Changes to Fancy Feast?

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Squalliesmom

Squalliesmom

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Three out of my four furbabies have very nasty, stinky diarrhea. They all eat Fancy Feast Turkey and Giblets pate. I am wondering if the current thinking that FF changed their formulas may have something to do with this. They have never had a problem with this food before. It took me a year to finally find a food my IBD kitty can tolerate - if she can no longer eat this I am going to go out of my mind!:arghh::mad::nailbiting::arghh:
 
OH NO!
I feed it as well but maybe I have a old batch although Rico poo is always horrific-
I have found some pro plan that is low carb whitefish and salmon and turkey an giblets --ocean fish-
also purina one makes some --mine like the senior salmon and tuna and the chicken and liver
good luck!!
 
I feed it to my cats. Two of the 7 had diarrhea. One got over it in two days, the other had it for two weeks. I brought her to the vet and the day she went the problem ended. Well that was $250 I didn't need to spend. Lol
 
A week ago my diabetic cat CC decided she didn't want the ff anymore.... She's eating Friskies now.
 
we shall see how the next few days go, FF chicken Feast now says classic pate' rather than just classic. I don't know how to read the label to figure out carb count. Besides my reading glasses are no longer the prescription I need, as a result I can't read small print, it will be a while before I can again.
 
Wow..that's so weird. Whiskey had diarrhea last week, and I fed him pumpkin and baby food for a cpl days and it cleared up. I just buy a bunch of the Classics cans without really looking at the flavors. I wonder if he had the turkey and giblets..
 
okay, my son said Shaak has thrown up twice in the living room and now this morning she threw up once on the bed. It is still the older FF she is eating, and she doesn't throw up after eating she throws up around 15 minutes before she is due to eat. I am worried about the food chart, I am looking at 9 lives, but what if it is a different formula since the chart was made. I want her to stay at 4 carbs, and under 55 Fat, and hopefully Protein 5 or over. That is what her FF is. Problem is I am a poor woman. I am looking up foods and it appears 9 lives is cheaper than FF. What is everyone's opinion of 9 lives. I am thinking I might pick up a couple of cans of it for her to try. If I can find the right flavor, I like to keep her on chicken but the 9 lives ground chicken has less protein and more fat than I want her to have, now the Turkey and giblets dinner has 45 protein, 54 fats, and 2 Carbs. I really like the idea of those numbers.

I fear change for Shaak because she has been in remission since March. I don't want anything to upset this, She is 11 yrs old but since going into remission she acts like a kitten again. She races around the house, carries toys everywhere, snuggles constantly, even chases insects. I want her to stay healthy.
 
Cathie and Shaak Ti said:
okay, my son said Shaak has thrown up twice in the living room and now this morning she threw up once on the bed. It is still the older FF she is eating, and she doesn't throw up after eating she throws up around 15 minutes before she is due to eat. I am worried about the food chart, I am looking at 9 lives, but what if it is a different formula since the chart was made. I want her to stay at 4 carbs, and under 55 Fat, and hopefully Protein 5 or over. That is what her FF is. Problem is I am a poor woman. I am looking up foods and it appears 9 lives is cheaper than FF. What is everyone's opinion of 9 lives. I am thinking I might pick up a couple of cans of it for her to try. If I can find the right flavor, I like to keep her on chicken but the 9 lives ground chicken has less protein and more fat than I want her to have, now the Turkey and giblets dinner has 45 protein, 54 fats, and 2 Carbs. I really like the idea of those numbers.

I fear change for Shaak because she has been in remission since March. I don't want anything to upset this, She is 11 yrs old but since going into remission she acts like a kitten again. She races around the house, carries toys everywhere, snuggles constantly, even chases insects. I want her to stay healthy.
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Ohhhh if she's throwing up BEFORE eating...what does the vomit look like?

Cats actually have stomachs that are very different than ours. They make stuff in their stomach in prep for food. If the food doesn't arrive, they will throw that stuff up.

If it looks foamy and clear, and liquidy..no food or anything solid in it..that could be what's going on. It's usually just a little vomit too. Not a lot.

Whiskey had that, so I get up earlier now and give him his food. No more 5am vomit.

