Gaining too much weight on new diet

Kitty (now OTJ more than a month! ) ate FF Tender Beef for most of his 15 months on Lantus. Then FF changed something, and his BG went up. We struggled to find a new very low-carb food he would eat.

We have finally gotten him to eat FF Gourmet Chicken Feast mixed with Evo 95% Chicken & Turkey. Janet & Binky's list shows the Evo as lower calories than the FF -- but he is now gaining weight.

He doesn't move around enough, but that hasn't really changed. Anyone have any ideas?

 

How much does he eat? Does he get any exercise?

 

he gets NO exercise, other than walking very slowly from one perch to another. The vet said he had "mild" arthritis. I think it hurts him to move to much. He walks awfully slowly. He starts to play, but then he pulls back.

I give Cosequin, which doesn't seem to do much. She doesn't want to give Adequan, which she uses for dogs.

We free-feed. He eats about 3 ounces overnight, and probably 3-5 ounces during the day. I should start measuring, probably. I throw so much away, and put out fresh so many times daily, that it's hard to know what he really consumes.

The thing is that his movement and our feeding style are both the same, haven't changed. I thought it was the Evo, but that's lower calorie, so that doesn't make sense. However, the Evo IS higher fat.

We are limited by some dental resorption, as well as the need for low-carb. I have to stick with soft food. I don't think he's in a lot of pain, because his BG is good.

 

Hi, Kathy. Evo is an excellent food, but very high in Fat. I know Kitty cannot move too much, have you tried just using some toys to grasp his attention & he can roll around on the floor? Sometimes my girls playtime is laying on their back, or laying looking at me, but batting a toy around - like one of those feathers, etc. Also, does kitty have this toy, click on this link Crazy Circle Both my girls are 9 & got this as kittens & are still mesmerized! Not a lot of walking with this one either.

 

Hi, Nicole! I hate to admit it, but that toy actually SCARED him! :lol: We've bought a bunch of toys, but his favorite toy is the end of a cushion tie.

Here's the big limitation, besides movement: Kitty has dental resorption. For complicated reasons (mostly lack of availability of quality care locally), we're not treating it. He does not have lesions and apparently doesn't have pain, but I'm figuring he shouldn't be digging his teeth into things and then tugging with his hind teeth. Well, EVERYTHING he plays with goes in his mouth! So finding the right things for him to play with is really hard. He was never that big a play-kitty anyway.

I feel very stuck. His breath is getting bad again, even after the dental in February, but I am afraid to give him harder foods to scrub his teeth. I feel like I'm on the wrong track with him. But he's so newly OTJ, I want to just let him alone for awhile. But the weight thing is not good.

 

It looks like the EVO you are feeding is 71 in the fat column, the Fancy Feast is 57.
I don’t know what your budget is, or what foods you have fed prior. But maybe look at the Food Charts & find one that is lower fat, but still good in the carb column? Maybe look for one where protein/fat is about the same? I know Cowboy Cookout is.

 

When he started rejecting FF, we tried everything. But maybe I'll give the cowboy cookout another try. I was introducing too many new foods, too quickly.

I will try that.

Thanks. See, you are good at this!

 

Awwww, thanks (((Kathy))) check out the food charts, you will see the different fat content.. I was tyring to think of some canned low fat ones too.. All of them are higher carb that I can think of though...maybe someone else will stroll thru & give you some ideas too.. All I have for now is look at the fat column on the food charts, I know those are old though too.. But it gives you someplace to start :YMSIGH: Good Luck!!

 

I second Cowboy Cookout from Merrick. Also Surf and Turf from Merrick. I use them to bring the fat down a little for all my diabetics. Of course, I mix it with Wellness and FF.

But I figure every little bit helps.

Have you tried a Laser light for some exercise?

Good luck,

Claudia

 

Have you had his thyroid checked lately? Cats usually go hyperT, but hypoT is possible.

 

Hi Kathy
Funny that I am having the same problem with Max and Gayle and I were talking about that last night. He out on a pound since he went OTJ and is now at 19.5.
He also does not excercise and is not interested in toys. Last night I chased him around the house to get him to run. Okay it did not last that long cuz I had to run too. lol.

Max is only eating the FF, mostly all the flavours, easy on the beef (you made me nervous about the beef and the BG #s)

With 3 cats I find it hard to measure tej food but I have been labeling 2 cans with his name on it so I know, pretty much, how mush he is getting but I am also not happy about this.
I plan on taking him for new bloodwork and make sure everything is working.

 

I wonder how many kitties gain weight after going OTJ...

The next time I take him to the vet, we'll check his thyroid. my hunch is on the arthritis, because he moves with care. The vet had said that if I reduced his weight, he would be able to move better -- but kind of a vicious circle, isn't it?

We tried the laser a long time ago. He was curious, but it was beneath his dignity to chase it!

Sorry I made you paranoid about the Tender Beef, Randi! But i still don't have any explanation for why he suddenly spiked after months in green, then went down again when i removed it.

 

Maui gained most of the weight she lost back, after OTJ. She's maintaining and looks good to me.

Regarding your statement about hard food to clean teeth. Please note that hard food, dry food, etc. don't clean their teeth.

If you don't brush his teeth, you could give him some chunks of raw chicken or beef to chew on, I've heard this is an excellent and natural way for him to clean his teeth.

 

Hi, Hillary! Thanks for the tip. I should try brushing first. Hah, yeah, good luck with that. He doesn't like me opening his mouth.

Well, I have to figure this out. Either let him chew on something, or brush.

I wonder, does it have to be raw? How about parboiled?

 

You can also try dental chews. They have the same enzymes in them as the toothpaste. I use the C.E.T. brand. Minou went from needing a dental yearly to almost four years since her last dental by feeding her one daily. They have a base of freeze dried fish, so they are diabetic friendly and most cats love them.

CET chews

 

This product was suggested recently by a pet sitter. I know NOTHING about it, but thought I'd pass it on and let you check it out and decide.

http://www.petzlife.com/

 

Karen, can you tell me anything about the consistency of the chews? Because Kitty has the resorption issue, I want to avoid anything that would tug on the tooth as he eats them.

Also, I see these ingredients:
Ingredients: Freeze-dried fish, pourtry digets, dextrose, antioxidants (containing tocopherols, ascorbic acid, natural flavor and citric acid), glucose oxidase, dried when protein concentrate.

Are dextrose and glucose oxidase sugars that would add to BG?

 

Hillary, if this actually WORKS, it would be perfect. A spray, no brushing?

The website is really flaky looking: http://www.petzlife.com/productsafety.html. I think I'll do another post on health to see if anyone has used it.

Thanks!

 

They are crumbly, like the freeze dried chicken breast treats only softer, inside a mesh type outer coating. Minou always manages to remove the coating and just eat the interior. Yes, glucose and dextrose are carbs. According to the package, it is a very tiny amount needed to keep the enzymes alive. I fed them to Angus too, and never noticed any difference in his BGs.

C.E.T. makes a rinse too. They are a brand I would trust.

 

Thanks, Karen! Assuming the mesh doesn't catch on anything, this could be very helpful. I guess it's the enzymes that do the job here, not a scrubbing action of chewing.