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Linda Arndt ~ Canine Nutritional Consultant
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Blackwatch Feed Program For Your Cat


The Purrrrrfect Solution ....

Hello,

My name is Constance DeGiorgis and I am the contributing cat specialist for this website. Below is a comprehensive nutritional program to keep your cat healthy, and perhaps correct any of the - oh so frequent "allergy" and urinary problems we see in cats.

Like with the dogs, most health problems are due to long term poor quality nutrition and can be reversed in time with a comprehensive balanced diet.

Always introduce new foods very slowly so they don't stop eating, otherwise you can end up with liver or kidney problems. When using new foods, I suggest putting some of the new kibble in a bowl next to the regular food that your cat has been on, then gradually add a little of the new in with the old, gradually increasing the new kibble.

I recommend feeding dry and wet daily, with a little dry down all the time -then using either a raw diet such as http://www.darwinspet.com Diets Raw Complete Feline diets or a holistic canned food for cats or using a holistic canned cat food.

When using a canned food alway add additional water to it (I call it fish soup) to make sure your cat is drinking enough water on a daily basis. This helps prevent bladder infections which is what cats are prone to getting.


Blackwatch Feed Program for Cats

Food:

I think the Precise Plus Feline Formulas are outstanding. Here is the website to learn more about this food www.precisepet.com, which comes in a variety of kibbles and wet canned holistic foods. The coats are magnificant on this food.

Another great brand coming to the USA soon is Golden Eagle. Watch the front page of my website for information.

Precise Plus Feline Adult - 6 lb bags
Precise Plus Kitten - 3 lb bags
Precise Plus Hairball - 3 lb bags (which is always a weight managment formula due to higher fiber content)

Then Precise has terrific line of 5 oz canned cat foods: Feline Adult, Chicken, Senior, Turkey, Ocean Fish, Simmerin SeaFood Fare.

The foods from the grocery store are not a quality food to use if you want to stay away from urinary problems, dry, shedding coats and hotspots, I recommend Precise Plus formulas, I am very happy with them and I have 5 retired cats.

http://www.darwinspet.com Diets Raw are very good products and they will be coming out with a freeze dried food soon. Cats LOVE their freeze dried treats!!

For a holistic dehydrated raw - Honest Kitchen Prowl is a great option. I also use this along with my Precise Kibble and rotate it out with the http://www.darwinspet.com Diets Raw.

I also suggest trying steamed fish, meats, fresh fruits and steamed veggies with cats - some enjoy them others do not. If an inside cats, I try to keep some of the cat grass available - cats needs salads too!

Precise dry and canned, http://www.darwinspet.com Diets freeze dried meat treats and Honest Kitchen Prowl can all be purchased at: www.firstchoicenaturals.com

Wellness Supplements:

NOTE: I highly recommend the CORE 4 for CATS Kit #37 (best for cats with reoccuring bladder infections). For those who do not have issues, you can use the CORE 4 for Cats Kit #27 works very well.) Below is a description of each supplement.

1). Ox-E-Drops - One of the most useful supplements I know and it has numbers of uses and must be used diluted, a little goes a long way, I used in the drinking water and in the canned food to help keep the pH were it should be, and help to prevent urinary problems. Instructions will come with the product when you purchase it.

2) Nzymes - a dietary enzyme that puts the living component back into a commercial food. I have used Nzymes for 20 years on my pets, and myself, they have anti-aging properities as well (which means neither me or my pets have wrinkles!). Dietary enzymes are a natural anti-inflammatory and help in the prevention of uninary issues with your cat.

3) 4 in 1 Probiotics- this is beneficial bacterias and digestive enzymes that help promote the digestion. This product has Vit C in a buffered form and barley/wheat grasses so your cat gets the grass it needs if it is an indoor cat.

Click Here To Purchase CORE 4 KIT # 27 OR CORE 4 KIT #37

PLUS A GOOD JOINT SUPPORT PRODUCT

4) Liquid Health Level 5000 - joint support -this is a glucosamine based joint support product. there is new research that shows glucosamine is very beneficial to cats in supporting the lining of the urinary tract to help prevent irritations which leads to infection.

