My dog’s name is Bean! She’s got thyroid/adrenal gland issues, too, and Nutri-Stat is the only way I can get her to take her pills.
Nutri-Cal and Nutri-Stat are the same thing, made by the same company, Tomlyn.
The main difference (besides price) is that Nutri-Cal is sold through vets and Nutri-Stat is commonly available at pet stores. I actually compared the two less than an hour ago at the store where my mom works, and saw no difference in ingredients or in caloric/vitamin/fat values. Nutri-Stat is cheaper, and probably a better option for most people.
Smokie has done well on a diet of Kitten food + Pro Plan Senior (with Hairball Control) food mixed 1/2 and 1/2, plus 1/4 oz of liverwurst every other day or so.
My friend K stopped by last week. She watched my cats over the summer while I had to be away for an extended period, and she is a (large animal) vet herself. She said that she was certain Smokie had gained some weight, and that his spine wasn’t as prominent as before. He certainly seems “softer” and less angular to me. He’s still quite on the lean side of course. And, as usual, is a very happy and friendly kitty.
Thanks for all the tips and good wishes! Smokie says “brrt?”* to all who offered suggestions.
*This is all Smokie ever says. He hardly meows, preferring to communicate though variations on “brrt?”
Kitten food worked for George, our family cat who’s been lording over my parent’s house for what must be close to 20 years now. The old geezer was getting quite skinny, and we were all worried about him, but Purina Kitten Chow fattened him up a bit, and he’s doing fine again.
My kitty is getting up in years as well. 13 years or so. Several months ago we noticed he lost a deal of weight. Nothing else about the cat was different. He still bought us mice treats and stalked birdies. His attitude is great.
Figuring he wasn’t digesting food due to his age, we decided to just feed him more. We bought those little envelopes of cat food. I think they’re designed to be single serving. They normally cost about $1 for two.
In the morning he and the other cat get a regular sized can between them. Around 3-4pm he gets half an envelope of food; the rest in the evening. All the time both cats have access to dry food all day.
This worked wonders and he gained much of his weight back within a few weeks.
Now if we can just do something about the other cat. Same age but twice the size.
My vet said extra yummy “premium” dry foods and especially canned cat food will tend to lead a cat to overeat. He told me that when my cat was getting a little porky on Iams cat food. When I switched to Cat Chow, he got trim again. Now, he’s on Purina One Special Care for Urinary Tract Health, and he’s still lean.
By the way, you should be able to feel your cat’s ribs. Many cats are too chubby, so a healthy cat looks skinny by comparison.
Nutrimalt- by the same company that makes Petromalt- the anti-hariball stuff. It;s in a VERY similar looking tube.
Not only will it help the cat put on a #, it leads to a healthier coat, less shedding and less hairballs.
Just to be clear: a vet confirmed my assessment that my cat was too skinny (He had a full blood workup – see OP). You could feel his spine and hips very clearly. My other cat, The Bandit, is pleasantly slim but by no means under weight. You can feel his ribs but NOT his spine.
Many cats (and people for that matter) that can’t digest dairy handle yogurt very well. The Lactobacillus in active yogurt culture breaks down the majority of lactose present in the milk. A dab of yogurt mixed in with wet food is just the thing for kittens with diarrhea (in the absence of parasitic infection, etc.) as I’ve found with numerous foster kitties.
'Scuse the lateness of the hour and post.
Actually I wondered about that because I see any number of cat and kitten foods that say: now with yogurt! And I was under the impression that the yogurt cultures offered beneficial effects.
My cat enjoys soy yogurt as a treat occasionally. It doesn’t contain lactose.
She’s 15 years old and has been slowly losing weight as she gets older. Just recently my mother managed to reverse her weight loss by switching her food to Fancy Feast. She just loves that stuff. (The cat, not my mother.)
