I know I have several threads on this already, but they are scattered around, I can't keep track of which forum I put them in. And this one will update, with a synopsis for back round information. But I'm still not sure where it belongs
It's about nutrition, but also about medical issues, but since the medical issues are directly related to her diet, I guess I will keep it here
My Lovey cat has now gone 9 days with no regurgitation! And:
two days with no pepcid.
I had almost forgotten how she used to be,
running everywhere. She slowed down over the past year or more, and, while I noticed it, I just didn't think of it as abnormal. But now, last night, I realized she has started running everywhere again. She dashes around, instead of walking. Dashing was something she always did, but as it gradually stopped, I just didn't attribute it to diet. Until the other dietary problems started, that is.
She plays more and sings more, is just all around more herself than I have seen in a long long time. With her increased activity level and the slight reduction I have made in her daily intake quantity, that extra pound she has gained over the past month should slip away without too much trouble (though I am of course being careful that she doesn't lose it too quickly).
She has been on an all canned diet, (and completely off the Hills Prescription c/d kibble) for 45 days. At first I was feeding her a variety of canned foods, the same way I feed the other two, but it soon became clear that she has other sensitivities, too.
It took time to find canned food that didn't bother her in one way or another, but I finally did, the By Nature Organic Turkey & Chicken, a food which also meets my criteria of a lower phosphurous and magnesium percentage than most other commercial canned foods. It is NOT a "reduced phosphurous and magnesium" food, but the numbers, on a dry matter basis, are very close to the c/d, which is important because of her propensity to forming struvite crystals in her urine.
Her urine pH is mostly staying at the 6.5 range. Sometimes it spikes at 7. I'm not sure why a pH would be so inconsistent, especially as she eats the same food day in and day out. There doesn't seem to be any specific pattern I can find, but when I average a week's worth of readings the result is 6.5.
She has been on ONLY the By Nature Organic Turkey&Chicken for 16 days.
While there are still issues to be worked out, as I am still nervous about regurgitation, and though she is still taking 1/2 tablespoon of pumpkin morning and night, in a meal, constipation is still a problem, (but maybe if I can keep her OFF the pepcid, that will be solved, too) the change in her, as
Herself is...incredible. Especially since I have narrowed her food down to eliminate hopefully all the ingredients to which she's shown intolerance. I'd like to try expanding her diet a little, because I think eating the same food day in and day out can exacerbate ingredient intolerance/sensitivity problems but things are going so well, I think I will wait a while longer, though I still hate it that she is getting menadione bisulfates with every meal, albeit a very tiny amount (it is the last ingredient listed).
Oh, and no more hairball remedy either in 13 days. That, too seemed to trigger regurgitation of food. The pumpkin is keeping the hairballs going out the other way.
She still takes a probiotic (Proviable DC) daily, and her cosequin daily (for bladder health). She is still needing mineral oil every two days, but I am hoping with the elimination of the pepcid, I'll be able to stop that, too.