Back when we fed our cats dry food, I'm sure you were l ike me and just left it for grazing. That's why they will sometimes puke now in between meals..their tummies need to be on a regular schedule.
 
The 9 Lives Meaty Pates are low carb & fine to feed. Sheba in the can is reasonably priced at Walmart, the Sheba Perfect Portions are more expensive, but both are low carb.
 
whiskeysmom said:
Ohhhh if she's throwing up BEFORE eating...what does the vomit look like?

Cats actually have stomachs that are very different than ours. They make stuff in their stomach in prep for food. If the food doesn't arrive, they will throw that stuff up.

If it looks foamy and clear, and liquidy..no food or anything solid in it..that could be what's going on. It's usually just a little vomit too. Not a lot.

Whiskey had that, so I get up earlier now and give him his food. No more 5am vomit.

Back when we fed our cats dry food, I'm sure you were l ike me and just left it for grazing. That's why they will sometimes puke now in between meals..their tummies need to be on a regular schedule.
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Shaak eats 8 times a day, every three hours, she has a battery operated feeder, since March, same amount of food at every meal since March, the only difference is that I am hearing FF changed their formula. The throw up is brown liquid and has hairs in it. My son thinks it has to do with the hair. I am assuming it has to do with the formula change.
 
I definitely think FF has changed their formulas. The two newer cases of Turkey & Giblets that I have are a different consistency, much smoother. All the diarrhea except my IBD baby's has cleared up, but everybody's poos are still very stinky. My poor IBD girl has terrible, watery diarrhea again; we fought so hard to clear it up, this just breaks my heart. We are trying Pro Plan True Nature to see if it helps, most of them are under 3% carbs and not too much more expensive than FF. Please say a little prayer for my Candy, that we can get her back on track soon!
(I'm so #$%&ed at Fancy Feast!!!)
 
Squalliesmom said:
I definitely think FF has changed their formulas. The two newer cases of Turkey & Giblets that I have are a different consistency, much smoother. All the diarrhea except my IBD baby's has cleared up, but everybody's poos are still very stinky. My poor IBD girl has terrible, watery diarrhea again; we fought so hard to clear it up, this just breaks my heart. We are trying Pro Plan True Nature to see if it helps, most of them are under 3% carbs and not too much more expensive than FF. Please say a little prayer for my Candy, that we can get her back on track soon!
(I'm so #$%&ed at Fancy Feast!!!)
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Here's hoping we can all get our babies through the FF debacle !
 
So I'm not crazy!! I have given Sarge and the two non-sugarcat boys FF Turkey & Giblets Classic and FF Chicken Classic for nearly 3 years with no issues. Then back in mid-late September Sarge starts getting diarrhea and vomiting. He quickly lost nearly a pound yet a vet visit failed to find any issues. At this point I became suspicious of his food. Taking one variable at a time I discontinued the Turkey & Giblets. The fireworks stopped. Started again and out came the shampooer. Discontinued the Turkey & Giblets and the issues stopped. I contacted Purina through their website. About five days later on September 29th I received this reply.

Hi, Alison!

Thank you for contacting Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.

The situation you encountered is an unusual occurrence and certainly not typical of our Fancy Feast® Gourmet Cat Food Classic Turkey & Giblets Feast™. We appreciate you bringing your concerns to our attention. They have been noted and reported to the appropriate individuals in our Company.

We are at a loss to explain why your pet has been experiencing vomiting/diarrhea. Please know that there has not been any change in the formula, quality of ingredients or method of processing this product since December, 2009.

We understand that you have multiple "Best If Used By" codes. We will appreciate a couple of them, so we may find a connection. You may reply back with the information needed, or you may call us at 1-800-778-7462. If you call, please give the Pet Advisor your case number. We would like the UPC codes, "Best If Used By" codes, whether if it came from Wal-Mart or Amazon.com, the Wal-Mart's city and state.

