Rice in Canned Food

[Loki Love]

Hi -

It's been a long while since I've posted anything, but I do have a question on cat food.

Yagi can't handle any kind of kibble (it constipates him to the point of vet intervention is needed), and as a precaution we give him 1/2 tsp of Restoralax daily (vs the cisapride he had been on for years previously for this same issue). So we've always fed him (and when we had Molly) canned, high quality grain free food - Natural Balance, Wild Calling, Wellness, etc. We recently found he liked Tiki Cat (http://www.tikipets.com/tiki-cat/) and while there are a couple that don't have any rice at all included, I noticed some of their selections do have rice - thoughts on this? Is rice in this context harmful/not good for cats? What about with Yagi's history - do you think the occasional can of something with rice in it could be harmful? I do plan on speaking to our vet about it next time we take him in, but just thought I'd see what others thought as well.

[Barkingdog]

Rice is apart of the BRAT diet which is bananas , rice , applesauce ,and toast
and for people that have diarrhea . These are all binding foods so if your cat is constipated a lot it would be best to feed him as little rice as possible .
You should made sure your cat is drinking enough water , if not that could made him constipated . Flax seed is used a lot in dog foods , this help with constipation ,maybe you could see if there is some cats foods that have fax seeds . You should check with your vet first and when giving your cat a new food is should be done slowly , add a little to his food and see how he does on it. I had a real hard time finding the right dog for my small mini poodle mix . He can't eat wheat or yeast or chicken . I fed him Earthborn kibbles with is grain free and he has no trouble with constipation or diarrhea anymore . Good luck with your kitty .

[Loki Love]

Originally Posted by Barkingdog

Rice is apart of the BRAT diet which is bananas , rice , applesauce ,and toast
and for people that have diarrhea .

Yes, I know this.

These are all binding foods so if your cat is constipated a lot it would be best to feed him as little rice as possible .

He isn't constipated a lot. It's happened twice and we know to avoid dry kibble because of it.

You should made sure your cat is drinking enough water , if not that could made him constipated .

He gets lots of fluids given he only eats canned/wet food. Cats are not big drinkers, in general - so I sometimes add some water to his food as well.

Flax seed is used a lot in dog foods , this help with constipation ,maybe you could see if there is some cats foods that have fax seeds .

I may look into that, but it isn't a high priority to find a food that has flax seed as we do control it with Restoralax right now, along with fish oils.

You should check with your vet first and when giving your cat a new food is should be done slowly , add a little to his food and see how he does on it.

I'd be bothering my vet weekly if I were to check each time I tried a new food with my cat! He does fine with all foods, as long as it's not kibble (but he's fussy with his canned food).

[hazelrunpack]

Although rice isn't ideal for cats, it probably won't pose a problem unless he has an intolerance for it. I suppose you could try it and see. You might want to mix the rice-containing formulas with some totally non-grain food and increase the percentage of the new food slowly, at least the first time, though.

Keep in mind, though, my experience is with food sensitivities in dogs, not cats! Still, a slow introduction and close observation seems like a good strategy...

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by Loki Love

Yes, I know this.



He isn't constipated a lot. It's happened twice and we know to avoid dry kibble because of it.



He gets lots of fluids given he only eats canned/wet food. Cats are not big drinkers, in general - so I sometimes add some water to his food as well.



I may look into that, but it isn't a high priority to find a food that has flax seed as we do control it with Restoralax right now, along with fish oils.



I'd be bothering my vet weekly if I were to check each time I tried a new food with my cat! He does fine with all foods, as long as it's not kibble (but he's fussy with his canned food).

I was saying to see if it was OK to feed your cat food with flax seeds not to call your vet every time you give it new food ! I feed my dog food with flax seed and it didn't agree with . Sorry for trying to help !

[DParker]

The only reason rice is an ingredient is that it's a filler. Cats do not eat rice, or wheat, or corn, or peas, or potatoes, ....they are designed to eat tiny bit of grain, but only grain that's already be partially digested (as what is found in a mouse's stomach)

I am struggling to find a good canned cat food that is suitable for a carnivore---i.e. cat! It's infuriating when I see the fillers....and questionable ingredients. If someone in the pet food industry is reading this... I am willing to pay more. Please make a species-appropriate food.

Also, dry cat food is not nutritious... I will never again feed a cat dry cat food. I'm not sure if that violates the posting rules... but when I see a cat with diabetes or an obsese cat.... I know that he is being fed dry cat food.

Wet cat food that has some rice in it is still better than any dry cat food will be. It's difficult if not impossible for cats to remain adequately hydrated through drinking water... they are not programmed to have a strong thirst drive. They need to get their fluids from food.

I just adopted a kitten who was constipated the first night ...I thought I was going to have to take her to emergency, but she was able to pass the stools. The previous owner had been feeding her dry cat food. I have started her on wet cat food and luckily she is eating it. And no more constipation. I know that it can be extremely challenging to switch cats from dry to wet... but my last 2 cats has health issues that were caused by dry cat food.

[Longblades]

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=87350

IN this thread one of the things talked about is Slippery Elm Bark which I am using for constipation in my old cat.