Young again zero carb and Bravo bonus bites freeze dried

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by dirtybirdsoaps, Feb 28, 2014.

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  1. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    I've been trying to switch my cats to ONLY wet food, but they're not liking that too much so I'm looking into other options. I was wondering about the young again zero carb cat food. Has anyone had luck with this food? I'm nervous to order a bag and find out they don't like it lol. Also, for testing and shots I've been using Halo freeze dried chicken, beef and salmon but I'm looking for more of a variety. Is the bravo zero carb as well? Any tips would be appreciated :D

    Also, Any tips on how to monitor how much a diabetic is drinking when you have multiple cats?
    I'm almost positive Hidey is drinking less (that's from trying to keep a close eye on him at the water bowl and the litter box) but I'm not certain.
     
  2. Wendy&Tiggy(GA)

    Wendy&Tiggy(GA) Well-Known Member

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    Nov 15, 2011
    You could try different types of wet food to find something they all like?

    What do you mean "luck"? I have seen a few cats go into remission with this food but many more go in with wet food. Plus wet is better for their kidneys.

    Other low carb dry are Innova Evo Cat & Kitten 8% and Nature's Variety Raw Instinct chicken 7%.

    Looking at his chart its nice to see some blues but can you get some night time or before bed tests in? Many cats go lower at night and I wonder how low he goes then. remember if he goes under 50 its a dose decrease. I would stop the TBS of dry food you mentioned (replace with with low carb dry if you need to), even a small amount can spike a diabetic cats BG - just 2-3 kibble can spike my guys for over 24 hours.

    Wendy
     
  3. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    Jan 7, 2014
    Don't get me wrong they love their canned food and eat it ALL, but they haven't been good with going to JUST wet. That's why Ive slowly been trying to eliminate it but its not working too well. They used to get 1/3 c (each) blue buffalo weight control dry to graze on all day and id split one 3 oz can wet food at night (avoderm or weruva) Now I'm giving them 2 oz wet in the morning and 2 oz at night (each) plus the dry which I had at 1/3 c each (75% EVO/25% blue buffalo) I just cut it to 1 TBS dry because I kept hoping theyd forget about the dry food LOL THEY HAVEN'T! They attack each other for it lol. I tried 100% EVO but Hidey had diarrhea and was vomiting when we went 100% EVO ( and that was after doing the 75/25 ratio for a week or so) Luck, as in meaning do cats actually eat it LOL I have never heard of it before now. I didn't know if some on here tried it and mostly reject it or what. I know every cat is different as are humans especially when it comes to flavor, but I was just trying to get an idea how others cats liked or disliked it
     
  4. ebuckley

    ebuckley Member

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    Jan 27, 2014
    I bought a bag of Young Again for supplemental feedings and back up for the pet sitter, etc. All three cats seem to like it fine. I am giving Napa about 1 tablespoon with her wet food to help get her sated. She still meows a lot for food, despite 2x5.5oz cans/day.
     
  5. Shelly & Jersey (GA)

    Shelly & Jersey (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Feb 1, 2014
    Hi,

    We bought Young Again, like ebuckley did, for supplemental feeding when we had to travel, etc. The first time I put it down, Jersey immediately ate some of it. After that, she hasn't shown any interest in it. I have two other indoor cats; neither one of them will eat it - at all. The two outdoor cats will eat it, though. I wish I could tell you they all love it; that just hasn't been my experience. (I really wanted them to like it, too.) My cats used to be like yours - they were dry food junkies, and I thought they were craving the dry food when I took it away from them. What I realized is that I simply wasn't feeding them often enough. We've now moved to feedings four times a day. The timed feeder that I bought this week has really helped me with that!

    I've had the same problems you're having with monitoring water intake. My vets have asked me if Jersey's drinking is normal. My reply is simply that I never see her drink out of the water bowl any more. Since we switched to canned food in January, I have only seen Jersey drink out of the water bowl once - and that was after eating some of the Young Again dry food. I freshen up their water bowl daily, but I can't tell that any of the water is gone when I change it.

    I hope my experiences help a little bit!
    Shelly
     
  6. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

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    Oct 6, 2010
    Food transitions to canned food need to be made s l o w l y to reduce the chances of diarrhea, vomiting, or inappetance.

    I divide into 2 feedings roughly 1 ounce of food per pound of cat.

    Perhaps you need to put down more food. An unregulated diabetic may need as much as 50 % more food due to the inability to use all the calories.
     
  7. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    may I ask what kind of timed feeder you bought? I didn't even know they had them for dry food lol. I wouldn't mind feeding more often throughout the day its just being able to.
     
