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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / December 2006Easy way to wean cat off of Fancy Feast and onto Hills Prescription Diet? - HELP!
I'm trying to get my elderly mom to stop giving her cat (with a granuloma like skin condition on her hind legs) Fancy Feast and try Hills low allergen Z/D prescription diet formula to see if it was the Fancy Feast that's the problem. This is causing quite a stir. My mom has mood swings (from her anti- anxiety and anti-depressant meds) and the minute the cat cries for more food, she wants to feed it Fancy Feast or the low sodium turkey breast she was giving it with her Triamcinolone. When I tell her that she can't feed her that stuff for at least 6 weeks, she cries more than the cat does and starts calling me non-stop and yells all kinds of nonsense over the phone. We both love the cat and I thought that by getting her this beautiful animal, she might calm down. When the cat developed the skin condition, it became too much for my mom to handle as she has phobias about all kinds of doctors, and it really creates a storm when any kind of test is needed. I don't know if it's her age or the meds, but she seems incapable of understanding the need for the food change. Last night she called me crying because she felt the Hills z/d dry food is too large and too hard for the cat to chew (it's probably the same size as her previous Purina Pro Plan), and I should bring it back! Then she asked why I bought such a big can as she likes small cans. I told her that the cans only come in one size. That also caused much aggravation. Over the next hour there were about 8 more heart palpitating calls with me trying to explain the skin situation over and over. She's never been easy to deal with and she seems to have gotten worse over the past few years. Today, I've gotten a few calls that the cat is crying for more food. I keep telling her to just pet the cat and eventually the cat will adjust to this food. Any suggestions? The cat has become very attached to her and loves sitting on her lap for much of the day and sleeps with her. PS - I've told her it might be a carpet mite allergy as she's never steam cleaned the carpet in the bedroom the cat loves to sleep in. Don't ask what went on after that suggestion! Her response was that there's no mites in her carpet and it doesn't need to be cleaned, only vacuumed (it's over 20 years old). I'm close to giving up on the pill and food treatments and just doing what others here have done - go the Depo Medrol route with intermittent injections (even with that my mom found a problem. When we gave her two injections about two years ago, the cat was lethargic for a few days and that led to more anxious calls). I was thinking of going to a vet dermatologist, but between the 40 minute car ride, and the eventual cost of the bill, I don't think my digestive track could take the resulting harangue from my mom! Secondly, most here haven't had luck with the numerous tests performed on cats with skin conditions. > I'm trying to get my elderly mom to stop giving her cat (with a granuloma > like skin condition on her hind legs) Fancy Feast and try Hills low > allergen Z/D prescription diet formula to see if it was the Fancy Feast > that's the problem. Fancy Feast varieties with meat (and not byproducts) as the first ingredient have been part of what keeps my cat from having linear granuloma. More important has been controlling things like perfumes in litter and on me and my clothes, dust, mold, and cleaning agents. If you have not made serious efforts to control the above, do not put the cat through this. Fancy Feast is high protein, high moisture foods, many varieties with no grain or gluten, which ARE the main food allergens for cats. And, they find it delicious. And dry food is going to suck. Get the cat a Depo shot, control the allergens, and everyone, including your mother will be happy. My cat gets by on two Depo Medrol shots a year, and my vet told me they generally do not see adverse complications unless they are giving the shots more than once every two months. I have to agree that the Fancy Fease is the least of the problems. Most cats do much better on Fancy Feast because it is better quality food without all the fillers. My mother has a cat with the same problem and I can tell you it's more of a seasonal allergy type reaction and an emotional response. It's a vicious cycle you are creating by causing your mom to have more stress over the cat. The cat cries for it's food, your mom gets stressed this causes the cat more stress which in turn leads to more licking and chewing to itself. I've seen it time and time again with my mom cat. Everytime there is some upheaval in the house or change in schedule she goes to chewing herself and can make herself sore and bald overnight. Every spring and fall she has the same type of thing happen. After almost 15 years of it we have just taken to getting her a depo shot twice a year and if it gets really really bad she ends up on pills and sometimes valium. To keep peace in the house and take the cat for the shots, let her feed it the Fancy Fease and get the carpet cleaned while your moms out of the house. Stanley Steamer can come in and be done in just a couple hours time. Celeste >> I'm trying to get my elderly mom to stop giving her cat (with a granuloma >> like skin condition on her hind legs) Fancy Feast and try Hills low [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > a year, and my vet told me they generally do not see adverse complications > unless they are giving the shots more than once every two months. > To keep peace in the house and take the cat for the shots, let her > feed it the Fancy Fease and get the carpet cleaned while your moms out > of the house. Stanley Steamer can come in and be done in just a couple > hours time. and do the upholstry, too. Until you eliminate potential environmental allergans, changing the food is too drastic.  