LC diet, okay to have NO carbs??

Before I start transitioning my cat from Purina DM dry to FF classics, I've been trying to collect more data on her BG levels PS and where she nadirs.

To the people who have had success in switching their sugar babies over to a LC wet diet, can you help me understand low carbs versus almost no carbs in their diets?

I picked up FF classics seafood variety pack with ocean white fish, savory salmon, and cod&sole because Kyo seems to prefer fishier food. However, when consulting Dr.Lisa's food chart, I noticed that those varieties have 0-2% carbs Max versus the other varieties with chicken or beef being around 4%. As I begin the slow transition to wet food (with ample home testing) will having a nearly no carb diet actually be bad for my cat?

 

More experienced people will have to answer about "no carbs" but Dr. Lisa Pierson's chart says this about seafood:

Fish: I do not favor feeding fish-based diets for several reasons: 1) allergy potential, 2) toxins/mercury levels, 3) PBDE levels (fire retardant chemicals with thyroid-disrupting properties), 4) often high in phosphorus and magnesium, 5) signifcant addiction issues - the cat will not eat anything else.

 

Wow thank you for that! I completely must have missed that information on the chart. I will definitely be taking that into consideration when I begin the transition.

 

Dr. Pierson has this additional info at the very bottom of her chart versus at the top of with the other information, totally recommend reading all she posted down there! I want to say Poultry was actually the most recommended food to use but she likes to see Liver being used often enough as well.

 

I will be heading to my local petstore to pick up some of those varieties! Unfortunately I already opened my seafood variety pack so I don't think I can return it in your opinion can I still incorporate it into the diet? Perhaps instead of a fish variety every day, maybe every other day or every two days?

 

Personally I would think it would be fine to just keep the seafood variety and give her one once or twice a week until the pack is gone? Someone with more experience can correct me otherwise but I wouldn't see the harm in it!

 

Thanks so much for the advice @Panic ! I appreciate it!

 

I tend to use the fish flavors as post-test treat feeding, alternating that with dried sardines and/or dry bonito flakes (both no-carb ) -- when you read ingredients, you will find there is often some fish in the poultry selections, poultry or liver in the fish ones -- I alternate several types of food (with comparable carb ratings) since cat in the "wild" will eat a mixture of whatever they can catch -- I'm fortunate in that Catcat is still so hungry all the time that he will eat anything I put down, though he did have to have some bonito-flake topping to decide to eat shredded chicken stewed in its own juice (thank you, crockpot) and to eat surplus cut-up people-food shrimp (the type to be dipped in cocktail sauce)

 

I was thinking about this just the other day - fish and poultry make perfect sense for a cat in the wild to catch and eat, but since when would a domestic cat be catching and eating a cow? Just thought that was funny!

 

coyote or cougar catches calf or cow -- cat gets the leftovers -- same with pig, sheep, goat, deer --

 

Comparable carb ratings...okay that's good to know that I can alternate flavors and just try to keep them within the same carb range. Thank you! I wish I had an Asian grocery store near me. I bet kyo would love bonito flakes!

 

Agreed - @CandyH and Catcat where do you get your Bonito flakes? Do you have a link?

 

several grocery stores in Lacey (20 miles/45 minute drive away) cater to Oriental-food shoppers, doubt if any of them have online ordering == but check around, some mainstream groceries may carry bonito flakes too -- 100 gram (3.5 ounce) bag for $5.99 -- bag the size of potato chip bag, lasts more than a month

can't find bonito? alternate name is katsuobushi -- needed to make dashi soup base -- many options online

https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Bonito-Flakes-2-82-Ounces/dp/B000UWE0AO

Cat-Man-Doo also offers bonito flake treats for cats -- available several places online including Chewy, Amazon, iHerb, Petco ($10-20 for same size)

 

dried sardines -- not easy to find -- mine produced in Vancouver BC -- https://www.tgipt.com/shop/pure-protein-treats/dried-sardines-cats-dogs

look also for dried anchovies -- available from Amazon -- though I like to shop local -- okay semi-local -- if I can

these may show up in same stores as the bonito flakes, too