We are most anxious to restore your confidence in our products. Thus we are mailing coupons for your use the next time you purchase Nestlé Purina PetCare products. They should arrive within 7-10 business days.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Thank you,

Kelly

On October 3rd I had a list ready and I sent them every lot number of Turkey & Giblets in the pantry and their sources. I had started Sarge on goat's milk to settle his stomach and went on with the Chicken Classic. About mid October all three boys started to refuse to eat the FF Chicken Classic. Sarge failing to regain the weight, I was pretty sure it was due to turning on the FF but to be safe, went back to the vet and had nice labs (except for kidney values flirting with boarder line high and of course high sugar). The creep in kidney values concerned me. Now I'm scrambling to figure out what to feed them even after hours of research. So far I have been getting by with FF Chunky Chicken but I think we need to get away from Purina. Even the Forta Flora, my go to for getting Sarge to eat, has him puking. $400 in vet bills and now I find that I'm not the only one!!
 
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My cats don't like the FF Turkey & Giblets so I don't have experience with that one. My cats won't eat more than a half can at a time, so I have to feed 4 times a day. Maybe it makes a difference that I feed something different each meal to keep them interested -- FF Tender Beef Feast, Chicken Feast, Chopped Grill Feast, and Tender Liver & Chicken Feast and haven't had any problems. I have been very careful treating Dirty Butt as a diabetic even though she has been off insulin for a few months. I did notice two throw ups in the last few days (very similar to when she was first diagnosed), but it might not have been her. I hadn't tested her in weeks, so I tested her this morning and was enormously relieved she tested at 74. Then I thought maybe the throw up was because I was experimenting with Sheba and Newman's Own every now and then, looking for something with a lower phosphorous than FF (DB and Sweetie both have chronic renal failure), but maybe it was the FF or maybe a UTI -- no diarrhea though -- thank goodness as I have long-haired cats! I'm on the west coast, could this be a problem that narrows down to one part of the country -- a different factory or source?
 
I am in Missouri and so far the lots I have had issues with have come from different places. Most from Amazon.com and some from our local Walmart. I'm in a pickle now. I need to transition to a different food but I don't have a staple to mix it in. They are already giving up on the Chunky Chicken flavor too. Yikes! I thought having six different flavors/carb profiles in the house would save me but they are all from the same company! I have a feeling I am going to give up on putting the shampooer away for awhile :(
 
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My little Hermione loved the FF Turkey & Giblets so I bought a flat of it last week (I know, never buy that much of anything for a cat, they'll instantly hate it). Within the first day (2 cans) her blood sugar spiked and she started having soft-serve poo, and the next day she started picking at it instead of wolfing it down. I didn't think to look at the FF until I saw this thread. I've stopped feeding the Turkey & Giblets and her poop has improved. I'm not positive there's a connection but I'm still looking for an alternative food.
 
I mix Fancy Feast or Friskies pate in with Teasel's canned DM. It's been the turkey and giblets Fancy Feast the last couple of days and I haven't had a problem. I'm in Canada, though, so maybe have access to different lot numbers - ?
 
I have called them several times in the past two days and never get past the "Thanks for calling, someone will be with you shortly" phase. I just wait and wait on hold and nobody ever picks up. Lol, their hold music is kinda ominous-sounding, maybe that should tell me something!
 
I feed FF Turkey and Giblets almost exclusively to my civvies (sugar kid won't touch it!:banghead:) and had no issues at all but like Kris, I am in Canada. I checked older ingredients against new cans and nothing appears to be any different.
 
I don't feed any FF, but my next-door-neighbor feeds FF Turkey and Giblets to all four of her cats. None of them have experienced any issues.
I'm in the USA.
 
I have one can of the FF Turkey/Giblets Classic left that is the "old lot". I compared it's ingredients to the new cans that I bought and indeed the ingredient listing is just slightly different....just a couple of tiny changes far into the ingredient list. And the order of ingredients is slightly modified. So, I assume that Purina thinks these small changes do not constitute as a "change in formula". But after all these reports, I am returning the new cans I bought. I don't want to take any chances.
 
WileyWonderCat said:
I have one can of the FF Turkey/Giblets Classic left that is the "old lot". I compared it's ingredients to the new cans that I bought and indeed the ingredient listing is just slightly different....just a couple of tiny changes far into the ingredient list. And the order of ingredients is slightly modified. So, I assume that Purina thinks these small changes do not constitute as a "change in formula". But after all these reports, I am returning the new cans I bought. I don't want to take any chances.
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Thank you for the information! I was pretty sure something had to be going on there, glad to know I'm not going (totally) crazy, lol!
 
