If you throw up on the couch once more, I'm sending you to the SPCA!!!!!

[FutureMrsLewis]

Hmm, I might try putting something in her bowl, just to see if that will make her slow down. I like the idea of a food puzzle too, but I think she'd be too lazy and would just start crying at me until I fed her normally. We've been feeding them Iams proactive health with hairball care, and that didn't help at all, so now we're trying just the regular proactive health, and it's not helping at all. We tried switching to Meow Mix a few months ago (it had something for hairballs too) and it didn't help either. FI likes buying Iams because it's a good name and it's vet recommended, but I think maybe we should look into another brand. Oh, and we only feed them dry food, wet food makes her sick even more, and is a LOT harder to clean up, and they're both very happy only eating dry food (with lots of water of course).

 

Thanks for all your help ladies

[CaboBride2010]

out of my personal experience although Iams is a good name for cat food, my cat cannot eat Iams without throwing up. As soon as I switched to Whiskas she has now been totally fine and doesnt throw up at all after eating. So try something other than Iams I would say.

[FutureMrsLewis]

Maybe I will try Whiskas, I've been thinking about trying that. Thanks

[binzer]

Keep in mind that pretty much every pet food is "vet recommended" and although Iams is better is better than a lot of foods, it still contains a lot of fillers and artificial ingredients that aren't ideal for your pet (Iams also has a massive marketing budget which makes them seem better than they are).

 

I think a food for sensitive stomachs would be a good idea, maybe something like this?

 

Also, I found this list of ingredients to avoid and look for in cat food:

Quote:

The preservatives BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin. BHA and BHT are carcinogens. Ethoxyquin is a rubber preservative and pesticide. Foods that contain Rosemary (may be used as a preservative) shouldn't be served more than 2-3 times per week. Carrageenan. This is a food thickener that can cause ulcerative colitis and other stomach problems. However, this ingredient is used in the new EVO canned products (95% meat) (among other products), and the advice I've received is that you have to weigh the overall benefits of the great food against a small amount of this ingredient which might cause digestive upsets. If you're faced with the choice of carageenan or an inferior quality food, go with the carrageenan. The same is true for GARLIC which is (still) present in Wellness. Mannitol, Xylitol and Sorbitol: Can cause severe digestive upset and possibly kidney problems. Potassium Sorbate: Can irritate skin and eyes. Propylene Glycol: Can cause heinz body anemia, a type of damage to red blood cells. Sodium Benzoate: Can adversely affect the central nervous system and cause allergic reactions as well as stomach irritations. Propyl Gallate Artificial colors. Cats don't care what color their food is! There is no feline Iron Chef who will turn up her nose due to bad presentation! Byproducts and meal. Byproducts aren't bad per se, but it would be NICE to know which ones. They can be anything from liver (good) to beaks and feet. If they're not named, don't feed them. Any form of corn, wheat or soy. Corn is the worst of these and may ultimately lead to diabetes. Avoid special labels such as "indoor" "senior" or "light". These foods may contain acidifying agents, excessive fiber, and inadequate fats that will result in skin and coat problems. Don't buy your food at the grocery store - go to an independently owned pet store or a chain store if they carry good brands. Butylated hydroxyamisole. Butylated hydroxytoluene. Get:   Products containing MEAT, and it's best if it's listed first. Products that are AAFCO certified to be complete. This doesn't mean the food is good, it just means it's balanced. Foods that don't have this or that aren't balanced aren't bad necessarily, but then they should perhaps only be used for supplemental feeding. As you can see, it's more about avoiding things than looking for things. Yes, look for meat as the first ingredient, and it should be balanced for daily feeding (unless you plan to supplement). But it's mostly about what you should NOT see on the label!

Good luck!! I would definitely be revolted too, so hopefully a change of food and putting something in the food dish helps!

[FutureMrsLewis]

Holy crap, thanks binzer! I just looked at the ingredients for the Iams I've been feeding my girls, and it has Rosemary extract, Chicken by-product meal, and corn meal. It does say that it meets AAFCO guidelines though, and the first ingredient is chicken, so I guess it's not THAT bad. But I definitely know what to look for from now on. And I'm not sure if I can find that brand of cat food, I've never seen it in stores, but I'll keep my eyes peeled

[sunset78]

Here's a rating system that you can use for pet food...

