Life, Not "Ideal" Life

Charlie, begging for a treat next to his breakfast.

Veterinary medicine, like the rest of life, evolves.

Sometimes we are 'changing with the times' because research and studies prove new advances in health care and sometimes we change because the 'old way' isn't working anymore.

My dogs are my lab rats for the new diets, new treats, new shampoos, new flea and tick preventatives, the new heartworm preventatives, etc. If I am going to sell a new product in my clinic I am going to give it to my pets before I recommend it to my clients. After all, if I wouldn't give it to my pets who could I possibly recommend it to yours? If my dogs won't eat it, or if their hair falls off, or if I am worried about giving it to my pets then I won't sell it in my practice to yours. Sometimes I learn which products work and which don't,  and I know my clients appreciate my personal perspective rather than that on the manufacturers supplied literature.

I actually stopped using a very widely advertised and publicized vaccine because I almost lost a very good friends dog to it. She had heard about it on the show circuit, and because she shows her dogs frequently she wanted to protect her dogs with it. She was one of the first clients that we gave the vaccine to. Within an hour of the vaccine injection her dog was being carried lifelessly back into our office almost in a coma. Now, being the scientist that I am I thought, "OK, first patient and first (although this was one of the worst adverse reactions I had ever seen) adverse reaction, I can't let my study group and results be from only one patient. So I reluctantly vaccinated a few more dogs who's owners requested the vaccine. In that one first tray of vaccines (20) I had four adverse reactions. That did it. Although my dogs are at an increased risk of the disease the vaccine is supposed to protect from I was too afraid to vaccinate my own dogs. So we now only vaccinate dogs considered to be at 'significant risk' and only after recounting our own in-house concerns with parents about the vaccine.

Granted this is the extreme case, but my point is that I will not advise anything that I am personally uncomfortable with, or hypocritical about.

When I was in vet school we were all taught to recommend a high-quality commercially available dog food, and to keep that food consistent to reduce the likelihood of a change in diet causing gastro-intestinal upset. We know that the dogs that are garbage can surfers are at a greater chance of getting pancreatitis. Pancreatitis can be life-threatening, difficult and expensive to treat, therefore we try to safeguard against it by being pro-active by advising a consistent diet.

But we all know what happens with any good intention?

I have practiced what I preached for decades. UNTIL I got a young ever sniffing for vermin beagle, an actively aging crotchety beagle, and a stubborn pit bull. Put them together and I now have three dogs who are picky, and all for different reasons.

Our youngest beagle Jekyll has realized that he can scavenge for tastier treats in the form of our own home grown RAW foods in our fields. He doesn't need boring kibble from us, he can ring the doorbell and let outside to forage in our fecund fields for moles, mice, bunnies, and cast away carcasses.

Charleston, the pit bull is just bored with his food selection. He is protesting by not even making the effort to get up from his bed in the morning, when I ring the breakfast bell.

Charleston, begging for a treat while his boring breakfast sits beside him.

Savannah at 17 is having a hard time walking and standing at her food bowl. The simple task of keeping the food in front of her is made harder by the mysterious fact that it keeps slipping forward from her. She starts out standing at the bowl and within a few minutes she's slumping in front of it, and within another few minutes she is a foot behind it. I have a short limited time frame to get her to scoff up the food in front of her. Due to her age, muscle loss, and general lack of interest I keep her eating as much and as often as possible. Our big challenge is to keep her interested, eating, and moving. She is on the slippery slope of trying to manage the balance between sleeping about 22 hours a day and not being able to get around well anymore. When I can no longer keep her eating enough of the 'good' foods I will go to the 'anything goes' foods.

Elderly Savannah.

To curb the poaching of our wildlife, bend to the will of my pittie, and appease my worries about my geriatric pup I have adopted the following feeding plan.

We feed measured amounts of a mixed combination of two high quality dry foods. To this I add a few tablespoons of a wet food. I vary the flavors of the wet food, but they are all a very high quality brand. To Savannah's food I add omega-3 fatty acid, Dasaquin, and occasionally an NSAID for the rough days.

This variety has added a little spice to their lives and has kept the breakfast and dinner bowls emptied.

Maybe those garbage surfers are like those of us who tried the Atkins diet. Worked OK for a week or two, then left us feeding feverously crouched over an empty box of mac n cheese like some rabid zombie? maybe if those bored dogs had a buffet style table they wouldn't scrounge for any crumb they could find?

As for Jekyl, he is a helpless chattell to his nose (at least that's what he tells me). He is coerced, entranced and prisoner to it. He can't be held responsible for his actions if he suffers from temporary mental incompetence, can he?  I can't be mad at him for his neonatal hasenpfeffer snacks, can I? (I AM!)

