Hill's Science Diet Feline Senior Beef Recipe Good Choice for Cats with Chronic Renal Failure
Written: Jun 30 '02 (Updated Jul 16 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A lower phosphorus, lower sodium, lower protein food, no by-products
Cons: None, but not Patrick's favorite. Your cat with CRF may love it.
The Bottom Line: Well worthy of the purchase of a can or two - for your senior cat who is healthy, or your cat with Chronic Renal Failure (CRF).
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| patriciak's Full Review: Hill's Science Diet Feline Senior Beef Formula |
Those of you who have read my past reviews on canned cat food, know that I thought I was dealing with an older cat of now finicky taste, and trying to put some weight back on this senior "catizen's" bones. Now I know that Patrick is in the early stages of Chronic Renal Failure - CRF, and our search is for the perfect canned food for this condition. I am going to review this food as an overall product, with special consideration for why it is a recommended food for cats with CRF.
Hill's Science Diet Feline Senior - Beef Formula
This is a canned food formulated for cats who are 7 years of age of older (that is their definition of Senior). It comes in a 5.5 oz. can with a convenient and easy to use pop-top lid. The recommended feeding portion is 1 can daily for a 6 lb. cat -adjust quantity based on your cats weight. If you have a partially used can, be sure to refrigerate the remaining portion promptly. *Note - many cats, even in the best of health, will turn up their noses at "cold" food. You have several options - allow to come to room temperature before offering, mixing with a bit of warm water for a thick concoction, or with extreme care microwaving in 10 second intervals, stirring, then testing with a finger. DO NOT DO THIS AND SERVE WITHOUT STIRRING AND THEN CHECKING TEMPERATURE. I really can't say that strongly enough!
The food is 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed and can be purchased at your local quality pet store or a chain such as Petco and Petsmart. Online purchasing is often offered only in case quantities - I'd suggest you first try a single can to be sure your cat (healthy or not) is going to eat this.
Why is this Recommended for Cats with CRF?
It is not my intent to use this review as a place to discuss the diagnosis of cats with CRF, but I do wish to share why I'm in the hunt again through the many canned cat foods out there, and why this food has additional value to me and to my beloved 15 year old Cream Lynx Point American Curl, Patrick.
For the best site I've found on the Internet discussing diagnosis and management of this disease please check out:
www.felinecrf.com It is a magnificent work of love in memory of a cat named Avatar and is also know as the "Avatar Site". From this site I learned that a decreased protein, decreased phosphorus, decreased sodium diet is "designed to reduce the amount of waste materials filtered out by the kidneys". It is one approach that your vet will likely suggest you take in the management of your cat's CRF, for which there is no cure.
How Does Hills Science Diet Feline Senior Beef Measure Up?
Just great, in my opinion. In searching for foods that are lower in phosphorus and protein and sodium, to better compare the values, one has to consider the following. Moisture content will vary from brand to brand and flavor formula. It is better to compare based on a Dry Matter Analysis. This is different than comparing the As Fed per centages (which are what you are seeing when reading the Guaranteed Analysis listed on each can of pet food. Before you think "Oh, help! This is just too much to deal with when I'm dealing with a sick pet!" not to worry. You have two wonderful resources!
You can do the calculation yourself, by going to Hill's Science Diet Calculator at: www.sciencediet.com/NutritionandHealth/Calculator.asp which will help you quickly and easily figure out the degree of dry matter present for any listed nutrient value.
Or you can go to: http://webpages.charter.net/katkarma/canfood.htm where you will find an incredible and up to date compliation of values for a huge variety of canned foods.
Guaranteed Analysis - As Fed
Crude Protein...Min 8.5%
Crude Fat...Min 4.0%
Crude Fiber...Max 1.7%
Moisture...Max 77%
Ash...Max 1.8%
Calcium...Min 0.11%
Phosphorous...Min 0.1%
Sodium...Max 0.13%
Taurine...Min 0.1%
Guaranteed Analysis - Dry Matter Analysis
(from Katkarma website listed above)
Protein...40.90%
Phosphorous...0.63%
Sodium...0.33%
So Why Did You Say You Like This? And What Does Patrick Think?
I like that the phosphorus is under 1 per cent, and in fact, under .7 per cent. I like the fact that this food has No By-Products and preserved with Mixed tocopheryls, citric acid and rosemary extract (from the label). I further love the fact that the protein source supposedly contained in this food, is the second listed ingredient (ingredients list to follow). Most of all, Patrick does eat this, though I won't pretend that he dives in with his snorkel mask on. I add warm water to this and mix it to the consistency of a thinner than paste but thicker than gravy consistency. It is an effort to get him to eat these days, so any food he will eat on his own (we are not yet to the stage of assisted feeding), is a huge plus to me.
Okay, I do want to see the Ingredients(those of you who do not, skip ahead to the Final Thoughts)
water, beef, liver, corn flour, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopheryls, citric acid and rosemary extract),natural flavor, powdered cellulose, guar gum,xanthan gum, locust bean gum, taurine, DL-methionine, brewers dried yeast, minerals and vitamins which I'm not going to list here.
Final Thoughts
I'm not wild, to be true to form, with the fact that there is powdered cellulose, and three kinds of "gum" in here, and that they felt they had to add Natural flavor. However, there are NO by-products,no colorings, no chemical preservatives AND this food provides my cat with CRF with a lower phosphorous, lower sodium food that will be easier on his kidneys. Patrick eats it, the cost is not prohibitive, and it's easy to find and purchase (vs the prescription "for renal failure" canned foods one can only purchase at one's vet or with a prescription from a mail-order company.). For your Senior cat who you are hoping will stay healthy and away from such problems as CRF, or if you have unfortunately had a cat diagnosed with CRF, I recommend Hill's Science Diet Feline Senior Beef Formula as being well worthy of a try.
Company Contact Information
1-800-445-5777 or visit the website using Epinions link to this manufacturer. Thank you for reading!
Recommended:
Yes
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patriciak
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I will always carry you in my heart, my sweetlings. I miss you so.
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