  8. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    I understand this but I don't. 1 oz of food per pound of cat. I have 2 cats that are 16 lbs and 1 that's almost 15. That's about 3- 5 oz cans of food PER cat. Even if I was doing fancy feast that would probably cost more to feed them then me lol. I want my cats happy and healthy but something doesn't seem to add u with that amount.

    And as to the slowly transitioning I have been. I have included all of his feedings on his SS
     
  9. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

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    Oct 6, 2010
    15 cats, average weight 10 lbs, so guesstimate of 150 pounds of cat
    about 4 * 13 oz cans of Friskies pates, twice a day, so
    52 oz, twice a day
    about 3.5 oz per cat per meal

    - some is occasionally left over.
     
  10. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    :eek: 15 cats!!!!!!! How do you afford that and litter lol! Not to mention keep your sanity. My 3 cats run the house, couldn't imagine 15! Do you foster?
     
  11. Shelly & Jersey (GA)

    Shelly & Jersey (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Feb 1, 2014
    Absolutely -we bought the PetSafe electronic pet feeder (the 5-meal size). As I was reading through a lot of the posts on this site, I noticed that several different people mentioned it. I know Amazon sells the feeder, but I bought mine from chewy.com. I couldn't find it in any of my local stores, although I do live in a relatively small town. I just received the feeder a few days ago, so I'm still experimenting with the best feeding schedule. Right now, I'm just using one out of the 5 feeding compartments. I put canned food in it with extra water mixed in. Then I set it for about 5 hours after the PM shot, although I think I'm going to move up the feeding time. I could also put food in all of the compartments, though, and feed multiple times throughout the day. I was a little nervous about the purchase since the reviews on Amazon are mixed. It's worked really well for me so far, though. Knock on wood.
     
  12. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

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  13. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    Jan 7, 2014
    Very interesting. This would definitely help with mine and my husbands day trips. I only worry about 2 things.

    1) does it make a noticeable noise when it opens? My youngest Hot Rod is a food hog. He even pushes Hidey away from his bowl and tries to eat his food so I have to stand guard when I can.

    2) Hidey seems to have a hard time getting food out of corners or if food gets smushed down too much. Has yours had any trouble getting food out?


    Oh another question, did you consider the qpet feeder. I just noticed it on amazon and like that you can record a message.

    Figures though, I literally just placed an order with chewy a few hours ago lol. Needed to get more treats and litter
     
  14. Shelly & Jersey (GA)

    Shelly & Jersey (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Feb 1, 2014
    Hi dirtybirdsoaps,

    It definitely makes a noticeable noise as the gears turn the tray around. One of my civies, Petey, has already learned that the sound means there's food out. He's also the Hoover in our family, so there's no hesitation on his part. Jersey has always been a bit more skittish. We had a Litter Robot that she wouldn't use because of the noise, although the Cat Genie never bothered her. Anyway, I haven't noticed that Jersey is really bothered by the sound - just curious. Of course, it helps when there is food in it! Since I do have three indoor cats, I was concerned that the other two might eat all of the food before Jersey got any. I may eventually invest in a second feeder. For now, I'm going to try to set the timers so that food appears twice in a row (e.g., about 45 minutes apart). That way, if Jersey doesn't get any food the first time around, she might get some at the second feeding. We'll see how that goes! :D

    The food compartments have been cleaned out each morning - there are just a few specks of food left on the bowls. The trays are a bit curved, rather than simple squares.

    I looked at, I think, every feeder Amazon sells. I ended up going with this one just because so many people on this site had recommended it.

    I know what you mean about your Chewy order. It seems like there's always just one more thing that I needed! :lol:

    Shelly
     
  15. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    Jan 7, 2014
    Thank you for the advice on the feeder. I showed it to my husband and now I have a plan on what I'm doing with the money I make from my surveys (lol usually I turn them in and get amazon gift certificates for movies or cat litter...gotta have priorities lol) I love the idea of being able to feed them and not be home.

    Has anyone tried the bravo bonus bites? I ordered them from chewy but they wont be here till tomorrow. I figured if nothing else I can return them.
     
  16. Shelly & Jersey (GA)

    Shelly & Jersey (GA) Well-Known Member

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    I'm glad I could help! :D Sorry I can't help you with the Bravo bonus bites - we haven't tried them.
     