SignatureLynne http://picasaweb.google.com/what.the.hell.is.it/ Thanks for the suggestions. > Subject: Re: Easy way to wean cat off of Fancy Feast and onto Hills > Prescription Diet? - HELP! From: "Spot" <noSPAMme@somewhere.net> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > My mother has a cat with the same problem and I can tell you it's more > of a seasonal allergy type reaction and an emotional response. Unfortunately, this cat seems to have it all year round. I wonder if my mother's anxiety and depression compounds the problem as the cat sees and hears her in her moods. I truly believe animals can sense this (as a major anti-depressant commmercial currently running on TV shows). After almost 15 years of it we have just taken to getting her > a depo shot twice a year and if it gets really really bad she ends up > on pills and sometimes valium. So you would suggest the Depo Medrol? Does your cat seem out of sorts for the first 2 days after the shot? Ours hid under the bed for a day and seemed sad. She came back to herself after 2 days or so. How was the Valium? Have you tried any anti-allergy pills like Chlortrimeton (half of a 4 mg pill)? > To keep peace in the house and take the cat for the shots, let her > feed it the Fancy Fease and get the carpet cleaned while your moms out > of the house. > > Celeste She's never out of the house except for a trip to the supermarket and the baker! LOL! How else do you think she manages to make all these phone calls?! > I have to agree that the Fancy Fease is the least of the problems. > Most cats do much better on Fancy Feast because it is better quality > food without all the fillers. > > My mother has a cat with the same problem and I can tell you it's more > of a seasonal allergy type reaction and an emotional response. Same here, Zak has some kind of very serious skin alergy. He licks almost all the skin off his belly during the alergy season and very few things have helped him but Fancy Feast roast turkey with Gravy does NOT cause alergic reaction for him. Andy >> I'm trying to get my elderly mom to stop giving her cat (with a >> granuloma like skin condition on her hind legs) Fancy Feast and try [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > complications unless they are giving the shots more than once every > two months. We've been giving the cat the Fancy Feast flavors without the wheat gluten but they throw every protein source in there (beef, fish, egg) along with the chicken or turkey. She doesn't use perfumed litter and my mom tells me she stopped using perfume a long time ago. The dust and carpet situation might be a problem to clear as I explained in my previous message. The minute I suggest buying a steam cleaner for the carpet, you can just imagine what she says. We've already gotten rid of one bad carpet, but the other one has held up and she refuses to pick it up. > "cybercat" <cyberpurrs@yahoo.com> wrote in > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > We've already gotten rid of one bad carpet, but the other one has held up > and she refuses to pick it up. Sorry, I missed this. Your mom would likely be healthier without carpets, as your cat would. Wood or laminate or tile with area rugs that can be thoroughly cleaned are so much better all the way around. (But old people seem especially to want wall-to-wall. I hate it, it just traps dirt and dust and mold.) Regarding perfume: think also laundry detergent, air fresheners, spray bleach products, and smoke/fumes of all kinds. Strangest thing is, though I was a 25-year smoker, it seizes my lungs up now right away in cold weather. (As is so common, asthma accompanies my allergies.) Then there is the stench of it on people, but that is just a matter of revulsion, not health. (I cannot believe I smelled that way at one time and that people actually dated me and a non-smoker actually married me!) But I digress. I do try not to be one of those pillish ex-smokers, but it is hard. I actually find myself avoiding smokers these days just so I don't have to smell it. The reason I am so adamant about this is because I have allergies too, and find all of these to be irritants that make them worse. Please go with the Depo, and lay off the dry food altogether if you can. Convenience is the only reason I can see for feeding it. SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > . Wood or laminate or tile with area rugs > that can be thoroughly cleaned are so much better all the way around. > (But old people seem especially to want wall-to-wall. I hate it, it > just traps dirt and dust and > mold.) Even when we picked up the carpet and that awful rubber padding with all the staples and nails under it, she put up a major fuss about having the floor professionally cleaned. She felt her washing of it was enough and it didn't have to be cleaned and polished by a professional. > I have allergies too, > and find all of these to be irritants that make them worse. Same here. I'm even allergic to cats but I take a pill before I go over there. As a kid, I had a cat as a pet all my life and never suffered the kind of reaction as I do now when I don't take the pill. I have noticed that if I stay there for a few days, I develop a tolerance to the dander, and my reaction isn't as severe without the pill. I have numerous other allergies, also. I'm convinced those carpets worsened my allergies through the years when I lived there. > Please go with the Depo, and lay off the dry food altogether if you > can. Convenience is the only reason I can see for feeding it. I'll try but I've already gotten several calls since I suggested the shots, and the calls weren't very pleasant. Why don't you like the dry food in addition to canned food? >> . Wood or laminate or tile with area rugs >> that can be thoroughly cleaned are so much better all the way around. