Holistic Select Staff Vet - Dr. Al

This month, Dr. Al answers your questions about when to switch a kitten to adult food and rotating favors of canned cat food.

Q: I have a five month old kitten who has been exclusively on Holistic Select kitten dry food since we got him. When should we switch him to adult food?

A: It is generally recommended that you feed a diet designed for growth until the majority of growth has occurred. Most agree that one year of age is a appropriate time to switch to an adult diet. However, a convenient benefit of the Holistic Select® Radiant Adult & Kitten Health Chicken Meal Recipe that you have been feeding to your kitten is that it is specifically formulated to meet the nutritional requirements for all life-stages, so you need not make a switch when your kitten becomes an adult cat.

I would also suggest that you consider adding a canned recipe to your feeding regimen, such as Holistic Select® Chicken & Lamb Recipe Canned Cat Food. The most common medical problems requiring pet parents take their cats to the veterinarian  are urinary issues. Water consumption is essential to helping prevent the issues. An exclusive dry diet can significantly reduce the total daily water intake and encourage urinary issues. Adding, or feeding exclusively canned cat food will increase water consumption considerably and help prevent the most common urinary issues for cats.

Q: Must cats always eat the same canned food or is it okay to occasionally rotate the flavor given? If alternating, how do you transition wet food, or can you just switch over to a new one with no transition as long as you keep the dry food the same?

A: Many pet parents rotate the flavors of canned food and their cats love the variety. In my experience, if you rotate canned the flavors within the same brand, the risk of problems is minimal.

Keep in mind that there are cats that have food allergies and/or intolerances. They are not common, but they do occur. That would not be a problem with rotating recipes, but rather a particular sensitivity your cat has with one or more ingredients in a diet. If you find your cat does well on fish based diets, you could try rotating between Holistic Select® Ocean Fish & Tuna Recipe and Holistic Select® Salmon & Shrimp Recipe to keep protein sources similar in your cats diet while maintaining enough variety for her to enjoy.

Tags: Pet Health, Pet Nutrition, Vet

Compared to other grains, oatmeal is higher in protein and fiber and lower in carbohydrate calories.

Oatmeal may be relatively new to the pet food industry as a whole, but it has been included in Holistic Select® recipes for years because of its effectiveness as a nutritious and effective natural and holistic ingredient for both dogs and cats. Natural, whole grains have always been known to be healthy and nutritious for our pets, if prepared properly and used in the correct amounts; oatmeal is no exception. In fact, Oatmeal is probably one of the best grains used in some pet foods today.   Technically, oatmeal is ground oat groats. Groats are the hulled grain; in this case, hulled whole oats. Compared to other grains, oatmeal is higher in protein and fiber and lower in carbohydrate calories. It is a great natural source of iron, manganese, zinc and B vitamins as well as essential fatty acids and antioxidants.

The protein in oatmeal is an ideal complement to the meat proteins found in all of our foods. It contains almost a complete list of the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) vital to a complete and balanced diet. Many vets feel that the protein in oatmeal is very hypoallergenic (less likely to cause an allergic reaction) and therefore an ideal nutrient to be included in a diet formulated for pets suspected of having a food sensitivity or allergy. Due to its fiber content, pound for pound, oatmeal contains less carbohydrate calories than other grains. This makes it an ideal ingredient to support weight management as well as optimum bowl function. The soothing properties of oatmeal can help a pet with some digestive issues.

Natural antioxidants in oatmeal help to protect the pet from the toxins in our environment thought to be responsible for many of the diseases and conditions seen in pets. Oatmeal has a very low glycemic index, and is lower in glutens than most grains. Both are important in controlling blood sugar levels and reducing digestive issues for pets.

All Holistic Select dry cat food and dry dog food recipes include oatmeal as a healthy grain source.

Tags: Pet Health, Pet Nutrition, Vet