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Switching to raw

Mushipie

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Sep 27, 2018
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Good evening fellow sphynxlovers!

I have posted here a few times before - for an introduction of my sweet Otto but also for his poopy issues. Unfortunately I havent been able to post as frequently as I wish to - nor have I been able to update you. But I have been lurking daily! That leads me to the following:

I have now decided that I will be switching Ottos diet to raw. The reason for this being that he has been experiencing some diarrhea issues, and now that everything has settled back to normal, he has pretty soft poop that smells quite awful, almost like puke (very acid like). Sometimes his poop is harder and darker, but most of the time its soft, although shaped, and on the lighter side. He also has super smelly farts that occur every 2 days, sometimes daily.
I have read around the forum and found that a raw diet may be the solution to these issues. I only want the best for my boy so I am more than willing to give it a try.
My questions are:

- He is currently on a dry only diet - eating Royal Canin Kitten, as recommended by his breeder (who claims she only feeds Royal Canin Kitten to her adult cats and nothing else, even though they are no longer kittens). How would I go about transitioning to raw as he does not eat wet and I cannot feed kibble together with raw?

- I currently live in Belgium - and have not found a lot of options for raw food. I did see Haaks barf mentioned on here, and have also seen an option of buying TCPremix Fibre from this german website - the latter would require me to buy my own meat. Should it be frozen meat, not fresh meat from the butcher as we would normally buy for us humans? Do you know any good raw food brands sold in Europe that deliver to Belgium? I have seen some fellow Belgians on here :D

- He is 6 months old, turning 7 on the 30th of January. He currently eats as much kibble as he likes during the day - but with raw I could only feed him at certain times and he could not free feed. Would this be a problem? Is he too young still and should be fed more often? I am worried about not having kibble available for him at all times.

That is all the questions I have for now - apologies for the wall of text. But now for the GRAND FINALE! Something I should have done a long time ago, but have been way too busy bonding with my bundle of joy.

A BUNCH OF PICTURES OF OTTOS ADVENTURES - FROM 3 MONTHS OLD TO 6 MONTHS OLD!
- including his ugly faces! excuse the dirt in some of the pictures, as a new sphynxmommy I have been learning how to clean him properly!
 

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Yoda mom

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Absolutely precious! Head smooches to Otto !

Be sure to read this thread and scroll to the bottom for "similar threads"
Lots of members raw feed amd will chime in :)
 

Sheldon13

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Personally, I switched to wet food before I went all the way raw. I feel like it was easier on the system.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

meandmytwo

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Both raw and kibble can be a part of your kits diet. You just shouldn’t feed them at the same time. Wait 2-3 hrs in between.

Myself as an example, I feed my boys 3 times a day. Raw first thing in the morning and last thing before bed. I have an auto feeder that gives them some kibble about halfway between those two times. Auto feeder because I am not usually home for that one. That keeps it consistent.

To get the full benefits of raw you would feed only raw but it’s not always possible.

I would introduce a wet food first, while still feeding kibble. And from there decrease both of those while you introduce raw working towards a full switch. That said, you can always just try a bit of raw - maybe he’ll take to it right away and you can skip the wet. Probably would actually.

I keep canned wet food on hand for times I’m getting low on raw and would miss a day of it and for if I have someone else coming to feed my boys, if that person happens to be uncomfortable giving raw. I like knowing I have a fall back so I’ve kept my boys accustomed to once in a while eating the canned they were eating before raw.

I’ve never free fed - the couple of times I set out a dish of kibble to allow free feeding when my boys were little they wolfed it all down at once (in spite of just having had their canned wet breakfast!) and that can’t be good for them.

I can’t help with ideas for where you can get premade raw where you are. I’m in Canada. I use Better In The Raw - sounds like the premix you mentioned, gets mixed with water and ground muscle meat to create a balanced meal. Using frozen meat is good as long as it was frozen right after the time of grinding. You can use fresh if it’s been freshly ground that day, as from a butcher. It’s best not to use supermarket meats as they are sold as “fresh” because they haven’t been frozen but they may have been there a few days like that so should be cooked.

Good luck!
 
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Mushipie

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Sep 27, 2018
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Absolutely precious! Head smooches to Otto !

Be sure to read this thread and scroll to the bottom for "similar threads"
Lots of members raw feed amd will chime in :)

Thank you so much! Otto is flattered! :love:
I have been reading some threads on here - but I am specifically looking for some advice on raw food/quality food over here in Europe or from my fellow Belgians, as there doesnt seem to be as many options as in the US/Canada :(
 

Mushipie

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Sep 27, 2018
Messages
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Points
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Personally, I switched to wet food before I went all the way raw. I feel like it was easier on the system.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Thank you for your input! Thats interesting. I have been thinking about getting him some quality wet food along with some quality kibble, as I feel like RC Kitten isnt really doing its job. I heard that kibble is like candy to kittens, and having him on a dry food only diet with a kibble that is full of questionnable ingredients doesnt feel great.
Do you know any brands of wet food/dry food that are good? I have managed to find Acana, Orijen, Taste of the wild and wellness core over here in Europe. For wet food, I have found applaws. Not sure if any of those are any good but they are advertised as such.
 