Same here! I didn't have any old cans left to compare. It may be coincidence for Hermione (and the others who are having issues with it) or it may just be some kitties are extra sensitive to the changes. I'm trying Sheba pates now and so far so good! I gave my flat of FF to a friend who takes care of a TNR'd colony.
 
WileyWonderCat said:
I have one can of the FF Turkey/Giblets Classic left that is the "old lot". I compared it's ingredients to the new cans that I bought and indeed the ingredient listing is just slightly different....just a couple of tiny changes far into the ingredient list. And the order of ingredients is slightly modified. So, I assume that Purina thinks these small changes do not constitute as a "change in formula". But after all these reports, I am returning the new cans I bought. I don't want to take any chances.
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@WileyWonderCat
When you get a chance will you please post the ingredients of the "old" and "new" lots of FF Turkey & Giblets so others can check and compare what they have at home? It might also be a good idea to post the lot numbers and expiration dates which are usually stamped on the bottom of the can. If there's a general consensus, it may prompt an investigation by Purina.

Thank you!
 
Absolutely! Again, I'm not sure that these differences are the reason for some cats' current symptoms. The changes are very minor- sorry if I made it sound like the ingredients had changed- it's primarily the order of ingredients that has changed, which could mean that the ratio/amounts of these ingredients is different in the new cans. Here goes:

OLDER CAN (note that I already recycled older cans with an expiration of March 2018 - # unknown, but this last can dated June 2018 has the same ingredients as the March 2018 cans and I haven't had any issues):
Best By Date: June 2018 # 61731160L11801111 Purchased from either Target or Petco...can't remember which or when (San Diego, CA)
Ingredients:
Turkey, Liver, Meat by-products, Turkey broth, Poultry giblets, Artificial and natural flavors, Guar gum, Calcium phosphate, Potassium chloride, Salt, Magnesium sulfate, Taurine, Zinc sulfate, Thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, Ferrous sulfate, Niacin, Manganese sulfate, Calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, Copper sulfate, Menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, Biotin, Folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, Potassium iodide.

NEW CAN ( I haven't tried this, so I have no idea if it will cause problems)
Best By Date: July 2018 # 62011160L11800405 Purchased at Petco in October 2016 (San Diego, CA)
Ingredients: (blue font = different order of ingredients than above; red font = different than above)
Turkey, Liver, Meat by-products, Turkey broth, Poultry giblets, Artificial and natural flavors, Guar gum, Tricalcium phosphate, Potassium chloride, Salt, Magnesium sulfate, Taurine, Thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin E supplement, Zinc sulfate, Ferrous sulfate, Niacin, Calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, Menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Copper sulfate, Manganese sulfate, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, Biotin, Folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, Potassium iodide.

If anyone has even older or newer lots, I would be interested in seeing if there are more significant changes.

Edited to add: The Guaranteed Analysis percents are the same on both cans.
 
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If you have an iPhone download the CarbCalc App by Scott Kilbourn. (I think there is also an android app but not sure) That's how I calculate Ash's food and noticed the changes in formula. The new one calculates at a higher carb percentage.
 
@WileyWonderCat Thanks for the ingredient listings. Checked my stash (Cdn.) and my expiry dates are June 2018 expiry however my lot number is different (61731160L21801917) and interestingly, my ingredient list is different in that it simply says "minerals" and "vitamins" rather than listing all the individual minerals/vitamins. I presume the labeling difference is a space issue because of the Canadian requirement to have labelling in both English and French The product is imported I presume from the US.

My ingredients:
Turkey, Liver, Meat by-products, Turkey broth, Poultry giblets, Artificial and natural flavors, Guar gum, Calcium phosphate, Potassium chloride, Salt, Magnesium sulfate, Minerals, Taurine, Vitamins

Seems those of us in Canada should remain vigilant for any issues cropping up in the near future as our ingredient listings are not as complete as those in the US. :arghh:
 
Oh the change is happening here too (canada)...I got the FF Turkey and giblets at a local pet store and notice the first 6 cans were one formula and the rest where different with higher Carbs numbers. I bought all 6 cans and have been stocking up wherever I go all while trying new kinds in the mix until I find something else he likes.
 
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