Introduce new things to your cat very slowly and in lesser amounts than what is recommended. Work up to the normal dose. I feed Eagle Kibble and canned and in my canned meat I add additional water, Nzymes, 4 in1 Probiotics and Ox-E-Drops and mix in a "fish slurry" as we call it. This will provide extra liquid/water to your cat because so many cats do not drink enough liquid and it cause bladder irratation which causes infection. This is the safest way to prevent these issues.

Click Here to Purchase a Good Joint Supplement - Level 5000

The foods noted above as well as the CORE 4 for Cats and the Joint Supplement Level 5000 can all be purchased - one stop shopping - this is where I get my products at : www.firstchoicenaturals.com


OH, THOSE URINARY PROBLEMS IN CATS!

If you have ever owned a Persian cat, nothing is more of a princess or particular in food, routine and habits. My cat Friday (affectionatly known as "Fried Egg"), does not tolerate any change in her routine.

As an example, I bought a new dryer, a place where Ms Fried Egg loved to eat. But when the new dryer arrived, she would have NOTHING to do with eating on it, and instead trained me to feed her in the bathroom, on the pantry shelf, in the kitchen under the sink..you name it...she kept trying new places to suit her "princess" attitude. She would have nothing to do with the new dryer as her new eating station, and was thrown into a stressful, "pH disrupting" tizzy to the point that she stopped drinking or eating. Of course that equals bladder/urinary issues.

I have realized that most of the time cats do not have bladder infections, they are irritations first, even with blood in them, which results later in an infection. So..this is how we handle this and have had GREAT success.

Have your vet give you liquid antibiotic and add a pain medicine to it, to take away the pain during urination. At the same time switch their food to - (oh I can’t even believe I am saying this) Fancy Feast. Yes, all the holistic cat foods in the world does not entice them into eating like a can of Fancy Feast. This is even documented in some new Ohio State Research on urinary issues.

I take 1 can of fancy feast, add 1 tablespoon of water to make a "fish slurry" for the cat. Once the pain subsides in a day or two on the antibiotic/pain killer, they start to eat their fish slurry, which results in the extra consumption of water, which in turn starts to flush out the urinary tract and we get the whole system up and running again.

Once they are eating again, and on the road to feeling normal, incorporate the following things into their diet to prevent this from happening again. (see above)

These for additions to your cats "fish slurry" and water will make all the difference in the world in your cat’s health and vet bills due to reoccurring urinary problems. Oh and by the way, it took 4 months before my Persian decided it was ok to eat on top of the new dryer again!!


Support Information for Cat Health

http://www.purrfectfence.com/default.asp - Look at this terrific cat enclosure system

Scientific Cat Litter - it changes color when your cat's urine pH is out of whack!

FUS Bladder Support Herbal Product - Owners tell me they have great results with a change in diet and the use of this herbal product called Bladder Support from Vermont Naturals.

If you want to feed a RAW diet to your cat, here are some great options to consider:

The Feline Future Cat Food Company

FelineFuture.com This website is comprehensive and the equivalent to my webiste only for feline information. They have just done a remarkable job so take the time to read it.

FUS, crystals/stones in urine

Maintaining A Low Urine pH by Dr. Al Townshend DVM

Yeast Removal Kit - If you think your cat has an allergy, or it was diagnosed as an allergy, chances are it is a systemic yeast infection and need a change in feed program and the yeast kit. This is an article about it in dogs, but it can also be the very same issue with cats and the yeast program works for them as well.

Cats are very prone to respiratory problems so it is important to familiarize yourself with what Ox-E-Drops can do for these problems. Oxydrops in a vaporizers as well as internally can be very helpful in respiratory cases.


A Word About Senior Diets For Cats

Albert S. Townshend, DVM
Staff Veterinarian, Wellness Pet Products, Inc.

It was once thought that dogs and cats, as they grow older, need less protein. Protein is the most difficult thing for the kidneys to deal with (the heart and kidneys are typically the first organs to have problems as we grow older). While it is true that if the kidneys are already failing the protein level should be low, it has been found that, in a normal healthy older animal, it is not the amount of protein that is the problem, but the quality of the protein. If the protein is of good quality, it actually enhances the efficiency of the kidneys.

All Eagle Pack Holistic line of cat foods are made from the highest quality animal protein sources. While specific diets for older dogs are of benefit, most nutritionists see no value in senior diets for cats. There nutritional needs don't seem to vary with age. Until research indicates an advantage, Eagle has no plans to make a senior diet for cats.