Mushipie

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Sep 27, 2018
Messages
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Points
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Both raw and kibble can be a part of your kits diet. You just shouldn’t feed them at the same time. Wait 2-3 hrs in between.

Myself as an example, I feed my boys 3 times a day. Raw first thing in the morning and last thing before bed. I have an auto feeder that gives them some kibble about halfway between those two times. Auto feeder because I am not usually home for that one. That keeps it consistent.

To get the full benefits of raw you would feed only raw but it’s not always possible.

I would introduce a wet food first, while still feeding kibble. And from there decrease both of those while you introduce raw working towards a full switch. That said, you can always just try a bit of raw - maybe he’ll take to it right away and you can skip the wet. Probably would actually.

I keep canned wet food on hand for times I’m getting low on raw and would miss a day of it and for if I have someone else coming to feed my boys, if that person happens to be uncomfortable giving raw. I like knowing I have a fall back so I’ve kept my boys accustomed to once in a while eating the canned they were eating before raw.

I’ve never free fed - the couple of times I set out a dish of kibble to allow free feeding when my boys were little they wolfed it all down at once (in spite of just having had their canned wet breakfast!) and that can’t be good for them.

I can’t help with ideas for where you can get premade raw where you are. I’m in Canada. I use Better In The Raw - sounds like the premix you mentioned, gets mixed with water and ground muscle meat to create a balanced meal. Using frozen meat is good as long as it was frozen right after the time of grinding. You can use fresh if it’s been freshly ground that day, as from a butcher. It’s best not to use supermarket meats as they are sold as “fresh” because they haven’t been frozen but they may have been there a few days like that so should be cooked.

Good luck!

Amazing! Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thorough reply!:D I have actually been thinking, as mentioned earlier, to get him on a quality wet food + quality kibble diet first, and see how that works. Raw is of course the best, but not the most convenient. Perhaps having him on quality wet and dry instead of RC Kitten dry only would improve things a tad.
Problem is that the options over here in Europe are very limited compared to the US/Canada! You guys have so many good options - I am jealous! Any advice on good foods I could try? I have only been able to find Applaws as wet quality food - and also Wellness core.
Preferably I would also like to keep him used to wet food and dry if I do introduce him to raw, if we ever travel or like you mentioned, have people taking care of him who are not fond of touching raw meat etc. Just worrying that he will react badly to it as my boy has a very sensitive stomach!
 

Dublin Riis

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Oct 4, 2016
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That's a GREAT idea @meandmytwo to use the auto feeder at a certain time of the day for kibble. I also feed Dublin and Yudjin 3x per day. In the morning, hubby feeds canned (because it's easier for him to prepare than raw before his work schedule). I feed raw when I get home, then kibble in the evening so it fills them up before bed time. I'm thinking of doing the timer thing about an hour before I get home and raw at night so it can totally digest before breakfast the next morning.

Sorry, @Mushipie I know this doesn't answer your initial question, but I never stop learning and trying new methids and ideas when I visit Sphynx Lair
 

Yoda mom

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@mushpie
I started with Orijen but didn't work for my crew - loose stool perhaps from too high protein %
Switched to the same companies (champion pet foods ) Acana grassland-less protein %
Very stinky poo amd wow extremely greasy brown skin immediately with the new US formula.

So off the the champion products - feeding Nutrisource cat and kitten in blue bag with no issues

I believe I have read members feeding wellness core as well as Applaws :)
Hopeful members in your area can chime :)

Head smooches Otto !

Ps - use the upper right search bubble on the main page
- I typed "applaws " and see several members writing about applaws
You can use the box for wellness core etc :)
 

Sheldon13

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Thank you for your input! Thats interesting. I have been thinking about getting him some quality wet food along with some quality kibble, as I feel like RC Kitten isnt really doing its job. I heard that kibble is like candy to kittens, and having him on a dry food only diet with a kibble that is full of questionnable ingredients doesnt feel great.
Do you know any brands of wet food/dry food that are good? I have managed to find Acana, Orijen, Taste of the wild and wellness core over here in Europe. For wet food, I have found applaws. Not sure if any of those are any good but they are advertised as such.

When I feed canned I go with Wellness Core. All the brands you listed are good, though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Mushipie

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When I feed canned I go with Wellness Core. All the brands you listed are good, though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I was thinking about Wellness core wet and dry but I actually went for a mix of Applaws wet (chicken & pumpkin) together with Taste of the wild dry (salmon and trout). Hoping that it wont affect him badly and that the fish & chicken mix wont be bad for his belly!
 

