I have been feeding my 18-year-old cat Iams Low Residue Canned Cat Food for about a year and a half now. It has made a huge difference! Fuzzball no longer has digestive problems. He also seems happier and has a softer, thicker coat.

What led us to Iams Low Residue canned food?
My cat has had a sensitive digestive system for most of his life. After having problems with Feline Urinary Syndrome when he was two or three years old, we fed him a prescription urinary formula dry cat food. For the next 12 or 13 years, he was pretty healthy with the exception of his sensitive digestive system. By sensitive, I mean that the slightest thing would upset his stomach. For example, if he got into even a small amount of our dog’s food or if he was stressed out because we went out of town, he would get loose stools or diarrhea. He has a long hair so he gets hair balls from time to time. Even that would get his stomach upset which would in turn cause intestinal issues for a day or two. About two and a half years ago, his stomach problems began increasing in frequency and included vomiting, so I took him to the vet. Since he was then 15, she recommended switching his diet from the urinary formula to a kidney formula. He did great on that food for a few months, but gradually went back to having stomach issues. Another visit to the vet and a complete blood panel revealed that he had a thyroid condition. He was underweight as well. Since he needed to gain weight, and already has a sensitive digestive system and his thyroid medication can increase stomach upset, our vet recommended Iams Low Residue Food.

About Iams Low Residue Canned Food
Iams Low Residue Food (formerly called Eukanuba Low Residue) is made in formulas for both dogs and cats. According to Iams, this food has a special blend of quality fiber, protein, and fat that helps strengthen the intestines and make food easier to digest. This food may be recommended when your pet is experiencing vomiting, loose stools, gas or constipation. It provides complete nutrition, so it can be fed long term. It comes in small, 6 oz. cans with a pull off-top. I pay $19 for 12 cans at my veterinarians office. This product is only available from a veterinarian or with a prescription.

Ingredients & Nutritional Information
Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Beef By-Products, Brewers Rice, Whitefish, Corn Grits, Fish Meal (source of Fish Oil), Dried Egg Product, Dried Beet Pulp, Potassium Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides, Calcium Carbonate, Brewers Dried Yeast, DL-Methionine, Monosodium Phosphate, Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate [source of Vitamin B1], Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [source of Vitamin B6], Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement [source of Vitamin B2], Folic Acid, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite [source of Vitamin K3]), Mannanoligosaccharides, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide)

Nutrient (percent)
Crude Protein, minimum- 9.0
Crude Fat, minimum- 2.8
Crude Fiber, maximum-1.0
Moisture, maximum-78.0
Ash, maximum- 2.0
Magnesium, maximum-0.03
Taurine, minimum 0.07
Omega-6 Fatty Acids, minimum-0.4*
Omega-3 Fatty Acids, minimum-0.08*

My Experience
I feed Iams Low Residue Canned Food to my cat in conjunction with Iams Low Residue dry food. My cat gets about 1/3 of a can, twice a day. He would probably eat more like 1/2 to 2/3 of a can at each meal if we didn’t feed him the dry food as well. The texture of this food is similar to other canned cat foods I have tried in the past. It is relatively firm and has a strong “cat food” smell (meat and fish). I crush my cat’s thyroid pill and mix it with this food each day. He devours the food (and his pill). He loves it! Then again, I have never found a food that he didn’t like.

I’m not thrilled that Iams Low Residue Food contains beef by-products, but I will get over it, because of the improved quality of life that Fuzzball is experiencing! He is 18, but still chases our dog’s tail, runs up and down stairs, and climbs over a pet gate. Best of all, his digestive system is working properly.

We have been feeding him this food for one and a half years now, and he has only had tummy trouble on two occasions when we were out of town on vacation. Our dog was away too, and we think that Fuzzball was just much more stressed than normal not having the dog to curl up with. Other than those isolated instances, he has been doing great with no vomiting or diarrhea.

Not only did we see immediate and long term results with his digestive system, but his personality has slightly changed for the better (could be due partly to the thyroid medication). He snuggles and purrs with us and our dog much more often, and his fur seems softer and thicker. I believe that this food has played just as big of a role in restoring his health as his thyroid medication.

I highly recommend trying Iams Low Residue Canned food if your pet is having digestive problems. According to my veterinarian, some pets only need this food to get through temporary health problems, but others (like my cat) benefit from this food long term. It is expensive, but not much more than the other prescription foods we had been using for the previous 14 years. I find it worth the price.

Recommended: Yes