silly question, sorry!!

[canuckgirl]

Do you need a vet's prescription to get Hill's Prescription Diet? Since they only sell it at the vet's I didn't know. My 2 Birman kittens will be ready to leave the breeder in 3 weeks (yay!) She's been feeding them Hill's Prescription c/d, Medi-Cal Developmental & Wellness. Both canned & dry. I don't want to have to buy all those different kinds of food. I have a "thing" about canned food. Years ago when I was house sitting for a friend I kept smelling something rotten. A bowl of canned cat food was on the back porch & it was all maggoty. This is in the middle of August too. Gag! I threw the dish & everything out. My hair on the back of my neck is standing up even thinking about it. So I've never fed canned food to any of my cats. BUT...if that's what the breeder recommends, so be it. Only the best for my Furby & Frisbee. Her adults are grand champions so she must be doing something right!
Oh yeah, the original question. Do I need a prescription?

[growler~GateKeeper]

I don't think you need a prescription but the vet may want to point you in the direction of the food they want you to feed.

There are far far better foods out there than Medi-cal/Royal Canin then of course there is the whole Toxic Food Recall , have a look at the ingredients and compare them to the ingredients of some of the Premium Holistic Brands. Looking at the first 8 ingredients red highlighted are not good ones especially as the first ones.

Medi-cal: Canned - Development Formula

Water Sufficient for Processing, Beef, Beef By-Products, Chicken, Rice Flour, Mackerel, Brown Rice, Guar Gum..........

Wellness Kitten Formula

Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Salt, Guar Gum, Cranberries..........

Innova Cat & Kitten Formua

Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Broth, Whole Eggs, Chicken Meal, Herring, Potatoes, Carrots........

Have a through the food Forum or post for more questions everyone will be more than happy to guide you in a more healthy direction

[rainbow]

I would not feed either Hills or Medi-Cal. Check the ingredients for both with the ingedients in Wellness....

Hill's Feline c/d Ingredients:

Brewers Rice, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Sulfate, Iodized Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with BHT and BHA, Beta-Carotene.


Medi-Cal Dry - Development Formula

Chicken Meal, Rice Flour, Corn, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid and Lecithin), Dried Whole Egg, Corn Gluten, Tuna Meal, Brewers Dried Yeast, Beet Pulp, Flax Meal, Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Phosphoric Acid, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Bioplex, Ferrous Sulphate, Iron Bioplex, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulphate, Copper Bioplex, Calcium Iodate and Organic Selenium), DL-Methionine, Fructo-Oligosaccharides, Bacillus Subtilis Dried Fermentation Extract, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E, Inositol, Vitamin C, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Biotin, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D3), Taurine, L-Carnitine, L-Glutamine, Docosahexanoic Acid, Ascorbyl Polyphosphate and Alpha-Lipoic Acid.

Medi-Cal Canned - Development Formula

Water Sufficient for Processing, Beef, Beef By-Products, Chicken, Rice Flour, Mackerel, Brown Rice, Guar Gum, Flax Meal, Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Ferrous Sulphate, Zinc Oxide, Iron Bioplex, Zinc Bioplex, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulphate, Copper Bioplex, Calcium Iodate and Organic Selenium), Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Inositol, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A, Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 and Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex), Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Potassium Citrate, Whey Powder, Fructo-Oligosaccharides, Carrageenan, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Docosahexanoic Acid, Alpha-Lipoic Acid and L-Glutamine.

Wellness Chicken Meal & Rice Dry Ingredients:

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Rice, Ground Barley, Ground Rice, Chicken Fat(preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a natural source of Vitamin E), Natural Chicken Flavor, Salmon Meal, Chicken Liver, Cranberries, Tomato Pomace, Olive Oil, Chicory Root Extract, Cranberry Extract Powder, Cranberry Fiber, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine, Hydrochloride, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Taurine, Rosemary Extract.

Wellness Chicken Canned Ingredients:

Chicken, Chicken Liver, Turkey, Chicken Broth, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Natural Chicken Flavor, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Flaxseed, Squash, Cranberries, Blueberries, Zucchini, Potassium Chloride, Garlic, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, Iron Proteinate (a source of Chelated Iron), Beta-Carotene, Zinc Proteinate (a source of Chelated Zinc), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Proteinate (a source of Chelated Cobalt), Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate (a source of Chelated Copper), Folic Acid, Manganese Proteinate (a source of Chelated Manganese), Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Biotin.

I would also recommend feeding Wellness CORE as it is grain free and much better for your kitties....

Wellness CORE Canned Kitten Formula Product Ingredients:

Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Salt, Guar Gum, Cranberries, Blueberries, Squash, Zucchini, Flaxseed, Garlic, Potassium Chloride, Tricalcium Phosphate, Taurine, Carrageenan, Iron Proteinate (a source of Chelated Iron), Beta-carotene, Zinc Proteinate (a source of Chelated Zinc), Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Proteinate (a source of Chelated Cobalt), Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate (a source of Chelated Copper), Folic Acid, Manganese Proteinate (a source of Chelated Manganese), Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Biotin.


Wellness CORE Dry Ingredients:

Deboned Turkey, Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whitefish Meal, Potatoes, Salmon Meal, Natural Chicken Flavor. Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a natural source of Vitamin E), Tomato Pomace, Cranberries, Chicory Root Extract, Salmon Oil, Flaxseed, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Rosemary Extract.


Also, a canned diet is better to feed your kitties as it is much healthier for them. Sugarcatmom will be along shortly to give you all the reasons why.

[rainbow]

Ooooops, I didn't see your post Growler...... I started mine and then had to go take Chase outside.

[sugarcatmom]

What ^they^ said! Ixnay on the Hill's and Medical. Lousy ingredients, over-priced, and not good food for any cat. You may have an aversion to canned, but in your cat's best interest, it truly is a better option than any and all dry.

What about a raw diet? At your kittens' age, they should take to it like a fat kid on a Smartie. Raw is the ultimate best food for obligate carnivores (just do your research first).
http://www.catinfo.org/
http://www.catnutrition.org/index.php
http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm

[Kristin7]

You do need a prescription (which is one reason I stopped buying Rx food, that and usually they aren't the best quality). We have Rx food at Petsmart here, and I tried to buy some once without a Rx, and they wouldn't let me. For some of it, i guess i can understand as it is specialized for certain critical health problems, but this was just the Science diet food for dental care. Dumb...

[canuckgirl]

Wellness looks best so far, as to ingredients. And they sell it at the local pet supply store which is a 5 minute drive from where I live. More convenient than having to drive to the vet whenever I need food. I'm at that plaza for other stuff at least twice a week anyway. I wondered why so many vets pushed the expensive stuff. They want the money in their own pockets rather than the pet supply store. Not to sound mean, but they must make a nice profit after the mark up.
I've heard good things about Wellness. But with any brand, you're going to get a difference of opinion. Some people swear by certain brands, other people wouldn't buy it if their life depended on it. So I'll do the research you all suggested & then decide. As to the canned food, the reason the maggoty food stunk so much (besides being rotten) was because it was some no name cheapo brand sold at grocery stores. It stunk right out of a freshly opened can. Premium brands probably don't stink like that, not with such good ingredients.