On Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:22:21 -0600, Ron Hoggan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hi Marilyn,
> Sorry, I should have been more specific. She switched it from some very
> expensive, vet-recommended, canned dog food to raw meat.

Recently the vet diagnosed our aging cat with early chronic renal failure
(CRF).  He had been very sedentary recently, drinking lots of water (not  
typical
for cats), and having a hard time getting up on the couch, etc.  She sold  
my DH
a catfood especially made for CRF cats.  Low Protein (!)  Brewers rice,  
whole yellow
corn, corn gluten meal, and three other grain-based ingredients before you  
even got to
the first animal produce: "meat digest".  I hate to even think about what  
bits THAT was
made of.  How can they even imagine that such stuff is good for obligate  
carnivores.
I had DH return the food and get our money back.

Up to that time, he had gotten a little canned food each morning, and the  
24-hour kibble
buffet (the highest quality we could find).  A day of internet searching  
revealed that
while some vets think low-protein is good for CRF cats, others think that  
dry food exacerbates the problem, because the cats drink way too much  
water trying to hydrate the food, and run short on potassium.

I started feeding him twice a day, all the (grain-free) canned food he  
would eat, and no dry food at all.  In a couple of weeks, the excess water  
drinking stopped, the limping and crying on going upstairs stopped, he  
became more active and playful, and his coat improved.  By and by I hope  
to start making cat food for him from meat, bones, liver, etc.

So, I would say "vet-recommended" may not be a sign of good nutrition, nor  
"expensive".  Just like with human food, the big manufacturers of pet  
foods use loads of cheap grains, and big marketing campaigns directed at  
vets (for humans it's the USDA, health columnists, etc.).  The cost of the  
food depends on the amount of marketing money spent on its promotion,  
since the base ingredients are incredibly cheap.  And if the customer pays  
a lot of money for the food, it gives them more confidence that the food  
is healthy and effective.

Diabetes is common in cats and dogs now.  I can't imagine wild canids and  
felids getting diabetes on their natural foods.  (But of course I am not a  
vet or animal researcher.)

	Lynnet