Editorial Comments - from C. Degiorgis: Precise Plus makes a wonderful line of holistic cat products and our cats have never looked better. First Choice Naturals carries it in 6 lb bags if you'd like to try it. Call them for more information.


FELINE LOWER URINARY TRACT DISEASE - (FLUTD) by
Albert S. Townshend, DVM


HISTORY:

- FLUTD has been described as far back as 1925.
- There have been many names give to this condition over the years, most notable Cystitis, Feline Urologic Syndrome (FUS), Feline Interstitial Cystitis FIC) and Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). All of which only describe where and what the condition is but give no clue as to the cause.

INCIDENCE:
- The incidence is defined as the annual rate of appearance of new cases of the disease among the entire population of individuals at risk for the disease.
- For FLUTD the incidence has been reported to be approximately 0.5 to 1.0% per year.
- The above figure should not be confused with the proportional morbidity ratio of cats with FLUTD. This figure is the frequency with which these cats are seen in veterinary hospitals.
- For FLUTD the incidence has been reported to be as high as 10%, but the most common reports are between 1% and 6%.
- These figures would indicate that although the incidence in all susceptible cats is only approx. 1%, up to 10% of them are seen by veterinarians and that seems to be a significant number.
- These figures further translates to between 250,000 and 500,000 of the 57 million cats in the United States are afflicted with this disease annually.
- The condition most commonly affects mature cats and infrequently immature animals (when it does the cause is most likely to be associated with bacterial infections).
- Of the 24,000 cat diagnosed with FLUTD in 24 veterinary schools 7% were nonspayed females, 25% were neutered females, 16% were noncastrated males and 52% were castrated males.

RISK FACTORS:
- Age: Uncommon in cats younger than 1 year of age. Most commonly occurs in cats between 1 and 10 years of age with peak between 2 and 6 years of age.

- Sex: Urethral obstruction occurs most commonly in males. Nonobstructive forms
of the disease occur equally in males and females.
- Neutering: There is an increased risk in neutered males and females regardless of the age when neutered.
- Diet: Consumption of an increased proportion of dry food in the daily ration is
associated with an increased incidence.
- Water Consumption: Decreased daily water intake is associated with an increased risk of the disease.
- Sedentary Life Style: Lazy cats are at increased risk.
- Spring and Winter Season: Some have indicated that there is a seasonal increase in risk.
- Indoor Lifestyle: Cats using indoor litter boxes for urination and defecation are at increased risk.

SYMPTOMS:
- Symptoms very generally begin with frequent urination (pollakiuria) eventually with blood (hematuria). Animal may also display inappropriate urination (urinating in unusual places). Eventually the cat will typically become obstructed and unable to urinate (dysuria). The latter almost exclusively occurs in male cats and is a true emergency.
- Symptoms vary greatly as there are so many causes that have been identified and so many cases that have unknown causes.

CAUSES:
- The following is a list of known causes of FLUTD taken from "Canine and Feline nephrology and Urology" by Osborne and Finco 1995.


Metabolic Disorders (including nutritional)
Uroliths
Urethral Plugs
Inflammatory Disorders
Infectious agents
Viruses (feline Calicivirus sp. and more)
Bacteria (many species)
Mycoplasmas
Fungi (Candida sp. and more)
Parasites (Capillaria feliscati)
Noninfectious
Immune mediated
Others?
Trauma
Neurogenic disorders
Reflex dyssynergia
Uretheral spasms
Hypotonic or atonic bladder
Others
Iatrogenic disorders
Reverse flushing solutions
Uretheral catheters (reverse flushing)
Indwelling urethral catheters
Postsurgical urethral catheters
Urethrostomy complications
Anatomic abnormalities
Congenital
Urachal abnormalities
Persistent uterus masculinus
Urethrorectal fistulas
Phimosis
Others
Acquired
Urethral strictures
Others
Neoplastic
Benign
Cystadenoma (bladder)
Fibroma (bladder)
Leiomyoma (bladder)
Papilloma (bladder)
Hemangioma (bladder)
Malignant
Transitional cell carcinoma (bladder and urethra)
Squamous cell carcinoma (bladder)
Adenocarcinoma (bladder)
Unclassified carcinomas (bladder)
Hemangiocarcinomas (bladder)
Lymphosarcoma (primary and metastatic in the bladder)
Myxosarcoma (bladder)
Prostatic adenocarcinoma (urethra)
Rhabdomyosarcoma (bladder)
Endometrial adenocarcinoma (extraurinary invading and compressing the
urethra)
Idiopathic: Up to 53% in some studies are as a result of unknown causes.


