Community ClicksWhat cat food is best?
Dear Dr. Fox,
In one of your syndicated articles, you recommended some high-quality dry foods for cats.
You mentioned the brand Evo, which has no corn or grain products.
I switched my two neutered indoor male cats (ages 2½ and 5) to Evo, mixed three-to-one with their usual food (Royal Canin for neutered males aged to 7 years).
After three weeks of doing this, my cats were still having loose stools, although they were eating this mixture without any complaints.
I spoke with the owner of the pet-food store, and she said Evo was too rich for her cats and she recommended switching my cats over to Innova Cat and Kitten Food, which is made by the same manufacturer as Evo.
In that article, you made certain comments about the Innova dry food that implied it might not be proper nutrition for cats.
Do you think it’s a bad source of nutrition?
What do you recommend other than the Evo that my cats don’t tolerate well?
— C.G., Fort Worth, Texas
Dear C.G.,
I should make it clear that Natura’s Innova dry cat food is definitely one of the brands I recommend for cats who prefer dry over moist food.
Natura’s Evo line of dry and canned cat (and dog) foods is also excellent.
But always read the label — some animals do better on lower-fat content or a different animal protein (e.g., turkey instead of beef).
It is important when changing over to a new diet or adding a supplement to do so gradually over a period of several days because cats can be picky.
A slow transition also helps the digestive system adapt, and giving probiotics at this time may also facilitate this process.
Shepherd has painful hips
Dear Dr. Fox,
We have a 10-year-old German shepherd (60 pounds).
Like many shepherds, she has developed painful hips.
Our veterinarian has prescribed glucosamine with chondroitin and an NSAID (Rimadyl; 75 mg) to be given once every 12 hours.
Can I substitute the more affordable human ibuprofen, aspirin or acetaminophen?
The vet also requested liver tests after the first 10-day trial is over.
Is this necessary?
While we want to keep her comfortable, we would also like to save on expensive drugs.
— S. & P.M., Stratford, Conn.
Dear S. & P.M.,
Poor German shepherds top the list of breeds for the highest number of diseases of hereditary origin.
DO NOT give your dog any human NSAIDs — they could kill her.
Liver tests are advisable because of the potential toxicity of NSAIDs such as Rimadyl.
You should give your dog a wholesome diet, ideally with organically certified ingredients and such supplements as chondroitin, glucosamine, MSM, turmeric, fish oil and silica, coupled with massage therapy (as per my book The Healing Touch for Dogs).
Making a wild cat a pet
Dear Dr. Fox,
I had been trying to entice a wild cat into becoming a part of our family for about two months. He wouldn’t get any closer than about 100 feet from the house.
I was about to give up until I read one of your columns regarding semi-feral cats.
I followed your advice, moving his food closer and closer to the house while calling and talking to him.
Lo and behold, within a couple of weeks, he was eating breakfast and dinner on the porch and finally sitting on my lap.
Gus (the name I’ve given him) is now a full-time member of our household.
He sleeps at the foot of our bed and has lots of toys, his own special blanket and a large cardboard fort.
He has had two urinary-tract infections, and his veterinarian put him on meds and a special diet.
We’ve had no additional problems.
He is one of the smartest cats we’ve ever had and, for the most part, he stays close to the house and will come when I call him.
When we leave, I make sure that he’s indoors (we live on 425 acres).
I am so glad we were able to gain his trust, and I hope others in similar situations will be guided by your valuable advice.
— S.W., Springfield, Mo.
Dear S.W.,
Our feral cat will not yet voluntarily approach us and will attack if approached in most situations in his room in our home.
Gus was clearly less feral than our Mr. Mark Twain.
After five months and cautious stroking with a long feather along with treats, he has begun to purr!
I hope others will join you in feral-cat-rescue efforts.
Patience, skill and experience can help a lot of “recoverable” cats.