 

Start with a grade of 100:

 

1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points

 

2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or

fat) reference, subtract 10 points

 

3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

 

4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source,subtract 5 points

 

5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five

ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer's rice", "rice flour" are

all the same grain), subtract 5 points

 

6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats

in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points

 

7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

 

8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points

 

9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points

 

10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2

points

 

11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic

to other protein sources), subtract 2 points

 

12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

 

13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to

wheat), subtract 2 points

 

14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to

beef), subtract 1 point

 

15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

 

Extra Credit:

 

1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points

 

2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or

nutritionist, add 5 points

 

3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points

 

4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points

 

5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

 

6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points

 

7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points

 

8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points

 

9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points

 

10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point

 

11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point

 

12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than

 

the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source

but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point

 

13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

 

14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free

add 1 point

 

94-100+ = A

86-93 = B

78-85 = C

70-77 = D

69 = F

 

Here are some foods that have already been scored. Dog Food scores:

 

Dog Food scores:

Alpo Prime Cuts / Score 81 C

Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy / Score 114 A+

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+

Authority Harvest Baked Less Active / Score 93 B

Beowulf Back to Basics / Score 101 A+

Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F

Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice / Score 83 C

Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+

Burns Chicken and Brown Rice / Score 107 A+

Canidae / Score 112 A+

Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+

Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F

Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B

Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A

Diamond Performance / Score 85 C

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice / Score 106 A+

Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+

EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+

Eukanuba Adult / Score 81 C

Eukanuba Puppy / Score 79 C

Flint River Senior / Score 101 A+

Foundations / Score 106 A+

Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B

Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D

Innova Dog / Score 114 A+

Innova Evo / Score 114 A+

Innova Large Breed Puppy / Score 122 A+

Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+

Member's Mark Chicken and Rice / Score 84 C

Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+

Nature's Recipe / Score 100 A

Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice / Score 116 A+

Nature's Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+

Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice / Score 81 C

Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy / Score 101 A+

Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B

Nutro Max Adult / Score 93 B

Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice / Score 98 A

Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B

Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free / Score 86 B

Nutro Natural Choice Senior / Score 95 A

Nutro Ultra Adult / Score 104 A+

Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F

Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+

Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C

Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A

Purina Benful / Score 17 F

Purina Dog / Score 62 F

Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F

Purina One Large Breed Puppy / Score 62 F

Royal Canin Boxer / Score 103 A+

Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+

Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+

Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F

Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F

Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A

Solid Gold / Score 99 A

Summit / Score 99 A

Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry / Score 120 A+

Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+

Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

[FutureMrsLewis]

I just found this website: truth about pet food, pet food ingredients, toxic grains, by products in pet food, human grade pet food and now I'm worried about what I've been feeding my girls. This may not be 100% true, but even if a small percentage of it is, then I've been a bad mommy I'm definitely looking at ingredients from now on, and buying something that's good for them. All this time I'm worried about what me and FI are putting into our bodies, and I didn't ever think about what my kitties were eating... Thanks for helping me realize that cat food is filled with so much bad stuff, or I may have been feeding them garbage forever and then be completely puzzled when they got really sick. Thanks again ladies!!

[Mystic]

I just read that list of things to avoid and now I'm doing cat food research on the internet tonight! I was going to say that I have been feeding my cats Purina One Sensitive Systems and there has been MUCH less vomiting. Could just be a coincidence. It does have soybean and corn meal in it though but none of the other bad ingredients on the list. Why would they put carcinogens and pesticides in pet food? Makes me want to make my own cat food!

[Hartyt509]

You know I gave up reading reviews and looking at the ingredients years ago with my dogs lol only because every animal is different and what might be good for one isn't for another.

 

My rotty will eat nothing but butchers lol even good stuff she won't eat so butchers it is and she is 12 this year and healthy as a pup.

 

My spaniel was fed eukenba in the army and now he's on butchers but really he doesn't give a toss what he eats, including knickers!! (nearly killed him lol)

 

Go trial and error buy smallish bags and try it for a month or so and see which one works - you will find one even if its the cheap one

[FutureMrsLewis]

It's pretty much going to be trial and error from here on out. I'm going to find something that's good for them, but they also have to WANT to eat it. The little one (on the right in my pic) will eat anything, but Shadow (left) is quite fussy so it will be fun trying to find something she actually likes.