DIAGNOSIS:
- Diagnosis is based on history given by the owner, a complete physical
examination by a veterinarian, laboratory tests and radiographs. Some or all of the above may be necessary in order to make a diagnosis, keeping in mind that a cause may never be determined. Also one must remember that the cause is usually multiple in nature.
- All available information must be obtained in order to initiate the best protocol for a successful treatment and prevention program.

TREATMENT:

- Within the scope of this article we will limit the discussion of treatment too the three most common forms of FLUTD. Nonobstructive hematuria and dysuria, Urolithiasis, and Obstruction with matrix-crystalline urethral plugs.
-Nonobstuctive hematuria and dysuria: If a cause can be determined, the appropriate therapy should be instituted, however, as in most cases, the cause will be undetermined. In such a case a veterinarian would initiate a broad spectrum of therapy. It could include all of some of the following: antibiotics, corticosteroids, antispasmodics, analgesics, and intravenous fluids
- Urolithiasis: If stones are found in the bladder, they should be removed. That can be achieved by surgery, or if possible, by using a special diet designed to dissolve stones made up of magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite). Again, if a cause can be determined the proper therapy should also be initiated so as to prevent reoccurrence
- Obstruction with matrix-crystalline plugs: The obstruction should be eliminated as soon as possible. This is best accomplished while the cat is under anesthesia. If the obstruction has been for a considerable amount of time there may be significant damage to the kidneys and so blood should be drawn and the status of the kidneys evaluated. Later additional blood should be tested to further study the kidneys. An intravenous catheter would be instilled and the cat sedated. At the same time as eliminating the obstruction intravenous fluids are given as well as some additional medications. If a cause can be determined appropriate medication would be given.
- In all cases canned food, fresh water, clean litter boxes and the reduction or elimination of stress are essential


DIET CONSIDERATIONS:

- It is thought that one of the most significant problems associated with this disease is the adequate consumption of water, both in treating and preventing this condition. Canned food is 70+ % water and should be fed. Fresh water should always be available and encouraged.
- Infection is a part of the problem and it is the nonobstructive hematuria and
dysuria form a diet change may not be necessary. Eliminating the infection and
canned food for a short period of time may be all that is needed.
- The majority of uroliths are either magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite) or calcium oxalate in composition.
- Struvite: Fresh water and canned food are essential so as to get as much liquid into the animal, at least initially. Hill's Feline S/D Diet is designed to dissolve struvite uroliths. The difficulty is that they may take a very long time to do that and in the mean time the cat is uncomfortable and may continue to exhibit symptoms such as inappropriate urination etc. A canned diet that makes the urine acid (pH around 6.3) is recommended as well as a diet low in magnesium (less than 0.1% Dry Matter). To convert the as fed nutrient content of a food to a dry matter basis divide the percentage of the nutrient on an as fed basis by the percentage dry matter.
- Calcium Oxalate: Since the introduction of cat diets that are low in magnesium and make the urine acid we have seen a reduction in the incidence of struvite crystals as well as uroliths. However, there has been an increased incidence of oxalate crystals and uroliths. The ideal diet for a cat with the above problem is a canned diet that maintains a more alkaline urine pH (6.6 to 6.8), is not as low in magnesium. Potassium citrate is also useful as it has the ability to form soluble salts with calcium.


PREVENTION:

-Prevention is of utmost importance. Once a cat has had a problem there is an increased chance that it will reoccur. This is thought to be as a result of the many predisposing factors mentioned above and the difficulty in controlling many of then.

DIET CONSIDERATIONS:

- In order to prevent the reoccurrence of any of the above conditions it may be necessary to maintain the animal on a diet specifically designed to help control the condition. In many instances this is the case, however, a dry diet may be substituted for the canned totally or partially.
- Water consumption, urine pH and stress are the most important factors.

 


 

 

 

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