Binky's Page Info..update needed.

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by sch, Jul 9, 2012.

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  1. sch

    sch Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2012
    I just wanted to make a comment on the values on Binky''s nutritional list. I have been sending requests to the cat food companies (only Purina , so far) and I wanted to alert everyone, especially the new folks, that the values are not accurate anymore. The last revision in nutritional information on some varieties is as recent as April of this year and it does not match the listing online. (Like I said, I have only received info from Purina, so far.) There have been many added varieties in the canned food section, as well that have lower carbs and if you don't have a complete listing, you may be missing out on some foods that you could offer your cat, not realizing they are on the OK list for carbs.

    I am going to be sending emails to Whiska's, Meow Mix etc...because they have so many new kinds in dry and canned out there. I am hoping to get the info from ALL of the grocery store brands. Purina has been very good about sending me tons of info. Caesar is very picky and so far I only have one brand and one flavor he will eat and it was not on the list but I sent for the information myself and it is below the 10% value for carbs, thankfully. So I do encourage folks out there to either do the research yourself to find an economical low carb alternative for your cat, or I would be happy to post my findings on my signature when I get all of the information, unless someone can suggest a better way to make this available. (I am not completely savvy when it comes to making a web page).

    I hope this information is helpful and useful.

    -Jill
     
  2. Julia & Bandit (GA)

    Julia & Bandit (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    How are you determining the values? Did you get the As-Fed values from Purina and then convert them to % K-cal? If you're trying to use the guaranteed analysis, or the dry matter analysis, or as fed values before converting them to kcal, then you're not doing a true comparison. Pre-conversion, carb values are going to appear to be much lower then they actually are. The reason why I ask is because Purina has not been helpful in the past providing the actual as-fed values needed to determine the nutritional content as seen on Binky's page, and there is certainly no Purina dry food that is low in carbs.

    This explains it better: http://binkyspage.tripod.com/foodfaq.html, as does this page: http://catinfo.org/#Learn_How_To_Read_a_Pet_Food_Ingredient_Label.

    If you did get the As-Fed values, and you did do the conversions to kcal on your own (the pet food companies do not do this for you), then that's great! I just know from dealing with Purina myself that trying to get as-fed information from them is like pulling teeth. This is a list that has currently obtained values for some Purina foods: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmkyagqUb3nudHlidjRqZjYtdmFFcXlzZWt4WUYxYmc#gid=0. When you compare the 2012 Fancy Feast values to the 2000-2004 values of the same flavors, the protein, carb, and fat values have pretty much remained the same and are not outdated. If you have a cat with kidney disease, the phosphorus values on Binky's charts are all very outdated and should not be used, but you can find updated ones on Tanya's CKD web site.

    If you have updated as-fed values for foods not on Hobo's list, I would urge you to post them here, so that they can be added: http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=69877&p=760310&hilit=updated binky#p760310.
     
  3. sch

    sch Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2012
    Thank you for the information. They are as-fed values. I have read the information on the links you sent me. I have not had any issues with getting very detailed information from Purina. I simply stated my situation and they have sent all I have asked for. They did ask I consult with my vet, which I understand, but I am going to be taking these to my vet as well.

    I don't want my posting to be taken the wrong way. I am not trying to discredit Binky's page or anyone's information, and I hope anyone reading my post will understand that. I have used and appreciated it very much, thus far. I just can see that some info is outdated. But more so, there are many varieties not listed in the information and I have been frustrated at the grocery store because I see so many varieties that I don't see info for on the list, so I fugured I would do some "foot work" so to speak.
    Just want to help, if I can.
    Thanks.
     
  4. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2010
    We are aware they are out of date. A few folks have been working on getting updated info; they'd love to work with you.
     
  5. sch

    sch Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2012
    Thank for you telling me that. I appreciate knowing. I will do my best to get all the info I possibly can from everyone. :)
     
  6. I think a good person for you to contact would be Suze (user name "Pumbaa"), as she has been doing an enormous amount of work in the past few months trying to coordinate getting all of the nutritional information updated. She may not have the info you have, and she was asking for help with lots of brands. Here's a link to a thread from a couple months ago that you can look at. It would be awesome to have the latest data, especially since it seems there are a whole lot of new flavors on the shelf from Purina (Friskees) that aren't on a list.
    http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=69877&p=772314&
    Maybe PM Suze so nobody is doing duplicate research?

    Thanks for getting that info!
    Carl
     
  7. sch

    sch Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2012
    Thank you, Carl. You are awesome, as always!! :D
     
  8. Janet & Binky (GA)

    Janet & Binky (GA) Senior Member Staff Member Moderator

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    I appreciate that people are stepping up! Binky's page is horribly out of date, and I'm not offended when people point out this truth. It's been 4 years since I had the time and energy to work on these pages, due to changes in my work and personal life (translation: I used to do this at work during lulls, but now I can't), and even then some of the numbers were pretty old.

    People still send me information, and I save it, but the number one problem is prying the actual values, rather than the "guaranteed" values out of companies, especially the big manufacturers. The important thing is to look for the words "minimum" and "maximum" associated with the protein, fat, water, ash, and fiber values. If they are there, the numbers are questionable, and if you use them, the % of calories from carbohydrates is likely to be higher than it is in reality.

    -- Janet
    (Thanks, Karen, for the heads-up on this thread.)
     
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