Mushipie

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@Mushipie what a handsome and cute boy!
I'm from the Netherlands and did feed my boys raw food for 2 years. I did feed them HaaksBarf. My boys loved it and the vet said it was good quality food!
Lovely to see a neighbour on here!
I decided to go for a high quality wet and dry food before switching to raw, but I think I will definitely be trying out Haaks barf once I do the switch!
How come youre not feeding raw anymore? And if you feed wet and dry, which brans are working for you? I have started with wet food from Applaws today (chicken and pumpkin, Ottos first time eating wet food!) and I am trying to slowly transition him from RC Kitten kibble to Taste of the wild Salmon& trout. Hoping it will make a nice difference! Fingers crossed!
 

Condo commando

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Good suggestion with the timed feeder. Just be sure that Otto doesn't think he can skip the raw food and wait for kibble. It happens more with older cats who are used to a certain kind of food. Once they are eating the new food then you don't have to worry about it.
 
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Toa and Ross

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@Mushipie dry and wet food are just as good as raw food! I stopped feeding raw food when girl Jade came to live with us. She refused to eat raw food. Started with feeding her wet food and from that moment the boys didn't touch the raw food anymore. So now I feed dry and wet food.
I feed caracroc lamb as dry food and Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal as wet food. But lots of more good quality dry and wet food. Most important is that your sphynx does well on it!
 

Condo commando

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@Mushipie dry and wet food are just as good as raw food!

Not in the USA. If the same brands are sold in Europe, then not in Europe either.

Raw foods (read the label to be sure but here in the USA this is how it is) are made from human grade food. They are regulated by the same government agency that regulates human food.

Pet foods on the other hand are allowed to use meat from animals that are dead, dying, down or deceased - animals that would not be allowed into the human food chain. If those animals were put down with a lethal dose of some drug, the drug goes into the food too. The idea is that the cooking process used to make pet food, which uses intense heating, kills whatever is in it. The irony is that it also kills whatever nutrients were in the meat, so nutrients have to be added back as synthetic vitamins and minerals.

Pet food is a business. If a pet food company decided to use filet mignon for their pet food, they would not stay in business very long. They're just doing what they have to do to survive.

Some companies do make a better product - and they charge more for it - because some pet parents will buy it. However, some companies charge more because of marketing so don't go by price alone. The best suggestion I read is to stick with canned food instead of kibble because it's harder to hide things in canned food. Also, this is obvious but stay away from the cheapest foods.

I prepare food at home for my cats which happens to be raw food, but I don't think it has to be raw to be good. My next door neighbor cooks food for her dogs. To me cooking it is more work. But either way, the thing we both look at is the ingredients.
 
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Mushipie

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Hi guys!

Its been a while since I posted, but I just wanted to give you all an update since I got lots of helpful advice from you!

I decided to finally switch Otto to raw! I first tried switching him from Royal Canin Kitten dry - to Taste of the Wild kibble and Applaws wet. That did not solve the problem, and he still had the occasional diarrhea accident (about once or twice a week). So I thought it was time to just give raw food a shot, and if that didnt work I would bring him back to the vet, although I was sure it was a food issue!

Well lo and behold, after only the first day of the switch (I switched cold turkey) his tummy issues were completely cured!! Now he only poops once a day, the poop has no smell and is very firm and no more stomach noises and awful gases! He also got better skin, and just overall seems to be feeling much better. CANT BELIEVE I DIDNT SWITCH SOONER!

I am currently feeding him a commercial diet from Finland - > Vaisto® Cat & Kitten - Mush
This food is super convenient as they come as little meatballs and I can measure his portions very easily! Sadly, I can only seem to find them in Sweden and we will be going back to Belgium eventually so I hope to be able to find a good equivalent over there - or switch to Haaks Barf as recommended by @Toa and Ross !

I just wanted to thank you all, for the advice on this thread but also for all of the information that you provide on this forum. Without it I would have been completely lost, and thanks to you Otto is now feeling great and has the best poops ever!
THANK YOU!
 

Condo commando

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Great news - thanks for the update.

I recently brought home a 3rd sphynx. He's 5 years old and had runny poops his entire life. I had to get him used to raw like my other 2 but now that he has switched, he is pooping solid and not stinky.

If I miss 1 day - because I make their food and sometimes I run out for a day or 2 - and then I give him canned food from the store, he gets the runs again. My other 2 can go for a few days on canned food without a problem. I think it has to do with their GI system being in better shape. Anyway it is eye opening what a difference raw food makes.

I'm not going to test this but I suspect that cooked home made food would also work as long as it uses good meats and no junk.
 
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Sheldon13

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I’m so happy for you! I used to do the raw thing and it was amazing. Unfortunately we had to switch to canned as Ellie will no longer eat raw and was losing weight. I’m still a big advocate though! It’s the perfect cat diet.


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