Jekyl the land shark.

My official advice (for the moment) is to keep your pet on a high quality commercially available dry food age, breed, lifestyle, and health status appropriate and supplement with some canned food (same criteria applies). If you have any questions or concerns about how well, or what your pet is or should be eating see your veterinarian  or a veterinary nutritionist.

Please refrain from seeking advice about food from a pet store employee, a television ad, or some random-self-proclaiming nutritional guru that you find on the internet, (Yes, I am alright if you bunch me in the last category,,,  ;-) I'm not a hypocrite, I keep trying to establish that..)

Puppy Diets

Meet Bailey.
She comes in tonight for her first puppy exam...
and to be smothered in kisses from everyone in the building.
The first puppy visit is a long one, because there is so much to talk about...
and soo many kisses!

'An important part of your puppies first visit to the vet is to discuss the food you are feeding. We call it discussing the 'diet'. (I know that sounds confusing, because on the human side 'diet' is so synonymous with weight loss, but on the veterinary side we use diet to talk about food. And if your dog needs to "go on a diet" we call it a 'weight loss plan').

I have said it before, "we are what we eat, and you get what you pay for." It is imperative to feed good food so your puppy grows up to be strong and healthy. A good diet is one of the single most important things that you provide your puppy.

I know that many breeders recommend a specific food. I also know that in many cases they provide you with a starter pack. It is important to remember that your puppy is coming to a new home which is stressful, and  this stress often manifests as a soft stool for the first few days that your puppy is with you. If you are also changing the diet concurrently then this can cause even more stress on their sensitive delicate system. Because of the stress that a new home can cause I usually recommend a gradual diet change. The way we recommend to gradually change the diet is to add 1/4 of the new food to 3/4 of the old food for a few days (sometimes even for a week), then switch to 1/2 and 1/2 for a few days, then 3/4 new with 1/4 old for a few days. This should help their gastro-intestinal system acclimate easier and lessen the chance of diarrhea. D

When I meet a new puppy I always ask about what they are being fed. If I am asked what I recommend I always reply "a high quality commercially available puppy food, small breed for small breed dogs and large for large breed, for their first year."  I have my commercially available preferences and I discuss them. We also review how often to feed, (I say three times a day if they are under four months old, and twice a day from four months on). If you have your own preference we talk about that. I also remind new parents to not let some kid at a big box store convince you that their brand is better, and for god’s sake don’t let a t.v. commercial do it. Get credible advice from credible people. Ask lots of questions, let your puppy guide you on kibble size, and taste preference. Feed twice a day forever, and monitor to make sure that they are eating an appropriate amount daily. I can't even tell you how many clients bring their dogs to me saying things like, "I think its been a few days since he ate, I don't really know, I just leave food down." Wouldn't you know if you hadn't eaten in days? Wouldn't that concern you? It concerns me. I want to know every 12 hours how much and how well my pups are eating. I worry after 1 missed or partially eaten meal. I go to the vet after 2 poorly eaten meals and start looking for a reason why.

Ask about whether your puppy is underweight or under muscled. It is important to be feeding for a healthy weight and then to maintain that weight through their senior years. Obesity is becoming a huge problem in America's dogs and people alike, so we vets are very careful to not let our dogs and puppies become overweight. We assess whether a pet is overweight by the loss of taper at the waist (see the blogs about waistline at http://kmdvm.blogspot.com/2013/02/dawg-blogger-survey-on-obesity.html ). She should have a waistline whether you are looking at her from above or from the side. Your vet can help you with this. Keep fresh water available at all times. I wash the water bowl and every morning, and the food bowls after each meal. I also add a little wet food with the dry for breakfast and dinner. I do this simply to keep the pups interested in their food. But wet food isn't necessary. I actually have no preference over wet or dry, just stick to a high quality food. (Wet food diets stick to teeth so remember to brush teeth daily). I recommend that you leave the food down for about 30 minutes. If they don't finish the food in this time throw it away and repeat the same for dinner. I discourage leaving food out all day for few reasons. First, wet food will spoil. Second, it attracts ants. Third, it encourages over eating (because you aren't measuring and ALL of us over eat if the buffet bar stays stocked and available all day. And lastly, you always want to know how much they are eating at every meal. If you find that she isn't eating well, or at all, you will know sooner versus later.

If your pup isn't eating well, or if it appears that they are getting bored with their food try to add a little more wet food, or you can add a little bit of boiled skinless boneless chicken or rice. I always hesitate to say add anything, because before we know it your puppy will only eat chicken and rice and your well formulated nutritionally complete food has been replaced by foods that are not appropriate by themselves for a growing puppy.

