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#1
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Dry Food Nightmare
This is just a heads up and warning to those who own cats, particularly
males. It is about my experience with Purina Cat Chow. This is what actually happened to our cat, Overgaard, and what I have learned from my veterinarian and the internet. Let me make this clear though. This is not just about Purina. It appears most dry food can create major problems in cats. You would never know it, though, if you are like most who have relied on commercials and package information. That is my whole point. The manufacturers are not being honest. On March 4, 2008, Overgaard became very listless and would cry when petted. This was in the afternoon so I figured we would wait until the following morning to see how he was doing. He was no better so I took him to our veterinarian. He checked his abdomen and said his bladder was huge. Obviously it was not emptying. The first thing the vet asked was what kind of food I was feeding him. I had been feeding him Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula since he turned one. He was now about two years old. Without hesitation, the vet said the food was the problem. He told me that male cats have a susceptibility to produce crystals in their bladders which can clog the urethra. He said the high "ash" content in Purina was the problem and contributes to that susceptibility. I did some research, as I had never heard of this, and found it to be a controversial subject. The conclusion I've come to is that my vet is correct. He also says he does not personally know of any other vets who don't also believe this to be a problem. Overgaard spent three days in the hospital. Although much better now, he is still not 100%. This is June 10. I was outraged about this. Not only because of paying over six hundred dollars, but, more important that Purina does not see fit to include some kind of warning on the packaging. Perhaps urging owners of male cats to discuss this with their vets first. I ended up filing a claim with Purina which was handed over to Sedgwick CMS who handles their claims. After going around in circles for several weeks with them, leaving messages and not getting any response, I finally got an offer in the mail. They, in essence, said that the food has no problems and that my, and all the other vets, are wrong. What I found particularly interesting was that they said in the letter to me how important diet is. Well duh. That's what I and my vet is saying. They went on to offer me $250 to basically shut up about it. I would have had to sign, and have notarized a release form taking all my rights away, including even speaking of it anymore. Naturally I turned it down. So, that's the story in a nut shell. All I ask is for anyone reading this to be cautious. Ask your vets advice on what to feed your cats, and, read the wealth of knowledge on cat forums. Make an informed decision. As to store bought brands, my vet says IAMS is a very good brand. Once Overgaard is off the prescription food, what ever I switch him to, I certainly will never feed him Purina again and urge others to do the same. If you would like any further information, please feel free to contact me at . |
#2
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Dry Food Nightmare
I am sorry this happened to your cat. There are many people on this
board who agree that dry food (of any kind) is not species appropriate for cats, myself included. I strongly suggest you read these: http://www.catinfo.org/ http://www.catnutrition.org/diabetes.php The book, Your Cat: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Cat-Simpl...98015&sr= 8-1 All three discuss health problems related to dry food. |
#3
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Dry Food Nightmare
On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:01:01 -0700, "S H" wrote:
This is just a heads up and warning to those who own cats, particularly males. It is about my experience with Purina Cat Chow. This is what actually happened to our cat, Overgaard, and what I have learned from my veterinarian and the internet. Let me make this clear though. This is not just about Purina. It appears most dry food can create major problems in cats. You would never know it, though, if you are like most who have relied on commercials and package information. That is my whole point. The manufacturers are not being honest. On March 4, 2008, Overgaard became very listless and would cry when petted. This was in the afternoon so I figured we would wait until the following morning to see how he was doing. He was no better so I took him to our veterinarian. He checked his abdomen and said his bladder was huge. Obviously it was not emptying. The first thing the vet asked was what kind of food I was feeding him. I had been feeding him Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula since he turned one. He was now about two years old. Without hesitation, the vet said the food was the problem. He told me that male cats have a susceptibility to produce crystals in their bladders which can clog the urethra. He said the high "ash" content in Purina was the problem and contributes to that susceptibility. I did some research, as I had never heard of this, and found it to be a controversial subject. The conclusion I've come to is that my vet is correct. He also says he does not personally know of any other vets who don't also believe this to be a problem. Overgaard spent three days in the hospital. Although much better now, he is still not 100%. This is June 10. I was outraged about this. Not only because of paying over six hundred dollars, but, more important that Purina does not see fit to include some kind of warning on the packaging. Perhaps urging owners of male cats to discuss this with their vets first. I ended up filing a claim with Purina which was handed over to Sedgwick CMS who handles their claims. After going around in circles for several weeks with them, leaving messages and not getting any response, I finally got an offer in the mail. They, in essence, said that the food has no problems and that my, and all the other vets, are wrong. What I found particularly interesting was that they said in the letter to me how important diet is. Well duh. That's what I and my vet is saying. They went on to offer me $250 to basically shut up about it. I would have had to sign, and have notarized a release form taking all my rights away, including even speaking of it anymore. Naturally I turned it down. So, that's the story in a nut shell. All I ask is for anyone reading this to be cautious. Ask your vets advice on what to feed your cats, and, read the wealth of knowledge on cat forums. Make an informed decision. As to store bought brands, my vet says IAMS is a very good brand. Once Overgaard is off the prescription food, what ever I switch him to, I certainly will never feed him Purina again and urge others to do the same. If you would like any further information, please feel free to contact me at . I'm truly sorry that your cat had this urinary tract issue -- which is very common in male cats, and it does tend to be exacerbated by high-ash content foods. But IMO You also need to take full personal responsibility for not having armed yourself with knowledge of what you were feeding your cat and having acted accordingly. We're always looking to blame someone else. If you get clogged arteries from high cholesterol, are you going to sue Land O'Lakes? My cats eat dry cat food, but I have always made sure that it's a low-ash product because it's common knowledge that high ash diets can cause crystals to build up and lead to urinary tract issues. And keep in mind that only a small % of cats that this happens to, probably due to a genetic predisposition to the condition. Just like everyone who eats butter doesn't have a heart attack. I had to have an angioplasty last October for blocked coronary arteries. Should I sue the manufacturers of the butter, eggs and milk that I was eating? Maybe the ice cream manufacturers? How about MacDonalds and Burger King for selling me all those greasy burgers? I think you get my point. --- Zob |