  17. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    Jan 7, 2014
    Well maybe its something I can end up contributing to the forum. When they come in I can let everyone know what to expect with these treats :D
     
  18. Laura & Heffernan

    Laura & Heffernan Member

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    Oct 13, 2013
    If you call or email Young Again, they will send you a few pretty generous samples of food & their treats. Heffernan LOVES the food so he gets what we call "sprinkles" on his wet food to entice him to eat==he'd much rather have the bowl of YA. Only 1 of my other cats will eat the YA, so the bag lasts us quite a bit for Heff.
     
  19. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    That would be great. Thank you for letting me know, I just sent them an email :smile:
     
  20. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    Jan 7, 2014
    Welllllll, I ended up ordering a 25 lb bag. They offered a sample but also said if I ordered and they wouldn't eat it I can return it. Hopefully they'll like it. It would make things a little easier lol.
     
  21. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    Jan 7, 2014
    Yay! Hidey is on the young again, and likes it. His numbers have been better since he started eating it.

    As to the bravo treats...... My cats did not like them, I bought all the varieties except the duck feet since reviews said they were too hard for cats. Well the buffalo and venison liver ones were too hard, the lobster they turned their noses up to, the turkey liver was hit and miss, the chicken liver they ate but in my opinion was still too hard for them to eat, but they ate the turkey hearts and the cod. Gotta love chewy though, I emailed them to see what to do, if they could donate them if I sent them back and they refunded the ones they didn't like and asked for me to donate them to a shelter or something (did I mention these emails took place on SUNDAY!) They have such amazing customer service!
     
  22. Laura & Heffernan

    Laura & Heffernan Member

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    Oct 13, 2013
    Wow, that's great customer service!

    I just bought Whole Life dehydrated chicken treats for my Heff. They are in the dog food section--he adores them! They are big pieces, but break up easily enough.
     
  23. nanreyn

    nanreyn New Member

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    Jul 3, 2013
    MAGGIE WON'T EAT, WHAT DO I DO ABOUT HER SHOT??? I too bought the Young Again zero carb dry food for my Maggie. At first she ate it OK, as she loved her dry food before I started her on low carb 9 lives wet. She was eating the wet food, but getting pickey about the flavors, so thought I'd give Young Again a shot. At first she liked it, but after giving her the Young Again for about a week, she doesn't seem to like that much. So I've tried giving her both wet and dry. However, the last two days she hasn't eaten much of anything, and today, nothing, so didn't give her her shot. I'm wondering, does she absolutely have to eat something in order to give her the shot. What do I do if she just refuses any food. Maybe try her on her old Friskies dry, which I know she would eat.
     
  24. dirtybirdsoaps

    dirtybirdsoaps Member

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    Jan 7, 2014
    Did you slowly introduce Maggie to the food, maybe 50% young again and 50% friskies? Also did young again include a flavor packet with the food just in case?
     
  25. Barb & Mr. Frog

    Barb & Mr. Frog Member

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    Apr 4, 2013
    Nanreyn, you should probably make a new thread, people may not see your post inside of this one. Are you home testing? There are situations where insulin would be ok without food, but you really need to know what kitty's glucose levels are to know if it is safe or not.
     
  26. nanreyn

    nanreyn New Member

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    Jul 3, 2013
    I replied to this, but didn't go through. No flavor packet in the Young Again. I will email them to see if they have something like that. I would hate to have spent $40.00 and she won't eat it. Good idea about starting a new thread Barb, thanks. I did find a flavor packet from something else and added a little to her wet food. She ate a little, but not much. I tested her BG and it was 277, that isn't much higher than usual, she normally tests anywhere from 260 to 230. She is just so lethargi :?: c, sleeps all of the time.
     
  27. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

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    A vet visit is in order.
    Some of the things that can make a cat lethargic can kill them.
     
  28. Wendy&Tiggy(GA)

    Wendy&Tiggy(GA) Well-Known Member

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  29. ebuckley

    ebuckley Member

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    Jan 27, 2014
    Just wanted to update (sorry about bringing up an old thread), but Napa started rejecting the little bit of Young Again that I was feeding her about a week ago. There has also been frothy puke. Probably not anything wrong with the food but ECID...the civvies were never crazy about it but ate it ok.

    Still, STILL, and perpetually, on the cat food merry-go-round <sigh>. Trying Wellness Core dry now; won't comment until I know it's going to stick this time lol. Doing ok with Soulistic wet food, but all the low carb varieties have fish. Also added some digestion enzymes...I think those helped a lot (less stinky, less pasty-gray stool).
     
  30. BJM

    BJM Well-Known Member

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    Oct 6, 2010
    Have you mentioned this to the vet? It could be a sign of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). When there are repeated bouts of pancreatitis, these can damage the enzyme-producing portion of the pancreas.

    The test for this must be done when the cat is fasting.
     
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