A few last bits to mention. Treats. Use a very good high quality treat, or use the puppy food. Remember that treats also have calories, and if you are doing handfuls of them it might discourage them from eating a good daily diet, or cause excess weight gain. Raw hide, I am not apposed to them, but they are empty calories, and they are choking hazards, so only use them infrequently and don't use them as a pacifier. If your puppy is so rambunctious that you find yourself offering a raw hide chew to quiet them, then I would suggest it is time to go out in the yard and play. A tired puppy is a happy pacified puppy.

Skunk's Sweet Tale

I have to admit it. I am a cat person. I mean I love dogs, A LOT! I have three, and they go everywhere with me, but my true love is a kitty, (you know, if I am forced to pick). I think it is the fact that a cat makes you earn their love, a dog is just an opportunist. Cats, they are a challenge that repays you with purring.

I understand that most people are dog fans. I sometimes blame it on experience, rather their lack of it, with cats. I think that if you get to know the love of a cat, especially on those cold snowy winter days bundled up on the couch with a cup of tea and a curled up ball of purring sumptuous fur on your lap, then you know what true joy and peace is. On the flip side, if you have ever watched a kitten tail all puffed up dancing on tip-toes playing with a scrap of paper jumping like a pogo stick Chinese fire cracker all sideways hopping, then you are witnessing pure bliss.

I met Skunk’s mom many years ago for the routine examination and vaccines. Skunk was a very important part of his mom’s life. She had had Skunk since she was a kitten, and they were very attached to one another. For the last few years of Skunk’s life she had intermittent bouts of gastro-intestinal upset. We had a difficult time trying to figure out what exactly would cause the episodes. I have a personal (I am a self-proclaimed cat-xpert, because I do have 6, and I dote on them like an over bearing mom) opinion that many cats have GI issues due to a few basic reasons. Here is my medical opinion for diarrhea in both dogs and cats. First check for intestinal worms, really we should ALL be doing this yearly, don’t skimp on this, your dog eats poop, your cat grooms profusely and catches and eats everything it kills. Check a fecal, save yourself those terrible pictures of what worms look like in YOU. Next, is a reminder that your pets eat things they shouldn’t.  If you drink water from the toilet, or a puddle, or lick your hands clean after you climb out of your litter-sand-poop-box then you shouldn’t be so shocked to have diarrhea every so often. In hind sight I do think that Skunk had a chronic GI issue probably related to diet (almost ALL cats get an inferior commercial cat food, “you get what you pay for, and you are what you eat”, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to get a good cat food from your grocery store). Please don’t underestimate how important a good diet is to your (yes, YOU and YOUR cat included) overall health. Try a bland diet (chicken and rice, or Hill’s Science Diet I/D) and a good probiotic (get it at your Vet’s office). Some pet’s, (and some people (see Crohns disease)) need a special diet lifelong.

With Skunk, she also had chronic persistent dental disease. I find that almost every cat over 5 years old needs a dental every 4 to 5 years. I also think it is almost impossible for the average human being to brush their cats teeth. I beg my Vets to check the molars of every cat at every visit, and I also break the Vet Laws by manually removing those huge hunks of tartar glued on the molars at every visit. Then I beg and plead with the owners to have their cats teeth cleaned. I wholeheartedly, fully admit, that 1 in 5 owners will actually pay for, and schedule, a dental for their cat. So for those other 4 of you I at least take some small solace in knowing that I at least removed some of the insulting tartar. (Ok, that’s a BIG can of worms, and I know many a Vet is now shaking their head, and pointer finger at me.) Skunk’s mom did have Skunk’s teeth cleaned, she did come in for every exam, and she did pay very close attention to her cat. She is a great example of how to do everything right, despite having a cat that seems to have everything wrong.

In the summer of this year Skunk came in with a mammary mass. Mammary masses in cats are notorious for being very invasive, fast growing, and have a terrible prognosis. We don’t see them very often but when we do it is a hard and sad discussion to have with an owner. There are surgical options, and there are Veterinary Oncologists who offer treatment plans, but I admit, based on personal experience most cats die within 6 months.

Skunk was euthanized 2 months after she came in and was given her poor prognosis. I know her mom was very concerned about her comfort level at the end. I spoke to her many times about the possible treatments available to try to alleviate her kitties discomfort. I always tell owners to keep me posted on every aspect of their pets life. I want to know if you think they are hurting or struggling, and I want you to know that there are many options available. Some are expensive, some are cheap, and some patients respond differently than others. So keep your healthcare team posted on how you are doing, and we are here to help you every step of the way.