#4
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Dry Food Nightmare
On Jun 11, 10:27*am, "Rene S." wrote:
I am sorry this happened to your cat. There are many people on this board who agree that dry food (of any kind) is not species appropriate for cats, myself included. I strongly suggest you read these: http://www.catinfo.org/ http://www.catnutrition.org/diabetes.php The book, Your Cat:http://www.amazon.com/Your-Cat-Simpl...dp/0312358016/... All three discuss health problems related to dry food. Another important piece of advice is to not always trust your vet when it comes to the "best" food for your cat. Many vets sell Science Diet or other brands and often get their nutritional training from SD, so of course they will recommend those foods. Sadly, most vets are uneducated in feline nutrition. Your vet mentionend Iams, which still isn't that great of a food. Check the ingredient list and you'll see. |
#5
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Dry Food Nightmare
"S H" wrote in message .. . This is just a heads up and warning to those who own cats, particularly males. It is about my experience with Purina Cat Chow. This is what actually happened to our cat, Overgaard, and what I have learned from my veterinarian and the internet. Let me make this clear though. This is not just about Purina. It appears most dry food can create major problems in cats. You would never know it, though, if you are like most who have relied on commercials and package information. That is my whole point. The manufacturers are not being honest. On March 4, 2008, Overgaard became very listless and would cry when petted. This was in the afternoon so I figured we would wait until the following morning to see how he was doing. He was no better so I took him to our veterinarian. He checked his abdomen and said his bladder was huge. Obviously it was not emptying. The first thing the vet asked was what kind of food I was feeding him. I had been feeding him Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula since he turned one. He was now about two years old. Without hesitation, the vet said the food was the problem. He told me that male cats have a susceptibility to produce crystals in their bladders which can clog the urethra. He said the high "ash" content in Purina was the problem and contributes to that susceptibility. I did some research, as I had never heard of this, and found it to be a controversial subject. The conclusion I've come to is that my vet is correct. He also says he does not personally know of any other vets who don't also believe this to be a problem. Overgaard spent three days in the hospital. Although much better now, he is still not 100%. This is June 10. I was outraged about this. Not only because of paying over six hundred dollars, but, more important that Purina does not see fit to include some kind of warning on the packaging. Perhaps urging owners of male cats to discuss this with their vets first. Consider yourself lucky. I'm picking up my 3-year-old cat today, after he spent a week at the vet, having undergone several catheterizations and finally, PU surgery. It cost $1900.00. It wasn't caused by food, however - a small urethra and protein plaques were his undoing. The vet said that some male cats block, and you never know when it'll happen or why. |
#6
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Dry Food Nightmare
"S H" wrote in message .. . This is just a heads up and warning to those who own cats, particularly males. It is about my experience with Purina Cat Chow. This is what actually happened to our cat, Overgaard, and what I have learned from my veterinarian and the internet. Let me make this clear though. This is not just about Purina. It appears most dry food can create major problems in cats. You would never know it, though, if you are like most who have relied on commercials and package information. That is my whole point. The manufacturers are not being honest. On March 4, 2008, Overgaard became very listless and would cry when petted. This was in the afternoon so I figured we would wait until the following morning to see how he was doing. He was no better so I took him to our veterinarian. He checked his abdomen and said his bladder was huge. Obviously it was not emptying. The first thing the vet asked was what kind of food I was feeding him. I had been feeding him Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula since he turned one. He was now about two years old. Without hesitation, the vet said the food was the problem. He told me that male cats have a susceptibility to produce crystals in their bladders which can clog the urethra. He said the high "ash" content in Purina was the problem and contributes to that susceptibility. I did some research, as I had never heard of this, and found it to be a controversial subject. The conclusion I've come to is that my vet is correct. He also says he does not personally know of any other vets who don't also believe this to be a problem. Overgaard spent three days in the hospital. Although much better now, he is still not 100%. This is June 10. I was outraged about this. Not only because of paying over six hundred dollars, but, more important that Purina does not see fit to include some kind of warning on the packaging. Perhaps urging owners of male cats to discuss this with their vets first. I ended up filing a claim with Purina which was handed over to Sedgwick CMS who handles their claims. After going around in circles for several weeks with them, leaving messages and not getting any response, I finally got an offer in the mail. They, in essence, said that the food has no problems and that my, and all the other vets, are wrong. What I found particularly interesting was that they said in the letter to me how important diet is. Well duh. That's what I and my vet is saying. They went on to offer me $250 to basically shut up about it. I would have had to sign, and have notarized a release form taking all my rights away, including even speaking of it anymore. Naturally I turned it down. So, that's the story in a nut shell. All I ask is for anyone reading this to be cautious. Ask your vets advice on what to feed your cats, and, read the wealth of knowledge on cat forums. Make an informed decision. As to store bought brands, my vet says IAMS is a very good brand. Once Overgaard is off the prescription food, what ever I switch him to, I certainly will never feed him Purina again and urge others to do the same. If you would like any further information, please feel free to contact me at . Go to: http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm Scroll down to: "Dry Food vs Canned Food. Which is really better?" This is the the original and definitive web page on feline nutrition and why dry food is deleterious to a cat's health. |
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