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] >> Please go with the Depo, and lay off the dry food altogether if you >> can. Convenience is the only reason I can see for feeding it. My vet sees canned food as a treat and thinks they should be fed mostly dry food. It is much better for their teeth. Joy > My vet sees canned food as a treat and thinks they should be fed > mostly dry food. It is much better for their teeth. that's old school fallacy. All the current recommendations from the veterinary community specify wet food for cats and for several reasons. Additionally, dry food is not beneficial to cat teeth the way it is to the teeth of dogs due to the the fact that cats slice their food rather than chew it (cats are pure carnivores). Your vet isn't keeping up. Neither was mine and that is only one of several reasons I got a new one. SignatureLynne http://picasaweb.google.com/what.the.hell.is.it/ > I'm convinced those carpets worsened my allergies through the years when I > lived there. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > shots, > and the calls weren't very pleasant. Calls? SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com "cybercat" <cyberpurrs@yahoo.com> wrote in news:4581e793$0$15427$88260bb3 @free.teranews.com: >> I'll try but I've already gotten several calls since I suggested the >> shots, >> and the calls weren't very pleasant. > > Calls? from my mom! Did you think the cat was making them?! LOL! Even though as far as food goes, the cat is calling the shots! > If you have not made serious efforts to control the above, do not put the > cat through this. Fancy Feast is high protein, high moisture foods, many > varieties with no grain or gluten, which ARE the main food allergens for > cats. And, they find it delicious. Fancy Feast is like crack for cats! I don't know what they put in it, but all cats seem to love it. And dry food is going to suck. I'm not going to keep her on a strictly dry food diet. It's the Hills Z/D prescription low allergen wet and dry food. I may just have to give her the Fancy Feast canned food with the Hills z/d and see how she does if she won't eat the Hills canned food. At least she'll be free of wheat glutens in her diet. I just don't like changing dry foods because it takes a while for their digestive systems to adjust and you have to change slowly. I'm just wondering if I should just go back to Purina Pro Plan already and let the Depo Medrol shots take care of the situation. >> If you have not made serious efforts to control the above, do not put the >> cat through this. Fancy Feast is high protein, high moisture foods, many [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Fancy Feast is like crack for cats! I don't know what they put in it, but > all cats seem to love it. Well, good, because it is good for them. > And dry food is going to suck. > > I'm not going to keep her on a strictly dry food diet. It's the Hills Z/D > prescription low allergen wet and dry food. She is still going to think it sucks compared with FF! > I may just have to give her the Fancy Feast canned food with the Hills z/d > and see how she does if she won't eat the Hills canned food. At least > she'll be free of wheat glutens in her diet. Where was the wheat gluten coming from? It is in a few varieties of FF but not all. > I just don't like changing dry foods because it takes a while for their > digestive systems to adjust and you have to change slowly. I'm just > wondering if I should just go back to Purina Pro Plan already and let the > Depo Medrol shots take care of the situation. Have you addressed the dust, chemical, fragrance, mold, etc. issues? Honestly, why feed her dry at all? It always contains more grains, and they are the chief allergens. SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > Where was the wheat gluten coming from? It is in a few varieties of FF > but not all. Purina Pro Plan. I make sure that the Fancy Feast we give her doesn't have the wheat glutens. > Have you addressed the dust, chemical, fragrance, mold, etc. issues? There's no fragrances (except for the fabric softener my mom uses and good luck trying to tell her it may be a problem). I don't see any molds there and approaching the dust thing is like starting a war with her! She cleans alot, but doesn't realize that things like central air conditioning vents (that the cat loves to sit on in the winter when the heat is off), carpets, and furniture have microscopic mites all over them. She insists there's no mites in her apartment. What can I do? > Honestly, why feed her dry at all? It always contains more grains, and > they are the chief allergens. Not the Hills z/d low allergan, though. Supposedly, hard food removes some tartar from an animal's teeth (and the poor thing lost most of her little teeth when she was younger). > > Have you addressed the dust, chemical, fragrance, mold, etc. issues? > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > tartar from an animal's teeth (and the poor thing lost most of her little > teeth when she was younger). I recommend you get this book and give it to your mom: http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Allergies-Alfred-Plechner/dp/0961545208/sr=8-1/qid=116 6042224/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-2882780-5388731?ie=UTF8&s=books As far as dry food removing tartar from a cat's teeth, that's pretty much bogus. Most cats don't chew their food anyway. > I recommend you get this book and give it to your mom: > http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Allergies-Alfred-Plechner/dp/0961545208/sr=8- > 1/qid=1166042224/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-2882780-5388731?ie=UTF8&s=books > > As far as dry food removing tartar from a cat's teeth, that's pretty > much bogus. Most cats don't chew their food anyway. From a glimpse of the reviews, it appears he also believes in the protein theory and eschews the commercial cat foods. So what foods does he recommend. By "commercial", does he also mean the prescription foods that have just hydrolized chicken protein, or the rabbit, veal, or venison foods? By the way, this bood was published in 1985. Haven't theories changed since then? (Rene - I admire your newsreaders ability to get that long link in without it wrapping to the next line). > From a glimpse of the reviews, it appears he also believes in the protein > theory and eschews the commercial cat foods. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > (Rene - I admire your newsreaders ability to get that long link in without > it wrapping to the next line). My personal experience with prescription foods is that they are garbage (some of the ingredient lists are downright scary), so I would certainly eliminate those. No, not all commercial foods are taboo. There are a number of high-quality commericial foods (Wellness, Nature's Variety, Innova). No, theories haven't changed. The author was way ahead in his thinking when the book was published, so the information still stands. > From a glimpse of the reviews, it appears he also believes in the protein > theory and eschews the commercial cat foods. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > (Rene - I admire your newsreaders ability to get that long link in without > it wrapping to the next line). My personal experience with prescription foods is that they are garbage (some of the ingredient lists are downright scary), so I would certainly eliminate those. No, not all commercial foods are taboo. There are a number of high-quality commericial foods (Wellness, Nature's Variety, Innova). No, theories haven't changed. The author was way ahead in his thinking when the book was published, so the information still stands. > My personal experience with prescription foods is that they are garbage > (some of the ingredient lists are downright scary), so I would [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > No, theories haven't changed. The author was way ahead in his thinking > when the book was published, so the information still stands. Sorry about the double post. Google kept giving me error messages, so I didn't think either message went through. argh. "Rene S." <rschweitzer@kalmbach.com> wrote in news:1166194329.474336.9900 @f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com: > My personal experience with prescription foods is that they are garbage > (some of the ingredient lists are downright scary), so I would > certainly eliminate those. No, not all commercial foods are taboo. > There are a number of high-quality commericial foods (Wellness, > Nature's Variety, Innova). I see what you mean. I see some preservatives in the Hills low allergen: This is the Hills Science Diet z/d low allergen: http://www.hillspet.com/zSkin_2/products/product_details.jsp?PRODUCT%3C% 3Eprd_id=845524441760715&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302037389&bmUID= 1166328634442 Ingredients: Rice Protein Concentrate, Brewers Rice, Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver, Soybean Oil (preserved with BHA, propyl gallate and citric acid), Powdered Cellulose, Hydrolyzed Chicken, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Glyceryl Monostearate, Choline Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement,) Iodized Salt, Calcium Sulfate, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Ethoxyquin (a preservative), Beta-Carotene. As a comparison, this is the Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach: Ingredients: Lamb, brewers rice, chicken meal, corn gluten meal, wheat gluten, egg product, soybean meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), oat meal, fish meal, animal digest, soybean oil, potassium chloride, phosphoric acid, calcium carbonate, salt, choline chloride, zinc proteinate, Vitamin E supplement, taurine, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, ascorbic acid (source of Vitamin C), niacin, copper proteinate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite. B-4617 I just looked at the Innova site and didn't realize they make California Natural, too. I'm going to try to find Innova or California Natural and see if she will eat it. One problem is constantly changing foods. I'd like to find one already and stick with it (and hope her skin clears up also!). I just looked at the Innova site and didn't realize they make California > Natural, too. > > I'm going to try to find Innova or California Natural and see if she will > eat it. One problem is constantly changing foods. I'd like to find one > already and stick with it (and hope her skin clears up also!). I think they also make Evo, a food that is grain free, that you might want to try. I've heard good things about it. I got a small sample of it and decided to give some to my cats as a treat (their main diet is homemade raw). They really liked it. > I recommend you get this book and give it to your mom: > http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Allergies-Alfred-Plechner/dp/0961545208/sr=8-1/qid=116 6042224/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-2882780-5388731?ie=UTF8&s=books I have that book and it's very good. > I'm trying to get my elderly mom to stop giving her cat (with a granuloma > like skin condition on her hind legs) Fancy Feast and try Hills low > allergen Z/D prescription diet formula to see if it was the Fancy Feast > that's the problem. > > This is causing quite a stir. My mom has mood swings oh really! mood swings heh who's buying the cat food well anyway, just cut her off don't let nobody buy no more stock up on what you want and tell her don't waste no money you already got catfood tell her your going to have the bottom dropped out of her casket if she don't get herself together... that or a green weenie, they cut off the legs to save money on a shorter casket. |
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